U.S. Department of the Interior a U.S. Geological Survey

U.S. Geological Survey

Programs in Montana 

Montana has a wide variety of natural 

resources. Conflicting demands to develop 

or preserve these resources result in considerable controversy over resourcemanagement policies and decisions. For 

more than 100 years, the U.S. Geological 

Survey (USGS) has worked closely with 

Federal, State, and local interests to help 

provide the scientific knowledge and 

understanding of the geologic and hydrologic resources of Montana. This information is needed for the wise management, 

development, and protection of those 

resources. As demands to develop and 

protect those resources increase, a comprehensive understanding of natural 

resources becomes increasingly important. Numerous scientific investigations 

are being conducted by the USGS 

throughout Montana.

Mineral Potential in National 

Forests

A moderate to high potential for the 

occurrence of undiscovered gold deposits in the Helena National Forest is indicated by historical mining, past and 

present exploration activities, and geologic, geochemical, and geophysical data 

from USGS regional studies. Almost $2 

billion of economically recoverable gold 

was discovered recently in the 

McDonald Hot Spring gold deposit on 

land adjacent to National Forest land 

near Lincoln. The U.S. Forest Service 

(USFS) is assessing the potential effects 

of development of that deposit, as well 

as undiscovered deposits. 

Geologic and hydrologic information 

provided by the USGS contribute to the 

assessment of the effects of development. Digital geologic maps are the 

foundation of information used by USFS 

scientists to assess and manage mineral 

exploration and development activities. 

A particularly useful USGS product is a 

map that illustrates the occurrence of 

limestones, which could serve to fix 

(chemically bind) potentially hazardous 

chemical elements that otherwise would 

be released to the environment through 

extraction or processing activities.

Coal Availability and Quality

Coal usage accounts for one-third of 

the total energy and more than one-half of 

the electricity generated in the Nation. 

The Clean Air Act and its amendments of 

1990 have renewed interest in locating 

coals that are low in hazardous air pollutants, sulfur, and ash content. Montana 

contains vast reserves of low-sulfur coal 

that are potentially suitable for energy 

production. The USGS, in cooperation 

with the Montana Bureau of Mines and 

Geology, has developed a comprehensive 

data base that contains information on 

coal distribution, quality, and land use 

that is useful to Federal, State, and local 

planning, management, and regulatory 

agencies. Continuing efforts to locate and 

map coal deposits are being expanded to 

collect additional information on the 

quality of coal and to estimate the amount 

of remaining coal reserves that may be 

available for power generation under 

evolving environmental constraints. Studies are being conducted by the USGS, in 

cooperation with the Office of Surface 

Mining and the Montana Bureau of Mines 

and Geology, to develop models that can 

be used to help determine the distribution 

of coals that meet environmental criteria 

and that are based on depositional history 

and tectonic controls. Information stored 

in the National Coal Resources Data System is available in map and table form for 

use by other agencies in planning and 

implementing regional and national 

energy-production strategies.

Biological-Resources Studies

The USGS Biological Resources Division (formerly the National Biological 

Service) conducts research throughout 

Montana on wildlife and fisheries issues. 

The USGS Northern Prairie Science Center is conducting studies to assess the use 

by grassland bird populations of lands 

enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program. The Midcontinent Ecological Science Center (MESC) is providing 

information on global climate change, 

status and trends of natural resources, 

ecology of threatened species, aquatic 

ecosystems, and wildlife ecology in Glacier National Park and Yellowstone 

National Park. Research is also being 

conducted on the distribution, movements, habitat use, food habits, and population dynamics of grizzly bears in the 

Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In a partnership with the Aldo Leopold Wilderness 

Research Institute, MESC provides coordination and direction to ecological and 

human dimensions research relevant to 

the understanding and management of 

wilderness and other protected areas.

Two Cooperative Research Units are 

active in Montana. The Fisheries Unit is 

located at Montana State University in 

Bozeman and provides information to 

Index of Subjects

Mineral Potential in National Forests

Coal Availability and Quality

Biological-Resources Studies

Oil and Gas Resources

Geologic Mapping

Earthquake Hazards

Topographic Mapping

Sharing Spatial Data 

Hydrologic Activities and Realtime Reporting

Trace Elements in the Upper Clark Fork 

Basin

Information Centers

Cooperative Programs

Earth Science in the Public Service
help managers develop fish-harvest regulations. The Wildlife Unit, in Missoula at 

the University of Montana, provides 

information on the impacts of predation 

on waterfowl populations and the effects 

of habitat fragmentation on populations.

