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Section 319
NDNPDINT SOURCE PROGRAM SUCCESS STORY
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Coordinated Efforts Reduce Sediment in Creek
Waterbndv Imnrnved
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Excess sedimentation had impaired the aquatic life and
coldwater fishery uses of Chugwater Creek in Wyoming. As
a result, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) added a reach of
Chugwater Creek to Wyoming's 2000 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired
waters. Following that listing, local stakeholders implemented a number of best manage-
ment practices (BMPs) to reduce sediment loading and bank erosion, while also maintain-
ing agricultural production. A technical review team subsequently determined that those
activities had adequately removed the sediment threat to Chugwater Creek; consequently,
WDEQ removed the stream from the state's CWA section 303(d) list for sediment in 2008.
Problem
Chugwater Creek, a tributary to the Laramie River,
is in the North Platte River Basin of Wyoming.
The creek originates along the eastern side of the
Laramie Mountains and then flows northeast to its
confluence with the Laramie River near the town
of Wheatland. WDEQ classifies Chugwater Creek
as a type 2AB water; thus, it is protected for the
designated uses of drinking water, coldwater game
and nongame fisheries, fish consumption, aquatic
life other than fish, recreation, wildlife, industry,
agriculture and scenic value.
Monitoring by WDEQ in 1998 indicated that a por-
tion of the stream was not supporting its aquatic life
and coldwater fisheries designated uses because
of excess sediment from unknown sources. The
fine sediments (Figure 1) settled and created a
homogenous and highly unstable substrate for
bottom-dwelling aquatic animal and plant com-
munities. The 10.4-mile mainstem of Chugwater
Creek showed a marked decline in the diversity and
abundance of pollution-sensitive aquatic macroin-
vertebrates as compared to upstream study sites.
Because of those findings, WDEQ added the creek
to Wyoming's 2000 CWA section 303(d) list as
threatened because of excess sediment loading.
Figure 1. Before
restoration,
lower Chugwater
Creek's
streambed was
silt-dominated,
as seen here.
Project Highlights
A stakeholder group including local landowners,
the local irrigation district, Platte County Resource
District, Wyoming Game and Fish Department,
and Pheasants Forever adopted numerous BMPs
to reduce sedimentation. The new BMPs comple-
mented other BMPs that landowners had previously
installed. New BMPs included adding riparian fenc-
ing to facilitate a shorter duration grazing strategy in
the stream corridor, moving a feedlot away from the
stream channel (Figures 2 and 3), constructing an
upland reservoir to capture and reuse excess irriga-
tion water, and converting from flood to sprinkler
irrigation to reduce surface runoff.
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Results
Figures 2 and 3. These photos show the proximity of a feedlot to
Chugwater Creek's riparian zone before (above) and after (below)
the project. The creek flows along the base of the mountains in
the background.
In 2005 a technical review team—consisting of
water quality, geomorphology, range science and
soil science experts—investigated the condition
of Chugwater Creek. The review team concluded,
in part, that BMPs had helped to stabilize stream-
banks, which allowed vigorous re-growth of riparian
vegetation. Overland flow and sedimentation in the
stream had decreased substantially. Corresponding
with those changes, the stream channel had deep-
ened, which would allow for the gradual removal of
historic sediment deposits. Vegetation was taking
root in the creek's point bars. On the basis of the
assessment, WDEQ determined that the BMPs
had effectively removed the threat of sediment to
Chugwater Creek's aquatic life and coldwater fisher-
ies uses. Therefore, WDEQ removed 10.4 miles of
Chugwater Creek from the Wyoming 2008 CWA
section 303(d) list of impaired waters for sediment.
Partners and Funding
Funding for this project totaled $38,168 for a ripar-
ian improvement project involving landowners, the
U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources
Conservation Service and the Wyoming Game and
Fish Department.
UJ
C9
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA841-F-09-001SS
December 2009
For additional information contact:
Richard Thorp
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality
307-777-3501 • rthorp@wyo.gov
Brady Irvine
Platte County Resource District
307-322-9060 • brady.irvine@wy.nacdnet.net
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