August 2001 Plans underway to assess the Musselshell River The Lower Musselshell Conservation District is sponsoring a grant to begin an assessment of the Musselshell River from the border of Wheatland County to the mouth of the Musselshell. This is a combined effort of the district along with Petroleum County Conservation District, Upper Musselshell Conservation District, Garfield Conservation District, and water users along the Musselshell. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is planning to provide technical assistance for the effort. Several watershed groups have formed along the Musselshell and its tributaries in the last five years. These include Careless Creek, Painted Robe Creek, a mid-Musselshell landowners group, and a Lower Mussellshell group near Mosby. Riparian area along the Musselshell near Roundup showing a cottonwood tree felled by beaver. Wolff photo The mid-Musselshell group, (east of Roundup to Mosby) determined to conduct an assessment of the river to help make educated decisions regarding water quality and quantity restoration efforts along the corridor. Since the EPA is requiring a water quality restoration plan for the entire Musselshell River by 2002, the group decided to take advantage of the situation and applied for a grant from EPA to conduct an assessment. The grant has been approved and the Lower Musselshell Conservation District is working with Upper Musselshell, Petroleum and Garfield County conservation districts, DEQ and NRCS to draw up a contract. The assessment will include stream channel physical features, riparian vegetation, aquatic biology, water chemistry, and current and historic land use, management and trends. Landowner meetings will continue during the winter and the physical assessment will be conducted in the spring of 2002. Home | Impaired Streams | Outdoor Classroom | Conservation District | Related Links Site Design by Bull Mountain Brokerage & Design Copyright © 2000-2001, All Rights Reserved. No images, content or layout may be used or reproduced Original photo credits © Alice Wolff unless otherwise noted.