Flathead Lake monitoring project loses funding

Funding for a long-term water quality monitoring program on Flathead Lake was killed in the Senate Finance and Claims Committee Friday morning.

The funding for the University of Montana's Biological Station at Yellow Bay amounted to $142,500 annually over the next two years. It was killed on a 12-7 vote, with most Flathead Valley senators supporting the funding.

Voting in support were Sen. John Brueggeman, R-Polson; Sen. Greg Barkus, R-Kalispell and Sen. Bob Keenan, R-Bigfork. Sen. Dan Weinberg, D-Whitefish, voted against.

Bonnie Ellis, a research scientist at the biological station, said loss of the funding will hurt a program that depends on longevity.

"Water quality in the lake is declining and we know this only because we have a long-term record of water quality for the lake. This record dates back to 1978," Ellis said. "It's the long-term record that allows us to determine what the true status of water quality in the lake is."

Viewing only a few years of water quality statistics, or not accounting for seasonal changes in water quality, can lead to incorrect conclusions about the lake's water quality, Ellis said.

"There are hundreds of thousands of dollars being spent in this valley to improve water quality, and yet now there will be no measure to determine if those efforts are working," she said. "So it really is an unfortunate situation for those Montanans who value water quality."

The program's funding has been unique in recent funding cycles, because it was established as a line item in House Bill 2, outside the University of Montana's general fund appropriation.

Bill Johnston, the university's lobbyist in Helena, said the finance committee voted against an amendment to House Bill 2 that would have provided the line-item funding. When House Bill 2 goes to the Senate floor, the amendment could be proposed again, he said.

Johnston said most of the biological station's programs remain intact, with multiple state, federal and private funding sources.

He said he is uncertain whether the water quality program could be covered from other sources.

"I'm not sure what the strategy would be," he said. "There is always the opportunity to look to the university for funding or looking to private sources for support."

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com