WORK PLAN BEAVERHEAD RIVER WATERSHED UPDATED:September, 2007 INTRODUCTION PURPOSE The purpose for this watershed plan is to: (1) Identify and document resource concerns within the watershed, both water and non- water related. (2) Prioritize those concerns (3) Outline objectives and methods of addressing those concerns (4) Provide guidance in the implementation of action plans and other associated watershed activities. This document will be maintained as a guide for watershed activities, and will be updated on a regular basis to reflect current circumstances in the watershed including reprioritization of concerns and addition of new areas of concentration. BEAVERHEAD RIVER WATERSHED COMMITTEE – MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Beaverhead Watershed Committee is to seek an understanding of the watershed – how it functions and supports the human communities dependent upon it – and to build agreement on watershed-related planning issues among stakeholders with diverse viewpoints. Goals: . Provide a mechanism and forum for landowners, citizens, and agencies to work together to: . Identify problems and concerns both riparian and non-riparian, urban and rural. Reach agreement upon the priority of and methods for addressing those concerns. Act as a conduit between local interests and agencies for purposes of procuring the funding and non-monetary assistance necessary to begin systematically addressing priority concerns. Foster a cooperative environment where conflict is avoided, and work to resolve conflict as necessary for the watershed effort to move forward. Stay abreast of opportunities, issues, and developments that could be either beneficial or detrimental to the watershed or segments of the watershed. Keep stakeholders appropriately informed. Objectives: . Continuous Improvement – Maintain a broad range of active improvement projects/programs relating to diverse attributes of the watershed. Be Proactive – Act as a leader and organizer in the collection of information and ideas. Provide concise input to stakeholders and agencies. Collaborate – Work with other watersheds to maintain a continuing exchange of ideas and talent. Conserve funding by drawing upon the experience of the group. Objectives: cnt’d . Partnering and Outreach – Foster and nurture positive relationships with stakeholders and agencies. Utilize prior positive results to expand the role of the Committee and participation level of watershed citizens. WATERSHED RESOURCE CONCERNS . Drought and availability of water – The Beaverhead River watershed and all of southwestern Montana are attempting to recover from six consecutive years of drought. All entities in the region are putting forth initiatives to mitigate the economic and environmental damages. Water Quality – The Beaverhead River watershed has a total of twenty-three reaches on nineteen streams currently on the EPA 303d list. A common listing cause is sediment. although selected reaches are also listed for temperature, nutrients and metals. Weeds and weed management – The Beaverhead watershed including areas of both Beaverhead and Madison counties face an ever increasing threat from the spread of noxious weeds. Southwest Montana is a primary destination for recreationists from all over the state and beyond. As vehicles and livestock traverse the rural areas, weeds such as spotted knapweed are quickly spread. Thousands of dollars are spent on weed management annually. Land management/stewardship – Operations such as animal feeding, grazing, forest management, logging (public and private), and recreation are economic staples of the watershed. With each comes a special need to protect the environment in which the operation is conducted. Recreational conflicts related to land use and access – As the watershed continuously evolves, attitudes toward land use change as well. Large blocks of inaccessible private and public land are placing heavy pressure on diminishing acreages the public can utilize. Public awareness of conservation and management issues – All of the preceding have an information and education component. Landowners and stakeholders are frequently unaware of changes taking place around the watershed, the importance of their participation, and the potential resulting benefits. Wildlife and fishery management/Recreation – A large segment of the local economy evolves around the outdoor recreation industry, primarily hunting and fishing. The protection and preservation of these resources is vital to the watershed. Man – vs - wildlife conflicts must be dealt with. ACTION PLAN 2006 – 2007 GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND ACTION ITEMS Goal 1: Water Quantity: Water conservation: Work with agencies and landowners to implement drought mitigation concepts and practices. Increase public awareness. Objective 1: Provide a forum to bring together landowners, stakeholders and agencies. Facilitate discussions relating to water utilization and conservation. 