The Upper Bighorn Watershed, located in northern Wyoming, covers an area of approximately 2,200 square miles. The hydrology of the area is dominated by the Bighorn River, which flows southeast through the watershed. The watershed experiences a continental climate with cold winters and moderate precipitation. The snowpack in the watershed is significant, with snowfall typically occurring from October through April, and snowmelt contributing to the majority of annual streamflow. Surface water in the watershed is primarily used for irrigation and recreation, with several reservoirs present throughout the area. These reservoirs contain high levels of sediment due to erosion from the steep terrain. Over the past few decades, there has been a trend of decreasing snowpack and earlier snowmelt in the area, likely due to climate change.