Vital Signs Index
Monitoring baseline vital signs is one way to compare where we are today with the past, and discuss where we may want to be in the future. The following is set of vital signs we monitor as community scientists on the Upper Yellowstone. Data covers Park County unless otherwise specified.
Reference Condition
Current Condition
Vital Sign
Indicators
climate
Ave min, max daily temp
Annual precip '00-'18 (Pine Creek)
Annual precip (Gardiner)
Drought index
Growing degree days
Peak snow water equivalent
Peak streamflow (Corwin)
31F, 55F
15.19" (Mean)
10.10" (Mean)
-0.2
3,212
13.0"
17,900 cfs
27F, 52F (1971-2000 ave)
19.2 (Max '15), 11.9 (Min '03)
11.1 (Max '10), 8.8 (Min '09)
-2.0 to +2.0 (1894-2012 ave)
2,731 (1971-2000 ave)
14.3" (1983-2012 ave)
12,500 (1971-2000 median)
FIRE
Acres burned per year
6,232 acres
1-28,849 (1990-2005 range)
Air quality
Visibility (deciviews)
Ozone (W126)
Nitrogen in precip (kg/ha/yr)
Sulfur in precipitation (kg/ha/yr)
Winter CO max 1-hour ave
Winter PM2.5 24-hour ave
3.1 (2010)
10.5 ppm-hr (2010)
1.9 (2010)
0.8 (2010)
12.6 ppm (2013)
4.4 PM2.5 mg/m3 (2013)
< 2 deciviews
< 7 ppm-hr
< 1.4 kg/ha/yr
< 1 kg/ha/yr
28 ppm
28 ppm
water Quantity
Base Flow rate (Corwin)
Base Flow rate (Carter's)
Base Flow rate (Mill Creek)
Park County Irrigation Usage
TBD
TBD
TBD
279 Mgal/day - 430 cfs
TBD
water
quality
Temperature
Nitrates
Phosphates
Ammonium
pH
Coming Soon
Coming Soon
Salmon Flies
TBD
TBD
TBD
Ospreys
Breeding Pairs
(Gardiner to Livingston)
15 Active Nests & 29 Fledglings in 2018
20 (ave since 2012)
bighorn
sheep
Northern Range Count
378 sheep, 39 lambs
300-500 sheep
Keystone ungulates
Elk Northern Range Count
Pronghorn Northern Range Count
Mule Deer Count
3,915 (2013)
351 (2013)
TBD
4,000-15,000 elk
300-600 pronghorn
Keystone Predators
Grizzly Bears
Wolves
TBD
TBD
livestock deaths
Due to Bears
Due to Wolves
Due to Disease
TBD
TBD
yellowstone
cutthroat
Ave # per net in fall
Ave # caught per hour angling
Ave # observed in spawning streams
10.7
.55
2.76
> 15
> 2
> 60
whitebark
pine
% Blister rust infection
Pine beetle infestation
20-30% of trees
6,362 acres (2011)
TBD
0-41,000 (range 1983-2011)
non-native
plants & animals
Invasive Trees
Invasive Weeds
Bass
TBD
TBD
2
0
0
0
wildlife diseases
Brucellosis
Chronic Wasting Disease
Chytrid Fungus
Parvovirus & Mange
West Nile Virus
White Nose Syndrom
< 5% in elk, 40-60% in bison
Not Evident
45%
Some
Not Evident
Not Evident
0
0
0
0
0
0
direct human impacts
Road & Home Density
Annual Visitation (Gardiner)
% time audible OSVs (8am-4pm)
Average Daily Floaters
Average Lot Size
TBD
1 million
66%
TBD
.8-1 million (2000-2009
Rural character
# Cattle
Average Farm Size
Irrigated Land
Farm Revenues
TBD
TBD
museum collections
Percentage Catalogued
TBD
100%
historic sites
Percentage assessed in good condition
TBD
100%
humans
Population
Jobs
Poverty
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
soil quality
Active Fungi
Active Bacteria
AF:AB
Carbon Sequestration
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD