U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2005–3137

December 2005

Prepared in cooperation with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality

Surface-Water Monitoring in Watersheds of the

Powder River Basin, 2005

Printed on recycled paper

Powder River Basin

Interagency Working Group

The Powder River Basin (PRB) is a geologic structural 

basin that contains an extensive natural gas resource associated 

with regional coal deposits. This coalbed natural gas (CBNG) 

is located beneath millions of acres of private and public land 

in southeastern Montana and northeastern Wyoming (fig. 1). 

The PRB Interagency Working Group (IWG) was established 

in June 2003 as a forum to identify, discuss, and find solutions 

to issues of common concern to government agencies involved 

in permitting and monitoring CBNG development. The PRB 

IWG is led by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and is 

composed of managers and technical staff from local, State, 

tribal, and federal government agencies with land management, 

conservation, or regulatory responsibilities in the PRB, as well 

as agencies like the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that provide technical support.

The mission of the PRB IWG is to: (1) provide for environmentally sound energy development, (2) develop coordinated 

and complementary best management practices, guidelines, and 

programs related to CBNG activities to conserve and protect 

resources, (3) monitor the impact of CBNG activities and assess the effectiveness of mitigating measures, (4) develop and 

integrate the databases and scientific studies needed for effective 

resource management and planning, and to make that information readily available, and (5) promote compatibility in the 

application of each agency’s mission.

In order to more effectively address the technical issues 

presented by CBNG development, Task Groups that are staffed 

by technical specialists from the member agencies of the PRB 

IWG were formed to address specific resource issues. The Task 

Groups include Air, Aquatics, Water, and Wildlife. More information about the PRB IWG and Task Group activities is available at URL http://www.wy.blm.gov/bfo/prbgroup/index.htm.

Water Task Group

Substantial volumes of ground water are extracted from 

coalbeds in order to produce CBNG. The removal of ground 

water from aquifers and use or disposal of produced water on 

the surface have the potential to cause environmental impacts. 

One objective of the Water Task Group is to develop and implement monitoring plans for surface water and ground water at 

local and regional scales. This monitoring will help agencies 

make more informed decisions regarding CBNG permitting, 

and allow for dissemination of information to the public. This 

factsheet summarizes the surface-water-monitoring plan developed by the Water Task Group and describes the surface-water 

monitoring accomplished during 2005.

Surface-Water-Monitoring Plan

The surface-water-monitoring plan is a proposed sampling 

network that is generally composed of sites where PRB IWG 

member agencies have been conducting surface-water monitoring. Sampling sites may be located on mainstems or selected 

tributaries in each watershed (fig. 1, table 1). Proposed sampling frequencies vary with stream type and constituent class 

(table 2). The constituent classes recommended for monitoring 

include:

Streamflow

Field measurements—pH, dissolved oxygen, specific 

conductance, and temperature

Major ions—dissolved calcium, magnesium, potassium, 

sodium, alkalinity, chloride, fluoride, sulfate, and silica; 

dissolved solids; and sodium-adsorption ratio

Nutrients—total and dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus 

species

Trace elements (primary)—total and dissolved aluminum, arsenic, barium, beryllium, iron, manganese, and 

selenium

Trace elements (secondary)—total and dissolved cadmium, copper, chromium, lead, nickel, and zinc.

Suspended sediment

•

•

•

•

•

•

•
Figure 1.  Location of sampling sites proposed in the Water Task Group’s surface-water-monitoring plan for the Powder River Basin.