2 Action Item 1: Organize and facilitate public meetings that involve informed experts and concerned citizens. Spread the awareness of current drought status and mitigation efforts and programs across the watershed. Timing: As needed or requested by constituents Status as of April, 2008: Multiple meetings have been held held featuring speakers from East Bench Irrigation District, MFWP, MT Bureau of Mines, Montana Tech, Dept. of Geology, and USBOR. In the fall of 2007, BWC was awarded a grant from USBOR to act as the local coordinator for their MOU with MFWP for the Beaverhead River and Clark Canyon Reservoir. The summer of 2008 will mark the beginning of the effort to commence a citizen-based process. Objective 2: Obtain a better understanding of the aquifer between Barretts diversion and Twin Bridges, Montana on the east beside of the watershed. Action Item 2: Complete a ground water study across the East Bench of the watershed. The East Bench canal traverses this route creating an “artificial aquifer” that affects ranchers and citizens alike. Status as of April, 2008: Ruby Valley Watershed Council and CD have completed a similar study. Those results were presented to BWC. The BWC assisted the Montana Tech Dept. of Environmental Science in securing funding to expand and complete a ground water study in the Beaverhead River watershed below Barretts Diversion south of Dillon. The project was completed on schedule in the fall of 2007 and a final report has been circulated. Goal 2: Water Quality: Improve the health of the Beaverhead River Corridor and tributaries. The Beaverhead watershed currently has twenty-three reaches on nineteen streams on the 303d list. A common impairment on all is sediment. Nutrient loading and metals are identified on some reaches as well. Objective 1: Complete the assessment and where necessary, the reassessment of the targeted reaches of 303(d) streams. Action Item 3: Enlist the services of an environmental engineering firm to finish the assessment and monitoring portion of the Beaverhead TMDL. Complete source assessments in preparation for completion of the final TMDL. Timing: Complete 4th Qtr. 2007 Status as of April 2008: The Beaverhead TMDL has been on hold for over one year due to man power shortages at MDEQ. Other watersheds with higher priority have been the focus. Assessment work is 80 percent complete. Prior work plans have offered a completion percentage of 90 percent. That has been lowered due to new information from DEQ regarding the upcoming assessment work required. It is estimated that the Beaverhead will begin receiving higher priority in the summer 3 of 2008. Temperature assessment and modeling along the Beaverhead main-stem is all that remains. The final Section 319 grant request has been awarded in the amount of $100,000. It includes funding to complete the TMDL and for identification, prioritization and outreach related to future restoration projects. Due to manpower shortages at MDEQ, the TMDL deadline has been extended until year-end 2008 and will likely be extended further. Objective 2: Stream Restoration Demonstration Projects: Maintain an on-going process of identification, funding, and completion of stream restoration projects throughout the watershed. Action Item 4: Complete four restoration projects . Stone Creek Nitrate Pilot Phase 2.– A wetland impoundment of approximately two acres will be constructed on lower Stone Creek. Environmental benefit is reduction of up to five tons annually in nutrient deposition into the Beaverhead River. Timing: 4th qtr 2008 . Spring Creek Restoration RRGL – Revegetation and reconstruction where necessary of two stream miles of Spring Creek in Madison County. Partners are The Walsh Ranch, and MFWP. Timing 3rd qtr 2007 . Spring Creek culvert replacement – This Future Fisheries project for elimination of a flow and fish barrier between Spring Creek phases 1 & 2 has been completed and will be closed in the ssummer of 2008. One to be identified. Action Item 5: Identify and fund two new restoration projects. The on-going assessment work has pin-pointed many candidate streams as potential restoration targets. Coordination efforts will be directed toward investigation, outreach, and funding of two new projects. A priority listing of project candidates will be maintained and updated with this document in order to continue to have several restoration projects in the BWC pipeline at all times. Timing: New Projects – Identify 3rd Qtr. 2008, Funding 4th Qtr 2008 Work Plan Update – 3rd Qtr. 2008 Status as of April, 2008: . The Wheat ranch well project is complete. Darnutzer Slough water gap