United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
(4503-F)
Washington, DC 20460
EPA 841-R-97-001
October 1997
Section 31© Success
Stories: Volume II
Highlights of State and Tribal
Nonpoint Source Programs
-------
-------
INTRODUCTION i
STflTES |
ALABAMA
Conserving Alabama's Lakes and Rivers — The Sand Mountain/Lake Guntersville
Watershed Project • . .' '....:'..- ...7
Volunteer Water Quality-Monitoring —The Alabama Water Watch - . . . . 8
ALASKA
Alaska Piggybacks Environmental Projects —A Manual for Stream Crossings Provides Fish . '
Habitat Improvements ..........:... 11
ARIZONA
Nonpoint Source Management Zones—A New Tool for the Upper Gila Watershed •. . 13.
Watershed Protection—Verde Watershed Management Zone.'. 14
ARKANSAS
Cadron Creek Dairies Go Regional —A New Approach to Animal Waste Management 17
Moore's Creek and Beatty Branch :—A Subwatershed in the Muddy Fork Hydrologic Unit
Area . . . .' ": . ..:.. •. •"...- ! .... 19
CALIFORNIA
The BIOS Project — Improving Conditions in Agricultural Watersheds .••••' 21
Stream Restoration in Huichica Creek — Protecting Shrimp Habitat 23
COLORADO
The Badger Creek Watershed Project'—Improving Fisheries on the Arkansas River . . ., 24
Management Initiatives Along the South Platte River — The Northern Colorado Water
Conservancy District . '. , , . . . .26
CONNECTICUT
Responding to Urban Development — Communities in the Mattabesset River Watershed .... 28
Lake Whitney Artificial Marsh Treats Urban Runoff 30
DELAWARE
In the Christina River Basin — Delaware and Pennsylvania Work Together 33
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Reviving the Anacostia — Freshwater Tidal Marsh Restoration 35
FLORIDA
Renaissance for Lake Jackson—An Outstanding Florida Water : ... 37
Florida's Silviculture Best Management Practices — Test Sites Rated "Excellent" 39
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
GEORGIA
Restoration of a Riparian Forest — An Agricultural Water Quality Improvement Project ...'.. 42
Evaluating Best Management Practices — A Farm Demonstration Project in Rayie, Georgia . . . 43
HAWAII
A Modified Deep Litter Waste Management System—The Kealia Farms Model 45
IDAHO
Protecting Bear Lake — The Thomas Fork Stream Channel Project 48
Paradise Creek Restoration — Trout Return, Citizens Learn 49
ILLINOIS
Chain O'Lakes and Fox River Selected for Streambank Protection Project 51
Creating Useful Beauty — The Skokie River Restoration Project . 53
INDIANA
No-Till Farming Saves Soil—A Reprieve for Starve Hollow Lake 55
Constructed Wetlands — Treatment for Dairy Farm Wastewater 56
IOWA .
Brown Trout Return to Iowa Streams— The Coon Creek Story . . 58
Sny Magill Creek — The New Standard Agricultural Practices . 59
KANSAS
Banner Creek Water Quality Protection Project — Kansas-Lower Republican River Basin 61
Clean Water Neighbor Projects— Local Initiatives Drive Public Awareness 63
KENTUCKY
The Tripplett Creek Project — On-site Wastewater Issues in Rural Areas 64
Renovating a Constructed Wetland — Rock Creek's Answer to Acid Mine Drainage Treatment . . 66
Beginning with Information and Technical Assistance — Kentucky's Agricultural Water
Quality Act 67
LOUISIANA
Tangipahoa River Projects — Using an Ecosystem-Based Approach 68
Louisiana's Bayou Queue de Tortue Watershed — Incorporating BMP Demonstrations in
Pollution Prevention Plans - 70
MAINE
The Taylor Pond Watershed Project — Increasing Public Awareness about Nonpoint Source
Pollution . 73
Bond Brook Responds to Progress — Fish Habitats Improve 75
Building a Local Watershed Alliance — A Common Sense Approach 77
MARYLAND
Constructed Wetlands — Maryland Investigates Dairy Waste Treatment Methods . 79
The Sawmill Creek Project — Modeling the Watershed Approach 81
MASSACHUSETTS
Wetlands to the Rescue
• Spragues Cove Stormwater Remediation Project 84
ii
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
MICHIGAN
Talking with "Farmers — The North Branch Chippewa giver 319 Watershed Project 86
Saving Michigan's Blue Ribbon Trout Stream— The Boardman River Project 88
MINNESOTA
Lake Shaokatan Restoration Project — Improving Water Quality Through Reduced
Phosphorus Loading , -. 90
The Lake Bemidji Watershed Management Project—.Clean Water is Good for Business 91
MISSISSIPPI
An Animal Waste Irrigation Project in Mississippi — Saving Farmers Money 93
Lake Hazle Project Takes on Urban Runoff — Expects Return of Beneficial Uses , . . 94
Mississippi Demonstrates Dead Chicken Composting — A Water-Quality Safe Disposal
Method 96 .
MISSOURI
Forage and Grassland Improvement — Livestock Producers Explore Best Management
Practices '.,. ........... ...'. : 97
The Mark Twain Water Quality Initiative — Total Resource Management in Missouri's Upper
Salt River Basin - 99
MONTANA
Reducing Nutrients in Agricultural Runoff —The Godfrey Creek Project in Gallatin County . . 101
Reclaiming East Spring Creek — Greater Trout Populations . . 103
NEBRASKA
Hanscom Park Lake Rises tp New Heights • 104
NEVADA
Controlled Flooding Helps Nature Take Care of Itself — The Truckee River Story . .-...'..... 106
The Small Ranch Water Quality Program.— Teaching Residents about BMPs 107
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Crystal Lake Preservation Association Tackles Urban Runoff 109
The Connecticut River Watershed Project — Agricultural BMPs Enhance Stream Ecology ... Ill
NEW JERSEY
Navesink River Shellfish Beds Upgraded .•'. 113
NEW MEXICO
Grant County's Royal John Mine — A Full-Scale Site Reclamation Project 115
Treating Acid Mine Drainage from the Oro Fino Mine . . 117
NEW YORK
Village of Forestville — Water Quality and Water Quantity Improve 119
Constructed Wetlands Block Passage of Nutrients — The Wayne County Project 120
NORTH CAROLINA
Sediment Controls Installed along Timbered Branch — Common Sense Practices for Forest
Roads 121
Practice Makes Perfect — The Long Creek Watershed Project ........ '. 122
Forestry Nonpoint Source Pollution Management 124
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I Hi
-------
NORTH DAKOTA
The Bowman/Hayley Watershed Project — Conservation Planning Succeeds in North Dakota .. 125
Protecting the Knife River — Improved Land Management Around Goodman Creek ...... 126
OHIO
The Maumee River Project — Curbing Sediment Delivery ' ' . 128
Indian Lake — Limiting Pollution Inputs ,..,.... 130
OKLAHOMA
Tulsa County Blue Thumb Program—Volunteers Make a Difference . . 131
Combining Oil Production and Water Quality — The Clearview Brine Reclamation Project .- . . 132
OREGON
Coos Coquille Watershed — Haynes Inlet Project Allows Shellfish Beds to Reopen 134
Tualatin River Vastly Improved — TDMLs and Section 319 Included in Basinwide Initiatives . . 136
PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania Adopts Nutrient Management Act — Package Includes Education, Incentives,
and Financial Help :' . . 138
Partners in Wildlife — The Pike Run Watershed Restoration Project. : 139
RHODE ISLAND
The Greenwich Bay Initiative — Shellfishing Closure Challenges Rhode Islanders 141
Flexible Zoning — The Scituate Reservoir Watershed Project 142
Section 319 Helps Common Fence Point Improvement Association — The Portsmouth Salt
Marsh Restoration Project 143
Rhode Island's Septic System Maintenance Policy Forum— A Spearhead for Collaboration . . 144
SOUTH CAROLINA
Bush River-Camping Creek Watershed—A Priority Watershed in South Carolina . . 146
South Carolina Hones in on Nonpoint Source Pollution — Minigrants Program .Encourages
Local Participation -.' 148
Champions of the Environment — South Carolina Program Rewards Student
Environmentalists ., . .' '..-.'." 150
SOUTH DAKOTA
Bad River Watershed Project — Watershed Management Model Works in South Dakota .... 152
Riparian Improvement on the East River — Information and Education are Keys to Success . . 154
TENNESSEE
A New Era for the West Sandy Creek Watershed — Tennessee Works with Landowners to
Reduce Erosion 157
TEXAS -
Protecting the Edwards Aquifer — Urban Development BMPs in Central Texas ......... 158
Clean Texas 2000 — Urban Composting Program Meets Its Goals 160
Wellhead Protection Program — Communities and Wellhead Protection Follow-up . ' 162
UTAH
Rangeland Restoration — New Management Practices in the Otter Creek Watershed ...... 164
Miles of Fences, Hundreds of Cows — Farmers on the Little Bear River Protect Water Quality . 165
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
UERMONT
Agricultural Best Management Practices Lead to Less. Phosphorus in Lake Memphremagog . . 167
Integrated Crop Management — Preventing Agricultural Pollution 169
UIRGINIA
Lower Powell'River—Riparian Restoration and Karst Conservation Program ., : . . 171
Alternative Watering Systems for Livestock — The Middle Fork Holston River Builds on
Success ' 173
WASHINGTON
Irrigation Best Management Practices in the Moxee Drain — The Yakima River Basin Water
Quality Plan •....' 175
Sediment Control in the Skagit and Stillaguamish River Basins —A Pilot Project,. ....... 177
WEST VIRGINIA
Certification Program for Timber Harvesters — Changes in West Virginia's Approach to
Logging Sediments '•-,-. 179
Potomac Headwaters Water Quality Project — Poultry Production and the Environment .... 180
WISCONSIN
In the East River Watershed — An Animal Waste Treatment Demonstration 182
Water Action Volunteers Paint the Town — Wisconsin Citizens Work to Protect Their
Resources • • •' '•- • 184
WYOMING
Restoring. Riparian Areas Improves Trout Fishery — The Squaw and Baldwin Creeks-
Watershed '... 185
Increasing Livestock Grazing on Plateaus — Water Development for Loco Creek . . 187
TERRITORIES
GUAM
Guam Environmental Protection Agency Shifts Course — Nonpoint Source Management
Reduces Discharges to Tumon Bay 189
NORTHERN MARIANAS ISLANDS
Turning Problems into Advantages — The Marianas Islands Responds to Nonpoint Sources .
