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D. Yellowstone River Basin 



1. Upper Yellowstone River Drainage 



The Upper Yellowstone River drainage is in south-central Montana, entering 



the state from Yellowstone National Park. The drainage segment extending 



downstream from the Montana/Wyoming border to the Sweetgrass County line 



(boundary of Mid-Yellowstone designated 208 study area) was evaluated for 



this study. The DNR&C drainage basin identification number is 43B, and 



the DHES classifies this drainage segment as a B-Dl stream. 



The Paradise Valley is within the Upper Yellowstone drainage, between 

 Gardiner and Livingston, Montana. This valley receives tributary flows 

 from the Absaroka Range to the east and the Gallatin Range to the west. 

 Within the valley there is a significant checkerboard land ownership 

 pattern, predominantly west of the Yellowstone River. Most land ownership 

 is either USPS or Burlington Northern, with significant small private owner- 

 ship. There is also scattered BLM and state ownerships. Much of the 

 private land was harvested for timber approximately ten years ago, but 

 merchantable timber still remains in most drainages. Several drainages 

 have sustained extensive clear and selective cutting of their forest 

 cover (DF&G, 1975). 



Logging and associated road building are a contributing factor to water 

 quality degradation in the Upper Yellowstone River drainage (DF&G, 1975; 

 DF&G, Bozeman, pers. comm.). These activities have caused increased 

 water yields and sediment loads in several drainages. 



Preliminary DF&G studies on tributary systems where extensive logging or 

 road building has occurred have shown considerably higher turbidity levels 

 during spring runoff periods (DF&G, 1975). Specific problems are delineated 

 in Table VI-Dl and located on Plate I. . 



