Crow Creek Watershed

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Crow Creek Watershed
Local solutions for local issues

• Laramie County Conservation District
• 11221 US Hwy 30
• Cheyenne, WY 82009
• www.lccdnet.org

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303(d) list

• Portions of Crow Creek were listed on the Wyoming
  Department of Environmental Qualitys 1998 303(d)
  list for fecal coliform, ammonia and cadmium
  impairments

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Watershed Planning

• In Wyoming, local watershed planning has been
  used to address local water quality concerns.
• Conservation districts host public meetings and
  invite local stakeholders to voluntarily
  participate in developing a watershed plan.

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• Watershed Plans provide an overview of the
  watershed, identify all potential pollution
  sources and provide recommendations for Best
  Management Practices.
• Watershed Plans do not assign blame for any water
  quality concerns.

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Crow Creek Watershed Plan

• In May 2000, LCCD hosted a public meeting and
  solicited local stakeholders to develop the Crow
  Creek Watershed Plan.
• The Steering Committee represented local
  government, farming ranching, recreation,
  wildlife, water quality / quantity, urban issues,
  industry and public lands.

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Vision Statement
The Steering Committee worked together by means
of consensus to develop vision mission
statements, goals, objectives and action items
for the watershed plan.

• Promote actions that lead to a healthy and
  sustainable watershed.

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Mission Statement

• Develop a watershed management plan for Crow
  Creek that considers water quality, water
  quantity, property rights, sustainable and
  diverse wildlife communities, legal requirements,
  defensible data, planned development, land-use
  planning, and functions of riparian and flood
  plain areas.

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Goals of the watershed plan

• Enhance communication between agencies and the
  Steering Committee
• Improve the quality and quantity of water in the
  Crow Creek Watershed
• Define the origin, type, degree and geographic
  extent of impairments

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Goals (cont.)

• Elevate public awareness
• Develop a watershed plan, which can be
  implemented to achieve water quality goals and
  removal from the 303(d) list
• Gain public acceptance and support of the plan by
  considering the needs of all stakeholders

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Watershed Plan Completed

• October 2003 - final draft
• November 2003 - public review and comments
• January 2004 - Steering Committee approval
• February 2004 LCCD Board approval
• March 2004 DEQ approved the plan and it was
  filed with the Laramie County Clerks Office
• Plan will be reviewed every 5 years

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Water Monitoring
Cadmium removed from 303(d) list
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Dry Creek Wetland
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Infiltration Trenches
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Bank Revegetation
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Storm Drain Decals
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Small Acreage Demos
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Trees for Buffers
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Youth Education
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National Water Monitoring Day
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Planned Projects

• Urban BMP demonstrations
• Extend buffers at North Crow Diversion
• 10 small grazing demonstrations
• Seminars, classroom programs, pollution
  prevention brochures
• Water quality monitoring
• Create riparian maps for Crow Creek

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Pet waste decals
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New Listings

• Two tributaries to Crow Creek were included on
  the 2004 303(d) list for fecal coliform
  impairment.
• The Crow Creek Watershed Plan needs to be amended
  to allow stakeholders of the upper portion of the
  watershed to address these water quality issues.

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Cooperation with USFS

• LCCD and LRCD have been working with USFS in 2004
  to better understand the resource issues upstream
  of the reservoirs
• LCCD and LRCD have met with the Pole Mountain
  Grazing Association to learn about water
  availability and their resource concerns on the
  forest allotments

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Water quality monitoring
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Spring Rehabilitation
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Watershed Plan Amendment

• Public meetings scheduled for March 2005 to form
  a Steering Committee that will develop an
  amendment to the Crow Creek Watershed Plan

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Public Meetings

• Cheyenne -
• Tuesday, March 8
• Holiday Inn, 7 9 pm
• Laramie
• Thursday, March 10
• Albany County Public Library, 7 9 pm