SURFACE WATER PROGRAM
SUBLETTE COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT
Purpose and Objectives of SCCD Surface Water Program
Sublette county contains the headwaters of four different watersheds including the New Fork, Green, Hoback, and the Big Sandy Rivers. SCCD strives to provide credilble surface water quality data through the surface water program. Goals of the program include monitoring, analyzing and interpreting in-stream surface water quality data in Sublette County with the intent of using that data to understand existing water quality trends and overall health, in addition, to use this data to inform future decision making. SCCD monitors every major watershed within Sublette County as streams exit public lands and exit the county.
In addition to water monitoring and data collection, the SCCD Surface Water program works closely with the Range Program to perform monitoring in riparian areas of rangelands. SCCD also supports landowners and partner agencies in achieving surface water management objectives by helping to obtain funds through grant applications for water-related projects, serving on local and regional water advisory committees, and providing on-site visits to help identify areas for water improvement. SCCD supports voluntary stream restoration and management changes, if needed, to achieve enhanced water quality characteristics.
Surface Water Monitoring
The Sublette County Conservation District initiated a water sampling program in the year 2000. Sublette County is home to the headwaters of tributaries that flow into the Columbia, Colorado, and Missouri Rivers. Over 50 sampling sites are located on various stretches of the major tributaries including the New Fork, Green, Big Sandy, Little Sandy and Hoback Rivers. SCCD collects water samples in a variety of ways. Samples are collected and shipped to a laboratory for chemical analysis, physical parameters of water quality are collected and recorded with tools on-site, and each fall, macroinvertebrates -which can act as indicators of stream health- are collected to be sorted and analyzed by taxonomists.
Check out these videos to see how SCCD collects physical and chemical water information and macroinvertebrate samples:
Continuous Data Monitoring
SCCD has implemented continuous data monitoring in 2018. In addition to the point-it-time "grab" sampling protocols, continuous monitoring provides a larger data set for analyzing water quality trends over time. Equipment such as EXO2 Multiparameter Water Quality Sondes and CT2x conductivity and temperature sensors is deployed at select locations around Sublette County during the field season, which is approximately May through November, and collect continuous data at 15-minute intervals. Data collected includes parameters such as: temperature, conductivity, pH, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen. Sensors are calibrated and maintained regularly, and data is downloaded periodically through Bluetooth technology.
Calibration/data download CT2X-Seametrics EXO2 Sonde-YSI Deployment
Use the scroll bar in the middle of the map below to see water sampling locations in Sublette County:
SCCD Physical, Chemical, and Macroinvertebrate Water Sampling Sites
Streams and Watersheds
Further division shows how Sublette County watersheds are influenced by the Continental Divide and contribute to three major watersheds: The Upper Snake watershed flows West into the Columbia River Basin; The Great Divide-Upper Green watershed flows south into the Colorado River Basin; and the Big Horn and North Platte Basins flow East into the Missouri-Mississippi River Basin.
Stream Gages and SNOTEL sites
In order to better understand streamflow, sediment loads, and water quality parameters, climate and precipitation data must be incorporated into any analysis. Many resources exist to help find information regarding water flow data and precipitation data. The map on the left shows site locations for Unites States Geological Survey (USGS) stream gage locations and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) - SNOTEL sites in and around Sublette County.
Click on the links below to explore interactive maps that provide access to an enormous amount of data and information found at your fingertips!
The USGS investigates the occurrence, quantity, quality, distribution, and movement of surface and underground waters and disseminates the data to the public, government agencies, public and private utilities, and other agencies involved with managing water resources.
As part of the US Department of Agriculture's NRCS, the NWCC is responsible for producing and disseminating accurate and reliable water supply forecasts and other climatic data to its wide variety of users.
All the data collected at the National Water and Climate Center are quality-controlled and placed in a comprehensive database known as the Water and Climate Information System (WCIS). The NWCC is responsible for ensuring the data in the WCIS database is continuously available to users. Data is available to users in raw format or can be filtered and processed into reports, maps, graphs, charts, and other tools.
For more information,
CONTACT: Sublette County Conservation District (307)367-2364