This project was funded by a Capacity Support Grant from the MWCC Watershed Fund.

Project Description

The purpose of this project is to engage and educate the community of Seeley Lake and the Clearwater Valley on water resources, water quality and nonpoint source pollution issues facing the Clearwater Watershed. Community awareness of issues with nonpoint source pollution has been elevated as Missoula County has altered its requirements in a septic management area (where conventional septic systems are no longer permitted) located in the town of Seeley Lake. Additionally, the proposed gravel pit at Elbow Lake (a wide spot on the Clearwater River) has also been a source of misunderstanding how the gravel pit might or might not impact groundwater and/or surface water in the Clearwater River. There is a significant lack of understanding around key issues of groundwater and surface waters and their interactions and how nonpoint source pollution influences each of them. This project facilitates effective and timely communication, which may influence human behavior and advance conservation goals going forward.

Subjects to address in the workshop include risks to surface waters associated with septic effluent in groundwater, how groundwater and surface waters interact, and other potential sources of nonpoint pollution such as shoreline management impacts, changes in lake water quality and their effects to the community, and invasive aquatic plant and algal bloom proliferation. We will also offer two or three presentations on basics of hydrology, groundwater, and aquatic ecology; geared at high school students.

The Clearwater Watershed has four lakes (Alva, Inez, Seeley, Salmon) in the chain of lakes connected by the Clearwater River. Placid Lake and Big Sky Lake drain to the Clearwater River via Owl Creek and Fish Creek, respectively. Each of these lakes except for Lake Alva, is ringed by private septic development. In addition to these nonpoint sources, two major tributaries (Morrell Creek and Seeley Creek) flow through the town of Seeley Lake and drain to the Clearwater River. These streams may also be subject to nonpoint source pollution as both exhibit elevated concentrations of nutrients. The largest and least well characterized source of nonpoint source pollution may be the high density of septic systems present in the town of Seeley Lake.

The challenge is that it has been difficult to communicate to the community how these different waters interact and how effects are cumulative both over time and in the downstream direction. This project will try to make headway in communicating science to the community through development of outreach materials, and conducting a one-day Water Resources Workshop. This workshop would be held during late summer/early fall of 2024, when seasonal homeowners on the lakes are in the valley. We will seek to hold the workshop on a Friday so that Seeley-Swan high school students can attend.

Project Outcomes and Impacts

Project in progress