Big Muddy Creek
The Big Muddy is a 3rd-order tributary of the Missouri River. From its headwaters in Saskatchewan, the Big Muddy flows south to Redstone, then east to Plentywood, and then through Sheridan and Roosevelt Counties. It drains in to the Missouri River about 5 miles west of Culbertson. The watershed is mapped in USGS Cataloging Unit 10060006. The unit contains 25 rivers and streams. The US portion of the Big Muddy channel is about 115 miles in length.
Big Muddy Creek is a typical prairie stream. Flows fluctuate dramatically, with peaks occurring during early spring, with decreasing runoff and flows during summer and winter. However, thunderstorms or heavy rains during summer can cause high flows. West of the town of Medicine Lake, natural flows are altered by Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Water is diverted from Big Muddy Creek, and from tributaries, into the lake units. Their regulation reduces peak spring flows and floods. In contrast, summer and fall flow may be higher than would be expected on a prairie stream. The effects of flushing accumulated salts from the Lake on downstream water and soils are unknown. Additional study is needed to assess chemical and physical differences between the water diverted and released.
The Big Muddy Creek watershed
is largely located in Saskatchewan and northeastern Montana. The US
portion contains 2,561.22 square miles or 1,639,181 acres. Over 95% of
the acreage are located in Sheridan, Roosevelt and Daniel Counties. The
remaining acreage is located in North Dakota’s Williams County.
About 80% of the land in the Big Muddy watershed is privately owned (USDA-NRCS, Undated). The Tribes own about 15% of the land. The Federal government administers about 1% of the watershed (16,281 acres within the Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge, 2,141 acres of waterfowl production areas, and 2,382 acres of wilderness). Most of the remaining land is owned by the State.
Agriculture is the most
extensive land use in the Big Muddy watershed. Fifty-three and 43% of
the acreage is classified as range land and dry land agriculture,
respectively (USDA-NRCS, undated). Another 3% of the land are used for
irrigated agriculture. Less than 1% of the watershed is mapped as urban
land use.
An early report (Systems Technology 1984, taken from Department of Natural Resources and Conservation LMS survey of 1982) indicates Big Muddy Creek is used to irrigate 2,614 acres. Their estimate is fairly consistent with the DNRC water rights data and NRCS information. The DNRC issued 66 water rights for irrigating about 12,504 acres with 26,825-acre feet. However, the NRCS estimates a maximum of 5,700 acres receives creek water. Furthermore, runoff usually limits irrigation to 2,000-3,000 acres annually.
The water rights held by the
Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes on the Big Muddy is utilized by the USFWS
for managing the Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge. They have
rights to divert 1,039,500-acre feet from Big Muddy Creek and from
several tributaries.
Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge Unit diverts water into, and release water from 23 water units. Acre-feet capacities of the units vary from 3 acre-feet at Merganser Pond to 48,579-acre feet in Medicine Lake. Total capacity is 74,036-acre feet (USDI 2000). Additional water is usually needed in spring to raise the water levels and insure high-quality habitat for waterfowl. Once the water reaches the desired operational levels in the respective units, it is allowed to flow through the system. Mike Rabenburg (2001) believes that most of the water flows through the system during periods of high flow in Big Muddy Creek and other tributaries. As a management tool, water may be released from a unit during summer to reduce the risk of avian botulism or from Medicine Lake in the fall to enhance waterfowl habitat in Homestead Lake. Water may also be released from a unit to facilitate the maintenance or water control structures. No releases were made during 1992 or 1993.
A few ribbons
of box elder trees grow on old terraces along some species within the
Middle and Upper Reaches of the Big Muddy. The occurrence of the trees
is probably the result of opportune environmental conditions including
favorable soils and moisture conditions at the time of seed
availability, adequate subsoil moisture for seeding establishment, and
minimal disturbance by ice flows, beaver and livestock during subsequent
years. More importantly, box elder cannot tolerate saline or saline-sodic
soils. There is no evidence of trees ever being abundant along Big
Muddy creek.
Watershed Development
The Big Muddy is listed as a water body in need of TMDL development. This, along with the need for resource information to document resource conditions, and the desire for a long-term planning tool compelled the District to implement this program.
The Project
The project represents a continuation of a previous study of Big Muddy Creek that was conducted by the Sheridan County Conservation District in 2000 to assess the general conditions of the creek.
Through extensive analyses of
inorganic constituents, measurable TMDL parameters will be addressed.
At all sampling sites, flow measurements are being performed to evaluate
flow alterations to the drainage. The full inorganic suite includes
nutrients, salinity, TDS, chlorides, suspended solids (SS), temperature,
pH, and metals; many, which are listed TMDL parameters for Big Muddy
Creek.
Probable causes of water-quality degradation are agriculture, crop production, rangeland, and flow modification of receiving streams due to surface water discharges.
The discharges of ground water
into the Big Muddy probably have significant controls on the Creek at
most times other than during episodes of runoff. Potential degradation
of these ground-water resources by oil development and agricultural
practices may significantly impact the surface water resources.
The Big Muddy is listed as a waterbody in need of total maximum daily load (TMDL) development. Information gathered as part of this project is essential to TMDL development for the Big Muddy. A qualitative and quantitative description of the ground water / surface water connection is being researched. A systematic sampling and analysis has been implemented to evaluate surface-water impairment
A technical committee, directed by the Sheridan County Conservation District (SCCD), oversees educational outreach and other activities of this project.
Home | Minutes/Agendas | Newsletter | History | Calendar | Annual Plan
Big Muddy | Leafy Spurge | Oil Brine | Clear Lake Aquifer | Pictures | Equipment Rental | Contact Us
Web
Sites by