Rock Creek Water Quality Monitoring

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. Dewatering occurs on Rock Creek in multiple locations. The creek has high turbidity due to irrigation demands which carry more flow later in the season than what would naturally occur in the flow regime.

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 groups plan to monitor nutrients, temperature, and total suspended solids over seven sampling events in nine locations.

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 organziation's logo.