Deann M Dutton

Estimates of the Volume of Water in Five Coal Aquifers, Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Southeastern Montana Deann M Dutton

The Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation (fig. 1) encompasses about 445,000 acres in Big Horn and Rosebud Counties in southeastern Montana (Wo and others, 2004). The reservation lies on an unglaciated, semiarid, rolling plain that is underlain by the Tertiary Fort Union Formation and is dissected by many small ephemeral or intermittent streams. Grass-covered rangeland used to raise cattle is interspersed with farmland (Woods and others, 2002); hay is raised as the principal crop along the valley bottoms of the Tongue River and Rosebud and Lame Deer Creeks. Native grasslands are extensive, especially in areas of steep or rugged terrain. Pine and juniper forests predominate in upland areas; grazing in these areas can be limited because of rough terrain and lack of water (Woods and others, 2002).