TEN MILE CREEK - HELENA'S LIFE BLOOD

I often think how Montana's way of life depends on snow. Without it, our rivers and irrigation canals would be dry, our lakes and reservoirs empty, and our two largest economic sectors, agriculture and recreation (think skiing and fishing) would be non existent. Tenmile Creek drains about 200 square miles of mountainous terrain and is the main municipal water supply for the City of Helena. Like many western US streams, more than two-thirds of its total annual stream-flow is sourced from snow-melt. After a recent big snowstorm I was anxious to get up there and photograph the life blood of the city. JF17