2001 - 2002 Watershed Assessment

To address water quality concerns identified by WDEQ and USGS in 1998 and 2000, the Sheridan County Conservation District (SCCD), Sheridan County Commissioners, and the City of Sheridan submitted a joint proposal for an assessment project to conduct a more complete evaluation of the watershed and its uses and to maintain local control of watershed improvements.  The Goose Creek Drainages Advisory Group (GCDAG) was formed to provide oversight for the assessment and included representatives from each of the three sponsors as well as other local interests. Interim monitoring occurs once every three years to observe long term trends in water quality.  Reports are available at the office.   

Approximately 17 stream miles of Little Goose, 13 miles of Big Goose, and 3.5 stream miles of Goose Creek were assessed. There were 46 total sample sites with 5 stations on Goose Creek, 15 stations on Big Goose Creek, and 17 stations on Little Goose Creek.  In addition, there was one station each on eight tributaries and at one storm drain located near Coffeen Avenue.  The tributaries sampled included: Soldier Creek, Beaver Creek, Park Creek, Rapid Creek, McCormick Creek, Kruse Creek, Jackson Creek, and Sackett Creek.

During April 2001, SCCD initiated the monitoring program which included collecting pH, water temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, total residual chlorine, fecal coliform, turbidity, alkalinity, biochemical oxygen demand, chloride, hardness, sulfate, ammonia, total nitrate nitrogen, phosphorus, and total suspended solids samples.  Fecal coliform and turbidity samples were collected five times during each of the months April, May, August, and October to comply with WDEQ’s fecal coliform monitoring protocol.  Continuous temperature recorders were used to monitor water temperatures at 15-minute intervals at the lowermost Goose Creek station, three Big Goose Creek stations, and three Little Goose Creek stations.  Benthic macroinvertebrate samples were collected and habitat assessments were conducted at 19 sites on Goose Creek, Big Goose Creek, and Little Goose Creek during September.  Year 2001 monitoring concluded during October.

Year 2002 monitoring was similar to the previous year’s monitoring with a few exceptions.  BOD samples were not taken during 2002 since approximately 96% of all 2001 samples were analyzed as non-detectable and did not warrant further monitoring.  E. coli samples were collected once during April, May, and October, and five times during August to coincide with fecal coliform monitoring.  The E. coli samples were collected in anticipation of WDEQ changing the pathogen indicator standard from fecal coliform to E. coli in 2004.  Fecal coliform samples were collected at three sites during April and September while disturbing stream bed sediment with a rake.  This sampling was conducted to determine if higher fecal coliform concentrations were present in the sediment and to determine if the bacteria could survive through the winter months.  Thirteen pesticides and herbicides were monitored during a single June monitoring event at three sites located on Goose Creek, Big Goose Creek, and Little Goose Creek.  During 2002, an additional three continuous temperature recorders were installed to monitor water temperatures on Soldier Creek, Beaver Creek, and Jackson Creek. Year 2002 monitoring concluded during October.

Water quality within the three major waterbodies, Goose Creek, Big Goose Creek, and Little Goose Creek, generally improved from downstream to upstream with few exceptions.  The water in Big Goose Creek and Little Goose Creek leaving the Big Horn National Forest was of very high quality with rare occurrences of high fecal coliform concentrations.  After leaving the mountain foothills, fecal coliform concentrations and water temperatures in Big Goose Creek and Little Goose Creek increased while traveling through the agricultural, rural, and suburban areas south and west of Sheridan, Wyoming.  Land uses and population densities along these streams steadily increase toward Sheridan which is reflected in changes to water quality.  Water quality in lower Big Goose Creek, lower Little Goose Creek, and Goose Creek was of lesser quality.  In contrast, water quality appeared to improve with several water quality parameters at the watersheds lowermost station located near Acme, Wyoming.  Comparisons of current WDEQ, GCWA, and USGS fecal coliform data to historic USGS data on lower Goose Creek indicate bacteria concentrations have declined significantly since the 1970’s and early 1980’s.  This decline appears to correspond with the timing of facility upgrades made at the Sheridan Waste Water Treatment Plan (WWTP) in 1983 and 1984. 

Goose Creek Watershed Planning

The SCCD held a public meeting in November 2003 to present the findings of the assessment, discuss options for watershed planning, and to present potential remedial strategies and tools for improving water quality within the watershed.  At the conclusion of the meeting, members of the public were asked to complete a survey questionnaire about the upcoming planning process.  All who completed the questionnaire favored pursuing locally led watershed planning and incentive-based remediation over a regulatory process.  Monthly steering committee meetings were initiated in January 2004 to guide the watershed planning process.  The Goose Creek Watershed Management Plan was submitted to WDEQ in December 2004 and subsequently approved.  The plan contains objectives and action items to address concerns with water quality, including septic system, domestic animal, wildlife, and stormwater contributions; water quantity; upland areas, riparian corridors, and stream channels; general information and education; financial conditions; and watershed plan implementation.  The steering committee meets periodically to review the watershed plan and information education items, ect.  In addition, information and education items are being developed to inform the public about the issues concerning the Goose Creek Watershed.