RiverNET Keeps on Flowing!

YERC intern Paige Cresswell working to retrieve a sonde from a tributary of the Upper Yellowstone.

RiverNET completed its sixth year in the Upper Yellowstone River Watershed! We are grateful for the tremendous community support and input we've received to make this program effective for the community, and proudly share our 2023 accomplishments.

We continued to operate our 21 sensor stations via our web application, collecting vital data to measure stream health on the entire Upper Yellowstone River Watershed including 21 tributaries. This data collection served two purposes: (1) to measure water quality and quantity and fill remaining data gaps to monitor watershed health, and (2) to provide essential data for the Freshwater Forecasting System (FFS) designed to help predict watershed events in Park County before they occur. In order to take preventative action, we must build a foundation of knowledge and trust in diagnostics such as discharge (the volume of water flowing above ground), water temperature, sediment transport, pollution, soil moisture, and more. Our models are now working to predict these important variables for short-term forecasts but are also a powerful tool for planning, adaptation, and prevention using What-if-Scenarios.

Additionally, we continued to monitor two other diagnostics important to watershed health: riparian songbird abundance and macroinvertebrate (stream insect) abundance. YERC’s songbird study monitored the abundance of songbird species via expert identification of the calls in sensitive riparian habitats in Paradise Valley. Veteran biologist Paige Cresswell surveyed six transect lines along many of the Yellowstone River tributaries.

To monitor macroinvertebrate populations, researchers used a technique known as “kick sampling,” where one researcher uses their feet to disturb the streambed and dislodge any macroinvertebrates that may be attached to the substrate. Another researcher collects them downstream as they drift into a net to be later identified and counted. We collected kick samples at all of our RiverNET sensor station locations on tributaries of the Upper Yellowstone River.

Accurate data means effective conservation outcomes for our water resources. We cannot do these important surveys without community support! You can find additional information regarding RiverNET, what we monitor, and our technology here. Please join us in developing and implementing this early warning, planning and prediction system by volunteering or donating. We are building this tool with and for community members like you, and are grateful for the support we have and continue to build.