Oil and Gas Resources

Eastern Montana is underlain by part of 

the Williston Basin, which is a major 

petroleum-producing basin in the upper 

Central United States. The Basin contains 

an organically rich shale, the Bakken Formation, within which the petroleum is 

“self-sourcing” (the rocks that now hold 

the oil also are believed to be the rocks 

that harbored the organic matter from 

which the oil was derived). The Overthrust 

Belt is a region of highly deformed strata 

from which petroleum also is produced, 

and it underlies parts of northwestern 

Montana. 

The USGS has been working closely 

with the Montana Bureau of Mines and 

Geology and the Gas Research Institute to 

assess the natural gas and petroleum 

potential for Montana. The USGS is conducting a geochemical investigation of 

the self-sourcing potential of the Bakken 

Formation to determine if a better understanding of the process here can be 

applied in other regions of the country 

that may be underlain by formations of 

similar character. If such regions are 

found elsewhere, then new horizontal 

drilling technology may be able to unlock 

major new petroleum reserves.

Geologic Mapping

Proper management of public lands 

and integration of land-use policies for 

public and private lands requires extensive 

geologic information to understand the 

consequences and effects of various landmanagement decisions. The USGS, in 

cooperation with the Montana Bureau of 

Mines and Geology, is creating digital 

geological data bases of mineral and 

energy resources; composition, characteristics, and distribution of bedrock and 

surficial deposits; characteristics and location of rock fractures; and location of natural hazards. Geologic mapping information is needed by management and regulatory agencies to assess the future effects 

of mineral, energy, and forest-products 

development on agriculture, water 

resources, fish and wildlife habitat, and 

recreational features; the distribution and 

movement of metals in soil and water 

from abandoned mines and hazardouswaste sites; the geologic hazards (earthquakes, floods, landslides, volcanic ashfalls) and environmental changes (erosion 

and deposition) that may adversely affect 

populations and infrastructure; and the 

effects of liquid- and solid-waste disposal.

Earthquake Hazards

The USGS, the Montana Bureau of 

Mines and Geology, and the Idaho Geological Survey are conducting a cooperative research project to enhance understanding of earthquake hazards common 

to Montana and Idaho. The team of scientists is studying Quaternary faulting, the 

stratigraphic record of paleoliquefaction, 

and the present-day seismicity associated 

with the Lewis and Clark Zone. The Zone 

is a 60,000-square-kilometer area of western Montana and northern Idaho that is 

geologically related to the Lewis and 

Clark Line, which is a fault or shear zone 

that extends more than 300 kilometers 

from Helena, Montana, to Coeur d’Alene, 

Idaho. The Zone includes major population areas of western Montana and northern Idaho, as well as the main transportation and lifeline corridors in the region. It 

is a hub of tourism, particularly in the 

summer, connecting visitors to Glacier–

Waterton and Yellowstone Parks, as well 

as the coastal Northwest and Canada.

The USGS National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) in Golden, Colorado, collects, processes, and distributes 

information from more than 20,000 seismic events each year. This information is 

distributed in the form of alerts, bulletins, 

and routine catalogs to emergency-management officials at Federal and State levels, operators of critical facilities, news 

media, the general public, and the earthquake research community. These catalogs 

of recent and historical earthquake information are used in earthquake hazards 

assessments. To fulfill its mission, the 

NEIC has developed and is deploying the 

U.S. National Seismograph Network 

(USNSN), which, when completed, will 

consist of about 60 seismograph stations 

nationwide. The USNSN monitors nationwide seismicity, provides early notification 

of seismic events to national level emergency-services personnel, maintains an 

archive of high-quality digital data on 

national seismicity, and provides information on earthquakes to the public.

Topographic Mapping

The USGS is cooperating with Federal, State, and local agencies to produce 

digital maps that provide a common base 

for numerous activities. The use of maps 

and digital cartographic data is widespread, and requirements for this information are expanding dramatically. The 

USGS strives to ensure that map data in 

graphic and digital forms are available to 

the public through timely and effective 

data-collection and revision procedures. 

Among the most popular and versatile 

products of the USGS are its 1:24,000-

scale topographic maps (1 inch on the map 

represents 2,000 feet on the ground). 

These maps depict basic natural and cultural features of the landscape, such as 

lakes and streams, highways and railroads, 

boundaries, and geographic names. Contour lines are used to depict the elevation 

and shape of terrain. Montana is covered 

by 2,995 maps at this scale, which is useful for civil engineering, land-use planning, natural-resource monitoring, and 

other technical applications. These maps 

have long been favorites with the general 

public for a wide variety of outdoor uses.

