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Musselshell Watershed Water Quality Monitoring Project — 2015: Nutrients, Metals and E

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MUSSELSHELL WATERSHED WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROJECT — 2015: NUTRIENTS, METALS AND E. COLI Sampling and Analysis Plan Prepared for: MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment and Water Quality Management Sections Water Quality Planning Bureau P.O. Box 200901 Helena, MT 59620-0901 Approvals ____________________________________________ ________________ Kathryn Makarowski (WQ Monitoring & Assessment Section) Date ____________________________________________ ________________ Darrin Kron (WQ Monitoring & Assessment Section Manager) Date ____________________________________________ ________________ Terri Mavencamp (Quality Assurance Officer) Date ____________________________________________ ________________ Jordan Tollefson (Musselshell Project Coordinator) Date ____________________________________________ ________________ Lou Volpe (TMDL Project Manager) Date ____________________________________________ ________________ Dean Yashan (Watershed Management Section Manager) Date 1 WQPBMASSAP-19 2 WQPBMASSAP-19 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1.1 PROJECT AREA DESCRIPTION The Musselshell River basin (Figure 1.1) is located in central-eastern Montana and is comprised of 5 major (4th code HUC) sub-basins, shown in Table 1.1. The basin spans 11 counties, primarily Meagher, Wheatland, Golden Valley, Musselshell, Fergus and Petroleum (also Sweetgrass, Stillwater, Yellowstone, Rosebud and Garfield). The Musselshell River is approximately 340 miles long and originates at the confluence of the North Fork Musselshell River (which drains from the Little Belt and Castle mountains northeast of White Sulphur Springs), and the South Fork Musselshell River (which drains from the Castle and Crazy Mountains southeast of White Sulphur Springs). It flows generally east through towns including Two Dot, Harlowton, Shawmut, Ryegate and Roundup, where the Big Snowy Mountains lie to the North and the Bull Mountains lie to the South. The river continues northeast through Musselshell and, near Melstone, flows north through Mosby and into Fort Peck Reservoir. The river is split into four assessment units, as shown in Table 1.2. Figure 1.1. Musselshell River watershed with sub-basins and counties. There are 51 watersheds (5th code HUC) within the Musselshell River watershed that were considered for water quality characterization or assessment. Several sub-watersheds (6th code HUC) were also considered due to existing impairment listings or because of their high resource value. A majority of the streams draining these watersheds have C-3 use classifications and are located within the Northwestern 3 WQPBMASSAP-19 Great Plains level III ecoregion. Several tributaries in the upper basin are classified B-1; these waters’ headwaters originate in the Middle Rockies level III ecoregion and transition to the Northwestern Great Plains ecoregion lower in their drainage. As shown in Table 1.2, the uppermost segment of the Musselshell River, from the confluence of the North and South forks to the Deadmans Basin Diversion Canal, has a B-2 use classification; the remaining segments are classified C-3. Table 1.1 Major sub-basins and HUCs in Musselshell. Sub-Basin Hydrologic Unit Number of 5th code watersheds Sub-Basin Name Code included in sub-basin Upper Musselshell 10040201 22 Middle Musselshell 10040202 10 Lower Musselshell 10040205 7 Box Elder 10040204 7 Flatwillow 10040203 5 Total: 51 Table 1.2. Musselshell River Assessment Units. Water Quality Use AUID Waterbody Name HUC8 County Size (miles) Category Class MUSSELSHELL RIVER, North & South MT40A001_010 Fork confluence to Deadmans Basin 10040201 WHEATLAND 5 B-2 55.3 Diversion Canal MUSSELSHELL RIVER, Deadmans MUSSELSHELL, MT40A001_020 Basin Supply Canal to HUC boundary 10040201 WHEATLAND, GOLDEN 5 C-3 94.49 near Roundup VALLEY MUSSELSHELL, MUSSELSHELL RIVER, HUC boundary 10040202 PETROLEUM, GARFIELD, 4C C-3 114.6 MT40C001_010 near Roundup to Flatwillow Creek ROSEBUD MUSSELSHELL RIVER, Flatwillow 10040205 PETROLEUM, GARFIELD 4C C-3 75.94 MT40C003_010 Creek to Fort Peck Reservoir 1.2 PROJECT OVERVIEW In 2014, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Water Quality Planning Bureau (WQPB) began a watershed planning project in the Musselshell River watershed (DEQ 2015). Among other tasks, this project involves performing water quality assessments for nutrients, metals and/or Escherichia coli (E. coli) on several waters. In 2015, monitoring activities aimed at collecting sufficient credible data to assess for nutrients, metals and E. coli will focus primarily on the mainstem Musselshell River and streams in the upper and middle sub-basins that have been selected for assessment for nutrients, metals and/or E. coli assessment. As resources allow, some monitoring may occur on several waterbodies within the lower Musselshell, Box Elder and Flatwillow sub-basins in 2015. These waters, including the lowermost Musselshell River segment, are potential candidates for nutrients, metals and/or E. coli assessment in coming years and the 2015 data collection could inform future monitoring actions if resources allow. This Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) presents a plan for completing monitoring associated with nutrients, metals and E. coli assessment of waters in the Musselshell River watershed during the 2015 field season. 