in the Lau Bay Watershed . . •! 190
PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico's Nonpoint Source Management Program —:New Regulations Expected in 1997 .193
VIRGIN ISLANDS
Boaters Contribute to Water Quality — Education Leads to Better Marine Sanitation
Practices .:..... 194
Erosion and Sedimentation on St. John — For Virgin Islanders, Knowledge is Action 195
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
TRIBES
INDIAN NATIONS: Project Accomplishments and Long-term Plans 197
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Cherokee Critical Area Treatment —Trout Return to Streams 198
Mississippi Band of Cfioctaw Indians
Choctaw Tribe Assesses Soil Erosion and Siltation — Proposes Water Quality Best
Management Practices ' 199
Colville Confederated Tribes
Owhi Lake — Restoring a Resident Fishery ' 201
Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes
Demonstrating the Effects of Managed Grazing 203
Hoopa Valley Tribe
The Hoopa Valley Tribe is Making Plans — A Soil Remediation Project to Remove Leaking
Diesel Fuel 204
Hualapai Tribe
Hualapal Tribe, Northwestern Arizona 205
Seminole Tribe of Florida
Projects on the Brighton and Tampa Reservations 206
Confederated Tribes of the UmatiKa Indian Reservation
Protecting the Floodplain. Riparian, and In-stream Habitat 207
GLOSSARY . 209
INDEX 213
vi
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES —
The Successful Implementation of the Clean Water Act's
Section 319 Nonpoint Source Pollution Program
This document is the second volume of
Section 319 Success Stories, the first of which
was published in November 1994. That
document illustrated the states' achievements
in their initial efforts to implement their
nonpoint source programs under section 319 of
the Clean Water Act. This second volume •
demonstrates the maturation of the state
programs, replete with .many examples of • .
documented water quality improvements,
improved fisheries, reduced loadings, and
increased public awareness that are a result of
the many projects that have received section
319 funding, .
Success Stories: Volume II contains .
approximately two stories per state and one
story per territory and tribe. Each story contains
an overview of a state, territory, or tribe's 319
project. Some of the stories are updates of
stories contained in the first volume of Success .
Stories; but most are new stories about projects
that have been implemented since publication
of the first volume. Collectively, they represent
only a fraction of the section 319 project .
successes.
Nonpoint source pollution
The United States has made significant
progress during the last 25 years in its
commitment to clean up the aquatic
environment by controlling pollution from
industries and sewage treatment plants ("point
source pollution"). We did not, however, do
enough to control pollution that stems from
diffuse, or nonpoint, sources. Today, nonpoint
source pollution remains the nation's largest
source of water quality problems. It is the main
reason that approximately 40 percent of
surveyed rivers, lakes, and estuaries are not
clean enough to meet basic uses such as fishing
or swimming. .
Nonpoint source pollution occurs when
rainfall, snowmelt, or irrigation runs over land
!or through the ground, picks.up pollutants, and
deposits them into rivers, lakes, and coastal
waters or introduces them into groundwater.
Nonpoint source pollution also includes
adverse changes to the hydrology of water
bodies and their associated aquatic habitats.
The most.common nonpoint source
pollutants are soils and nutrients that
stormwater runoff picks up as it flows overland
to rivers and streams; for example runoff from
agricultural land and other treated open spaces,
'urban developments, construction sites, roads,
and bridges. Other common nonpoint source
pollutants include pesticides, pathogens
(bacteria and viruses), salts, oil, grease, toxic
chemicals, and heavy metals.
The most recent National Water Quality
Inventory (1994) indicates that nonpoint sources
comprise .the leading sources of water pollution
in the United States today. For example, of the
17 percent of rivers and streams surveyed by
states, 36 percent were found to be impaired,
and agriculture was found to be impairing 60
percent of those waters, with some of the other
leading sources including hydrological/habitat
modification (17 percent), urban runoff and
storm sewers (12 percent), removal of
streamside vegetation (10 percent), and forestry
(9 percent).'
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ((
-------
SECTION 319(h) REGIONAL GRANT AWARDS
Fiscal Year 1995-1996 = $92,503,104
Section 319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for FY 1996
• , Cross Cutting NFS Category: $37,190,443
S Agriculture: $31,805,216
B Urban Runoff: $10,875,702
!H Silviculture: $1,960,411
iD Construction: $1,339,722
03 Resource Extraction: $2,257,210
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $1,059,874
E3 Hydrologic Modification: $2,126,552
D Other: $3,887,974
REGION 1
Connecticut, Maine, Massachuefts,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
REGION 2
Now Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico,
Virgin Islands
REGION 3
Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
REGION 4
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky;
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee
REGION 5
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio,
Wisconsin
$4,552,302
$3,939,508
$8,132,899
$17,225,800
$17,938,688
' , i
,-j
i
'-'''• ii
REGION 6
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico,
Oklahoma, Texas
REGION 7
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
REGION 8
Colorado, Montana, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming
REGION 9
American Samoas, Arizona, California,
Guam, Hawaii, Nevada
REGION 10
Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
$11,958,259
$8,089,152
$7,509,895
$7,588,195
$5,732,061
SOURCE: Section 319(h) grant award data was downloaded from EPA's Grant Reporting and Tracking System (CRTS) for section 319
grants in July 1997. CRTS is a program and project management tool to assist EPA headquarters, regions, and state participants in the
nonpoint source program.
Nonpoint source pollution was also
found to be a very significant source of
pollution to lakes and estuaries as well. For
these reasons, most of the waters listed by
states under section 303(d) of the Clean Water
Act as failing to meet water quality standards,
are listed in whole or in significant part as the
result of nonpoint source pollution.
Beach closures, destroyed habitat,'unsafe
drinking water, fish kills, and many other severe
environmental and human health problem are
related to nonpoint source pollutants. They
also spoil the beauty of healthy, clean water
habitats. Each year the United States spends
$100 million through the section 319 program
to restore and protect areas damaged by
nonpoint source pollutants.
SECTION 3)9 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME [(
-------
Nonpoint Source Program—Section
319 of the Clean Water Act
Congress established the national .'••
nonpoint source program in J987 when it
enacted the Clean Water Act amendments of .
that year. The amendments included a new
section that considerably strengthened the
states' capacity to respond to nonpoint'source
pollution. . ' { .' '.. •...'•.'•'.
