OwlCreekWatershedPlan

The mission of the Owl Creek Watershed Steering Committee is to support voluntary land use management practices that will address the possible human induced portion of water quality issues related to nonpoint source pollution within the Owl Creek Watershed with consideration to historic, custom, cultural, and natural background influences within the watershed; thereby improving water quality and associated natural resources while preventing the need for government regulatory agency enforcement actions.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Owl Creek Watershed Plan is to:

1. Evaluate and summarize the overall condition of the Owl Creek Watershed, considering historical land use practices and hydrology;

2. Maintain local control and initiate a proactive effort to prevent potential federal regulation due to water quality concerns;

3. Research options for improving water quality in the watershed while maintaining a focus on voluntary and incentive based installment of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for water quality enhancement;

4. Document existing Best Management Practices within the Owl Creek Watershed and continue development and use of existing BMPs;

5. Continue and/or expand basic water quality monitoring activities within the Owl Creek Watershed to evaluate the impacts of the watershed planning processes on water quality;

6. Evaluate the appropriate classification of the sections of Owl Creek, and its associated tributaries within the Owl Creek Watershed.

7. Work to assist the waterbody’s recognition as meeting its appropriate uses and removal of Owl Creek from the WDEQ 303(d) List of Waterbodies with Water Quality Impairments;

Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act (CWA) was adopted by Congress for two primary purposes. That is to:

· Restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters; and

· Where attainable, to achieve water quality that promotes protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife, and provide for recreation in and on the water. This goal is commonly expressed by the phrase “fishable/swimable”.

Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality

In order to ensure compliance with the CWA, the State of Wyoming is required to adopt water quality standards (laws or regulations) to enhance water quality and protect public health and welfare. Under Section 305(b) of the CWA, the State of Wyoming must also report on the condition of their water(s) to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) once every two years. This report, prepared by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ), is known as the 305(b) report. Under section 303(d) of the CWA, States must identify those waters within its boundaries that are not meeting the water quality standards (“impaired waters”) applicable to that waterbody based on its designated use(s). A designated use is that use that a waterbody is capable of attaining although it may or may not be currently attained by that specific segment or body of water. States are required to address impaired waterbodies by establishing water quality standards and pollution control activities designed to achieve and maintain the designated uses.

Conservation District’s Role

Following the enactment of the Clean Water Act (CWA), the U.S. EPA has delegated water quality assessment and regulatory responsibilities to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) which is the regulatory agency responsible for enforcement of the CWA as it applies to Wyoming waters. Local Conservation Districts, by statutory authority, have assumed the responsibility of leading information and education programs and providing technical and financial assistance to their constituents to conserve Wyoming ’s natural resources, and to protect the quality of life of all Wyoming citizens. The Hot Springs Conservation District serves as a liaison between WDEQ and local land mangers within the Owl Creek Watershed to address water quality concerns and to investigate historical, custom, cultural, and background conditions as they apply to environmental compliance with regard to water quality standards. The Hot Springs Conservation District has also endorsed the formation of the Owl Creek Watershed Plan Steering Committee to develop a locally-led, comprehensive watershed management plan to improve water quality while preserving the economic sustainability of activities and maintaining multiple use within the Owl Creek Watershed.

WDEQ 303(d) list of impaired waterbodies

Currently, Owl Creek is on the Wyoming 2004 Section 303(d) List, Table C: 303(d) waterbodies that are threatened but lack credible data sufficient to warrant classification as impaired. A Non-Point Source (NPS) water quality impairment requires either a local watershed planning effort or a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), given there is credible data to indicate that the stream reach does not support all of its designated uses. If a waterbody is designated for protection of primary contact recreation (any recreational or other surface use of the water that could be expected to result in ingestion of the water or immersion), the water quality standard for the State of Wyoming states that fecal coliform concentrations shall not exceed a geometric mean of 200 (under current standards) fecal groups per 100 milliliters (based on a minimum of 5 samples, taken during separate 24 hour periods, in a 30-day time span). These standards are currently being used by WDEQ and it is recognized that they may change in time.

A New proposed standard is under consideration that would use E. coli in lieu of fecal coliform and that would create primary and secondary contact recreation standards. If a waterbody is designated for protection of secondary contact recreation (any recreational or other surface water use in which contact with the water is either incidental or accidental and that would not be expected to result in ingestion of the water or immersion) E. coli concentrations cannot exceed 630 organisms per 100 milliliters of water based on a minimum of not less than 5 samples obtained during separate 24 hour periods for any 30-day period. Waters on table “A” must meet the guidelines for primary contact recreation unless otherwise noted during the recreational period of the year (May 1 through September 1). Waters not listed in table “A” must meet the requirements of Secondary Contact Recreation. During the period of October 1 through April 30 primary contact recreation streams need meet only standards of secondary contact. Owl Creek was initially listed in 2002 based on a USGS one time sample.

Monitoring Activities

In 2003 and 2004, a broad assessment of the watershed was conducted on Owl Creek drainage. However, the data was insufficient to determine whether the fecal coliform standard was being met in that it did not meet the standards of the State of Wyoming Credible Data Act . The District along with the Owl Creek Steering Committee prepared a Sampling and Analysis Plan to collect additional data based on 5 samples collected within a 30 day period to determine the geometric mean. Samples were taken in October 2005 and June of 2006 on four sites. The HSCD has developed a Sampling and Analysis Plan and issued a request for proposals for further monitoring for E. coli bacteria.

