For Immediate Release: July 1, 2014
Circle, Montana, July 1, 2014–Rural water users have voiced concerns about the potential effects on their water supply from oil development. People are worried about chemical storage, waster management accidents at well heads or injection pits, and accidents/spills during chemical and product transportation. Further uncertainties of production water disposal, frack water injections and large withdrawals of ground water have also been revealed.
The purpose of this new monitoring program is to establish baseline groundwater quality and availability in advance of oil and gas activity in our area. McCone Conservation District will prioritize and select domestic and stockwater wells to evaluate based on the proximity to a potential source of contamination such as active or abandoned oil/gas wells, injection wells, water or chemical management areas. Selected wells must be registered with the Ground Water Information Center (GWIC).
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) and Montana Salinity Control Association (MSCA) are assisting the Conservation District with this program. Each well selected will be evaluated on-site for field parameters and water availability. Well samples will be analyzed for drinking water quality and for indicators of contamination specific to energy development activities.
Well sampling and lab fees total approximately $1,200 per well, but with a DNRC grant covers most of the expense so McCone County residents can participate in this program for $120 (10% of total cost).
If you are interested in having your well sampled, please contact Mary Hendrix at McCone Conservation District at 406-485-2744 x100 or email Mcconecountycd@yahoo.com to begin the process. Sign-up ends July 25, 2014.
Posted in Uncategorized
The Soil Health Field Tour has cancelled for July 8-9, 2014 and may be rescheduled for this fall. Please check back for more information!
Posted in Upcoming Events
Maybe it is the middle of July in Montana (instead of Georgia) and both you and your tomatoes are wilting in your yard, both looking to the sky and hoping for rain.
Or maybe a low-pressure cell has been napping overhead and your arm is hurting from holding that umbrella while you watch your basement fill up with water.
Either way, you would like to know how much rain has fallen–how many gallons have come down from the skies onto your roof, yard, block, or town.
To figure out how….go to http://water.usgs.gov/edu/sc2.html
Here’s a sample:
| Your entries | Amount of water that fell | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area | Rainfall (inches) |
Total gallons (US) | Cubic feet | 40-gallon baths |
| 5000 acres | 1 inches | 135,770,000 gallons | 18,151,091 cubic feet | 3,394,250 baths |
Posted in Uncategorized
Transition Agriculture: Unbiased Clearinghouse for Natural Resource, Economic and Technology Information for Montana Landowners
read it here first and in COLOR. Summer Newsletter is now online. You can find it under About Us.
New information: Projects – Water Rights in Montana
New photos: Upcoming events
We still have 31 trees that desperately need a new home and nourishing soil. 3 russian almonds (shrub), 8 laurel leaf willows (beautiful) & 20 crabapples (crabapple orchard anyone?)
Posted in About Us
McCone Conservation District 