This project was funded by a Capacity Support Grant from the MWCC Watershed Fund.
Project Description
In response to June 2022 flooding in the Upper Yellowstone River and resulting impacts, the Upper Yellowstone Watershed Group (UYWG), with support from the local community and regional partners, formed the Upper Yellowstone River Advisory Committee (UYRAC) to have a focused and coordinated response to the 2022 flood related challenges. Composed of local landowners, agency professionals, technical experts, and local non-profits, the UYRAC has assisted landowners with developing post-flood response plans, developed educational resources for the public, navigated the permitting process, and assisted the community in making critical decisions about property, livelihoods, and the health and resilience of the Yellowstone River watershed and its natural resources.This grant allowed the UYWG to continue facilitating the Upper Yellowstone River Advisory Committee (UYRAC). As a technical advisory council, the UYRAC has worked to evolve and adapt to changing needs and gaps and is currently shifting from an emergency response and triage mode into long-term recovery mode. UYRAC’s priorities continue to be: 1) Interagency and landowner coordination, by providing technical assistance and capacity for site inspections, as well as permitting expertise; 2) Outreach and education, which has included developing Best Management Practices, involvement in the debris removal conversations, hosting a stream permitting panel, as well as general dissemination of information, resources, and funding opportunities; 3) Focus on floodplain resiliency and CMZ mapping efforts; and 4) Identifying holes and other existing needs for flood response.
Project Outcomes and Impacts
The Upper Yellowstone River Assessment Committee accomplished the following with Watershed Fund Capacity Support funding:
- Coordination and collaboration with committee members and stakeholders through bi-monthly meetings;
- On-site field assessments and preliminary recommendations for landowners;
- Provided sound scientific, river geomorphic, ecological, and engineering expertise, and guidance around the complex multi-agency permitting process.
- Provided the community with summary fact sheets by need and by each regulatory agency’s permitting requirements, contact information, and potential government funding sources for flood remediation and recovery efforts by impact and need.
- Developed an informational and educational story map for impacted landowners and the broader community:
- Created a Post-Flood Recovery Basics document encompassing helpful information on Yellowstone River geomorphology and post-flood best management practices (BMPs)
- Cleaned up flood debris from irrigation infrastructure on the Livingston Ditch by coordinating, applying for, and receiving funding from Montana DNRC
- Coordinated and completed a riparian planting day on a ranch on the Yellowstone River that experienced severe bank erosion from the flooding.
- Engaged 22 community partners