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Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology: Published: January 17, 2002 HistoryThe Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology (the Bureau) was created by the Legislature in 1919 to carry out basic geology in support of the mining industry and to serve as both a source and a repository for geologic data in Montana. Since then, the Bureau’s purpose and scope have evolved away from the original emphasis on mine sample collection and other mining-related tasks. They now encompass a broad range of geologic and natural resource data collection, assessment and monitoring. Today, well over half the Bureau’s efforts pertain to groundwater and groundwater issues, while maintaining a core of basic geologic functions including geologic mapping, the earthquake-monitoring program, digital map work and service activities. As a department of Montana Tech and a state agency, the Bureau relies on both state funding and grant monies to perform its operations. As part of this effort, the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology has continued to expand its grants and contracts program. During the last two years, state funding was leveraged to bring in $1.30 for each dollar allocated by the state. In this time, Bureau professionals in Butte and Billings were involved in over 70 outside-funded projects in cooperation with more than 100 different local, state, federal, and private organizations. These projects, evaluating virtually all aspects of Montana's vast water and mineral resources, are distributed throughout Montana. Groundwater ProgramWater is one of Montana’s most precious resources. Thus, an understanding of water quality, location and accessibility is vital for development and protection of groundwater resources. The Bureau’s Groundwater Program was created as part of the Groundwater Assessment Act of 1991 to assess groundwater for quantity, quality, and location in Montana and to disseminate the information to interested persons. Under the direction of Thomas Patton, Associate Research Hydrogeologist and Groundwater Assessment Program Leader, the program consists of three parts:
According to the Bureau’s Web Site: The primary purpose of the…[groundwater] program is to provide information to help the public and private sectors make decisions on how to manage, protect and develop Montana’s groundwater resources. Staff of the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology will work with representatives of local governments, agricultural and mining interests, conservation groups, and planning and economic development agencies to identify important local issues related to groundwater. (http://mbmggwic.mtech.edu/). Measurement of groundwater levels is ongoing. Information about groundwater resources can be found in databases maintained by the Bureau at the Groundwater Information Center (GWIC), accessible through the Internet (http://mbmggwic.mtech.edu/). The GWIC contains data on nearly 170,000 of wells, water quality analyses, and water levels throughout the state. People use these data for a variety of reasons. For example, a farmer will access well data before drilling a new well. Land planners can use water availability data to determine the feasibility of community growth. And finally, industrial firms can use water level data to avoid excavation into the aquifer (water-bearing underground layer). Bureau analysts assess water quality in water samples by using state-of-the-art analytical equipment to identify contaminants, sediments, or unusual properties of the samples. Consumers use these analyses for water-use planning or water remediation. For each of the 28 characterization study areas, the data are summarized in a groundwater atlas. Bureau staff members create these atlases through a combination of geologic fieldwork, water level analyses, and underground mapping techniques. The Bureau Web Site (http://mbmggwic.mtech.edu/) states:
Geologic MappingAnother major project the Bureau has undertaken is the creation of modern, comprehensive geologic map coverage of Montana. Geologic maps consist of detailed representations of geologic features at the earth’s surface. Starting with a topographic map, geologists choose natural formations that are recognizable over a considerable distance. They distinguish between different bedrock formations, and also surficial formations that lie on top of bedrock. Mapmakers may also use information from wells to make more accurate projections of the rock formations below the surface. Within the next couple of years, new geologic maps will be available for approximately 80% of Montana, and work is progressing on more detailed map coverage of selected areas of the State with rapid population growth. Information from these maps will be critical to anyone needing data about surface and/or underground structures of an area. Dr. Edmond Deal, Director of the Bureau, states, “These maps will be incredibly useful to industry, to land-use planners, and to citizens” of Montana. A longer-range goal is to produce a new geologic map of the entire state, which will replace the out-dated and out-of-print map that is the current standard. Coal-Bed MethaneMethane, made up of carbon and hydrogen, is the major component of natural gas used for heating and power. Coal-bed methane is produced from coal beds, layers of coal under the ground. The coal is saturated with water, so water must be pumped out of the beds, which in turn reduces pressure and allows the gas to flow. Natural gas companies have been commercially producing methane (natural gas) from coal beds in the Powder River Basin of northeastern Wyoming since the early 1990’s. These coal beds also extend into southeastern Montana, creating opportunities for coal-bed methane gas production. Coal-bed methane development is proceeding slowly in Montana because of environmental concerns. Foremost among these concerns are the great volumes of water that must be pumped from the coal aquifers, and the effects of disposing of this water at the surface. With water scarce in Montana, public and private sectors must collaborate to create plans to ensure the aquifer is not depleted and water quality issues are addressed prior to any gas production. Ongoing groundwater and geologic mapping information from the Bureau will be invaluable to an environmentally viable production of coal bed methane here in Montana. ServiceThe Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology continues to carry out its mandate “to serve Montana in research and the orderly development of the state's mineral and water resources”. Montana’s natural resources are vital to its economy and the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology is vital to the understanding and development of those natural resources now and into the future.
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