Wetlands on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation provide many values and functions. Wetlands and Riparian areas provide opportunity for research, berry picking, herb collecting and recreational activities like fishing. Tribal elders, hunters, scientists, and students seek the natural charm of the riparian areas. Rivers, Streams, Wet Meadows, Ponds, Reservoirs, Lakes and Marshes, are all important to our ecosystem. Waterfowl such as ducks, shorebirds and neo-tropical song birds, make their living in many of our wetlands, by breeding, nesting and stopping over to feed. Some of the species are: Mallards, Blue Winged Teals, Northern Pintails, Wood Ducks, Canadian Geese, American Avocet, Willets and Long Billed Curlews. When soils are saturated with water during the growing season, soil organisms consume the oxygen in the soil and cause conditions unsuitable for most plants called "Hydric Soils". Plants adapted to living in such conditions, such as Peppermint, Watercress, Mares tail, and Northern Arrowhead, are called "Hydrophytes." Wetlands act as filters and sponges by intercepting surface runoff from water that collects in isolated depressions and slowly releases it, thus removing or retaining its nutrients, processing organic wastes, and reducing sediment before it reaches open water. Vegetation also helps to slow floodwaters reducing the erosive potential of a flood event.

We will characterize the reservation's wetlands, by using the Rapid Wetland Assessment Method, that "red flags" stressors to wetland sites, including impacts. By identifying wetland stressors, Wetland Specialists can work with local land owners and Natural Resource Managers develop plans for improvement and protection to these fragile sites, and more importantly, to make decisive land use decisions that may or may not effect wetlands. Objectives are to provide a quick, effective evaluation method applicable to the Fort Belknap Reservation. This method uses some of the principals of the Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) method, and Cowardin Classification Method.

Amphibians are great indicators of healthy wetlands and calling surveys and collections have been completed on all assessment sites during the 2004 field season, with some interesting findings and collections. We have identified the Northern Leopard Frog, Great Plains and Woodhouses Toads, Boreal Chorus Frog, Painted Turtle, Tiger Salamander, and the Western Terrestrial, and Western Plains Garter Snake, as well as, Blue Racer, Bull Snake and the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake.

Our wetland program collaborates with various agencies to educate the community on Wetland Education. Goals are to inform the community how impacts to wetlands directly effects land use decisions. Summer field trips are planned with local schools to reservation wetlands. We also work with the Fort Belknap College students with summer intern work.

Wetland Delineations are conducted to see if a site is a jurisdictional wetland. This method identifies wetland boundaries, under the CWA 404 permit program. The characteristics of a jurisdictional wetland have three catagories: soils, vegetation and hydrology. With this approach, an area that meets all three criteria is considered a wetland. Soil horizons are studied for redoximorphic features that distinquish it from other types of soil. Plants associated with wetlands are identified and categorized. Hydrological indicators to look for are, drainage patterns in wetlands and high water marks.

Our plant collection was initiated in the spring of 2000. Currently, there are 140 species with over 230 vascular plants, pressed and mounted in our plant collection, taken from inventory sites around the reservation. Most of the collection are plants associated with wetlands, as well as, upland plants near wetland assessment sites. A Herbarium was purchased in 2003, and houses all the plants in the collection. We completed extensive vegetation inventories in the Little Rocky Mountains, Prairie Plains and Milk River Valley. We have plants that have only been documented in the Black Hills, and some that have yet to be identified in our prairie plains, geo-thermal and mountain sites.

The development of the Aquatic Resource Protection Ordinance to restore and preserve wetlands was approved on January 7, 2004. Dennis Longknife, Jr/Wetland Specialist, Morris "Davy" Belgard/Water Quality Coordinator, and Dan Kinsey/Former Wetland Coordinator, were awarded the "Frank Decouteau Award", from the EPA Region 8, on September 8, 2004. The award was for recognition of outstanding efforts in developing the Aquatic Resource Protection Ordinance for the Fort Belknap Indian Community.