Public Awareness

HSCD hosted a public meeting in 2003 to inform the public and the land managers within the Owl Creek Watershed of the 303(d) listing issue and to discuss possible solutions. HSCD invited presenters to explain potential implications of the listing of Owl Creek and the attendees were informed of the option of a local watershed assessment and planning effort being acceptable to WDEQ to address the water quality impairment. The presenters included representatives of Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts (WACD), The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA), and WDEQ. The majority of the citizens attending these meetings agreed that HSCD should provide leadership to move forward with a locally led watershed assessment and planning effort. In addition, approximately 14 citizens agreed to serve on an advisory group to provide leadership for the watershed assessment and planning process. Additional meetings were held among HSCD staff and board members, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) staff and Owl Creek Steering Committee members to continue working through the Owl Creek Watershed assessment and planning process. The Owl Creek Watershed Steering Committee was formally created in December 2005. The Owl Creek Watershed Steering Committee has continued to work with HSCD and NRCS to finalize the Owl Creek Watershed Plan.

The Owl Creek Watershed Plan will be available for public comment from July, 20^th 2006 through September, 4^th 2006 before being submitted to WDEQ for final approval. Once the watershed plan is adopted by WDEQ, the Owl Creek Advisory Group and HSCD will continue with implementation of the plan and continue to work towards the goal of removal of Owl Creek from the WDEQ 303(d) list of impaired waterbodies.

Background Information

History

Evidence shows that the Owl Creek drainage was used by members of the Shoshone, Crow, Arapahoe and occasionally Sioux tribes, probably for hunting, temporary occupation, and general travel. The use of the area before these Native Americans is also evidenced by petroglyphs, etc.

White trappers undoubtedly visited the area on occasion, but the era of the white settlers on Owl Creek began with an expedition guided from Denver to Montana by Jim Bridger. A member of this party was James D. Woodruff, who in 1871 built the first cabin in Hot Springs County .

The first modern commercial use of the Owl Creek Watershed was cattle grazing. The first herds found their way into the Owl Creek country from Lander and Fort Washakie . Unlike some areas of Hot Springs County , no discoveries of gold were substantial enough to further interest in mining. Likewise, no major oil or gas discoveries lie within the watershed. The Hamilton Dome oilfield has a few wells located on the Owl Creek drainage, but the majority of the field is on Cottonwood Creek.

Agriculture on middle and upper Owl Creek consisted of grazing by cattle and sheep, and the subsequent raising of hay on irrigated fields. Water was available primarily in the spring and early summer, when snow pack runoff was available. Middle and late summer were often hit and miss, water rights were over allocated, and numerous confrontations over water usage were documented. The creek is often intermittent in stretches and dry. To alleviate these problems, a movement was started to build a dam on upper Owl Creek. The movement started in 1910, but was not successful in getting a dam approved until 1956. Water rights on lower Owl Creek were reassigned to come out of the Big Horn River via the Lucerne Pumping station, and water rights above were to come from Owl Creek. Completed in 1960, Anchor dam was constructed on the South Fork of Owl Creek but it has never held water as designed. Dikes were constructed to keep water from disappearing through porous areas of the lakebed.

Commercial uses of the Owl Creek Watershed now as then continue to be largely agricultural. Cattle are the primary livestock, with some horses and sheep grazing the area. Crops are raised along the watershed from Anchor Dam downstream, with the primary crop on middle and upper Owl Creek being hay. Lower Owl Creek also provides crops of grain and corn.

Recreation has always been and is still primarily centered around hunting, today mostly for big game species, game birds, small game and varmints. Trapping is also a recreational activity provided along the watershed. Above Anchor dam, a viable recreational fishery has always existed on the South Fork of Owl Creek, extending to the headwaters. A successful fishery has never existed in the North Fork or downstream of Anchor dam due to the intermittent nature of the stream. Additionally, there is little aquatic recreation.

Permanent residences are found along the watershed, in varying degrees of density. In general, low density exists along the watershed above the confluence with Mud Creek, medium low density from there down to the Lucerne area, and medium density from there to where Owl Creek enters the Big Horn River .

Since no commercial mining or industrial operations exist along the watershed, the economy is driven primarily by agricultural and recreational interests, and is greatly influenced by climatic conditions.

Owl Creek Watershed Description

The Owl Creek Watershed (HUC10080005) begins in the Owl Creek Mountains at an elevation of around 13,000 feet. As the stream moves towards the Big Horn River it transitions through sage brush steppe to high dessert. The South fork of Owl Creek is fed by several major tributaries including: Rock Creek, Curry Creek, Slab Creek, the Middle Fork of Owl Creek, Red Creek and Dry Cottonwood Creek. The North Fork of Owl Creek is also fed by several major tributaries, the North Fork of the North Fork and the South Fork of the North Fork of Owl Creek being the most prominent. After the confluence of the North and South Fork of Owl Creek there are several other major tributaries. Pumpkin Draw, Mud Creek and its tributaries, and