Water Quality Program

Currently the 106 Water Quality Program exists to collect data to develop water quality standards, evaluate water quality on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, educate the public and plan projects to improve water quality.

The Blackfeet 106 Water Quality Program or the Water Pollution Control Program began in 1991 when the Blackfeet Water Resources Department was awarded an EPA grant. The main purpose of the initial grant was to collect data to update the Blackfeet Tribal Water Quality Management Plan or the 208 Plan.

The mission of the Water Quality Program is clean water, specifically surface water in rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands. This can be accomplished by assessing the pollution problem areas, developing and updating rules and completing projects that reduce water pollution.

Assessment is done by monitoring specific sites to obtain trends and pollution impact data in water bodies. Monitoring is an ongoing task because spatial and temporal changes. The Tribe has been monitoring its waters for decades but only until recently has a water quality assessment been completed.