Orrin Watts Connell

The Sheridan County Conservation District's Annual Plan for 2025-2026 details activities to achieve its mission of protecting water and land quality, supporting agriculture, and encouraging land stewardship. The plan focuses on enhancing district operations, expanding information and outreach, and implementing natural resource programs through technical and financial assistance for various projects, including water quality improvements, land management, and the Acme Power Plant reclamation.

This document is an update to the Tongue River Watershed-Based Plan, detailing updated load reductions required to meet State of Wyoming Water Quality Standards for primary contact recreation and outlining proposed action items. The plan focuses on reducing bacteria contributions, identifying and prioritizing pollutant sources such as domestic animals and septic systems, and mitigating other water quality impacts like sediment and nutrients. Key objectives include maintaining a viable watershed improvement effort, reducing bacteria contributions by up to 25% by 2022, reducing other water quality impacts, and increasing awareness and participation through consistent outreach strategies.

The Goose Creek Watershed Implementation Strategy outlines a collaborative effort to remediate water quality issues in the Goose Creek watershed. The plan focuses on maintaining an active, collaborative improvement effort, reducing direct bacteria contributions to waterbodies, reducing sediment and other indirect bacteria contributions, and increasing awareness and participation through positive and consistent outreach strategies. The intended outcome is to address water quality impairments from various sources, engaging local citizens and stakeholders in a voluntary program.

This Watershed Plan, developed by the Sheridan County Conservation District, aims to maintain and improve water quality, natural resource health, economic stability, and quality of life within the Tongue River watershed. Key focus areas include identifying impaired waters, characterizing subwatersheds, quantifying pollutant loads, and developing management actions to reduce these loads. The plan specifically targets the reduction of non-point source pollution, primarily E. coli bacteria from domestic animals, livestock, septic systems, and run-off, as well as addressing sediment contributions. The overarching goal is to achieve full attainment of water quality standards within a 20-year timeframe, with an interim objective to reduce bacteria contributions by an average of 18% by 2017.

The Prairie Dog Creek Watershed Plan, developed by the Sheridan County Conservation District, aims to address and reduce E. coli bacteria concentrations and sediment issues within the Prairie Dog Creek watershed. The plan is structured around three main categories: watershed plan implementation, water quality improvement, and awareness and education. Key strategies include providing financial and technical assistance for septic system repair, improving livestock management, stabilizing streambanks, enhancing riparian corridors, and increasing irrigation system efficiency. The plan targets an initial 10% reduction in bacteria loads within five years, with a long-term vision for full attainment of water quality standards, emphasizing ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and community participation.