Proper functioning condition assessment of the Little Bighorn River: Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Montana
Martin M, Wagner J, Cummings J, Britten M. 2013. Proper functioning condition assessment of the Little Bighorn River: Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Montana. Natural Resource Report. NPS/NRSS/WRD/NRR—2013/707. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
An assessment of the functional condition or ecological "health" of the Little Bighorn River riparian ecosystem at LIBI. The National Park Service is preparing a Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. To inform this assessment, the NPS Water Resources Division was asked to evaluate the functional condition or ecological "health" of the Little Bighoorn River riparian area within and adjacent to the park boundary. We used the method described in "A User Guide to Assessing the Proper Functioning Condition and the Supporting Science for Lotic Areas" (U.S. Department of the Interior 1998) to perform this evaluation. We found the entire assessment area to be in "Proper Functioning Condition" as defined by this method, but we identified some specific sites where management actions could further improve riparian area function and health. This report documents our findings and provides some management recommendations for this historically and culturally significant riparian ecosystem.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Martin, Mike; Wagner, Joel; Cummings, Jalyn; Britten, Mike
- Date of Issue
- 2013-08
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- LIBI , NRSS , ROMN , WRD
- Keywords
- Assessment, Condition, Hydrology, Little Bighorn River, Riparian, Stream Ecological Integrity Inventory
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Geomorphology | Stream/River Channel Characteristics , Ecological Framework: Water | Hydrology | Surface Water Dynamics , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Wetland Communities , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Riparian Communities