The mclean county water resource board, located in central north dakota, will establish a new watershed group and prepare a watershed management plan to guide water management in the turtle creek…

The mclean county water resource board, located in central north dakota, will establish a new watershed group and prepare a watershed management plan to guide water management in the turtle creek watershed. Turtle creek is a rural watershed comprised of prairie, livestock production, irrigated agriculture, and waterfowl habitat. The mcclusky canal, a major water conveyance, crosses east-west in the upper watershed and can release water into turtle creek at several locations. However, watershed stakeholders have limited stream flow data and lack the ability to control water releases from mcclusky canal into turtle creek. Currently, the canal releases flows into turtle creek during already high flows, while no water is released from the canal during periods of drought when water releases are most important for fish and wildlife habitat. As part of this project, the group will install a stream gage to provide information on streamflow rates throughout the year to inform management decisions for the mcclusky canal. The development of this watershed group will also improve communication between stakeholders and assist in the development of remediation plans for impaired waters within the watershed.