Wyoming Watersheds Progress 2005

Tongue River Watershed
Sheridan County Conservation District
1949 Sugarland Drive, Suite 102
Sheridan, WY 82801
307-672-5820
carrie.rogaczewski@wy.nacdnet.net
 

Waters Addressed
Tongue River
Columbus Creek
Five Mile Creek
Little Tongue River
North Tongue River
Smith Creek
Wolf Creek
Prairie Dog Creek

Background
The Tongue River was listed in 2002 from Goose Creek downstream for a temperature impairment. Also in 2002, Columbus Creek, Five Mile Creek, Little Tongue River and Smith Creek were listed for fecal coliform impairments. In 2002, Prairie Dog Creek was listed as impaired for manganese and in 2004 an impairment for fecal coliform was added. Wolf Creek was listed as threatened in 2002 for fecal coliform. In 2004, a segment of the North Tongue River within the national forest was listed for fecal coliform.

Monitoring Activities
The Sheridan County CD actively monitored on the Tongue River and its tributaries from 1996 through 1999. The District has conducted interim monitoring since 2003, using eight different stations, including three on the Tongue River and one each at the mouths of the five tributaries. A monitoring report was submitted to DEQ in June 2004. In November 2004, the district applied for assessment and planning funds on Prairie dog. This funding request was denied and therefore assessment has not been initiated due to limited funding. The district will again apply for funding in November 2005.

The US Forest Service is conducting monitoring on the listed portion of the North Tongue River.

Planning
The Tongue River Watershed Plan was completed in September 2000. There are plans to review and revise the plan in 2005. The plan was completed prior to the listings as the local efforts were initiated soon after the assessment efforts indicated impairments existed. The Forest Service, along with the permittees and with participation from the Conservation District, and a number of other agencies, is developing a watershed plan to address the North Tongue listing.

Implementation Activities
The Sheridan County CD has completed three AFO improvement projects and three projects are in progress; three streambank/riparian improvement projects with one under construction and two septic system projects with three in progress. Educational efforts have included animal feeding operation and pathogen workshops, project features in the Sheridan press, development and maintenance of a progress register map, a series of educational brochures were published and distributed to 1300 residents in the Upper Tongue River Watershed, these included summary information on the assessment and planning processes and on the potential impacts and improvement opportunities for animal feeding operations, septic systems and household hazardous wastes. A video describing a septic system replacement and design considerations was produced. The district also hosted two water monitoring days, an educational event geared towards school age children.

Participants
The Tongue River Watershed Steering Committee ranged from four to fifteen landowners and residents during planning sessions and public meetings.

Funding
Amount                           Sources
Local $ 46,950.00            Sheridan County CD
State $138,691.00           Wy. Dept. of Agriculture
Federal $430,799.00       Water Development Commission
Private $ 46,327.00         Dept. of Environmental Quality/EPA

The Tongue River watershed

Streambank restoration project on the Tongue River,
reseeding of site was done in the spring 2005