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Pumpkin Creek LTPBR Demonstration Site

Welcome to the demonstration site for low-tech process-based restoration (LTPBR) on Pumpkin Creek, Montana. This site was part of our field trip and construction session during the 2022 BLM Workshop.

📍 Location

Pumpkin Creek, Montana
11 miles south of Miles City in the Northwestern Great Plains ecoregion.

🌿 Why Pumpkin Creek?

The BLM Montana/Dakotas is advancing LTPBR methods across its managed lands. Pumpkin Creek was chosen as a pilot site with support from Utah State University and the Riverscapes Consortium.

Pumpkin Creek is a perennial prairie stream characterized by:

  • low base flows
  • highly variable spring peak flows
  • reduced riparian vegetation from grazing
  • a lack of structural elements such as large wood or beaver dams

Without these features, the channel is deeply incised and geomorphically simplified.

🎥 Intro Video

📝 Project Objectives & Planning

Report:
Low-Tech Process Based Restoration on Pumpkin Creek: Planning and Design for Phase One
by Jordan Gilbert, Christina Morris, Chris Stuart

Pumpkin Creek Design

Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

📚 Additional Resources

📸 Photo Albums

🧰 Riverscapes Tools & Webinars

BLM Montana Dakotas hosted webinars about Riverscapes tools:

🛰️ QRiS for QGIS

QRiS is an open-source QGIS plugin supporting LTPBR design.

📝 Permitting

Learn about consultation and permitting in Module 5.

NEPA Compliance

Federal projects require National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance through:

BLM Montana-Dakotas developed a programmatic EA:
Montana/Dakotas Low-Tech PBR Programmatic EA (PDF)

Joint Stream Permitting (Montana DNRC)

Details and application forms:
Montana DNRC Stream Permitting

Army Corps Section 404

In the Omaha District, more restrictive rules around wetlands sometimes increase costs. For Pumpkin Creek, Amy Chadwick prepared the joint permit package, including:

🐟 Fish Monitoring

Niall Clancy (University of Wyoming PhD candidate) is studying fish response to LTPBR on Pumpkin Creek.