SPA 124 Permit for Cemetery Road Bridge Repair on Dry Creek – Petroleum County

May 6, 2025 4:05 PM

Petroleum County has proposed bridge repair on the Cemetery Road crossing of Dry Creek in Petroleum County north of Winnett. The bridge structure is compromised, and the proposed work is necessary to ensure the safe traffic crossing of Dry Creek. The proposed work falls under the SPA 124 permitting jurisdiction of FWP found in the Stream Protection Act (§ 87-5-502, MCA).

Dry Creek is a tributary of Buffalo Creek, which is an intermittent tributary of Box Elder Creek. In the project area, Dry Creek is an intermittent stream with generally natural function and poor riparian characteristics. 4 Fisheries survey data in the area is lacking and fish species present are assumed based on nearby surveys of Box Elder Creek, which contains sand shiner, fathead minnow, brassy minnow, white sucker, brook stickleback, and green sunfish. The aquatic and riparian habitats in the project vicinity are in generally poor condition with impairments stemming from channel modifications, dewatering, livestock management, and farming practices.

The bridge on Cemetery Road is more than 60-years old. The existing bridge piles have experienced significant decay and some scour/shifting. The proposed project would address the decay by encapsulating the bridge piles in concrete below the likely scour depth. The project would address the shifting by bracing the piles to provide additional lateral stability. The proposed project would involve excavating the streambed around the piles to a depth of approximately 2-feet. Forms would be fitted to the piles and concrete would be poured. The work site would be dewatered to the extent practicable. Bracing would be added across the piles to increase stability. Excavated areas would be backfilled and all disturbed streambed and banks would be reclaimed to match predisturbed conditions.

Petroleum County is the sponsor of the project and has a planned implementation schedule of Summer/Fall 2025.