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Report Clark Fork River Biomonitoring Macroinvertebrate Community

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Report Clark Fork River Biomonitoring Macroinvertebrate Community Report Clark Fork River Biomonitoring: Macroinvertebrate Community Assessments for 2019 Prepared by: David Stagliano Montana Biological Survey/Stag Benthics Prepared for: Boise, Idaho Submitted to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 June 2020 Executive Summary The upper Clark Fork River (CFR) Basin in western at Kohrs Bend (Station 10) to 85 percent at SBC Montana contains four contiguous Superfund below Warm Springs (Station 4.5) and the operable units that have been undergoing various Blackfoot River site (Station 14) (Figure ES-1). remediation activities for decades. Since 1986, Both SBC sites (stations 2.5 and 4.5) were rated as annual benthic macroinvertebrate-based (BMI) slightly impaired. Slight biological impairment monitoring has been performed at 13 CFR stream from nutrients was evident at two CFR stations reaches with ongoing or future remedial actions near Deer Lodge (8.5 and 9.0) and near Missoula (McGuire Consulting 1986-2017; Montana (Station 15.5), but the former sites have improved Biological Survey/Stag Benthics 2017-Present). markedly since 2017. The lower Blackfoot River Monitoring extended from Silver Bow Creek (SBC) (Station 14) was ranked slightly impaired again in sites upstream of the Warm Springs Ponds, 2019, likely due to metal related stressors. downstream through the upper CFR, bracketing During 2019, environmental conditions in SBC at the former Milltown Dam site to below the Opportunity (Station 2.5) improved after CFR-Bitterroot River confluence. In addition to experiencing declines in integrity scores in 2018. providing current assessments of ecological Likewise, SBC below the Warm Springs Ponds conditions, these sampling events extend the (Station 4.5) remained slightly impaired but BMI long-term data set for evaluating water quality integrity improved over 2017 scores. trends and the effectiveness of remedial Environmental stressors (nutrients and low- activities. stream flows) decreased across the three CFR These BMI assessment methods, developed sites in the Deer Lodge Valley based on the 2018 specifically for the CFR basin, compare each and 2019 BMI assessments, likely due to above- station to a fixed reference condition (McGuire, average stream flows. Nutrient pollution exhibits 1993). Ten measures of BMI community structure more of an effect as the upper CFR becomes and composition are integrated into a single index eutrophic during low-flow conditions. Significant of biological integrity. Results are represented on impacts characteristic of nutrient enrichment a scale of 0 to 100 percent, with values greater were documented throughout the Deer Lodge than 90 percent indicating a minimally impaired Valley (five sites) during 2017, while only three stream environment. Additionally, subsets of the CFR sites (Stations 8.5, 9.0 and 10 in 2018; 8.5 and BMI metrics provide estimates of the relative 9.0 in 2019) reported slight nutrient impairments probable cause and severity of impacts from in the last two years metals and nutrient stressors. Long-term monitoring data shows biological The 2019 BMI assessments documented above integrity throughout the CFR Basin has improved average biointegrity scores at 11 of the 13 sites, since 1992 with the highest assessment scores with notable improvement in the Silver Bow previously occurring in 2009 (Figure ES-2). Most Creek watershed and upper CFR (Figure ES-1). The recently, floodplain restoration and contaminant overall biointegrity average of 91 percent across removal from upper Silver Bow Creek have all sites is the highest ever reported for this study. resulted in improved water quality and biological Although, environmental conditions still appear integrity at the Opportunity site. Biological to be causing slight impairments in the biological monitoring shows accelerated recovery over the integrity of SBC and the CFR in the Deer Lodge past 3 years as remediation near this site was Valley. Biological integrity in 2019 was non- completed. Biological integrity in Silver Bow Creek impaired at seven monitoring sites and slightly improved to slightly impaired over the past impaired at six sites (Figure ES-2). Biological 2 years. assessment scores ranged from 97 percent at CFR R6R2 088 WARM SPRINGS POND iii CFR MACROINVERTEBRATE MONITORING SUMMARY 2019 Improved biological integrity at sites near Warm the past 3 years. This uptick in bio-assessment Springs, and farther downstream, coincided with scores may be the result of reduced liming and a series of remedial actions to control metals in lower pH in the Warm Springs Ponds. the upper basin and the implementation of a Nutrient impacts are routinely documented at the