Section 319 established a three-stage
, program whereby states;
• conduct statewide assessments of their
waters to identify those that are impaired •
(that do not fully support state water :
quality standards) or threatened (that
presently meet water quality standards
but are unlikely to continue to meet water
quality standards fully) because of
nonpoint sources; •
• develop nonpoint source management
programs to address the impaired or
threatened waters identified in the
nonpoint assessments; and
• implement their EPA-approved
nonpoint source management programs
to support their implementation efforts.
.EPA has now approved assessments and
management programs for all states and .
territories, and most states are now reviewing
and upgrading their nonpoint source
management programs to address nine key
elements:
1. Each state program contains explicit
short- and long-term goals, objectives,
and strategies to protect surface and
groundwater.
2. The state will support working
partnerships and linkages to appropriate
state, interstate, tribal, regional, and local
. • entities (including conservation districts),
private sector groups; citizens groups,
arid federal agencies.
3. The state balances its approach to
emphasize .statewide nonpoint source
nonpoint source programs and'
on-the-ground management of local
watersheds where waters are impaired or
threatened.
4, The state program (a) abates known water
quality impairments from nonpoint
source pollution and (b) prevents
. significant threats to waterquality from
present and future nonpoint source
activities. , •
5, The state program identifies waters and
watersheds impaired by nonpoint source
pollution and unimpaired waters that are
threatened or otherwise at risk.
Subsequent to its identification of these
waters, the state will include them in
more detailed watershed assessments.
The state will help local areas develop
and carry out watershed implementation
plans.
6. The state reviews, upgrades, and
r implements all program components
required by section 319(b) of the Clean
Water Act, and establishes flexible,
purposeful, and iterative approaches to-
achieve and maintain beneficiaLuses of
water as expeditiously as practicable.
State programs include
• A mix of water quality- or .
technology-based programs designed
to achieve and maintain beneficial uses
of water; and
• A mix of regulatory, non-regulatory, '
financial and technical assistance as
needed to achieve and maintain
beneficial uses of water as
expeditiously as practicable.
7. The state may also identify federal lands
and activities that are not managed
consistently with its state nonpoint ,
source program objectives; if so, it may
seek EPA help to resolve issues.
8, The state manages and executes its . •
nonpoint source program efficiently and
effectively, including necessary financial
management.
9. The state will periodically review and
evaluate its nonpoint source
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
management program using functional
measures of success, and on this basis
will revise its nonpoint source
assessment and management program at
least every five years.
In Fiscal Years (FY) 1990 through 1997,
EPA awarded nearly $571.5 million to states and
territories under section 319. A small portion of
the annual section 319 appropriation, one-third
of one percent ($330,000), is by statute annually
set aside for Indian tribes. To date, EPA has
approved nonpoint source assessments and
management programs for 11 tribes and they
are receiving section 319 funding to support
their nonpoint source programs (see page 197).
EPA awards grants to states using an
allocation formula based on population,
cropland acreage, critical aquatic habitats,
pasture and rangeland acreage, forest harvest
acreage, wellhead protection areas, mining, and
pesticide use to determine the amount to be
awarded to each state. Each year, the
congressional appropriation for section 319 is
multiplied by the applicable percentage based
on the formula to determine each state's
allocation for that year. Each state or tribe is
required to provide a 40-percent nonfederal
dollar match.
Responsibility for the 319 program
EPA is divided into 10 Regions, with
offices in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia,
Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Denver,
San Francisco, and Seattle. Each EPA Region
has a nonpoint source Coordinator who is
familiar with the nonpoint source programs in
each of the states, territories, and tribes in that
region and the 319 funding process that
supports them. In turn, each state has a
designated nonpoint source Coordinator
responsible for managing the state's nonpoint
source activities and funds. In most states, this
Coordinator is located in the state's water
quality agency. In several states, however, the
nonpoint source Coordinator is located in the
state's conservation agency, health agency, or
agricultural agency. Increasingly, decisions
about funding and program priorities are made
by a broad-based nonpoint source Task Force
representing not only state agencies but other
stakeholders at the state and local level.
Defining success
The objective of the Clean Water Act is to
"restore and maintain the chemical, physical,
and biological integrity of the Nation's waters."
To help achieve this objective, EPA and the .
states have agreed on the following Vision
statement, which was published in the Nonpoint
Source Program and Grants Guidance for Fiscal Year
1997 and FutureYears (May 1996): "All states
implement dynamic and effective nonpoint
source programs designed to achieve and
maintain beneficial uses of water." EPA has also
established a goal under the Government
Performance and Results Act (GPRA) that is
designed to move us towards ultimate
attainment of water quality standards: "By 2005,
nonpoint source sediment and nutrient loads •
to rivers and streams will be reduced. Erosion
from cropland, used as an indicator of success
in controlling sediment delivery to surface
waters, will be reduced by 20 percent from 1992
levels."
Many of the projects contained in Success
Stories-. Volume II directly address the Clean water
Act goal of achieving water quality standards as
well as the GPRA goals outlined above. In the
"Highlights" discussion set forth immediately
below, we summarize some of the pertinent
information relevant to achieving water quality
standards and to reducing pollutant loads. In
addition, we highlight other successful state
nonpoint source programs and projects that
have not yet resulted in demonstrated water
quality improvement but can be expected to
ultimately help the states achieve their water
quality goals. These include a range of activities
such as implementation of best management
practices,, training programs, development of •
new enforceable policies and mechanisms, and
volunteer monitoring activities.
Highlights
Projects funded with section 319 dollars.
have over the past seven years resulted in a
variety of water quality improvements, load
reductions, and multilevel, interagency ,
partnerships in watershed projects. Section 319
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
Success Stories: Volume II showcases only some of
these successes. In this document, examples of
reduced nutrient concentrations, pathogens,
and other pollutants in waterbodies can be
found in'20 projects in 16 states. Examples of
trout returning and improved fisheries are
documented in 12 projects in 10 states. This
document reports that in four 319 projects in
four states, shellfish beds have reopened. We
have included examples of load reductions
(decreases in the amount of nutrients entering
waterbodies) in 20 projects in 18 states and
tribes. Success Stories-. VolumeII also provides
descriptions of multilevel, interagency
partnerships in 13 projects in 12 states, and six
new laws in five states are giving states the
authority they need to control certain nonpoint
sources of pollution.
> Trout return and fish habitats improve.
Sediment from eroding croplands can enter
streams. When it settles, this sediment covers
the gravel beds that fish use as spawning
grounds and alters the stream's overall
characteristics. In addition, sediments often
create wide, shallow streams that warm rapidly
and provide habitat conditions that are
' particularly unfavorable for fish survival.
Section 319, projects have resulted in many
examples of trout returning and improved fish
populations in rivers. Best management
practices (BMPs) have improved habitats,
decreased nonpoint source flows, and created
clean water diversions. Trout are returning or
fish habitats are improving in rivers in Idaho,
• Iowa, Montana, North Carolina, Wyoming, Ohio,
Alabama, California, Colorado, the Cherokee
Nation, and others.
> Shellfish beds reopen. Pollution caused by
urban runoff can adversely affect waters that
contain shellfish beds. Elevated levels of fecal
coliform bacteria (bacteria normally found in
the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals)
contribute to the pollution and eventual
closure of shellfish beds. Section 319 projects
that control soil erosion, redirect manure
applications, or form citizen monitoring
programs have resulted in the reopening of
shellfish beds in at least four states:
Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, and Rhode
Island.,
>•- Reduced loadings. Rain washes silt and
other soil particles off plowed fields,
construction sites, logging sites and roads,
urban areas, and strip-mined lands into
waterbodLes. Sediment and siltation can
severely alter aquatic communities by
suffocating fish eggs; adding pollutants to a
waterbody, and interfering with recreational
activities. Nutrients and toxic chemicals may
attach to sediment particles-on land and run off
into surface waters when it rains. Section 319
grants used for vegetative filter strips in riparian
(streambank) areas, constructed wetlands,
detention basins, nutrient management,
integrated pest management, and conservation
tillage have all contributed to reduced loadings
of sediment into waterbodies. Load reductions
have been measured in projects in Washington,
.Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland, New York,
California, Ohio, South Dakota, and*other states.
> Partnerships. Section 319 projects have also
proved to be a catalyst for other groups and
projects. A habitat restoration project in Pike
Run Watershed, Pennsylvania, is a good
example of this "multiplier effect." A new
"Farmland Habitat Project" modeled after the
Pike Run project will be implemented on an
even larger scale by nine neighboring
watersheds with a generous monetary award
from a California Foundation. Other projects
with outstanding partnership efforts are located
in Colorado, Indiana, Missouri, South Dakota,
Arkansas, Missouri, and other states. . ,
>• New enforceable authorities. Section 319
of the Clean Water Act provides that states
include both nonregulatory and regulatory
programs to achieve nonpoint source controls.
