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Scientists dumped red dye in the Missouri River near Three Forks on Wednesday to study river flows.

The river ran red from the Trident Boat Access downstream until about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. The study is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

The USGS says the study is being conducted to monitor how the water flows down the river and will help determine travel times and dispersion rates. The agency says the information is important in the event of an accidental contaminant spill and to model water quality and aquatic life in the river.

Today's red dye injection is the second and final to occur in this Missouri River study. The first injection occurred at the Toston Dam near Townsend on Aug. 30.

"Rhodamine WT, the red dye used in this study, is non-toxic and safe for the environment. The dye plumes will be monitored as they travel downstream. Although the red dye may be quite visible near the two release sites, it will quickly become diluted, and at most points downstream it will be detectable only with specialized instruments. Environmental Protection Agency regulations require that the maximum concentrations of Rhodamine WT dye at municipal water supplies be no greater than 10 micrograms per liter. To ensure compliance with EPA regulation, the USGS has designed the study to reduce the maximum concentrations at all surface water intake locations to 5 micrograms per liter," officials said.

Studies like this have been conducted across the country. Visit this Mapquest page to view the Montana study area.