Salinization is a global concern influencing soil, vegetation, and water, affecting agriculture and wildlife. Climate, geology, and land use influence regional variations in salinity. Although salinization in streams has been the subject of extensive research, there remains a significant knowledge gap regarding its impact on the riparian vegetation of intermittent streams. We studied landcover temporal change along two intermittent streams in the sagebrush steppe and mixed grass prairie in Harding and Butte Counties of Northwestern South Dakota. We chose the two streams based on visible differences in landcover, topography, and salt along stream channels. We selected the USDA National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) four-band half-meter imagery every two years from 2008 to 2022. The imagery was then clipped to a 100-meter buffered for each stream, and indices were calculated to identify riparian vegetation, upland vegetation, bare ground, and salt-affected bare ground. We then assessed temporal changes in landcover along and between creeks in relation to drought. From 2008 to 2022, we saw an increase in percent bare ground along both Creeks, potentially correlating with no drought in 2008 and drought in 2022. However, the percent riparian area in Antelope Creek was relatively unchanged, while Alkali Creek saw a 2% decrease. Finally, salt-affected bare ground stayed almost the same (2008: 3.5% and 2022: 3.0%) in Antelope Creek, while we saw over a 6% increase in Alkali Creek (2008: 11.4% and 2022: 18.8%). We see that local climate influences landcover composition along both creeks, but watershed conditions may also play a role.
