Upper Gallatin Drought/Water Supply Focus Group

Prioritizing Vulnerabilities: May 24th 10:30-12PM

Big Sky Chapel Basement

510 Little Coyote Rd, Big Sky

AGENDA

  1. Meeting Objectives
  2. Participants will work collaboratively to prioritize our community and watershed’s vulnerabilities due to drought conditions and water supply issues
  3. Introductions
  4. Name, Affiliated water sector, Highest priority vulnerability
  5. Steve Johnson, ecological view of world, worried about streamflows and public awareness.
  6. Bonnie? Work with Brad at MSU working on wetlands
  7. Tammy, GLWQD. Vulnerability individual wells potential of drought climate issues. Main aquifer is shall.
  8. Jim Muscat: public wells, growth. Identify limitations ahead of time.
  9. Janelle: ecological perspective. Resident on well and septic. Water conservation
  10. James: MBMG, groundwater hydrology/quality/availability. System dynamics. Groundwater availability and sustainability.
  11. Kirk: MBMG – water quality and availability. How easy stream impacted by fairly small changes. Fragile hydrologic system. Need to optimize treatment and conservation.
  12. Madison: All three concerns. Climate change on water resources and how plays into development/growing population
  13. Brad Bauer, MSU: late season availability for junior water right holders downstream
  1. Meetings Summary
  2. Introductory/Information Sharing
  3. Needs for drought planning
  4. Drought impacts
  5. Vulnerability Assessment
  6. Identified vulnerabilities by water sector: Contact person who made the Gallatin County emergency plan (Brad). Issue in West Yellowstone. Development moratorium bc of water supply (Steve).

Tammy: earlier closure. Shorter ski season. Steve weather pattern changing. Brad- changes in animal habitat, wolverine, linx, vegetation/forests, bear hibernation patterns, loss of vegetation from fires exacerbate snow melt with less ground cover, more sediment, flashier hydrograph. Fire response issue constrained. Impacts to home insurance. Colorado fort Collins fire (Steve). Surface water supply ever in Big Sky think of impacts. Parasites/AIS

  1. Roundtable Discussion: Prioritizing Vulnerabilities

Snowpack

James: Snowpack levels high priority: Monitoring snowpacks can help predict what dealing with later in the year.

Steve: Resorts more aggressive effort for making snow with effluent. Skiing central to character to Big Sky

Jenelle: high social impact – want to ski on snow

Bonnie: Prioritizing vulnerabilities

Wildfire

First four bullets low on ecological, high economic

Last two: high sedimentation, consequential flood damage, water leaving basin quicker,

Mudslides.

Brad: (revise #5)

Forest Plan Revision: incident 1881 – ½ Gallatin Canyon (40 miles) burned in course of four days

Surface Flows

Economic: River recreation (low environmental)

Social: river recreation

High across four bullets

Fishing and hunting way bigger than skiing – economically (Steve)

Groundwater Storage

All groundwater affected and high priority

Low environment on 3rd bullet

High for social and economic

**Decrease lawn watering. Ecology special and sensitive.

“we need golf course because we need somewhere to spray effluent”

Lessons learned from California/Las Vegas. No regulatory arm in BS.

Without knowledge of limitations, need better understanding of these limitations. Contractual obligation. Are we ready and are we ready for double population)

BSOA phasing out lawn requirements (meeting w BSOA)

Local Economy

Recreation economy drivers appreciation for open space and more willing to invest.

Sky is not the limit, more economic growth may not be best option. Acceptance of limitations in climate/environment like this. Unchecked development put stress on resources. Need balance. Continued development go forward more conservation minded. Talk to developers – want to buildout – need to be done in a better way.

Acceptance level – rate. Matrix. Tammy: revisit Bozeman drought mitigation plan

  1. Closing
  2. Next Meeting Topic: Developing Mitigation and Response Actions, date TBD

KG Thoughts:

  • ? Should we boost survey to get more response. Perhaps rename from drought to water xx
  • Share BDC recent article on West Yellowstone issue
  • Has Fire Dept. responded to emails? Should be involved.
  • Meeting w BSOA to phase out lawn requirement! If we could get this by annual meeting in Labor Day that would be cool!