Assessment of Ecological Conditions and Potential Effects of Water Produced from Coalbed Natural Gas Development on Biological Communities in Streams of the Powder River Structural Basin, Wyoming and Montana, 2005-08

摘要

Ongoing development of coalbed natural gas in the Powder River structural basin in Wyoming and Montana led to formation of an interagency task group to address concerns about the effects of the resulting production water on biological communities in streams of the area. The interagency task group developed a monitoring plan and conducted sampling of macroinvertebrate, algal, and fish communities at 47 sites during 2005-08 to document current ecological conditions and determine existing and potential effects of water produced from coalbed natural gas development on biological communities.