Riverine riddles: Clark Fork River cleanup moves forward as questions linger
DEER LODGE — Grist for the rill.
As remediation grinds forward, various dilemmas surface along the Clark Fork River like trout to a caddis fly hatch. As in:
How to ensure the second cleanup of the river-hugging Arrowstone Park in Deer Lodge yields a safe spot for adults, dogs and toddlers with dirty hands. How to effectively remediate the remaining tainted reaches of the Clark Fork River between Racetrack and Garrison with a budget tighter than a snare drum.How to fund research that could help identify the causes of a drastic decline in brown trout numbers in the uppermost Clark Fork.How to manage the design and cleanup of the river so that overseer EPA and the in-the-trenches Montana Department of Environmental Quality are on the same page.
The Clark Fork River meanders through the Deer Lodge Valley.
JOSEPH SCHELLER, The Montana Standard
These are among the conundrums facing the scientists, bean counters, lawyers, engineers, toxicologists and others who work for the EPA, the DEQ, the state’s Natural Resource Damage Program and more.
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