While most states place a priority on promoting
nonpoint source controls through voluntary
approaches such as financial assistance,
technical assistance, and training, many states
supplement or back up these approaches with
enforceable authorities. These authorities range
from specific prescription of practices (e.g., to
control animal manure or to reduce erosion in
urban developments) to more general back-up
authorities that .enable a state to order
abatement of specific activities that are
causing, contributing to, or threatening to
create water quality problems. This volume
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
provides examples of some new state enforce-
able policies and mechanisms established in
Kl Vermont. North Carolina, Florida, Kentucky,
|i| Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
For more information
The stories in this document are
"thumbnail" sketches, nontechnical reviews that
reflect only a small portion of each project's
larger purposes. For further information, please
call the state or local-contact listed at the end
of the story you wish to know more about. You
may also contact EPA Headquarters Nonpoint
Source Control Branch, Washington., DC 20460,
at (202) 260-7100. You can also find us on the
Internet: www.epa.gov/owow/NPS.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $62,433
S Agriculture: $1,338,156
H Urban Runpff: $0
E3 Silviculture: $20,286
DID Construction: $Q
E Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
H Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $640,680
Conserving Alabama's Lakes and Rivers —
The Sand Mountain/Lake Guntersville Watershed Project
The Sand Mountain/Lake Guntersville
Watershed Project, one of the first major
nonpoint source projects in the
southeastern United States, encompasses four
hydrologic units that drain to Guntersville
Reservoir, a mainstem reservoir on the '•
Tennessee River in northeastern Alabama. The
400,800-acre watershed has a predominantly
rural landscape; it is characterized by small
towns and farms (45 to 50 acres), The local .
economy is driven by agriculture and
agribusiness, and is strongly influenced by
poultry and livestock production,
Water quality problems in the watershed,
first noted in the 1979 State Agricultural Runoff
Management Plan, were underscored in 1981,
when Town Creek, one of the area's principal
streams, was rated as a critical watershed:
having a high potential for pollution. In 1985,
the entire watershed, consisting of the Town,
Short, Scarham, and South Sauty Creeks, was
designated a top priority watershed.
In response;'the Soil Conservation
Service, now the Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS), and local soil and
water conservation districts developed a water
quality plan. This plan outlined the sources and
nature of water quality impairments in the
watershed and suggested some remedies.
Nutrients, bacteria, and sediment were among
the primary problems, and they had diffuse and
multiple sources: for example, animal waste
disposal,, on-site sewage disposal, dead animal
disposal, household wastewater, and cropland
runoff. _ . - .
A large number of federal, state, and local
agencies helped the NRCS put the water quality
plan into action. Best management practices
were recommended, and technical and financial
assistance encouraged many landowners to use
best management practices as part of. their
routine. A large-scale cooperative effort had
begun.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
Fishery is improving
The Sand Mountain/Lake Guntersville
Watershed Conservancy District was
established in 1989 and a project coordinator
position was created to better manage the
project. Funding for BMP demonstrations and
water quality monitoring was provided to this
new entity through section 319. However, the
installation of best management practices
continued to be cost-shared between
landowners and various agencies or programs,
such as Agricultural Conservation Program,
Water Quality Special Projects, and Hydrologic
Unit Area.
Significant changes in the status of water
quality have been observed in the project area
as a result of these cooperative and ongoing
programs: fewer violations of annual in-stream
water quality standards, a more balanced pH,
and reduced nitrogen inputs. The Alabama
Department of Environmental Management
receives fewer complaints, the fishery is
improving in at least one of the major streams
in the watershed, and pollutant loadings have
fallen as a result of better animal waste
management and nutrient management
planning. An annual volunteer monitoring
contest for high school students in the
watershed has increased involvement and '
awareness in water quality. More important, the
cooperation fostered by and coordinated
through the Conservancy District has improved
relationships among the participants.
Pollutant loadings have
decreased in the project area as
a result of these cooperative and
ongoing programs.
The Conservancy District is currently
planning for sustainability and future growth.
As the project progresses, new stakeholders
become involved and additional problems are
brought forward for solution. The ultimate goal
.is to provide for ongoing community
involvement in the project area.
CONTACT: Steve Foster
Alabama Department of Environmental Management
334213-4309
Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring —
The Alabama Water Watch
Scores of citizen groups interested in the
conservation of lakes and streams have
sprung up in Alabama in recent years.
Such groups include lakefront home owner/boat
owner associations, environmental clubs of
high schools and universities, canoe or kayak
clubs, and other statewide and national
environmental organizations. Their motives
range from pride and concern for a local
resource to anger over unchecked pollution.
The Alabama Water Watch Program (AWW), a
statewide coalition of monitoring groups
incorporated in 1995 to train and coordinate
active monitoring groups in various Alabama
watersheds, exemplifies this public interest:
Dedicated to developing citizen volunteer
monitoring of Alabama's lakes, streams, and
wetlands, AWW is funded, in part, by a Clean
Water Act section 319 grant from U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 and
the Alabama Department of Environmental
Management. It is coordinated through the •
Department of Fisheries and Allied
Aquacultures of Auburn University. The goals of
the Alabama Water Watch Program are to
• educate citizens about water issues in
Alabama and the world,
• train volunteers to measure the condition
of water at sites of concern, and
• improve environmental policy by
challenging citizens to actively participate
in identifying long-term water quality
trends and specific problems that need
immediate attention.
8
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUME (I
-------
AWW helps its members become
"globally aware and locally active" in aquatic
resource management. AWW is also a
grassroots program; each participating citizen
group has the privilege and responsibility to
plan its own agenda and use of data. Finally,
AWW is holistic in its approach. Water, AWW's
adherents say, is. the "grand integrator" of all
that occurs within a watershed, and citizens
need to be .involved in the ecological,
sociocultural, and political aspects of land and
water use. .'.-._
Training citizen monitors
AWW conducts basic certification
workshops in which citizens are trained to
monitor and evaluate physical, chemical, and
biological water quality indicators. Six water
quality parameters form the core of water -
quality data: water temperature, pH, total
alkalinity, total hardness, dissolved oxygen, and
turbidity. The training workshop shows each
monitor how to use a custpmized kit to collect
the chemical data.
BIO-ASSESS,-an environmental game
developed at Auburn University, helps the
trainees prepare to do biological assessments.
They also learn through field collection and
evaluations of stream macroinvertebrate
communities. About 30 to 50 percent of the
workshop time (each workshop is six hours) is
spent in the field so that the monitors can
begin with hands-on monitoring experience. .
Then, each participant selects one or more
sampling sites near home. The sites should be
convenient, accessible (physically and legally),
and safe.
The most important aspect of a citizen
monitoring program is to protect the credibility
of the data through an effective Quality
Assurance (QA) Program. EPA and Alabama's
Department of Environmental Management
approved a Quality Assurance/Quality Control
manual for statewide citizen volunteer water
quality data in September 1994. One of the first
citizen-based QA protocols in the United
States, this manual addresses 16 elements of
data collection and processing. It has also been
used as a tool for the annual recertification of
monitors and in the development of the test
kits. A fujl-time quality officer coordinates the
database and all QA protocols,
By December 1995, about 950 people had
attended basic certification'workshops to
become, water quality monitors. About 160
water quality test kits were distributed and
several others had been purchased by citizen
groups or other organizations. Since the
program started in 1993, 52 citizen groups have
participated in the Alabama Water Watch, and
41 groups have sent in data within the last six
months. About 35 percent of these groups are
teachers and students.
The potential for AWW citizen
groups to create an integrated
and in-depth database on water
quality greatly exceeds that of
government agencies
and universities.
Over 180 sites, on nearly 100 waterbodies
have been.monitored. More than 1,500 data
forms have been received from the'lO major
watersheds in Alabama. Even more, important,
all data have been entered into a computer
database. The data are then summarized,
graphed, interpreted, and presented to the
monitors, policymakers, and other interested
citizens through two avenues: the semiannual
Alabama Water Watcfi newsletter (published by
Troy State University with funds from the EPA
and the state) and a bimonthly Water Quality
Bulletin (published by Auburn University).