4 WQPBMASSAP-19 1.3 ASSESSMENT SCOPE Table 1.3 shows the waterbody segments to be sampled in the Musselshell River watershed in 2015 and the nutrient and metals impairment listings that appear on the 2014 303(d) list associated with these segments (DEQ 2014). There are no existing pathogen impairment listings in the Musselshell River watershed. Table 1.4 indicates the waterbody segments which will be monitored for nutrients, metals and/or E. coli in the upper and middle Musselshell basins in 2015: 18 for nutrients, 12 for metals, and 6 for E. coli. Nutrient and metals monitoring will take place on the Musselshell River and on several tributaries. E. coli monitoring will occur on the Musselshell River and on the three reservoirs that have public recreation access points. Nine additional waterbody segments, including the lowermost segment of the Musselshell River, have been chosen for nutrient and metals monitoring in 2015, as resources allow (Table 1.5). These are segments in the lower Musselshell, Box Elder and Flatwillow basins. Although they have not been formally selected for nutrient or metals assessment, they do have proportionally greater flow and thus greater influence on the character of the Musselshell and are potential candidates for more thorough assessment in upcoming years; thus, collecting data in 2015 that aligns with assessment method data requirements will lessen the sampling burden for these streams in future years. Similarly, Lodgepole Creek is the only waterbody in the lower sub-basins which has a metals listing and is included in this document for monitoring in 2015, as resources and access allow (Table 1.5). Table 1.3. Waterbody segments in the Upper and Middle Musselshell sub-basins to be sampled in 2015 and their associated 2014 nutrients and metals 303(d) listings (DEQ 2014). Sub- Use Metals AUID Major Waterbody Waterbody Description Nutrient Listings basin Class Listings headwaters to mouth (North Upper B-1 MT40A002_040 Mill Creek Chlorophyll-a - Fork Musselshell River) headwaters to mouth (North Upper B-1 MT40A002_030 Trail Creek Fork Musselshell River) Chlorophyll-a - North Fork Upper B-1 MT40A002_010 headwaters to Bair Reservoir Musselshell River Chlorophyll-a - Upper B-1 MT40A005_040 Bair Reservoir - - - North Fork Bair Reservoir to confluence with Upper B-1 MT40A002_010 Chlorophyll-a - Musselshell River the South Fork Musselshell River Upper - none Cottonwood Creek headwaters to mouth - - South Fork Upper - none headwaters to mouth - - Musselshell River Martinsdale Upper B-1 MT40A005_030 - - - Reservoir Upper - none Big Elk Creek headwaters to mouth - - Upper - none American Fork headwaters to mouth - - North & South Fork confluence to Nitrogen (Total), Upper B-2 MT40A001_010 Musselshell River - Deadmans Basin Diversion Canal Phosphorus (Total) Deadmans Basin Lead, Iron, Upper B-1 MT40A005_010 - - Reservoir Copper Nitrate/Nitrite (Nitrite + Nitrate as Upper C-3 MT40A002_070 Fish Creek headwaters to mouth - N), Nitrogen (Total), Phosphorus (Total) 5 WQPBMASSAP-19 Sub- Use Metals AUID Major Waterbody Waterbody Description Nutrient Listings basin Class Listings Careless Creek, headwaters to confluence with Upper - none - - upper Deadmans Basin Canal confluence with Deadmans Basin Careless Creek, Upper C-3 MT40A002_050 Canal to mouth (Musselshell - - lower River) Upper - none Big Coulee Creek headwaters to mouth - - Upper - none Painted Robe Creek headwaters to mouth Nitrogen (Total) - Nitrate/Nitrite headwaters to mouth Upper C-3 MT40A002_090 Half Breed Creek (Nitrite + Nitrate as - (Musselshell River) N), Nitrogen (Total) Deadmans Basin Supply Canal to Nitrogen (Total), Upper C-3 MT40A001_020 Musselshell River - HUC boundary near Roundup Phosphorus (Total) headwaters to mouth Nitrogen (Total), Middle C-3 MT40C002_010 North Willow Creek Iron (Musselshell River) Phosphorus (Total) HUC boundary near Roundup to Middle C-3 MT40C001_010 Musselshell River - - Flatwillow Creek Table 1.4. Waterbody segments in the Upper and Middle Musselshell sub-basins to be sampled in 2015 and the stressor groups that will be sampled. E. AUID Major Waterbody Waterbody Description Nut. Met. coli none American Fork headwaters to mouth X - - MT40A005_040
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