1 Greybull River Watershed 2 Water Quality Management Plan 3 4 January 4, 2010 5 6 7 A comprehensive natural resource management plan 8 addressing water quality issues within the Greybull River Watershed 9 10 11 Developed by: 12 MEETEETSE CONSERVATION DISTRICT 13 GREYBULL RIVER WATERSHED STEERING COMMITTEE 14 GREYBULL RIVER WATERSHED LANDOWNERS 15 16 Assistance Provided by: 17 USDA NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE 18 WYOMING ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS 19 20 Last printed 12/2/2015 1:04:00 PM - 2 - 1 Greybull River Watershed Steering Committee 2 Participants Name Lee Allen Betty Johnson Ken Beer Hollis Jones Laura Bell Steve Jones Greg Bevenger Jim Lawler Jason Burckhardt Mary McKinney Bob Capron Robin Moser Karri Cary Susan Reaves Dave Crowther Wayne Reaves Mark Dallon Tracy Renner Eric Decker Colin Simpson Emily Ewart Dallen Smith Sandra Frost Tracy Smith Craig Geving Dave Sweet Linda Gillett Carla Thomas Jim Gould Katherine Thompson Ray Gullion Ann Trosper Janet Hallsted Cathy Upton Joe Hicks Lew Wiser Gerald Jech Steve Yekel Arlie Jensen Clara Mae Yetter 3 4 Entities Represented Bureau of Land Management Greybull Valley Irrigation District Hot Springs Conservation District Local landowners and residents Meeteetse Conservation District Natural Resources Conservation Service Nature Conservancy Park County Planning Department Park County Weed and Pest Powell Clarks Fork Conservation District Resource Conservation and Development Council South Big Horn Conservation District Trout Unlimited University of Wyoming Department of Renewable Resources University of Wyoming Extension U.S. Forest Service Wyoming Game and Fish Wyoming State Legislators 5 Last printed 12/2/2015 1:04:00 PM - 3 - 1 Table of Contents 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................ 5 3 MISSION ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 4 PURPOSE ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 5 CLEAN WATER ACT- 1972 ........................................................................................................................ 5 6 WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ........................................................ 5 7 CONSERVATION DISTRICT’S ROLE ...................................................................................................... 6 8 WATER QUALITY MONITORING ACTIVITIES ................................................................................... 6 9 WDEQ 303(d) LIST OF IMPAIRED WATERBODIES ............................................................................. 6 10 PUBLIC AWARENESS ................................................................................................................................. 7 11 PARTNERSHIPS ........................................................................................................................................... 8 12 COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING ................................................................................................................ 8 13 CONSERVATION DISTRICT AUTHORITY FOR WATERSHED PLANNING PROCESS .............. 8 14 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ................................................................................................................ 10 15 GEOLOGY ................................................................................................................................................... 10 16 GEOMORPHOLOGY ................................................................................................................................. 12 17 TOPOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................................ 13 18 CLIMATE ..................................................................................................................................................... 13 19 SOILS ............................................................................................................................................................ 14 20 SURFACE WATER RESOURCES ............................................................................................................ 15 21 GROUNDWATER ....................................................................................................................................... 16 22 VEGETATION ............................................................................................................................................. 17 23 INVASIVE SPECIES ................................................................................................................................... 18 24 Rangeland Impacts .................................................................................................................................... 20 25 Riparian Impacts ....................................................................................................................................... 20 26 FIRE............................................................................................................................................................... 21 27 Historic Fire Occurrence........................................................................................................................... 21 28 Fire Ecology and Soils ............................................................................................................................... 21 29 Little Venus Fire ........................................................................................................................................ 21 30 Current Fire/Treatment Activity ............................................................................................................... 22 31 Catastrophic Fire and the Wildland Urban Interface .............................................................................. 22 32 WILDLIFE AND RECREATIONAL NATURAL RESOURCE HISTORY .......................................... 22 33 AGRICULTURAL HISTORY .................................................................................................................... 24 34 AGRICULTURE .......................................................................................................................................... 24 35 MINING AND MINERALS ........................................................................................................................ 27 36 TIMBER ........................................................................................................................................................ 28 37 CONCERNS AND ISSUES ............................................................................................................................. 29 38 WATER QUALITY ..................................................................................................................................... 29 39 WILDLIFE .................................................................................................................................................... 29 40 Wildlife Population Management ............................................................................................................. 29 41 Wildlife Habitat .......................................................................................................................................... 30 42 Habitat Maintenance ................................................................................................................................. 31 43 Herbivory ................................................................................................................................................... 31 44 Fires and Wildlife ...................................................................................................................................... 32 45 Wildlife Habitat and Water Quality .......................................................................................................... 32 46 Wildlife Habitat and Water Quantity ........................................................................................................ 32 47 Invasive Species and Wildlife .................................................................................................................... 32 48 Water Temperature and Wildlife Issues .................................................................................................... 33 49 AGRICULTURE .......................................................................................................................................... 33 50 Grazing and Land Management ............................................................................................................... 33 51 Animal Feeding Operations (AFO)........................................................................................................... 35 52 Invasive Species in Agriculture ................................................................................................................. 35 53 Loss of Agricultural Lands ........................................................................................................................ 36 54 Crop Production .......................................................................................................................................