Ongoing activities, increasing benefits
AWW monitoring groups are most active
in the northeast quadrant of the state,
especially in the Coosa, Tennessee, and
Tallapoosa watersheds. One of the largest
groups in AWW is the Coosa River Basin
Initiative. Based in Georgia, with monitors in'
both states, this group exemplifies an
important organizing principle: AWW monitors
are oriented to watersheds, not political
boundaries. Ongoing activities will help fortify
the program in the western and central parts of
the state, For example, the citizen group at
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
Weeks Bay (in the Mobile watershed) has
recently become very active.
A series of Training the Trainers
workshops began in March 1995 that added four
to six citizen trainers to Alabama's statewide
roster, An Alabama Water Watch Teacher
Coordinator joined the staff of Troy State
University in June 1995, and a volunteer
Monitor Coordinator joined the Alabama Water
Watch at Auburn University in January 1996. In'
addition to financial support from section 319'
and state funding, the program has received
two grants from Legacy, inc., to help pay for the
annual replacement of chemical reagents in all
water quality test kits and similar program
needs. More important, citizen monitors have
accrued thousands of hours in workshops and
field sampling, which AWW can use as a
valuable component in grant proposals for
cost-share funding.
The Water Watch program acknowledges
its debt to previous and ongoing citizen
monitoring projects around the country. It also
benefits a variety of programs by sharing its
concepts and methodologies with other states
and countries. Indeed, the approach and
resources of AWW have been implemented or
presented for possible implementation in the
Philippines, Ecuador, and Vietnam.
International Visitors from several countries
have visited AWW groups on two occasions to •
exchange ideas regarding citizen monitoring.
Such exchanges have kept a true "global to
local" focus within the AWW program.
The potential for AWW citizen groups to
create an integrated and in-depth database on
water quality greatly exceeds that of
government agencies and universities. Citizens
can reach a greater number of sites, Visit or staff
more trend stations, and sample with greater
frequency and responsiveness to special
sampling needs (e.g., pollution spills or storm.
events). A large pool of citizen data serves as a
first alert to water quality problems and
troubled waterbodies that need state resources.
To that end, the Department of Environmental
Management supports and applauds the
formation of a Citizen Advisory Council
composed of AWW monitors and citizen
leaders. The Council meets quarterly with the
department to discuss pertinent water issues
and ways of collaboration. .
CONTACT: William G. Deutsch
"Alabama Water Watch
. Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquaculture
Auburn University
334844-9119
10
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME [(
-------
ALnSKn
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $220,906
S Agriculture: $0 .
H Urban Runoff: $56.9,986
03 Silviculture: $131,141
11 Construction: $0
B Resource Extraction: $33,936
H Stowage and Land Disposal: $58,854
H Hydrologic Modification: $0
CD Other: $0 ' " . .
Alaska Piggybacks Environmental Projects —
A Manual for Stream Crossings Provides
Fish Habitat Improvements
Improper design and installation of stream
crossings and other cross-drainage
structures often results in'two major
problems. First, they become barriers to the
free movement of fish; second, they require
more maintenance than properly installed
crossings. The problem can be most acute in
' the oil fields on Alaska's North Slope, where
ice and snow accumulations intensify spring.
runoff events.
. -The Alaska Department of Environmental
Conservation, recognizing the seriousness of
this problem, began working on its solution in
the state's 1990 Nonpoint'Source Pollution
Control Strategy. Specifically, the Department
asked the Nonpoint Source Oil and Gas
Working Group, consisting of industry, borough,
and agency'representatives, to help the state
determine a course of action.
. After some deliberation, the working
group recommended the development and
• publication of consistent design and
installation standards for culverts, bridges, and
pipeline crossings on all North Slope fish .
streams. A manual containing such standards is
now available for all resource managers, mining
operators, and residents of the North Slope..
As predicted, the manual is used
whenever new structures are needed and
routinely to 'ensure that maintenance, either
regular repairs or 'retrofits of older crossings,
will adequately reduce pollution and improve
fish passage.,
Surveys demonstrate project
effectiveness
This project is a companion task to a
survey completed by the Alaska Department of
Fish and Game under the same work plan. Fish
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUME H
11
-------
and Game surveyed 10 stream crossings and
verified the success of fish habitat remedial
actions at five high-priority stream crossings.
The manual is used whenever
new structures are needed and
to ensure that maintenance will
adequately reduce pollution and
improve fish passage.
The database and conclusions generated
from the survey were intended to support
improvements in the stream crossings manual.
In turn, the manual has helped reduce the
impact of culverts, bridges, and cross-drainage
structures on wetlands and water and should
reduce permitting and project review times for
both industry and state agencies.
CONTACTS: Steve Willingham
Andrew Grant
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
907 465-5304
12
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
ARIZONA
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting HPS Category: $844,850
S Agriculture: $270,964
H Urban Runoff: $0
03 -Silviculture: $0
fflD Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
H Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
Nonpoint Source Management Zones —
A New Tool for the Upper Gila Watershed
The Upper Gila watershed occupies an area
larger than five eastern -states. With 7,200
square miles in Arizona, and another
5,000 square miles across the border in New
Mexico, it is a clear example of the usefulness
of organizing smaller nonpoint source
management zones for programs initiated
under section 3.19.
Land ownership of the Gila management
zone is comprised of 10 percent private,
34 percent Indian Nation, 45 percent federal
and 15 percent state trust lands. The principal
industries are agriculture, ranching, mining,
recreation, and small businesses.. The Upper
Gila River violates water quality standards for ;
turbidity, heavy metals, fecal cpliform, and
pH level. ' . •
It's all in the planning
The San Carlos/Safford/Duncan Nonpoint
Source Management Zone, on the eastern side
of Arizona, was established in 1993..Led by
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUMEH
volunteers representing a cross-section of
communities, the advisory group developed a
long-range strategic plan designed specifically
for the watershed to address known nonpoint
source pollution issues such as'salinity,
turbidity, and pesticides in groundwater. The
plan introduces time-tested strategies to
manage nonpoint sources holistically. A
significant component of the plan has been to
form a contract with Arizona State University to
perform an ecological inventory and analysis of
the Gila River. In cooperation with local
.community colleges, the study will focus on
collecting information and incorporating all
known historical data into one document. The '
study is expected to be a benchmark for all
future studies and projects involving this
management zone.
> Historically, throughout the Safford Valley,
high levels of salinity have threatened the
Gila River.The advisory group has introduced a
canal sampling program to monitor this
13
-------
problem and to gage the effectiveness of
current irrigation practices. The-Arizona
Geological Survey is also helping to profile
saline deposits in the watershed.
>• In most places, a shallow upper aquifer of
good quality water is Separated from a highly
saline lower aquifer by a clay aquitard. Where
the clay is fractured or discontinuous, artisan
pressure forces saline groundwater into the
upper aquifer, thereby creating local saline
conditions.
>• The advisory group sponsored a
Farm*A*Syst program developed especially for
the San Carlos/Safford/Duncan Nonpoint
Source Management Zone by the University of
Arizona. The Farm*A*Syst program helps
farmers and ranchers evaluate their land-use
practices as possible sources of nonpoint
source pollution.
> Grazing allotments are common within this
management zone, particularly in an area
designated as a National Riparian Conservation
Area, As a best management practice, the
advisory group has installed fences in this area ,
to reduce the impact of livestock on water
quality.
> A toolbox of other BMPs for grazing,
recreation, and sand and gravel operations,
is being developed for implementation next
year. Other activities that may contribute
nonpoint source pollution to the environment
must also be addressed through best
management practices.
The plan focuses on solutions to
salinity and pesticides in
groundwater, on Farm*A*Syst
evaluations to help identify
nonpoint sources, and on the
introduction of fencing and other
agricultural BMPs.
>• Educational outreach is an important
aspect of the advisory group's program.
Methods such as special event displays, a
speakers' forum, meetings with local special
interest groups, and multimedia outlets for
news, updates, and progress reports have been
developed.
CONTACTS: Russ Smith
602207-4509
Mike Hill
602207-4518
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
Watershed Protection —
Verde Watershed Management Zone
In central Arizona, the Verde River and its
tributaries represent 170 miles of flowing
desert stream. The river is marked with
marshes, canyons, and woodlands, and travels
through privately owned lands, national forests,
canyons, woodlands, and high desert regions. A
section of the river south of Camp Verde has
received the distinction as a wild and scenic
river. Archaeologic ruins dot the river's
landscape, dating to thousands of years before
the present, and serve as a constant reminder
of the river's value to those who came before us.