The USGS and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality have 

entered into a partnership for the production of 1:24,000-scale digital elevation 

models (DEM’s) that cover a part of southcentral Montana. DEM data consist of an 

array of regularly spaced elevations registered to a topographic map. The Department of Environmental Quality applies 

DEM’s in its search for suitable locations 

for new transmission lines, large pipelines, 

and electricity-generating plants.

Sharing Spatial Data

Data-sharing partnerships between the 

USGS and the non-Federal sector have 

been formed through the National Spatial 

Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Competitive 

Cooperative Agreements Program. This 

Program provides funding to State and 

local government agencies, academia, 
and the private sector to encourage 

resource-sharing projects through the use 

of technology, networking, and interagency coordination. Organizations in 

Montana have been funded by the program to pursue two NSDI projects.

The Montana GIS (Geographic Information System) Data Clearinghouse 

project is a collaboration of the Montana 

Natural Resource Information System and 

the interagency Montana GIS Technical 

Working Group. This project is establishing multiple NSDI nodes, implementing 

the Federal Geographic Data Committee 

(FGDC)–metadata standards, implementing the Spatial Data Transfer Standard, 

updating the Montana GIS standards plan 

to bring it in line with FGDC goals, 

designing tools for accessing geospatial 

data, and providing more communication 

opportunities for geospatial data users 

within the State.

The Montana Local Government GIS 

Coalition Project is facilitating local government participation in the NSDI. The 

Coalition, which is being led by the Montana State University Geographic Information and Analysis Center, is encouraging data sharing among local government and private organizations, working 

with local governments to develop a 

metadata plan in compliance with the 

FGDC metadata standard, building a local 

government data repository, establishing 

an NSDI clearinghouse node on the 

World Wide Web (WWW) for local governments, and implementing a Montana 

Local Government GIS users list server 

on the Internet. The Coalition’s WWW 

node can be accessed at:

http://nris.msl.mt.gov/

Hydrologic Activities and 

Realtime Reporting

Streamflow information is needed by 

numerous Federal, State, local, and Tribal 

governments and private entities for flood 

forecasting and warning; operation and 

management of reservoirs used for irrigation storage, flood control, and hydroelectric power generation; design of bridges, 

culverts, abutments, and other highway 

structures; management of irrigation 

projects, waste-discharge facilities, and 

public water supplies; water-rights adjudication; recreation; and other purposes. 

Much of the streamflow information is 

provided by the USGS through cooperative programs with Federal, State, and 

local agencies.

The USGS first measured streamflow in 

the Missouri River at Fort Benton in 1881, 

and a streamflow-gaging station has been 

continually operated at the site since 1890. 

Streamflow information has been monitored at hundreds of sites throughout Montana, and many stations have continuous 

records that span more than 80 years. In 

1996, the USGS collected continuous 

streamflow records at 190 sites and monitored streamflow during critical irrigation 

periods at an additional 109 locations 

(fig. 1). Of the streamflow-gaging stations 

in Montana, more than 100 are equipped 

with realtime data-collection systems. 

Realtime data for 46 stations and other 

information are available on the WWW at:

http://montana.usgs.gov/

Measuring stream discharge at every 

potentially significant site is neither practical nor feasible. Techniques that provide 

estimates of streamflow with quantifiable 

precision and accuracy have been developed by the USGS. These methods can be 

used in some circumstances as an alternative to more expensive and time-consuming 

streamflow-gaging methods.

The USGS, in cooperation with State 

and Federal agencies, also has developed 

several methods for estimating the magnitude and frequency of floods in Montana on the basis of information from 

more than 500 streamflow and peak-discharge monitoring sites in and near Montana. Techniques outlined in several 

USGS reports can be used to estimate 

peak discharges for various recurrence 

intervals from readily obtainable information on drainage-basin characteristics 

and stream-channel features. These techniques are used extensively in the design 

and construction of bridges, culverts, 

levees, diversion structures, dams, and 

spillways. Flood-frequency information 

also is used by planners and managers for 

land-use management of flood plains and 

the establishment of actuarial flood-insurance rates.

The USGS, in cooperation with State 

and Federal agencies, has collected information on ground-water levels, and quality, well yields, and aquifer properties at 

more than 24,000 sites throughout Montana. Currently (1996), water-level 

recorders are installed on 22 wells to 

monitor water-level changes at selected 

locations. Periodic water-level measurements are available for several hundred 

wells for periods of more than 50 years.

Water-quality data are available for 

about 26,000 sites in Montana. Information ranges from one-time field measurements of specific conductance (an 

indicator of dissolved-solids concentration) to many years of periodic sampling 

for chemical constituents.

