Feasibility Report of Proposed Watershed Program: East Plum Creek Watershed

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SUCGESTED PROGRAM FOR _ 1PP.0'vI G !•LA IEERSHe;D CONDITIONS Present works of improve-Ajent that contribute - to protection of watershed lands and tiro -:eduction of flood damages irt the East Plum Creek Watershed include land treatment measures on farin and ranch lands, channel improvement on East Plum Creek at Castle :mock, and improvement of County and State highway bridges, Land treatment measures that are of . ectivo in taatevshed protection nave been installed by individual landov.mers in 'many parts of the watershed, These land treatment measures include conservation cropping systems, pasture planting, contour fax-raing, diversions, gradient terraces, grassed waterways, farm ponds, grad.o stabilization :st:ruci711res, proper range use, and wildlife area pl.ant9.ng, At - the present time the West .Plum Soil Cons ervati or, District and its cooperators are actively aarz7,ri-ng out a soil a.t;d Eaoisture conservation program with technical aasis•twuce furnished. }xy the Soil Conservation Service, In addition to provi 6i-ng protection to the land on - tich they are installed, these land treatment measures appear to be very effective in -reducing floodwa -i:er, sediment, gsnd erosi-oat damages on the smaller tributaries of East Plum Creek, Th::re is a definite need for additional land treatment measures in this watershed, particularly - those that gill be effective in stopping gully and channel erosion, An intensive program of land treatment measures should produce a. significant degree of protection from floodw ter damages and sediment deposition on crop and range lands in the flood of the smaller tributaries of East- Ilion Creek. In addition, there will be a certain degree of protection afford to lands in the floodplain of the mainstem of East Plum Creel:: and in the floodplain of the larger tributaries. This protection_ will mainly result from redboced eaaounts of sediment carriod to the mainstem by As tributariao, St} eambank erosion can be greatly reduced by the ;planting of willows and ot3.er sta:oilizing vegetation along cut banks, The possibility of f loodaater dariages to b4 idgas, roads, and railroads along the mainstem of East Plr-m Crook is being gradually reduced by the construction of larger bridges designed to take larger flows, by the construction of channels designed. to carry large flows, and by placing of riprap and other types of revetments along earthfill_s adjacent to channels. Additioual installation and i.u!provement of these worker should greatly reduce the mp- intenanae costs to bridges, roads, and railroads,