Northern Great Plains Streamside Habitat

This system is found in the riparian areas of medium and small rivers and streams throughout the northwestern Great Plains. It is likely most common in the Northern Great Plains Steppe. This system occurs in the Upper Missouri and tributaries starting at the Niobrara, White, Cheyenne, Belle Fourche, Moreau, Grand, Heart, Little Missouri, Yellowstone, Powder, Tongue, Bighorn, Wind, Milk, Musselshell, Marias, and Teton rivers; and in Canada, the Southern Saskatchewan, Red Deer and Old Man rivers to where they extend into Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill Riparian Woodland and Shrubland (CES306.821) or Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Shrubland (CES306.804). These are found on alluvial soils in highly variable landscape settings, from deep cut ravines to wide, braided streambeds. Hydrologically, these tend to be more flashy with less developed floodplain than on larger rivers, and typically dry down completely for some portion of the year. Dominant vegetation shares much with generally drier portions of larger floodplain systems downstream, but overall abundance of vegetation is generally lower. Communities within this system range from riparian forests and shrublands to gravel/sand flats. Dominant species include Populus deltoides, Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa, Salix spp., Artemisia cana ssp. cana, and Pascopyrum smithii. These areas are often subjected to heavy grazing and/or agriculture and can be heavily degraded. Another factor is that groundwater depletion and lack of fire have created additional species changes.

Dominant vegetation shares much with generally drier portions of larger floodplain systems downstream, but overall abundance of vegetation is generally lower. Communities within this system range from riparian forests and shrublands to gravel/sand flats. Dominant species include Populus deltoides, Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa, Salix spp., Artemisia cana ssp. cana, and Pascopyrum smithii.

This system is found in the riparian areas of medium and small rivers and streams throughout the northwestern Great Plains. It is likely most common in the Northern Great Plains Steppe. Stands are found on alluvial soils in highly variable landscape settings, from deep cut ravines to wide, braided streambeds. Hydrologically, these tend to be more flashy with less developed floodplain than on larger rivers, and typically dry down completely for some portion of the year.

These areas are often subjected to heavy grazing and/or agriculture and can be heavily degraded. Another factor is that groundwater depletion and lack of fire have created additional species changes.

This system occurs throughout the northwestern Great Plains, north of the North Platte River basin in eastern Wyoming. It is found in eastern Wyoming and eastern Montana along the upper Missouri, Yellowstone, Powder, Tongue, Bighorn, Wind, Milk, Musselshell, Marias, and Teton rivers; in northern Nebraska and the Dakotas on the Niobrara, upper Missouri, White, Cheyenne, Belle Fourche, Moreau, Grand, Heart, Little Missouri rivers; and in Canada the Southern Saskatchewan, Red Deer and Old Man rivers.