DEQ holds meeting to discuss growing algae in Gallatin River
BOZEMAN, Mont. — The Montana Department of Environmental Quality hosted a public meeting in Big Sky on Monday evening and plans are moving forward to better understand an algae problem in the Gallatin River.
Officials offered an update on the river and said algae is growing excessively in some areas.
The state submitted a proposal to the EPA to list the middle section of the river as impaired.
The state will monitor the Gallatin River for the next three-plus years and take time to identify the sources leaking nutrients into the water that spurs algae growth.
"So, we are going to monitor over the next three-plus years. Those monitoring activities include at least five events a year, along 19 monitoring sties. We're going to monitor for nutrients, discharge temperature, algae, which includes visual assessments, and dry weight chloral content. And we're also going to do drone surveys," said Gabrielle Metzner with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.
The DEQ submitted their proposal on April 13 and the EPA has 30 days to review it.
NBC Montana will continue to follow this story and keep you updated on air and online.
