Missouri-Madison Water Quality

NorthWestern Energy developed a water quality and biological monitoring program for the Missouri and Madison Rivers to identify long-term trends and spatial variation of water quality and biological parameters throughout the system, as well as to evaluate the effects of operation and maintenance of the hydroelectric facilities on these rivers.

We conduct quarterly monitoring of 30 different water quality parameters at four different locations along the Madison River in a program that has been ongoing since 1997. Aquatic insect populations and benthic algae are also monitored annually at four river stations and algae levels in Hebgen Lake are monitored closely each summer. NorthWestern also implements an intensive river pulse flow management program each summer to reduce water temperature in the lower Madison.