Montana/Dakotas
| <<Back to Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument |
Potable Water
Potable water is available at Coal Banks Landing Access Site (river mile 41.5) and James Kipp Recreation Area (river mile 149). The water well at James Kipp Recreation Area is tested monthly during the recreation season to determine if the water is suitable for drinking. There are no other potable water sources on public land. The BLM recommends you bring adequate drinking water (one gallon per person per day). This 149-mile section of the Upper Missouri is not meeting drinking water standard due to nutrients, flow alteration, pathogens, sediment, suspended solids and other inorganics and siltation. Many of these contaminates can be removed by the hand-held filters on the market today. However, they may not be effective in removing herbicides and pesticides. The potential for runoff from adjacent agricultural lands to contain herbicides and pesticides is why BLM recommends carrying drinking water rather than relying on filtration. Also, the potential for many other industrial and agricultural contaminates, and the wide variety of hand-held filters and their effectiveness means there is no guarantee your particular filter will be safe. Carrying water is the only way you can be sure of its quality. For more information, contact the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 200901, Helena, MT 59620-0901, 406/444-4820 or at www.deq.mt.gov. |
|
 |