MEADE

BUTTE

PENNINGTON

CUSTER

SHANNON

FALL RIVER 

LAWRENCE

SIOUX DAWES SHERIDAN

NATRONA

BIG HORN

ROSEBUD

CAMPBELL

CUSTER

JOHNSON

CARTER

CONVERSE

CROOK

FREMONT

NIOBRARA

WESTON

POWDER RIVER

SHERIDAN

BIG HORN

WASHAKIE

FALLON

YELLOWSTONE

TREASURE

PRAIRIE

MUSSELSHELL

HOT SPRINGS 

WIBAUX

Birney 

MONTANA 

WYOMING 

SOUTH DAKOTA

NEBRASKA

108° 107° 106° 105° 104°

103°

43°

44°

45°

46°

0 25 50 100 MILES

0 25 50 100 KILOMETERS

Acme

Kirby

Sussex 

Weston 

Hulett

Arvada 

Decker 

Mizpah

Locate

Buffalo 

Broadus

Ashland

Rosebud 

Gillette

Moorhead

Colstrip

Moorcroft

Miles City 

Powderville 

Monarch

Piney 

Teckla 

Yellowstone 

River

Creek 

Tongue River

River

Pow

der

Dull Center 

Hampshire

Spencer

River

Cheyenne

River

Fourche

Belle

Rosebud

Cr

Goose

Prairie Dog Cr

Hanging Woman Cr

Creek 

Otter

Creek 

Pumpkin

Crazy

Woman Creek

Clear

Creek 

River

Powder 

Little

Creek 

Mizpah

Creek 

Porcupine Cr

Antelope

Little Thunder Cr 

Black 

Thunder Cr 

Caballo Cr

DonkeyCreek

B7

B6

B5 B4

B3

B2

B1

C6

C5

C4

C3

C2

C1

P9

P8

P7

P6

P5

P4

P3

P2

P1

T9

T8

T7

T6

T5

T4

T3

T2 T1

R3

R2

R1

P11

P10 T11

T10

EXPLANATION 

Rosebud Creek 

Tongue River

Powder River

Cheyenne River

Belle Fourche River

Watershed

Powder River Basin

P10

Sampling site and number 

Base modified from Digital Chart of the World digital data, 2003 

Drainage basins modified from USGS Hydrologic Unit Boundaries, 1999 

Albers Equal-Area projection, standard parallels 20° and 60°,

central meridian -105°30a

Helena

Powder River

Basin

Cheyenne

Billings

Buffalo

MONTANA

WYOMING
Table 1.  Sampling sites proposed in the Water Task Group’s surface-watermonitoring plan for the Powder River Basin.

Map 

number

U.S. 

Geological 

Survey 

site number Site name

Stream 

type

R1 06295113 Rosebud Creek at reservation boundary near Kirby, 

Mont.

Mainstem

R2 06295250 Rosebud Creek near Colstrip, Mont. Mainstem

R3 06296003 Rosebud Creek at mouth, near Rosebud, Mont. Mainstem

T1 06299980 Tongue River at Monarch, Wyo. Mainstem

T2 06305700 Goose Creek near Acme, Wyo. Tributary

T3 06306250 Prairie Dog Creek near Acme, Wyo. Tributary

T4 06306300 Tongue River at State line near Decker, Mont. Mainstem

T5 06307500 Tongue River at Tongue River Dam, near Decker, 

Mont.

Mainstem

T6 06307600 Hanging Woman Creek near Birney, Mont. Tributary

T7 06307616 Tongue River at Birney Day School Bridge, near 

Birney, Mont.

Mainstem

T8 06307740 Otter Creek at Ashland, Mont. Tributary

T9 06307830 Tongue River below Brandenberg Bridge, near 

Ashland, Mont.

Mainstem

T10 06308400 Pumpkin Creek near Miles City, Mont. Tributary

T11 06308500 Tongue River at Miles City, Mont. Mainstem

P1 06313500 Powder River at Sussex, Wyo. Mainstem

P2 06313605 Powder River below Burger Draw, near Buffalo, 

Wyo. 

Mainstem

P3 06316400 Crazy Woman at Upper Station, near Arvada, Wyo. Tributary

P4 06317000 Powder River at Arvada, Wyo. Mainstem

P5 06324000 Clear Creek near Arvada, Wyo. Tributary

P6 06324500 Powder River at Moorhead, Mont. Mainstem

P7 06324970 Little Powder River above Dry Creek, near Weston, 

Wyo.

Tributary

P8 06325500 Little Powder River near Broadus, Mont. Tributary

P9 06325650 Powder River near Powderville, Mont. Mainstem

P10 06326300 Mizpah Creek near Mizpah, Mont. Tributary

P11 06326500 Powder River near Locate, Mont. Mainstem

C1 06364300 Porcupine Creek near Teckla, Wyo. Tributary

C2 06364700 Antelope Creek near Teckla, Wyo. Tributary

C3 06365900 Cheyenne River near Dull Center, Wyo. Mainstem

C4 06375600 Little Thunder Creek near Hampshire, Wyo. Tributary

C5 06376300 Black Thunder Creek near Hampshire, Wyo. Tributary

C6 06386500 Cheyenne River near Spencer, Wyo. Mainstem

B1 06425720 Belle Fourche River below Rattlesnake Creek near 

Piney, Wyo.

Mainstem

B2 06425800 Caballo Creek near Gillette, Wyo. Tributary

B3 06425900 Caballo Creek at mouth, near Piney, Wyo. Tributary

B4 06426400 Donkey Creek near Moorcroft, Wyo. Tributary

B5 06426500 Belle Fourche River below Moorcroft, Wyo. Mainstem

B6 06428050 Belle Fourche River below Hulett, Wyo. Mainstem

B7 06428500 Belle Fourche River at Wyoming-South Dakota 

State line

Mainstem

Table 2.  General sampling strategy proposed in the

Water Task Group’s surface-water-monitoring plan for the

Powder River Basin.

