The Barker Hughesville Mining District covers about 6,000 acres south of Great Falls near Barker, Montana. Mining operations ran from 1879 through the 1940s, leaving behind roughly 46 abandoned mines along with waste rock dumps, tailings, and open mine entrances. The site was added to the National Priorities List in September 2001 and is currently in the investigation phase of cleanup.
Arsenic, copper, zinc, cadmium, thallium, manganese, and lead contaminate soil, sediment, groundwater, and surface water across the site. Human exposure to contamination is not under control, and groundwater migration is not stabilized. Galena Creek is of particular concern. Surface water there may be harming or killing fish, metals in bottom sediments may be damaging small aquatic organisms, and the middle and upper sections of the creek have no fish and very few aquatic insects. Sixteen abandoned mines in the Galena Creek watershed are sources of contamination. Mine workings channel groundwater that discharges through mine entrances and seeps, and waste rock near streams is at risk of erosion.
The EPA and U.S. Forest Service are leading cleanup efforts, with Doe Run Company having already completed significant removal work. Between 2004 and 2012, Doe Run removed about 100,000 cubic yards of mill tailings and roughly 235,000 cubic yards of material from the Block P Mine, consolidating waste into onsite repositories. Starting in 2017, Doe Run reconstructed Galena Creek, installed culverts, filled and recontoured mine slopes, and closed underground mine workings to cut off sources of contaminated water. A fish barrier was built on Dry Fork Belt Creek in 2015 to help restore native Westslope Cutthroat Trout.
The site is divided into four operable units covering waste rock and tailings, groundwater and surface water, the Liberty Mine Area, and sitewide issues. Investigations are continuing through 2025 to fill data gaps from a 2016 report. The EPA plans to publish a feasibility study in 2026 evaluating cleanup alternatives, followed by a Record of Decision outlining the final long-term remedy. The U.S. Forest Service will also release an engineering evaluation for lower creek areas in 2026, with cleanup work expected to begin shortly after. Remedy selection for the main waste rock and tailings unit is estimated between December 2027 and February 2028.
Community members who spend time in the area should bring their own water for drinking, cooking, and washing, and avoid using stream water even if filtered. Remove dirt from clothing, toys, pets, and equipment before leaving the area, and wear masks on off-road trails. Eat outdoors on a table or blanket in grassy areas rather than on bare ground, and avoid harvesting edible plants from floodplain areas. Questions can be directed to the EPA, the U.S. Forest Service, or the Montana Department of Environmental Quality using the contact information provided for the site.
