WATER QUALITY RESTORATION PLAN FOR THE COOKE CITY TMDL PLANNING AREA McLaren Pit, 1970's September 23, 2002 Technical Lead: Dean Yashan, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Resource Planning Protection Bureau Significant Contributors: John Koerth, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Mine Waste Cleanup Bureau Pat Newby, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Monitoring and Data Management Bureau Mary Beth Marks, Geologist, USDA Forest Service, Gallatin National Forest Mark Story, Hydrologist, USDA Forest Service, Gallatin National Forest Wendi Urie, Special Analyst, USDA Forest Service, Gallatin National Forest Petrina Horne, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Resource Planning Protection Bureau Table of Contents Executive Summary........................................................................................................................ v Section 1.0 Introduction...............................................................................................................1-1 1.1 Water Quality Restoration Planning...................................................................................1-1 1.1.1 Water Bodies and Pollutants of Concern .....................................................................1-2 1.1.2 Water Quality Restoration Plan Organization and Terminology.................................1-4 1.2 Area and Water Body Characterization..............................................................................1-5 1.2.1 Location and Land Use ................................................................................................1-5 1.2.2 Climate .........................................................................................................................1-6 1.2.3 Hydrology.....................................................................................................................1-6 1.2.4 Fish Habitat and Aquatic Life ......................................................................................1-7 1.3 Background Information.....................................................................................................1-8 1.3.1 New World Mining District .........................................................................................1-8 1.3.2 Soda Butte Creek..........................................................................................................1-9 1.4 Water Quality Standards...................................................................................................1-10 1.4.1 Water Body Classifications and Beneficial Uses.......................................................1-10 1.4.2 Numeric and Narrative Standards ..............................................................................1-10 1.4.3 Temporary Standards .................................................................................................1-13 Section 2.0 Daisy Creek and Stillwater River Water Quality Restoration ..................................2-1 2.1 Impairment Conditions.......................................................................................................2-1 2.1.1 Metals and pH ..............................................................................................................2-1 2.1.2 Impairment Conditions Associated with Sediment......................................................2-2 2.2 Source Characterization......................................................................................................2-5 2.2.1 Source Inventory ..........................................................................................................2-5 2.2.2 Metals and pH Source Assessment ..............................................................................2-6 2.2.3 Sediment Source Assessment.......................................................................................2-7 2.3 Restoration Targets, TMDLs and Load Allocations ..........................................................2-9 2.3.1 Metals and pH Restoration Targets, TMDLs, and Allocations....................................2-9 2.3.2 Sediment Restoration Targets, TMDL Goals and Allocations ..................................2-17 Section 3.0 Fisher Creek and the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River Water Quality Restoration ...................................................................................................................................3-1 3.1 Impairment Conditions.......................................................................................................3-1 3.1.1 Metals and pH ..............................................................................................................3-1 3.1.2 Impairment Conditions Associated with Sediment......................................................3-2 3.2 Source Characterization......................................................................................................3-6 3.2.1 Source Inventory ..........................................................................................................3-6 3.2.2 Metals and pH Source Assessment ..............................................................................3-7 3.2.3 Sediment.......................................................................................................................3-8 3.3 Restoration Targets, TMDLs, and Load Allocations .........................................................3-9 3.3.1 Metals and pH Restoration Targets, TMDLs and Allocations.....................................3-9 3.3.2 Sediment Restoration Targets, TMDLs and Allocations ...........................................3-20 3.4 Metals Impairment for the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone in Wyoming........................3-22 Section 4.0 Miller Creek and Soda Butte Creek Water Quality Restoration...............................4-1 4.1 Impairment Conditions.......................................................................................................4-1 4.1.1 Metals Impairment Conditions.....................................................................................4-1 4.1.2 Sediment (Suspended Solids) Impairment Decision....................................................4-2 4.2 Metals Source Characterization..........................................................................................4-5 09/23/02 i 4.2.1 Source Inventory ..........................................................................................................4-5 4.2.2 Metals Source Analysis for Miller Creek.....................................................................4-6 4.2.3 Metals Source Analysis for Soda Butte Creek.............................................................4-7 4.3 Restoration Targets, TMDLs, and Load Allocations .......................................................4-10 4.3.1 Metals Restoration Targets.........................................................................................4-10 4.3.2 Metals TMDLs ...........................................................................................................4-11 4.3.3 Load Allocations ........................................................................................................4-16 Section 5.0 Restoration Strategy..................................................................................................5-1 5.1 New World Mining District Response and Restoration Project.........................................5-1 5.2 Additional Restoration Strategy Considerations by Drainage Area...................................5-3 5.2.1 Daisy Creek and the Stillwater River...........................................................................5-3 5.2.2 Fisher Creek and the Clarks Fork River.......................................................................5-3 5.2.3 Miller Creek .................................................................................................................5-4 5.2.4 Soda Butte Creek..........................................................................................................5-4 5.3 Restoration Approaches for Metals Sources ......................................................................5-5 5.4 Adaptive Management Approach to Restoration Targets and TMDLs for Metals and pH5-6 5.5 Monitoring Strategy............................................................................................................5-8 5.5.1 New World Mining District Long-Term Monitoring Plan...........................................5-8 5.5.2 Source Characterization ...............................................................................................5-9 5.5.3 MDEQ Monitoring Efforts to Develop Targets and Analyze Progress .....................5-10 Section 6.0 Public Involvement ...................................................................................................6-1 References................................................................................................................................... R-1 LIST OF TABLES Table E-1: Restoration Plan Components and Strategies Summary............................................... v Table E-2. Metals and pH Water Quality Restoration Targets for Impaired Water Bodies in the Cooke City TMDL Planning Area .......................................................................................... ix Table 1-1. 303(d) Impaired Water Bodies Listing History (1996, 1998, and 2000) for the Cooke City Area ...............................................................................................................................1-3