Stream 

type Sampling frequency Constituent class

Mainstem Continuous Streamflow

12 times per year Field measurements

12 times per year Major ions

2 times per year Nutrients

12 times per year Trace elements, primary

2 times per year Trace elements, secondary

12 times per year Suspended sediment

Tributary Continuous Streamflow

6 times per year Field measurements

6 times per year Major ions

2 times per year Nutrients

6 times per year Trace elements, primary

2 times per year Trace elements, secondary

6 times per year Suspended sediment

Monitoring Summary, 2005

Because of funding shortfalls for surface-water 

monitoring, only part of the proposed sampling in 

the surface-water-monitoring plan was accomplished 

during 2005 (table 3). For the sites where the sampling 

was partially completed, either the sampling frequency 

was less than the proposed sampling frequency or 

not all of the constituent classes were analyzed. The 

Tongue River watershed was the only watershed where 

the sampling proposed in the surface-water-monitoring 

plan was fully completed.

Several of the agencies that participate on the 

PRB IWG contributed funding for monitoring and 

reporting, including:

BLM,

Montana Department of Environmental 

Quality,

Montana Department of Natural Resources 

and Conservation,

Northern Cheyenne Tribe,

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

USGS,

Wyoming Department of Environmental 

Quality, and the 

Wyoming State Engineer’s Office.

Streamflow data and water-quality samples were collected by USGS personnel using standard USGS field 

methods (http://water.usgs.gov/owq/FieldManual/). 

Samples were analyzed at the USGS National Water 

Quality Laboratory in Lakewood, Colorado.

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•
Figure 2.  Specific conductance and sodium-adsorption

ratio relation for the Powder River at Arvada, Wyo.

SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE IN MICROSIEMENS PER

CENTIMETER AT 25 DEGREES CELSIUS

SODIUM-ADSORPTION RATIO 

0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000

P4

0

5

10

15

Table 3.  Monitoring accomplished for surface-water-monitoring plan

during 2005.

[●, completed; ●, partially completed; and ●, not completed.]

Map 

number

Streamflow

Field 

measurementsMajor 

ions Nutrients

Trace 

elements, 

primary

Trace 

elements, 

secondary

Suspended 

sediment

R1 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

R2 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

R3 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

T1 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

T2 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

T3 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

T4 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

T5 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

T6 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

T7 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

T8 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

T9 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

T10 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

T11 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

P1 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

P2 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

P3 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

P4 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

P5 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

P6 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

P7 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

P8 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

P9 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

P10 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

P11 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

C1 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

C2 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

C3 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

C4 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

C5 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

C6 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

B1 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

B2 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

B3 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

B4 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

B5 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

B6 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

B7 ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Data Availability

Data collected as part of Water Task Group surface-water-monitoring plan are stored electronically in the USGS National Water Information System. Continuous streamflow and water-quality data are available 

to the public at URL: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/. Other USGS data 

for Montana and Wyoming can be accessed at http://mt.water.usgs.gov/, 

http://tonguerivermonitoring.cr.usgs.gov/, and http://wy.water.usgs.gov/.

Future Work

Another objective of the Water Task Group is to interpret the surface-water-monitoring data that are collected. Until more data are collected, much of the initial interpretive analysis may focus on sites with historical data 

that were collected for previous monitoring programs. For 

example, the Powder River at Arvada, Wyoming has been 

sampled for many years, and relations between constituents, such as specific conductance and the sodium-adsorption ratio, have been established (fig. 2). If the monitoring 

data indicate that water quality is changing, managers 

can use adaptive management and appropriate mitigation 

measures to address environmental concerns.

For more information, contact:

Water Science Center Director,

U.S. Geological Survey

Montana Water Science Center

3162 Bozeman Avenue

Helena, Montana 59601

Water Science Center Director,

U.S. Geological Survey

Wyoming Water Science Center

2617 E. Lincolnway, Suite B

Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001

Field Office Manager,

Bureau of Land Management

Buffalo Field Office

1425 Fort Street

Buffalo, Wyoming 82834-2436

Field Office Manager,

Bureau of Land Management

Miles City Field Office

111 Garryowen Road

Miles City, Montana 59301

By Melanie L. Clark1, 

John H. Lambing1, 

and Andrew L. Bobst2

1

U.S. Geological Survey

2

Bureau of Land Management

Layout by Suzanne C. Roberts