The Verde plays an important role for all
who share its resources. Much of the river
ecosystem provides habitat for endangered
species, such as the bald eagle, peregrine -
falcon, southwest flycatcher, and the spikedace
fish. The river also shares itself with those who
enjoy swimming, fishing, and boating. Others
depend on the river to irrigate their farmlands.
• A variety of historical and existing
land-use practices within the Verde watershed
directly or indirectly threaten the integrity of
the river's riparian ecosystem. Nonpoint source
pollution runoff from overgrazed riparian areas,
agricultural diversions, mining; sand and gravel
operations, residential and commercial
development, and recreational activities affect
14
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
the water quality of the Verde River and its
tributaries. Impacts from these activities have
degraded riparian zones and disturbed the
balance of riparian ecosystems, threatening
habitats and species survival.
Yet the watershed's 5.2 million acres •
contains some of the most diverse and valuable
natural and cultural resources in the Southwest.
The population within the Verde watershed, has
surpassed a million with no sign of slowing
down. The central Verde corridor of Sedona,
Cottonwood, and Prescott is the fastest growing
area in Arizona. Current land uses within the
watershed are forestry, grazing, residential and
commercial development, irrigated agriculture,
recreation, and mining.
Watershed protection efforts
Numerous efforts are underway to protect
the Verde River and its watershed from further
degradation. EPA, the Arizona Department of
Environmental Quality, and other agencies and
groups are engaged in regulatory and
nonregulatory activities. Consider, for example,
• trie diversity of agencies and citizen groups and
the strength of their mutual goals. Since
recognition of the Verde as a nonpoint source
management zone in 1993, a plethora of
programs have become active. For example:
> The Oak Creek National Monitoring
Program is in its third year of monitoring Oak
Creek and in its first year of implementing best
management practices in the Oak Creek
Canyon. The principal pollutant to Oak Creek is
fecal coliform. Recreation, residential .
wastewaters, and wildlife have been identified
by volunteer citizens as the principal sources of
pollutants. ;
>• The U.S. Forest Service, Arizona State
Parks, Coconino County Environmental Health
Services, Yavapai County Environmental
Service, and the Arizona Department of
Environmental Quality are developing a
' monitoring strategy for the entire length of Oak
Creek to determine the health of the stream and
to develop a management strategy for
recreational users of the creek.
>• Recreation Resource Management, Inc.,
has'installed trash receptacles throughout Oak
Creek Canyon as a measure to keep litter from
entering the stream. Homeowners associations
operate a watchdog network to identify
recreational vehicles and individuals who
deposit their toilet loads or wash soiled diapers
in the creek. The Oak Creek Canyon Property
Owners Association has developed a grant
application to study the treatment capabilities
of the canyon's soils, and the Coconino County
Environmental Health Service has implemented
a sampling regime along popular recreational
1 reaches of the stream to test for fecal and E. coli
contamination.
The Verde plays an important
role for all who share its
resources. Much of the river
ecosystem provides habitat for
endangered species, such as the
bald eagle, peregrine falcon,
southwest flycatcher, and the
spikedace fish.
>• Slide Rock State Park hosts an average of
2,000 visitors per day each year. Parking along
the road allows another 4,000 people access to
the popular recreation area. The U.S. Forest
Service and Arizona State Parks have recently
improved the trail leading to the tourist
facilities located adjacent to the creek. The
station was also extensively renovated to make
it safer and more attrpctive to visitors.
> Arizona State Parks has published a water
quality booklet using state park funds, and
printed in English and Spanish.
*• Friends of the Forest have been awarded .a
319 grant to develop an educational program
for the Sedona Oak Creek area. The program
will target school-age children and.tourists
driving through the canyon.
>• The Arizona Department of Environmental
Qualify, working with Coconino County
Environmental Health Services, Yavapai County
Environmental Services, and the Oak Creek
Canyon Property Owners Association, has
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
15
-------
nearly completed the Oak Creek Septics
Initiative. This initiative will allow residents
living within the canyon to repair or replace
failing septic systems. The property owners
association has agreed to educate residents
living along Oak Creek to encourage them to
take advantage of this program.
> The Oak Creek Canyon Task Force, a
volunteer citizens committee of land resource
managers and special interest advocates (e.g.,
the Northern Audubon Society, Keep Sedona
Beautiful, the Sedona Chamber of Commerce,
and the World Survivalist Foundation), is
developing long-term strategies to maintain or
improve Oak Creek's water quality.
>• The Arizona Department of Transportation
has installed over 300 yards of post and cable
along Route 89A to limit parking access to the
Creek. More fencing will probably be added.
X The Verde Watershed Watch is a 319
program that involves seven high schools
located throughout the Verde Watershed. Each
school has established a sample area
on the Verde or on a tributary to the Verde to
measure water quality. The monitors also
describe the riparian corridor and land uses
around the sample area. The results are
displayed during the town of Cottonwood's
"Verde River Days," so several thousand people
learn about the quality of the river's health.
>• Verde Irrigation Diversion Program, also a
319 program, is guided by a volunteer citizens
group made up of government and local citizen
representatives from the watershed. Its purpose
is to develop and implement irrigation
diversion structures that will have a minimal
impact on the Verde River. Local cattle ranchers
have played a vital role in this program.
>• Verde Watershed Association, a volunteer
group created by citizens of the watershed to
look at water use planning, facilitate
communication, and build consensus on
natural resource issues, works primarily to ,
ensure sufficient flows in the Verde River to
maintain a healthy river ecosystem, and enough
water supplies to accommodate realistic levels
of future development within the Verde River
basin. The Verde Watershed Association is
currently undergoing a review of its structure
.and organization in an attempt to better meet
the needs of the residents of the Verde
watershed while maintaining the integrity of the
Verde River.
> The Verde Cooperative River Basin Study
was initiated in 1994 at the request of local
sponsors, the watershed association, and the
six natural resources conservation districts
within the Verde watershed. The Natural
Resources Conservation Service conducted the
study with the cooperation of EPA, the Arizona
Department of Environmental Quality, and other
state and federal agencies. Its objective is to
gather all watershed'data into a central
database for general public access through
Verde's Internet home page (www.verde.org).
This database will help citizens understand the
watershed and its natural resources and support
better land use planning'despite pressures from
residential and commercial development,
grazing, sand and gravel operations, and
recreation.
CONTACT: Daniel Salzler
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
602 207-4007
16
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $250,000
S Agriculture: $1,707,400
H Urban Runoff: $0
EH Silviculture: $0
ED Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
H Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
Cadron Creek Dairies Go Regional —
A New Approach to Animal Waste Management
The Cadron Creek Watershed is a
five-county, rural region in central
Arkansas with a high concentration of
poultry and dairy farms. Among its water
' resources, Cadron Creek is widely used for
recreation, canoeing, and fishing; Brewer Lake
provides drinking water to the cities of
Morrilton and Conway. Other land uses in the
project area include forestry (41 percent),
grasslands (52 percent), and croplands
(6 percent). •
Project goals and methodology
All waters within the watershed are
threatened by bacteria and nutrients from
confined animal operations; at least 20 stream
miles do not meet their designated uses, and it
is likely that most small streams in the
watershed do not meet the standard for contact
. recreation. To restore the watershed, the Van
Buren County Conservation District used
section 319 funds to begin an animal waste
management demonstration project in the five
counties: Van Buren, White, Cleburne, Conway,
and Faulkner.
The district used the grant to purchase,
demonstrate, operate, and maintain a portable
land application system for liquid animal waste.
The system collects and land applies liquid
waste from 30 to 40 dairies to reduce water
pollution and return nutrients to pastures and
fields in the watershed. Monitoring on East and
West Ward Creek and the establishment of
on-farm waste management systems are other
key elements of the project to protect the
watershed's streams, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands,
and groundwater.
Early results
Early results indicate some initial
progress toward solving the problem.-With only
slight incentive, farmers are voluntarily applying
best management practices (BMPs) to their
operations, among them:
• dead poultry composting,
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
X
j
• nutrient management planning,
• pasture management,-
• proper grazing use,
• waste management systems, and
• waste management ponds.
The cooperation of so many helps make
the communitywide system affordable and
ensures its operation according to state
approved methods.
