Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID MT_2025_Grigsby

Hydrology and geochemistry of natural acid rock drainage at the headwaters of the South Boulder River, Tobacco Root Mountains, Montana

Institute: Montana
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $2,500 Total Non-Federal Funds: Not available

Principal Investigators: Josie Grigsby

Project Summary: Natural acid rock drainage (NARD) happens due to the natural weathering of unmined, sulfide-bearing rocks. By studying the occurrence of NARD in pristine environments, we can get a better understanding of the processes that take place during the formation of acid rock drainage associated with anthropogenic activities, such as mining. Watersheds with NARD can also be used to better understand what the water quality was like in historically polluted watersheds prior to mining, where such data do not exist.