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UPPER YELLOWSTONE RIVER WATERSHED LAND COVER ASSESSMENT Final Report

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UPPER YELLOWSTONE RIVER WATERSHED LAND COVER ASSESSMENT Final Report UPPER YELLOWSTONE RIVER WATERSHED LAND COVER ASSESSMENT Final Report August 2003 UPPER YELLOWSTONE RIVER WATERSHED LAND COVER ASSESSMENT August 2003 Prepared for: Governor’s Upper Yellowstone River Task Force 5242 Highway 89 South Livingston MT 59047 Prepared by: Thomas L. Pick, Water Quality Specialist Tom Potter, Geographic Information System Specialist Natural Resources Conservation Service Federal Building, Room 443 10 East Babcock Street Bozeman, MT 59715-4704 The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is a federal agency working in partnership with the American people to help protect and sustain natural resources on America’s private lands. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………………… 1 INTRODUCTION HISTORY OF THE TASK FORCE ........................................................................................ 2 BACKGROUND STUDY DESIGN............................................................................................................... 3 STUDY CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................................... 4 REMOTE SENSING .......................................................................................................... 6 STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION................................................................................................................. 7 ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES........................................................................................ 7 CLIMATE ........................................................................................................................ 7 HYDROLOGIC REGIME..................................................................................................... 7 WATER QUALITY............................................................................................................. 8 PHYSIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................. 10 METHODS DATA DEVELOPMENT...................................................................................................... 11 LAND COVER CLASSIFICATION ........................................................................................ 11 LAND COVER CHANGE .................................................................................................... 11 GIS SETUP FOR WATERSHED INTEGRITY ANALYSES ......................................................... 12 HYDROLOGIC FUNCTION INDICATORS.............................................................................. 12 WATER QUALITY INDICATORS.......................................................................................... 13 UPLAND WILDLIFE HABITAT INDICATORS.......................................................................... 14 RESULTS 1999 LAND COVER CLASSIFICATION ................................................................................. 15 LAND COVER CHANGE .................................................................................................... 15 HYDROLOGIC FUNCTION................................................................................................. 16 LAND OWNERSHIP .......................................................................................................... 16 WATER QUALITY INDICATORS.......................................................................................... 16 HUMAN DEMOGRAPHICS................................................................................................. 17 UPLAND WILDLIFE HABITAT INDICATORS.......................................................................... 17 DISCUSSION LAND COVER CLASSIFICATION ........................................................................................ 18 LAND COVER CHANGE .................................................................................................... 18 HYDROLOGIC FUNCTION................................................................................................. 19 WATER QUALITY INDICATORS.......................................................................................... 21 UPLAND WILDLIFE HABITAT INDICATORS.......................................................................... 21 MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS……………………………………………………… 23 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………………………… 24 LITERATURE CITED……………………………………………………………………….. 25 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE LIST OF TABLES 1. NRCS characterization of precipitation and runoff by elevation for the watershed.................................. 31 2. General sequence of data acquisition, processing and analysis for the land cover change study at the watershed and stream corridor scales .................................................................... 31 3. Data sets used in the watershed integrity analyses................................................................................. 32 4. Percent bare ground factors associated with land cover classes and precipitation zones...................... 32 LIST OF FIGURES 1. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Montana and Wyoming, Watersheds, 4th Code .......................... 33 2. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Montana and Wyoming, Elevation Zones .................................... 34 3. USGS Water Use Estimates for Headwaters (10070001) and Upper Yellowstone River (10070002) HUs ............................................................................................................................. 36 4. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Montana Portion Study Areas ...................................................... 35 5. Landsat 7ETM+ Characteristics .............................................................................................................. 37 6. GIS Model Overlay Analysis Process ...................................................................................................... 37 7. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, 1999 Land Cover Composition .................................................... 38 8. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Headwaters Subbasin (HUC10070001) 1999 Land Cover Composition ................................................................................................................ 39 9. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Upper Yellowstone Subbasin (HUC10070002) 1999 Land Cover Composition ................................................................................................................ 40 10. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Comparison in 1999 Land Cover Composition between 10070001 and 10070002 .......................................................................................................... 41 11. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Montana and Wyoming, Watersheds, 5th Code .......................... 42 12. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, 1999 Land Cover Composition by 5th Code HUC ....................... 43 13. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, 1999 Land Cover Composition within 1/4 Mile of the Yellowstone River Channel.................................................................................... 44 14. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Montana and Wyoming, Erosion Potential Rating ....................... 45 15. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Montana and Wyoming, Land Ownership Composition .......... 46 16. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, 1999 Land Cover Extent by Ownership Classification ........... 47 17. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, 1999 Land Cover Composition by Ownership Classification 48 18. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Ownership Classification by Elevation Zone and Ownership 49 19. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Montana Portion, Important Farmland......................................... 50 20. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Montana Portion, Leaching Index Rating Map ............................ 51 21. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Human Demographic, Population Density................................... 52 22. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Montana Portion, Mule Deer Habitat .......................................... 53 23. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Montana Portion, Mule Deer Winter Range Habitat by 1999 Land Cover Composition and Land Ownership............................................................. 54 24. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Montana Portion, Elk Winter Range ........................................... 55 25. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Montana Portion, Elk Winter Range Habitat by 1999 Land Cover Composition and Land Ownership .............................................................................. 56 26. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Montana Portion, Whitetail Deer General Habitat........................ 57 27. Upper Yellowstone River Watershed, Montana Portion, Whitetail Deer General
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