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DEQ to host open house for Big Hole River

  • Madison McGeffers
  • June 09 2026

HELENA—The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will host an open house to share updates about studies and water quality conditions on the Big Hole River. The open house will occur from 4:00 to 7:00 pm on Tuesday, June 23, at the Divide Grange Hall located at in Divide.

DEQ will display posters exhibiting information about a recent Big Hole River water quality assessment and will have staff available to answer questions about past, current and future work on the Big Hole. The agency will be accompanied by Save Wild Trout, Big Hole Watershed Committee, Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and Montana Trout Unlimited.

DEQ and local partners have identified in the greater Big Hole watershed and identified pollution sources as well as the types of strategies that can be implemented to address them. Darrin Kron is a DEQ water quality scientist who has been working on projects in the Big Hole since 2003. About the upcoming meeting, Kron said, "One thing that has remained consistent through the years is that community involvement in the Big Hole has been critical in reducing pollution. This open house is another valuable opportunity to collaborate with our partner organizations, and anyone else who loves the river, to continue moving this work forward."

The first streams in the Big Hole were listed on the state’s impaired waters list in 1988. Since then, many water quality monitoring projects have occurred and the Big Hole watershed has received $1,350,590 in federal funding to implement projects that address sediment, temperature, flow and habitat impairments. These projects are proven practices that address sources of pollution that often also contribute nutrients. As recently as 2025, DEQ removed arsenic and lead impairments on Elkhorn Creek due to successful implementation of improvements in the watershed.

In total, DEQ has completed 91 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) on the Big Hole River and its tributaries for various pollutants, including nutrients. More information about the existing Watershed Restoration plans can be found on DEQ’s website.

For more information about the public meeting, visit DEQ’s website.

Tags: Water and Press Release