Sweetwater County Resource Rendezvous April 23 & 24, … · (TMDL) assignments for chloride and E coli within the impaired reaches. In 2013 WDEQ ... (WLCI) – This special initiative

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Resource Rendezvous —Cover

Upcoming Events—Page 2

Watershed Report Update - Page 3

Cooperating Agency—Page 4

SWCCD Board Members—Page 5

District Board Meets The First Thursday

of the Month. The Public is Welcome to

attend.

April 2014

HIGH DESERT NEWS SWEETWATER COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT

www.swccd.us

The Resource Rendezvous will be held at the Sweetwater County Events Complex on April 23 & 24. The event is held every

two years and is designed to give students exposure to the natural resources based

industries in Southwest Wyoming. Over a thousand students attend the event

with their teachers. The event helps to give students an introduction to the in-

dustries and companies that develop the areas natural resources which form the

basis for Sweetwater County’s economy.

Sweetwater County Resource Rendezvous April 23 & 24, 2014 Sweetwater County Events Complex, Rock Springs

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BKWAG Meeting Tuesday April 8

The Bitter Creek Killpecker Creek Watershed Advisory Group

(BKWAG) meeting will be held at the White Mountain Library, from

10:00am – 1:30 pm. Resource Rendezvous

Sweetwater Events Complex April 23 & 24

The District will participate in the upcoming Resource Rendezvous.

Seedling Tree Delivery Day

& Pick up Day When: May 6 & 7

Where: Sweetwater County Events Complex, Rock Springs

Time: 1:30 -Trees will be delivered on Tuesday, May 6

Customer Day— May 7

Tree Deliver Day April 2013

UP-COMING EVENTS

BKWAG Meeting April 2013

Jason Martin, NRCS, updating the group on the soils survey.

Drought Contingency Plan

Workshop Attn: BLM & USFS Permittees Tuesday, March 11— 2-5:30 pm

Rock Springs BLM Office

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Sampler Site– with Kathie Mulkey, WDEQ and Tom Burris, SWCCD Supervisor

Bitter Creek and Killpecker Creek Watershed Progress Report SWCCD has conducted water quality sampling within the BitterCreek Water-shed in consecutive years from 2004-2012. Sampling was conducted to evaluate Wyoming’s DEQ 303d chloride and E coli bacteria impairment listings and allow identification of watershed areas contributing to the impairments. A next step in the 303d process, WDEQ has committed to developing total maximum daily load. (TMDL) assignments for chloride and E coli within the impaired reaches. In 2013 WDEQ reviewed the existing data set and reports and concluded the sampling data set was sufficient for TMDL development, but recommended that some additional high /storm flow sampling data could be beneficial. During 2013 SWCCD did not conduct independent sampling, awaiting TMDL development. SWCCD supported the 2013 WDEQ high

flow sampling by providing SWCCD staff, WDEQ and BLM to collect samples from the WDEQ automatic samplers sites following runoff events. This was necessary due to the 6 hour sample holding time. Despite dry conditions, two sampling events large enough to trigger the WDEQ samplers occurred one on August 23rd and one on September 15. Samples were collected and revealed that most of the samples exhibited exceedences of the E coli water quality standards. Samples were collected by Karen Pecheny, SWCCD, Dennis Doncaster, BLM, and Kathy Mulkey, WDEQ –RS. Following the 2013 monitoring season it was determined by WDEQ that initiation of TMDL development would be post-poned until the Spring of 2014. In addition to SWCCD TMDL development support work in 2014, the SWCCD will assess the necessity of any 2014 Bitter Creek watershed sampling, independent to TMDL work. Potential 2014 project sampling goals will be discussed during the Bitter Creek Watershed Advisory Group (BKWAG) meeting which will be held on Tuesday April 8, at the White Mountain Library in Rock Springs starting at 10am. Another project the SWCCD completed in 2013 was the finalizing of the project comprehensive data report . This report provides a collection of all project monitoring data collected through 2012. SWCCD continues to maintain contact with local City and County personnel to maintain awareness of impairments, monitoring status, and involvement for the upcoming TMDL development.

www.swccd.us

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What is a Cooperating Agency?

“In Sweetwater County over 70% of the land is owned by the federal government. Congress has provided local governments, such as county commissioners and conservation district supervisors, with the ability to participate in federal land planning and pro-ject processes. Local governments can request to become “cooperating agencies.” They provide valuable input that protects local resources, economies, and custom and culture. Mineral and agricultural tax bases are important for Sweetwater County’s future as are its recreational and wildlife values. The cooperating agency role derives from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 which calls on federal, state, and local governments to cooperate with the goal of achieving “productive harmony.” Sweetwater County Conservation District supervisors spend hundreds of hours each year in these endeavors. As your elected officials, supervisors and county commissioners represent the voice of the local people on federal landing planning and projects.

SWCCD is involved with numerous

Federal plans and issues. Here are just a few projects the District has been working and commenting on:

Sage Grouse;

Power Lines; Gateway, TransWest Energy Gateway South

Land with Wilderness Character;

Kemmerer RMP;

Moxa Arch

Pinedale RMP and Air Quality

Normally Pressurized Lance;

Rawlins RMP:

Rawlins Visual Resource Mgmt. ACEC

Continental Divide Creston

Rock Springs RMP;

Transportation/Travel Planning ;

Hiawatha;

LaBarge Platform;

Colorado River Compact;

Oil Shale/Tar Sands;

Bridger/Ashley NF;

Wild Horse Management;

Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative

Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) – This special initiative covers 19 million acres in southwest Wyoming. WLCI is a long-term, science-based program to assess and enhance aquatic and terrestrial habitats at the landscape scale in southwestern Wyoming, while facilitating responsible development through local collaboration and partner-ships. Sweetwater County is a partner in this process that leverages funding from numerous sources to complete projects. The Bitter Creek

drainage is a focus area for the District and WLCI .

www.swccd.us

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Board of Supervisors & Staff

Sweetwater County Conservation District Mary Thoman - Chairperson Jean Dickinson – Secretary Tom Burris – Vice-Chairperson Bob Slagowski - Member Henry D. Bliss – Treasurer Staff: Karen Pecheny—District Clerk

May, 2011

To Recipient

Sweetwater County

Conservation District

WWW.SWCCD.US

79 Winston Drive, Suite 110

Rock Springs, WY 82901

307-362-3062 x 4

“To Protect,

Conserve and

Improve our County’s

Natural Resources “