Funded Restoration Projects in Butte-Silver Bow City-County
Basin Creek Dams Rehabilitation
Type: Restoration Project
Costs: $503,006
Year(s) Funded: 2003
Status: Completed
Butte-Silver Bow rehabilitated the Basin Creek Reservoir System, which provides 35 percent of Butte's annual water supply. The Butte area has extensive groundwater contamination caused by historic mining activities. By fixing this reservoir system, this project enhanced the water supply for Butte water users from an uncontaminated source.
Big Horn Environmental Revegetation
Type: Restoration Project
Costs: $110,800
Year(s) Funded: 2000
Status: Completed
In 2001, Big Horn Environmental improved wildlife habitat along the first mile of Silver Bow Creek through the planting of woody and wetland plants in the floodplain and the addition of organic matter to backfill materials. Project monitoring continues.
Browns Gulch Watershed Assessment
Type: Project Development Grant
Costs: $143,404
Year(s) Funded: 2004
Status: Underway
The Watershed Restoration Coalition of the Upper Clark Fork and Mile High Conservation District will assess natural resources in the Browns Gulch watershed to establish baseline conditions and prioritize habitat, water quality and stream flow restoration needs. This assessment work would occur over two years and result in an implementation guideline plan for improving water, fish and wildlife resources.
Butte Water Master Plan
Type: Restoration Project
Costs: $174,634
Year(s) Funded: 2005
Status: Underway
Butte-Silver Bow will prepare a water master plan to identify and prioritize future water system needs. Components of the plan include water demands, water supplies and facilities. The master plan is intended to serve as the guide for implementing major capital improvements.
Butte Waterline
Type: Restoration Project
Costs: $8,080,363
Year(s) Funded: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
Status: Four projects completed; 2005 and 2006 projects underway
Butte-Silver Bow has received approval for six projects to replace 102,000 feet of leaking waterline in Butte. The Butte area has extensive groundwater contamination caused by historic mining activities. By fixing leaking and corroded waterlines, these replacement projects will enhance the water supply from an uncontaminated source. Butte-Silver Bow intends to continue water main replacement for a total of 15 years and seek a total of about $19 million in restoration funds.
Clark Fork Watershed Education Program
Type: Education Project
Costs: $698,801
Year(s) Funded: 2003, 2004
Status: Underway
Montana Tech has developed and is implementing a Clark Fork Watershed Education Program over three years for primary and secondary school children and teachers in 29 schools from Butte to Bonner. Each phase of the program includes student and teacher training in the classroom and the field. Students will use Silver Bow Creek and the Clark Fork River as large-scale outdoor laboratories in a field science program.
Duhame Property Acquisition
Type: Restoration Project
Costs: $1,668,557
Year(s) Funded: 2003, 2005
Status: Completed
Through the Greenway Service District, the state acquired the 1,800-acre Duhame property along Silver Bow Creek in Durant Canyon. The property has prime upland game winter forage areas and offers an array of recreational opportunities and is now part of the Mt. Haggin Wildlife Management Area.
German Gulch Watershed
Type: Project Development Grant
Costs: $925,712
Year(s) Funded: 2002, 2004, 2005
Status: Underway
The George Grant Chapter of Trout Unlimited developed a restoration proposal to improve fish and wildlife habitat and recreational access in the lower five miles of German Gulch. This proposal is currently being implemented.
High Service Tank Replacement
Type: Restoration Project
Costs: $1,192,802
Year(s) Funded: 2004
Status: Underway
Butte-Silver Bow will replace the 2.5 million gallon High Service drinking-water storage tank with a new pre-stressed concrete tank. The present tank is in poor condition with large cracks in the walls and in the columns that support the roof.
Ramsay School Watershed and Ecosystems
Type: Education Project
Costs: $16,151
Year(s) Funded: 2004
Status: Underway
The Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology will develop and implement an education project that teaches primary school students about the watershed and the ecosystem in the Ramsay area. Students will use the nearby Silver Bow Creek as a outdoor classroom to learn about mining impacts before and after remediation/restoration activities are conducted.
Silver Bow Creek Greenway
Type: Restoration Project
Costs: $9,780,286
Year(s) Funded: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005-2006
Status: Some parts completed; others underway
The Greenway Service District is developing a recreational greenway trail corridor and restore aquatic and riparian resources along eight miles of Silver Bow Creek downstream from Butte. The Greenway effort involves similar activities along the entire 22-mile Silver Bow Creek stream corridor between Butte and Warm Springs Ponds over a 10 to 12 year period at a total estimated cost of approximately $18 million.