A Synthesis of Water Quality Problems in the Clark Fork River Basin

The Clark Fork River ecosystem is not just that water that maps call the Clark Fork River. This ribbon of surface water interacts with ground water, with the local climate, with the landscape through which it passes, and with the tributaries that feed it. These interactions acting over time determine the river's nature or overall condition. As users of the river we tend to be most concerned about certain aspects of the river's condition, including its water quality, the quantity and pattern of flow, and the nature and abundance of its biota. The Clark Fork is a complex river system of the Northern Rockies with a history of abusive uses, a present of multiple stressful uses, and a future that could be characterized by a number of scenarios. The river appears to be recovering from some of the past abuses, and suffering various types of impacts from the current uses. The future condition of this river system is dependent (1) on its own ability to recover from the past and to assimilate the present, and (2) on the wisdom and concern of those who shape its future management.