State of Montana Officially Declares Gallatin River ‘Impaired’

Nutrient pollution levels too high to support aquatic life, recreation Today, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) formally declared the middle segment of the Gallatin River ‘impaired’ by algal blooms under Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA)….

Waterkeeper Challenges Rubber Stamp of New Water Pollution from Big Sky

Agency Violates Law and Ignores Gallatin River Algal Blooms Upper Missouri Waterkeeper filed a complaint against the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for authorizing new wastewater discharges from the Quarry Project, a new major subdivision in Big Sky, without…

The Inadequacies of DEQ’s Quarry Project EA

Montana DEQ’s Draft Environmental Assessment on the Quarry Planned Unit Development contains a multitude of issues: Project Segmentation into Phases Avoids Traditional Regulatory Scrutiny: Using Dozens of Septic Systems to Avoid Pollution Control Permitting:  Ignores Cumulative Impacts in Violation of…

Gallatin River Goes Neon-Green with Algal Blooms for Fifth Consecutive Year

Montana Dept. of Environmental Quality Needs to Identify Nutrient Pollution as the Causal Agent for Algal Blooms; Public Encouraged to Submit Comment to Protect River Neon-green algal blooms are plaguing the world-class Gallatin River downstream of Big Sky and the…

FAQs: Gallatin River Middle Segment Impairment Designation

June 2022 Preliminary Determination of Impairment What’s being proposed? Based on a review of best available science from the past 10 years, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued a preliminary determination that the middle segment Gallatin River…

State of Montana Determines Gallatin River ‘Impaired’ by Algal Blooms

Conservation Groups’ Petition Granted by Dept. of Environmental Quality  On Tuesday, June 14, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) made a preliminary finding that the Gallatin River merits a Category 5 impairment designation under Section 303(d) of the federal Clean…