The project also functions as an
educational tool; it shows farmers how to use
dairy waste to return valuable nutrients to their
pastures..and it addresses a sensitive public
and regulatory issue, namely, the importance of
using locally driven initiatives to protect local
concerns (e.g., water quality). The Van Buren
County Conservation Commission, working as a
grassroots agency between the Arkansas
Department of Pollution Control and Ecology
and the community, helps solve resource
problems. Thus, the project solidifies a viable
working partnership between the producers and
federal, state, and local agencies, including the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Restoring beneficial uses
Water quality monitoring on the
tributaries of Ward Creek before and after
installation of the waste systems indicates that
the system successfully decreases nutrient and
bacteria loading to the creek. For example, it
has reduced the measure of fecal coliform
bacteria in the stream by a factor of 10 (from
100,000 to 10.000 colonies per 100 mL). The
count is still far higher than the 200 colonies
per mL considered the maximum level for
human contact; however, with continued efforts,
it should be possible to, restore swimming as a
beneficial use of this stream.
Benthic macroinvertebrate communities
(aquatic insects) are another indicator of
watershed health and in-stream conditions.
Species diversity, a standard indicator of
benthic strength, is measured on the Family
Biotic Index (FBI): the lower the FBI, the more
Reel and Hose, and Big Gun Sprinkler for applying
liquid manure to, the land.
Irrigation pump for applying liquid manure to the land.
This is coupled to the sprinkler system.
diverse the community. The FBI in the
monitored stream improved from 5.38 to 4.27;
the first number indicates the probability of
substantial organic pollution; the second, the
.probability of slight organic pollution.
Project managers recommend that
appropriate agencies continue to educate dairy
producers and other citizens about the public
and private benefits of the BMPs.
Eric Staggs, District Director for the Van
Buren County Conservation District recently
received a U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Region 6, Environmental Excellence
Award for his contributions to this project.
CONTACT: Bob Morgan
Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission
501 682-3954
18
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
Moore's Creek and Beatty Branch —
A Subwatershed in the Muddy Fork Hydrologic Unit Area
The Muddy Fork Hydrologic Unit Area
Project, in the Arkansas River basin,
encompasses 47,122 acres, the tributaries
of the Illinois River and Lakes Lincoln, Budd
Kidd, and Prairie Grove. The entire area is a
USDA agricultural assistance, technology
transfer, and demonstration project, A section
319 water quality monitoring operation is also
ongoing in the hydrologic unit area, specifically,
in the Moore's Greek and Beatty Branch
subwatershed. Moore's Creek and Beatty
Branch are in the Grand Neosho part of the
Arkansas River basin between the Boston
Mountains and the Springfield Plateau. These
same tributaries form Lincoln Lake, a drinking
water reservoir serving Lincoln, Arkansas. The
319 project monitors these waters to help
establish the usefulness of nutrient-BMPs. ;
Nutrient enrichment causes problems
A major source of pollution in the project
area is nutrient enrichment resulting from
confined animal feeding operations and pasture
management. According to the state's 1996
Water Quality Inventory Report, a publication of
the Arkansas Department of Environmental
Protection, water in the Grand Neosho basin .
only partially supports aquatic life, while land
uses, primarily poultry production and pasture
management, are major sources'of nutrients
and chronic high turbidity.
Pathogens sampled in the Muddy Fork
Hydrologic Unit Area also exceed acceptable
limits for primary contact recreation
(swimming). This problem was reported:in the
1994 water quality inventory, and it, too, was
•traced to extensive poultry, swine, and dairy
operations in the Moore's Creek basin..
Essentially, all parts of the subwatershed are
impacted by these activities.
Monitoring nutrient practices
The Muddy Fork project applied nitrogen
and phosphorus management practices
throughout the basin to help control the flow of
nutrients from confined animal feeding
operations. The 319 project began in September
1991, To demonstrate the integrated impact of
the nutrient best management practices on
water quality, five monitoring sites were
established on Moore's Creek and Beatty
Branch. At three sites, monitors collected
biweekly grab samples; at the other two
(downstream) sites, they collected storm-event
samples in addition to biweekly grabs. All
sampling was conducted in accordance with an
EPA-approved Quality Assurance Plan.
A major source of pollution in
the project area is nutrient
enrichment resulting from
confined animal feeding
operations and pasture
management.
Areas under BMP implementation were
matched to the monitoring stations. At the
Moore's Creek storm-event station, 24.3 percent
of the land has come under BMPs since the
project began. Since only about half.of the A
watershed is in pasture, this figure represents ,
about half the available acreage. At the Beatty
Branch storm-event site, 36 percent of the total
land is under BMP protocols, or about
two-thirds of the available pasture.
The grab samples were analyzed for
nitrate nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, total
Kjeldahl nitrogen, orthophosphorus, total
phosphorus, chemical oxygen demand, total
suspended solids, fecal coliform, fecal
streptococci, pH, conductivity, dissolved
oxygen, and temperature. The storm-event
samples were tested for the same parameters
with the exception of pH, conductivity,
dissolved oxygen, and temperature.
Logging interferes
The project's original design was
threatened after the project began, when the
new owners of High Ocean Ranch (800 acres of
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
19
-------
Moore's Creek bottomlands) decided to sell
their timber. Logging began in late 1995, and .
though it does not affect the Beatty Branch
basin, logging sites above and below the
sampling station could have had significant
effects on the environment and might even
have masked the results of project activities.
To accommodate this situation, project
managers installed an additional sampling
station in the Moore's Creek basin above the
logging activity. Background data collected at
this station will help gage the impact of the
logging operation and make it possible to
partition the effects of the BMPs.
Major accomplishments
Monitoring during the first three years of
the project (1991 to 1994) showed decreasing
levels of ammonia, total Kjeldahl nitrogen,
chemical oxygen demand, nitrate, total
phosphorus, and total suspended solids. To
determine whether these levels continue to
decrease or stabilize at the 1994 post-BMP
levels, the sampling regime has been extended
to September 1997.
The first three monitoring sites
demonstrated significant improvements in
water quality indicators — and, with time, the
chemical oxygen demand also decreased in the
subbasins. Concentration decreases (of nitrate
nitrogen, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and chemical
oxygen demand) at the automated station sites
on Moore's Creek and Beatty Branch are as
follows:
• Nitrate nitrogen (Nh3-N) declined
66 percent per year on Moore's Creek;
54 percent per year on Beatty Branch.
• Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (NH3-N) declined
' 67 percent per year on Moore's Creek;
54 percent per year on Beatty Branch.
• Chemical oxygen demand (COD) declined
44 percent per year on Moore's Creek;
67 percent per year on Beatty Branch.
CONTACT: Bob Morgan
- • Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission
1 . 501 682-3954
20
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
Section 319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for FY 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $3,258,358
H Agriculture: $ 1,506,760
H Urban Runoff: $363,984
ED Silviculture: $207,900
ID Construction: $0
D Resource Extraction: $ 162,000
H Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
El Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0 • .' .
The BIOS Project —
Improving Conditions in Agricultural Watersheds
The Biologically Integrated Orchard System
(BIOS) project is a community-based
pollution prevention program that uses
biological methods to replace chemical farming
practices..It began in 1993 to help California
almond growers and other farmers lessen their
reliance on synthetic pesticides.
Initiating changes in agricultural
watersheds depends in part on finding
management measures that not only use
natural resources efficiently but also protect
and enhance the environment. An example of a
successful management practice is underway in
the San Joaquin and Sacramento "valleys in
central California. Individual farmers,
experimenting with various methods to
increase production, improve quality, reduce
costs, and enhance environmental conditions,
are discovering a cost-cutting alternative to
synthetic pesticides. The new method grows
'crops efficiently and makes a significant
contribution to water pollution control.
Most almond growers have relied on '
organophosphate pesticides, especially
diazinon, to protect their crops. Diazinon,
however, has been identified by state and
federal agencies as a significant pollutant in the
Central Valley's Sacramento, San Joaquin,
Tuolumne, and Merced rivers. As a result, some
chemicals have been taken off the market, and
costs are rising on others. In addition, the
University of California has had data for over a
decade showing that almond production
systems that rely'on biological control and less
toxic pesticides produce as much quality and
total yield as those using diazinon and other
organophosphates.
In 1988, two almond growers — Glen
Anderson, whose farm was organic, and his
brother Ron, who farmed conventionally
decided to find out whether their different
methods produced different yields. Lennie .
Hendricks, a farm adviser with the Merced
County Cooperative Extension, compared the
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
21
-------
two orchards and found little difference in the
number of rejected almonds. Other growers
followed the Andersons' example and their
combined experience provided the basis for
BIOS.
Participating growers adopt a
whole-system management
approach that in effect provides
each grower with a new roster of
management tools.
