To follow are some of the frequently asked questions about Milltown we hear from friends, neighbors, and folks who call our office.  Have another question or want more information?  Let us know-- we’ll try to find the answer.

Is it safe to swim in the Clark Fork River?  Was it safe this past spring and summer?
Yes.  Except for the day following the breach, dissolved arsenic and other metals have been well within drinking water standards.  On the one day that the arsenic standard was exceeded, it was measured at 15.5 parts per billion (ppb).  The standard is 10 ppb.  When the river is really muddy you might not want to drink lots of it-- and that holds true on most streams.

Can I eat fish from the Clark Fork River?
There are no health advisories for Superfund-related metals in the Clark Fork basin, but mercury and PCB levels in fish are a concern everywhere in the U.S., including in Montana.  Fish have been sampled in many lakes and reservoirs in the Clark Fork basin, and levels of these contaminants are generally low.  But there are specific health advisories for certain types and sizes of fish, especially for women of child-bearing age.  To learn more, check out these documents: 

Fish consumption guidelines available from the Montana Department of Health and Human Services:
http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/fish2005.pdf

Fish consumption guidelines available from Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks:
http://fwp.mt.gov/content/getItem.aspx?id=28187

Is it safe for my dog to drink the water in the river?
Yes.  When the river is extremely muddy, you might not want your dog to drink buckets of it every day, just as you wouldn’t want your dog to drink nothing but mud puddles.

How long will this project last?
The final removal of the dam’s spillway will be done this fall, and sediment removal in the reservoir should be wrapped up by Fall 2009.  After that, they will reconstruct a new river channel in the area where sediment removal is now occurring, and plant the floodplain with native vegetation.  It will be at least 2011 before all of this is finished.

When will we be able to float the river through the dam site?
We don’t exactly when we can float through the former dam site, but it’s likely to be a few more years.  Right now it’s a major construction site, so Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks has closed Blackfoot and Clark Fork Rivers to the public near the former dam site.  For your own safety, please respect the closure.

Where can I find more information on Milltown?

The Clark Fork River Technical Assistance Committee is a citizen-led, EPA funded advisory group that provides information on cleanup and restoration projects on the Clark Fork River and Milltown. Visit www.cfrtac.org

The EPA Milltown website –
http://www.epa.gov/Region8/superfund/mt/milltown/

The State of Montana’s restoration program –
http://www.doj.mt.gov/lands/naturalresource/milltowndam.asp

Missoula County’s Water Quality District – lots of information, and links to the Redevelopment Working Group:
http://www.co.missoula.mt.us/wq/Milltown_Dam/Milltown%20Dam.htm