Biological Integrity of Streams in the Tongue River Basin and Rosebud Creek and Implications for Coalbed Natural Gas Development January 18, 2006 Prepared for: Joseph Platz Bureau of Land Management 111 Garryowen Rd Miles City, MT 59301 Prepared by: Biological Integrity of Streams in the Tongue River Basin Confluence Consulting, Inc. Table of Contents Table of Contents ........................................................................................... i List of Tables ................................................................................................iii List of Figures.............................................................................................. vii 1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................ 1 2.0 Literature Review............................................................................... 2 2.1 Streambed Substrate and Associated Physiochemical Processes ....................... 2 2.2 Recent Reports Pertinent to CBNG Product Water and Its Effects on Aquatic Ecology ........................................................................................................................... 5 3.0 Study Area........................................................................................... 8 3.1 Tongue River Main Stem.................................................................................... 8 3.2 Badger Creek...................................................................................................... 9 3.3 Coal Creek.......................................................................................................... 9 3.4 Corral Creek........................................................................................................ 9 3.5 Hanging Woman Creek.....................................................................................10 3.6 Otter Creek........................................................................................................ 10 3.7 Prairie Dog Creek ............................................................................................. 10 3.8 Rosebud Creek.................................................................................................. 11 3.9 Spring Creek..................................................................................................... 11 3.10 Squirrel Creek................................................................................................... 12 3.11 Youngs Creek....................................................................................................12 4.0 Methods ............................................................................................. 16 4.1 Physical and Chemical Water Quality Parameters ........................................... 18 4.2 Chemical Sediment Parameters ........................................................................ 21 4.3 Physical Habitat................................................................................................ 23 4.4 Periphyton......................................................................................................... 23 4.5 Macroinvertebrates ........................................................................................... 26 4.6 Fish.................................................................................................................... 30 4.7 Wildlife ............................................................................................................. 32 5.0 Results................................................................................................ 33 5.1 Physical and Chemical Water Quality Parameters ........................................... 33 5.1.1 Tributaries................................................................................................. 33 5.1.2 Tongue River Main Stem.......................................................................... 36 5.2 Sediment Chemistry.......................................................................................... 46 5.3 Physical Habitat................................................................................................ 48 5.3.1 Badger Creek............................................................................................ 49 5.3.2 Coal Creek................................................................................................ 49 5.3.3 Corral Creek.............................................................................................. 49 5.3.4 Hanging Woman Creek.............................................................................49 5.3.5 Otter Creek................................................................................................ 49 5.3.6 Prairie Dog Creek - Lower........................................................................ 50 5.3.7 Prairie Dog Creek - Upper ........................................................................ 50 5.3.8 Rosebud Creek.......................................................................................... 51 5.3.9 Spring Creek............................................................................................. 51 5.3.10 Squirrel Creek - Lower ............................................................................. 51 i Biological Integrity of Streams in the Tongue River Basin Confluence Consulting, Inc. 5.3.11 Squirrel Creek - Upper.............................................................................. 51 5.3.12 Youngs Creek - Lower.............................................................................. 52 5.3.13 Youngs Creek - Upper .............................................................................. 52 5.3.14 Tongue River - Hanging Woman Creek ................................................... 52 5.3.15 Tongue River - below dam ....................................................................... 53 5.3.16 Tongue River - Badger Creek................................................................... 53 5.3.17 Tongue River - state line........................................................................... 53 5.4 Periphyton......................................................................................................... 61 5.4.1 Corral Creek.............................................................................................. 61 5.4.2 Hanging Woman Creek.............................................................................61 5.4.3 Otter Creek................................................................................................ 62 5.4.4 Prairie Dog Creek - Lower........................................................................ 62 5.4.5 Prairie Dog Creek - Upper ........................................................................ 62 5.4.6 Rosebud Creek.......................................................................................... 63 5.4.7 Spring Creek............................................................................................. 63 5.4.8 Squirrel Creek - Lower ............................................................................. 63 5.4.9 Squirrel Creek - Upper.............................................................................. 64 5.4.10 Youngs Creek - Lower.............................................................................. 64 5.4.11 Youngs Creek - Upper .............................................................................. 64 5.4.12 Tongue River - Hanging Woman Creek ................................................... 65 5.4.13 Tongue River - below dam ....................................................................... 65 5.4.14 Tongue River - Badger Creek................................................................... 65 5.4.15 Tongue River - state line........................................................................... 65 5.5 Macroinvertebrates ........................................................................................... 72 5.5.1 Corral Creek.............................................................................................. 73 5.5.2 Hanging Woman ....................................................................................... 74 5.5.3 Otter Creek................................................................................................ 74 5.5.4 Prairie Dog Creek - Lower........................................................................ 74 5.5.5 Prairie Dog Creek - Upper ........................................................................ 75 5.5.6 Rosebud Creek.......................................................................................... 75 5.5.7 Spring Creek............................................................................................. 76 5.5.8 Squirrel Creek - Lower ............................................................................. 76 5.5.9 Squirrel Creek - Upper.............................................................................. 77 5.5.10 Youngs Creek - Lower.............................................................................. 77 5.5.11 Youngs Creek - Upper .............................................................................. 78 5.5.12 Tongue River - Hanging Woman Creek ................................................... 78 5.5.13 Tongue River - below dam ....................................................................... 78 5.5.14 Tongue River - Badger Creek..................................................................