Link to PDF Copy Holly Sessoms, MSU Water Quality Associate Jim Bauder, MSU Water Quality Specialist Kristin Keith, Montana Water Resource Center Reagan Waskom, Colorado State University Matt Neibauer, Colorado State University Quentin Skinner, University of Wyoming Nancy Mesner, Utah State University

Coal bed methane (CBM) is natural gas found in coal seams. CBM development occurs widely in the western U.S. and is rapidly expanding in scale. Extraction of CBM involves the construction of a small bore well into a gas bearing coal seam and pumping water from that coal seam. When this occurs, water pressure is reduced at the well and methane desorbs from the coal. Methane flows with the water stream up the well where it separates from the water. This process requires extensive infrastructure in initial stages of development, and in some parts of the country, can result in large volumes of by-product water discharged to the surface.

To address natural resource issues associated with CBM development, the CSREES Northern Plains and Mountains Regional Water Program has developed a concise and timely inventory guide for landowners and resource managers throughout the region. This guide was pilot tested by landowners in Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming and served as the centerpiece for a landowner training session in Southern Colorado in the fall of 2005. Future training sessions are being scheduled to assist landowners with resource monitoring.

The purpose of this guide is to empower landowners, natural resource managers, and tribal members in CBM development areas to:

• Understand potential benefits, impacts, and issues of concern in areas of CBM development
• Understand rights and responsibilities of landowners and CBM developers
• Inventory the current condition of land and water resources using scientific protocol
• Use this inventory for negotiation during the CBM development process and as a baseline for tracking impacts from CBM development
• Understand management practices to protect land and water resources once CBM development begins
• Learn how to identify situations in which more detailed monitoring may be necessary

Instructions for collecting objective baseline data and for implementing a consistent monitoring program are outlined in the guide.

• Photo-monitoring creates permanent records using repeated photographs over time to observe and document changes in range, water, and cultural resources.
• Well and infrastructure monitoring creates a record of road, well, well pad, and other CBM infrastructure condition.
• Surface water monitoring protocol and record sheets are for landowners in areas where large volumes of CBM product water are discharged onto the landscape.
• Soil monitoring may be necessary and prudent for landowners intending to irrigate with CBM product water.
• CBM irrigation water quality monitoring enables landowners to determine the suitability of CBM product water for irrigation purposes.
• Crop production monitoring record sheets are included to track the production of crops irrigated with CBM product water.
• Ground water monitoring is intended for landowners concerned about potential impacts of CBM development on the water table and on ground water quality.

Partners and funding sources: Drafts were extensively reviewed by CSREES partners, landowners, oil and gas industry personnel, and agency professionals in Utah , Colorado , Wyoming , and Montana . This guide was funded and co-developed by Region 8 EPA Regional Geographic Initiative, USDA-CSREES Northern Plains and Mountains Regional Water Program, Prairie County Conservation District (MT), and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (Dept. of Energy).