Hydrologic data collected by the 

USGS are stored in the National Water 

Information System data bases and are 

available to the public. Hydrologic data 

and the results of numerous investigations 

also are available to the public through 

various types of reports.

Figure 1. Streamflow-monitoring sites in Montana.
For More

Information

Trace Elements in the 

Upper Clark Fork Basin

Tailings from past metal mining and 

smelting activities have been dispersed 

along stream channels and flood plains 

since the 1880’s in the Upper Clark Fork 

Basin of western Montana. Areas affected 

by these activities, from Butte to Milltown 

Reservoir, have been designated as Superfund sites by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and are scheduled for 

remedial cleanup activities. The USGS, in 

cooperation with several Federal and State 

agencies, conducted an inventory of 

ground-water resources in the area and has 

been collecting information on the source, 

distribution, concentration, and movement 

of trace elements in aquatic biota, surface 

water, and suspended sediment since 1985.

Information collected from existing 

wells in the Basin was used to map groundwater flow patterns, areas of ground-water 

discharge to the river, and ground-water 

quality. Although concentrations of arsenic 

were small in all ground-water samples, 

concentrations were largest in water from 

alluvium located near the river. Suspendedsediment and trace-element concentrations 

in the Clark Fork and its major tributaries 

were compared with aquatic life criteria for 

chronic and acute toxicity. Concentrations 

of copper and lead indicated a persistent 

source of metals in the upper Basin and 

potential biological risk.

Information from the USGS studies and 

monitoring activities provides valuable 

baseline data to evaluate the effects of current and planned remedial measures to control or reduce levels of trace elements in 

streamflow, ground water, and sediment.

Information Centers

The Earth Science Information Centers 

(ESIC’s) provide information about USGS 

programs, products, and technological 

developments to the public. The ESIC in 

Butte was established under a cooperative 

agreement between the USGS and the 

Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. As 

part of the national ESIC network, this 

office provides information on such earth 

science topics as cartography, geography, 

digital data, remote sensing, geology, geophysics, geochemistry, hydrology, geohydrology, aerial photography and land use. It 

is supported by the USGS with reference 

materials, technical assistance, training and 

outreach activities, and access to USGS 

data bases.

The Center for Environmental 

Geochemistry and Geophysics (CEGG) 

focuses on environmental geoscience 

research and information exchange. The 

CEGG coordinates and supports basic and 

applied research on the natural and humaninduced environmental effects associated 

with geologic sources—especially those 

related to mineral and energy resources and 

their development. Some examples of currently supported investigations include 

environmental geochemistry of historical 

mining and smelting activities, transport 

and fate of toxic elements in natural systems, and use of naturally occurring minerals as scavengers for toxic metals.

The Montana District Office of the 

USGS provides hydrologic information, 

assistance in ordering maps and publications, and details of studies being conducted by the USGS in the State. The office 

also can help provide information on 

USGS activities nationwide.

Cooperative Programs

The USGS cooperates with more than 

25 Federal, State, and local agencies in 

Montana. Cooperators include county planning agencies and health departments, public natural-resource agencies, Indian 

Reservations, and numerous Federal agencies. Cooperative activities include waterresources data collection, interpretive 

water-availability and water-quality studies, mineral-resource assessments, and 

mapping. When local and State agencies 

are involved, activities typically are funded 

on a matching basis. In addition to agencies 

already mentioned, the USGS cooperates 

with, among others, the U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 

the Bureau of Reclamation, the Montana 

Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the Montana Department of 

Transportation, the Confederated Salish 

and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, the Fort Peck Tribes, the Blackfeet 

Nation, the Wyoming State Engineer, and 

Ravalli County.

The USGS provides support to the Montana Water Resources Research Center, 

which conducts a program of research, 

education, and information and technology 

transfer.

USGS State representative

301 South Park Ave.

Federal Building, Room 428

Helena, MT 59626-0076

(406) 441-1319

E-mail: dc_mt@usgs.gov

Additional earth science

information can be found by

accessing the USGS Home Page

on the World Wide Web at

http://www.usgs.gov/

For more information on

all USGS reports and products

(including maps, images,

and computerized data), call

1-800-USA-MAPS

The USGS provides maps,

reports, and information to help

others meet their needs to manage,

 develop, and protect America’s water,

energy, mineral, biological, and land

resources. We help find the natural

resources needed to build tomorrow,

and supply the scientific understanding needed to help minimize or mitigate the effects of natural hazards

and environmental damage caused

by natural and human activities. The

results of our efforts touch the daily

 life of almost every American.

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet FS-026-96