Rock Creek Water Quality Monitoring
Rock Creek Watershed Group & Carbon County Resource Council
Overview of the Rock Creek Watershed
The Rock Creek Watershed is a 55-mile tributary of the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River. Alongside the tributary there are various land-use types. Subdivision developments have become a large part of the land use dynamic in the population centers such as Red Lodge and Roberts, Montana. Agriculture also dominates the land use in the region. The creek often has high turbidity due to irrigation demands which carry more flow later in the season than what would naturally occur in the flow regime. Dewatering occurs on Rock Creek in multiple locations.
Water Quality Monitoring Goals
Both the Rock Creek Watershed Group and the Carbon County Resource Council are concerned about water quality in the Rock Creek watershed. Concerns over water quality are related to the growing development and agricultural use in the area. The groups would like to obtain more baseline data on the conditions on Rock Creek by collecting three years of consecutive data on a variety of physical and chemical conditions. The group monitors nutrients, temperature, and total suspended solids over seven sampling events in eleven locations.
Sampling Sites for Water Quality Monitoring
01 / 11
1
Rock Creek
East side road: Site above Red Lodge, little to no agricultural influence
2
West Fork Rock Creek
Hwy 212 Bridge: Above Red Lodge, below subdivisions and future development
3
Rock Creek at Fox Bridge
Below city of Red Lodge, some agricultural influence
4
Rock Creek near Roberts
Hwy 12 Bridge: Below town of Roberts, subdivision development, and agricultural influence
5
Clear Creek
Heavy agricultural use and little development
6
Red Lodge Creek
Below Cooney Reservoir: heavy agriculture use, little development
7
Rock Creek near Boyd
Cooney Dam Road: agricultural use, little development, dewatered and warm in summer
8
Rock Creek near Joliet
Along Granite Road: Below Joliet, agricultural use, little development occurring
9
Rock Creek near Rockvale
On Highway 31: little development, more agricultural use, often dewatered in summer months
10
West Fork Rock Creek
Silver Run Trailhead Bridge: Near National Forest Boundary, above City of Red Lodge near a rural subdivision and agricultural use
11
Rock Creek at Gibson Bridge
Lowest accessible site on Rock Creek before its confluence with the Clarks Fork Yellowstone River. Influenced by agriculture use and rural subdivisions upstream.
Agriculture & Water Quality
Agriculture is a major industry in Carbon County, Montana. Many farms and ranches surround the towns of Red Lodge, Roberts, Joliet, and Boyd Montana. Farming is both a way of life and an economic driver for people in the community. Protecting the Rock Creek watershed is of utmost importance for the various water users in the region. Having enough water to irrigate crops and preserve the habitat for fish and wildlife can be a tricky balance. Groups like the Rock Creek Watershed Group and Carbon County Resource Council are working to find this balance through water quality monitoring, outreach, and education in South-Eastern Montana.
To learn more about CCRC or MMW, click the caption below each organization's logo.
