Missoula's Water Protection and Resiliency Efforts 

Below we'll dive into each of these areas:

Water Infrastructure Upgrades

Riparian Restoration
Aquifer Protection
Rattlesnake Wilderness Dams
Trees for Missoula

Water Infrastructure Upgrades 

The municipal water system involves a system of pumps to  move water up from the aquifer and to be treated, then out to consumers. This system is old and inefficient, so the city is considering a number of upgrades that will save tremendous amounts of energy. 

​Options include: 
  1. New electric motors that turn the pumps – newer motors are more efficiency and turn more of the power into rotation rather than into waste heat
  2. New pump internals that are more efficient at generating pressure to move water – newer pump designs create more pressure per input power
  3. Variable speed drives control the pump motors and enable them to operate at partial speeds rather that full speed all the time – energy use versus speed isn’t linear, so a 25% reduction in speed is a 68% reduction in energy used!
  4. Overall system efficiency via turning off certain pumps, operating different pumps at different speeds, filling tanks to certain levels, removing certain system components, etc.

Check out more on specific city water upgrade projects here!

Restoring & Protecting Riparian Areas

With increasing temperatures and decreased summer flows, it is more important than ever to restore riparian areas.  Vegetated riparian areas provide a number of ecosystem services including lowing temperatures, providing flood control and water purification, and even prevent erosion.  There services are invaluable to fish that may be experiencing more stress due to warmer water temperatures. 

Riparian areas also serve as climactic refugia for wildlife species and may be a hotspot for biodiversity.


​Local Vegetation Restoration Projects 

​Missoula is engaged in a myriad of riparian vegetation restoration projects. Check out these links to learn more!

Storm water projects 
Clark Fork River Restoration and Access Projects
We love beavers!

​Check out how beavers naturally protect our riparian areas in this fun stop-motion film. 

Aquifer Protection 

Since 1983, Missoula's city water has been pumped up from the aquifer below our feet. This aquifer is naturally recharged each year by rainfall and snowmelt that flow out of the  Clark Fork River and local streams and seep down into the the underground water source.  Around the United States water scarcity is an issue that is strained by depleting aquifers. We are fortunate to have a relatively stable water supply. However, in some places, the aquifer resides only 40 feet below the surface. Therefor, we must be careful not to contaminate or pollute this resource. 

To protect this resource: 

Rattlesnake Wilderness Dams Rehabilitation and Removal


​History

Missoula’s water supply has a complicated history. Until 1983, Missoula’s water supply came from Rattlesnake Creek. This creek is fed by mountain lakes that are in hat is now designated Wilderness managed by Lolo National Forest.  In 1904, a dam was constructed on Rattlesnake Creek to divert the water toward Missoula.  As more settlers filled the valley, Rattlesnake Creek began to run dry in the summer months. To augment the water supply, a series of 10 dams were constructed between 1911 and 1923 on 8 of these high mountain lakes to hold water.  Then, in times of low flow, water could be released to ensure a continuous water supply.  Following a Giardia outbreak, Rattlesnake Creek stopped supplying the city’s water in 1983.  In 2020, Rattlesnake Dam was ultimately decommissioned. ​
Big Lake Dam Structure 
McKinley Lake Dam 


​2017 Acquisition

In 2017, the City of Missoula acquired the formerly private water utility, Mountain Water. This acquisition included not only the water rights and infrastructure for our current water supply, but also the water rights and infrastructure left over from the historic system on Rattlesnake Creek.  In 2018, the city completed a feasibility assessment to evaluate the potential of the dams. The purpose of this feasibility study was to determine the range of available options for the dams moving forward, and evaluate those options in terms of the relevant criteria including capital costs, life cycle costs, water rights, climate change, long-term community needs, regulatory agency requirements and goals, and environmental impacts among other benefits. 


​The Future of the Dams


​Following the feasibility study, it became apparent that most of the dams would need to be decommissioned. McKinley Lake Dam was decided to be the pilot project, and is set to be decommissioned in 2023. 

However, Big Lake and Sanders lake have a large water right, and have the potential to be used as an asset in the wake of climate change. There is potential to rehabilitate these dams and use them as a climate resiliency tool. Then, in summer months when streams are too warm for fish and running low, cool water can be released downstream.  It is more expensive to rehabilitate these dams than decommission them, so we must be vocal and urge the city to consider this climate resiliency project. 

Learn more about the dams and leave a comment for the city here!
Sanders Lake 

Trees For Missoula 

Although conserving water saves energy, it is important to understand that we are not greatly limited in our water supply. Please water your trees! Trees provide, greenery, shade and lower temperatures in our town. These ecosystem services are invaluable and well worth the use of water. 

Missoula's Urban Forestry Program 

Trees for Missoula is a non-profit advocacy group committed to the belief that trees individually and the urban forest as a whole are a critical element of a livable urban environment. Learn more about their mission and what you can do to help here. 
This page brought to you by Rachel Edmondson
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