basin-wide voluntary nutrient-reduction program CFR stations in the Deer Lodge Valley, and during the 1990s. Impacts attributable to nutrient scores were the lowest ever reported in nutrients have declined at all stations except in 2017; these have significantly improved in 2019 SBC. Metals pollution has diminished throughout with the flushing flows of 2018. Based on BMI the basin, and significant biological impacts have biointegrity metrics in 2019, CFR Stations 07, 8.5, been detected in the CFR on only a few dates and 09 have all increased by an average of 22 during the past 15 years; particularly following percent from 2017 scores. This reach is flood events in 1997, 2011 and 2018, although particularly susceptible to drought-related metric slight metals impacts continue to be evident stressors, as seen in 2017, and remains at risk each year in upper SBC (Station 4.5). Significant from increased metals loading from metals pollution has not been indicated in the CFR unremediated floodplain slickens deposits during since 2011. Assessment scores peaked in 2009, high-flow events. when all eight CFR stations were classified as non- impaired. Except for the SBC sites and the Long-term monitoring has identified more Blackfoot River, biological integrity in the CFR ephemeral impacts. Cumulative drought-related Basin has, on average, been only slightly impaired stresses were evident from 2002 through 2007 during this last decade. and possibly from 2014 to 2017. Probable metals impacts were indicated at several upper CFR Based on monitoring results from 2001 through stations following the floods in 1997, 2011 and 2019 (Figure ES-1), biological integrity scores 2018. Floods have had dramatic effects on water usually indicate moderate impairment in upper quality, stream habitat, and the biota of the CFR. SBC (Station 2.5), slight to moderate impairment In 2011, significant biological impairment was in lower SBC (Station 4.5), and slightly impaired documented at 10 of the 12 monitoring sites. BMI communities along the CFR in the Deer Lodge Impacts from metals were indicated in SBC and in Valley from Sager Lane to Kohrs Bend (Stations the CFR from Sager Lane to Gold Creek. Metals 8.5, 09 and 10). Biointegrity scores are typically impacts in the CFR were more widespread and non-impaired in the CFR below Warm Springs severe following the floods in 1997 than in 2011, Creek (Station 07), from Gold Creek to below and lessor, but persisting, effects were detected Missoula (Stations 11, 13, 15.5, and 20), in the after high flows of 2018. In September of 2019, a lower Blackfoot River (Station 14), and at the Mill- series of rain events in the upper basin briefly Willow Bypass (Station 5). Surprisingly, the doubled flows of SBC and CFR and slicken area Blackfoot River biointegrity has been slightly run-off during this time was causally linked to a impaired from 2016 through 2019. CFR fish kill that occurred from Galen to Perkins While the extent and severity of impacts has Lanes. declined, environmental stresses continue to Decades of biomonitoring has shown that impact SBC and portions of the CFR. Upper SBC biological community integrity across most sites remains impaired by both metals and nutrients. in the CFR Basin is trending upward, and the Although the Warm Springs Ponds continue to number of sites reporting moderate to severe effectively sequester metals, recent assessments degradation is decreasing, though there have of lower SBC (Station 4.5) indicate seasonal been slight deviations from this trend in the Deer effluent toxicity consistent with episodic pulses of Lodge area over the last 4 years. During water ammonia and/or arsenic. Lower SBC was years with periods of normal to below normal classified as moderately impaired for most of the annual discharge for the CFR, nutrient impacts are past decade, but it has been slightly impaired over iv R6R2 088 WARM SPRINGS POND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY becoming more of a contributing stressor than metals to the integrity of the BMI communities. Of the 33-year period of record, 2019 was only the second year to report no sites ranked moderately or severely impaired (Figure ES-2). Figure ES-1. Biointegrity at 13 Sites in the Clark Fork River Basin from August 2001 to 2018 (Mean and Standard Deviation) and August 2019. Sites arranged upstream to downstream. Note: See Table 1 for station names, locations, and periods of record. Figure ES-2. Biointegrity ranks reported at 13 Stations in the CFR basin from August 1986 to 2019 R6R2 088 WARM SPRINGS POND v Contents Section Page Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... iii Acronyms and Abbreviations .........................................................................................................xi 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................
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