EPA Approves Gallatin River Impairment Designation

State of Montana Can Officially Begin the TMDL Clean-Up Process  Recent reporting by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle covered the EPA’s approval of an “impairment” determination for the Middle Segment Gallatin River. This segment stretches from Yellowstone National Park downstream to…

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…

Fact Sheet: Draft Environmental Assessment for the Quarry Project

Fact Sheet: Draft Environmental Assessment for the Quarry Project Residential Subdivision #1 EQ# 22-22120 & 22-2092 Big Sky, MT What is the Quarry Project? A “Planned Unit Development” of new phased residential and commercial construction Sited on 175 acres, reclaiming…

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…

Support a Pollution Clean-Up Plan for the Gallatin River

The Problem Since 2018, the middle segment of the world-class Gallatin River has been plagued by widespread, noxious neon-green algal blooms. This scenic, wild, cold-water stretch of the Gallatin River is home to 3,000 wild trout per mile and supports…

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…

Glampground on the Gallatin: New development in the floodplain is bad for the river

A Gallatin Gateway landowner is asking Gallatin County permission to build a glamorous campground (“Glampground”) retreat facility on the bank of the Gallatin River with 63 sites that will include running water, sewage, power and gas utilities, as well as…