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The Conservation Security Program in the Lower Yellowstone Watershed

Watershed Surface Area

3,513,400 acres

Number of Ag Operations

1,106 (U.S. 2002 Ag Census)

Land Use

  • Cropland: 829,200 acres
  • Pastureland: 59,400 acres
  • Rangeland: 1,752,700 acres

Watershed Description

The Lower Yellowstone River (HUC 10100004) was chosen as a CSP priority watershed for 2004. The Lower Yellowstone River watershed covers about 3.5 million acres in eastern Montana and western North Dakota, with about 3 million acres in Montana. The area encompasses portions of six counties in Montana: Prairie, Dawson, Richland, Wibaux, McCone, and Fallon; and two counties in North Dakota: McKenzie and Golden Valley.

The watershed includes 143 miles of river, including the confluence of the Yellowstone River and the Missouri River near the site of Fort Union.

The Yellowstone River has significant economic importance, cultural influence, and ecological impact on this area of Montana and North Dakota. In addition to significant agricultural production, the area supports a diverse wildlife population. Several threatened and endangered species can be found in the watershed. These include the pallid sturgeon, interior least tern, whooping crane, black-footed ferret, bald eagle, and the piping plover.

aerial photo of the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers
Confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. (USGS Photo)

bar graph showing that $58,131 was used to fund contracts in Tier I, $493,930 in Tier II, and $321,430 in Tier III.

In the Lower Yellowstone Watershed, 49 contracts were funded at a total of $873,491. Of these contracts, 10 were funded in Tier I ($58,131), 26 in Tier II ($493,930), and 13 in Tier III ($321,430).

The faces of the Lower Yellowstone Watershed

Jim Squire signs Montana's first CSP contract
Jim Squires signs the first Conservation Security Program contract in Montana while Dave White, NRCS state conservationist, looks on.

Dave White and Jim Squires in a hay field on Squires' farm
A better way...

Squires, a Tier III CSP Partner, has used many innovative farming methods to raise wheat, barley, and safflower on his farm near Glendive, Montana. Some of those methods include early adoption of no-till farming and application of enzymes to improve the action of soil micro-organisms. Squires believes, “If you take care of the land, the land will take care of you.”

JR Flores presents the Nenows with a CSP Partner sign for their farm.
JR Flores, NRCS state conservationist for North Dakota, presents Carolyn and Doug Nenow with a CSP Partner sign for their farm.

Carolyn and Doug Nenow review their conservation plan with the local NRCS conservationist
A better way...

Doug and Carolyn Nenow’s farm is located southwest of Alexander, North Dakota. Some of the conservation practices they implement include no-till, crop rotation, farmstead windbreaks, wildlife habitat, pest management, and nutrient management. Doug said, “I thought the self-assessment workbook was easy to complete, self explanatory, and I was able to walk right through it. I had the opportunity to attend a public meeting in Fairview, Montana, and it proved to be very informative. They laid out the Conservation Security Program completely and I left with a lot of my questions answered. I decided to put an application into the program because it fit the practices I was already doing.

Last Modified: 11/30/2005