1. Upper Gallatin Drought/Water Supply Focus Group
Prioritizing Vulnerabilities
May 24th 10: PM
Big Sky Chapel Basement

3. Focus Group Goals Participants will
Familiarize themselves with drought & water supply issues that threaten the sustainability of our community and watershed
Work collaboratively to develop mitigation and response actions that promote resiliency against these threats

4. Information Sharing Meeting Recap
Needs for collaborative drought planning in the Upper Gallatin
Upper Missouri Basin Drought Resiliency Planning
Basin-wide rapid population growth, shifting demographics, land and water use changes
Southwest Montana climate change projections
Reduced snowpack levels, earlier runoff, reduced late summer flows
Warmer temperatures (land & instream), exacerbated droughts
Increased groundwater demands
Big Sky
Snowpack-driven tourism and recreation based economy, rapid development, no central authority to enforce potential mitigation/response actions

5. Drought Awareness Survey: 50 responses from local community
“Drought can impact not only obvious recreational opportunities such as fishing, rafting, and golf, but also less obvious ones such as mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding. It can be a huge impact on overall forest health. I am very concerned.”
“I am concerned that the area will not be prepared, especially if we have unusually long drought periods.”
“It’s water that makes our world go around up here, it affects everything!”

6. Information Sharing Meeting Recap
“Prolonged and severe drought is chronic in the Upper Missouri Basin”
1970s-90s: most mentioned impact= fire
Evacuation notices & alerts
Removing horses & livestock
Informal town meetings
Restrictions from pulling over in Gallatin Canyon
Smoke s:
50 impacts from reported in Madison County, 42 in Gallatin
Top 3 impacted sectors: water quality and supply, agriculture, plants and wildlife
39 instances of relief, restrictions, or response

7. Vulnerability Assessment Meeting Recap
Drought Risk By County
Gallatin County Emergency Management Plan
Drought risk: Overall Moderate risk
Moderate probability of major disaster
Moderate probability of property impact
Low probability of population impact
High probability of economic impact
Moderate future development impact
Madison County Emergency Management Plan
Drought Risk: Overall Moderate-High Risk
Up to D4 Magnitude
Economic impacts
Weeks-months
County-wide
Highest risk areas: Rural, ag areas
Potential size: Valley to county-wide
Speed of onset: Weeks to months
Duration: Months to years
Priority: Moderate

8. Vulnerability Assessment Meeting Recap
Initial risks identified by Focus Group
Invasive species (2)
Domestic and municipal water supplies + increasing demand (4)
well water supplies
Fire hazards
Stream flows (4)
Land use (2)
Trout
Recreational opportunities (winter & summer) (3)
Climate change (falls into many categories)
Upper Gallatin’s water supply within the context of the Upper Missouri basin

9. Vulnerability Assessment Meeting Recap
SNAPP
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amewo r k

10. Vulnerability Assessment Meeting Recap
Effects of drought and water supply issues on..
Snowpack
Climate change projections: reduced snowpack levels, warmer temperatures, more precipitation as rain than snow, earlier runoff +
Snowpack driven, tourism & recreation based economy
Impacts:
Reduced quality ski season
Less visits and $$ spent in Big Sky
Winter = peak season
Earlier resort closures
Job loss: Biggest employer in Big Sky is the resort & YC
Less capacity for watershed to hold water for prolonged periods
More constrained supply and availability

11. Vulnerability Assessment Meeting Recap
Effects of drought and water supply issues on..
Wildfires
Climate change projections: more intense, longer duration fires that burn larger areas +
Rapid development & more homes being built within the urban wildland interface
Impacts:
Property damage
Park closures or restrictions
Less hotel stays and $$ spent in Big Sky
2016 Yellowstone visitors contributed $680.4 million to the Park’s gateway communities in MT and WY
Reduced air quality, public health concerns
Reduced habitat recovery timing
More suitable habitat for invasives with higher capacity to withstand fire

12. Vulnerability Assessment Meeting Recap
Effects of drought and water supply issues on..
Surface Flows
Climate change projections: warmer instream temperatures, earlier runoff, lower late season flows +
River recreational opportunities is a major contributor to our economy- reliant also on snowpack
Impacts:
Less suitable habitat for trout and macros
Lower quality rafting and fishing
River recreation based businesses threatened
Less water and of lower quality contributing to downstream users

13. Vulnerability Assessment Meeting Recap
Effects of drought and water supply issues on..
Groundwater Storage
Climate change projections: reduced snowpack levels, warming temperatures, more precipitation as rain than snow, and earlier runoff +
Snowpack is a major source for groundwater recharge- Meadow Village aquifer
Increasing growth and development put further stress on our groundwater supplies to service municipal and domestic needs
Impacts
Lower groundwater levels
Lower streamflows
Lower capacity to serve domestic and municipal needs

14. Vulnerability Assessment Meeting Recap
Effects of drought and water supply issues on..
Local Economy
Context: Climate change projections shift water availability and timing, drivers of our winter and summer based tourism & recreation economy
2017 Big Sky Chamber Community Profile
90 restaurants/shops/service related businesses in Big Sky support tourism and recreation
# of visitors increasing each year, last year record high summer of visitors to welcome center
Total MT visitors: 23.4 million
Headwaters Economics: Gallatin County Study
54,785 service related jobs,higher than govt or non service related
Contributed to $2,136.2 million over last 15 years
But pay lowest
Lower quality winter season threatens businesses
Entire economic standing of community = all in some way connected to water (snowpack)

15. Prioritizing Vulnerabilities
Impact
Economic
Social
High - Medium - Low Priority that impact risks economic integrity of our community
High - Medium - Low Priority that impact risks the quality of life enjoyed by residents and visitors
Environment
High-Medium-Low Priority that impact risks the health of our watershed