The BIOS project provides the
information, expertise, and support needed to
help California almond growers move from
reliance on pesticides to biological farming
practices. BIOS was founded in 1993 by the
Community Alliance with Family Farmers
Foundation (CAFF), the University of California
Sustainable Agriculture Research and
Education Program, and the Merced County
Cooperative Extension. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency provides funding through its
Agricultural Initiative Program and a section
319 partnership with the Central Valley
Regional Water Quality Control Board.
How BIOS works
CAFF recruits farmers into three-year
projects. Those recruited operate farms that
vary in size, soil types, irrigation systems, and
chemical inputs. Each farmer enrolls 20 to 30
acres in a regional project, and each project has
20 to 30 enrollees. Each project is managed by
a team composed of local farmers, pest control
advisers, project/farmer organizers, and a
Cooperative Extension agent. This team
provides financial incentives and technical
assistance to help the grower and pest control
advisor create a customized farm management
plan for each BIOS parcel.
Participating growers adopt a
whole-system management approach that in
effect provides each grower-with a new roster of
management tools. The approach considers all
aspects of production: tillage practices;
nutrient, water, and pest management; and soil
and water issues in the larger landscape. For
example, BIOS uses cover crops, compost, and
other natural fertilizers, to decrease soilborne
pest problems and promote soil health. It uses
biological controls — cover crops, natural
areas, and hedgerows — to provide habitat for '
predators and beneficial insects, and to reduce
or even eliminate plant diseases and pests; and
finally, it relies on monitoring and observation
to determine when and if a least harmful •
chemical should be applied.
BIOS also facilitates the exchange, of
information among farmers, pest control
advisers, and researchers who are developing
these systems in their counties. In the past,
only a few farmers had access to this
information or were willing to depart from
customary farming methods. Now with
university, government, and industry partners,
BIOS encourages farmers to share both risk and
information. Participants in a BIOS project
learn through a comprehensive program of field
days, ongoing problem-solving meetings, visits
from the management team, program updates,
field notes, and 'other educational materials. '.
BIOS continues to attract additional
partners and new funding sources, including
state and local agencies, USDA agencies,
private and corporate sponsors, foundations,
and the Almond Commodity Board of
California. Its environmental benefits are
significant:
• To date, 69 almond growers and 20
walnut growers have about 10,514 acres
under BIOS-type management.
• The BIOS soil-building program increases
the soil's capacity to hold and filter water.
• Its cultivation of biological pest •
management alternatives reduces the use
of herbicides, insecticides, and
pesticides, and therefore, their occurrence
in air and water.
• Its use of cover crops and hedgerows
provides habitats and enhances
biodiversity.
• BIOS practices reduce dust and the
incidence of airborne organic
compounds, thereby improving air quality
in the Central Valley.
22
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
BIOS projects are established among
almond growers in Merced,, Stanislaus, Madera,
and San Joaquin counties,, and among walnut
growers in Yolo and Solano counties. As word -
, spreads of their success, other BIOS-style
projects are being developed by other
organizations, including projects for prune
systems, winegrapes, and raisins.
CONTACT: Sam Ziegler
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9
415744-1990
Stream Restoration in Huichica Creek —
Protecting Shrimp Habitat
Much of the Huichica Creek, California,
watershed — formerly known for its
dairies and cattle — is classic Napa
Valley wine country; and the creek itself, a
tributary to the Napa Marsh State Wildlife Area
and San Pablo Bay (about 25 miles north of San
Francisco), provides habitat for an endangered
freshwater shrimp.
Sediment problems, originally caused by
overgrazing and poor dairy practices and later
by the grape growers'- hillside tillage practices,
including vertical tillage, have seriously
destabilized the creek. As a result, runaway
down-cutting of the stream channel, collapsing
streambanks, and increased braiding threaten
not only the creek but also the shrimp — and
ultimately the grapes. However, stakeholders in
the watershed are using strong leadership,
dedicated grower interest, and participation
coupled with technical and financial assistance
from state and federal agencies to provide a
solution to these problems.
A winning situation
A restoration plan is now being
implemented with section 319 funds. It uses
bioengineering techniques and revegetation
with native plants to stabilize the streambanks;
in-stream.checks to reduce the stream gradient
where necessary; and new, lower elevation flood
terraces to .carry high flows and prevent
, streambank erosion.
' Project managers quickly discovered that
repairing streambanks is only a partial solution.
Controlling sediments from upland areas is
critical to protect the work. Mutually acceptable
solutions to upland sediment control include
changes in land management practices, among
them redirecting vertical rows and adding
.cross-slope diversions, terraced planting, runoff
control through terrace backsloping, and
planting grass between vineyard rows.
Agencies, landowners, and managers worked
together to develop a "Natural Resource
Protection and Enhancement Plan."
Sediment problems are less
threatening when the experience
and ingenuity of landowners and
managers are combined with the
technical abilities and assets of
government agencies.
This plan emphasizes land uses that
benefit the owners economically, even as they
protect and enhance the watershed's natural
resources. Sediment problems are less
threatening when the experience and ingenuity
of landowners and managers are combined with
the technical abilities and assets of government
agencies.
As sedimentation decreases, the shrimp-
habitat increases as expected. A more
surprising spin-off of this project has been the
value added to the grape harvests. When
grapevines grow too vigorously, they produce
too much leaf cover, which can rob the grapes .-.
of flavor. Planting grass between the rows not
only helps control erosion, it also reduces the
leaf cover, thereby enhancing the fruit.
CONTACT: Sam Ziegler
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9
415744-1990
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ((
23
-------
n n i
r
COLORADO
3I9(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $248,103
S Agriculture: $366,777
H Urban Runoff: $226,500
EH Silviculture: $0
U Construction: $0
D Resource Extraction: $ 168,675
H Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
E3 Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
The Badger Creek Watershed Project —
Improving Fisheries on the Arkansas River
Badger Creek, a tributary of the Arkansas
River, is an important spawning stream
for brown trout. However, this
approximately 135.000-acre watershed also has
a history, a reputation, for dumping
sediment-laden flood waters into the Arkansas
River, Working together, landowners, local
governments, special interest groups, and state
and federal agencies have made progress to
improve the conditions of the watershed and
reduce nonpoint source pollution.
The project's goals are improved water
quality in the Arkansas River, improved fisheries
in the creek and river, and protection and
improvement of the creek's historical
significance as a brown trout spawning stream.
To ensure the success of these larger goals, the
project includes the following objectives:
• establish flood and sediment controls
throughout the watershed,
• stabilize stream channels,
• improve the vegetation in riparian areas,
and
» improve water and land management.
A work in progress
A section 319 grant gave ranchers the
incentive to install fencing, alternative livestock
watering places, and erosion control structures
on state and private land. The Colorado State
Board of Land Commissioners provided addi-
tional funds to help their leaseholders install
best management practices on state-owned
land. Project-encouraged planned grazing
systems are now in place on 79,788 acres.
The U.S. Forest Service constructed 124
erosion control dams and installed 344 miles of,
stockwater pipeline, four stockwater tanks, and
8.6 miles of fence to facilitate grazing. The
Forest Service also closed and revegetated 7.9
miles of unneeded roads. . .
24
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUME (I
-------
The Bureau of Land Management
completed a land exchange for 80 acres of
important'riparian area, which included the
primary source of perennial waterflow to
the creek. With other partners they
established a riparian grazing
demonstration area to show land managers
and owners how varying the number of
livestock and grazing seasons can improve
a riparian area.
Reduction in sediment
Monitoring results indicate general
upward trends in characteristics .of
vegetation, soils, and stream channels in
areas where management actions have
changed. Increased vegetative cover and
species diversity provide shade and protect
soils, which exhibit increased"
• microorganism activity, more consistent
temperatures, and greater moisture.
Willows are growing once more, with
increasing vigor.
As controlled
grazing produces
more vigorous
vegetation on the
streambanks, the
stream channel
begins to narrow and
deepen at the
monitoring sites.
The vegetation helps
to catch sediment
and litter and build
up streambanks.
Sediment transport
changes are also
apparent, indicating
a reduction in
sediment transport
per volume of water.
The mouth of Badger Creek as it empties into the Arkansas River.
New willow shoots sprouting along upper Badger Creek in the riparian grazing demonstration.
CONTACT: Bill McKee
Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment
• 303692-3583
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
25
-------
I
Management Initiatives Along the South Platte River -
The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District
The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy
District (based in Loveland, Colorado)
begins north of the Denver metropolitan
area and extends more than 1.2 million acres
along the South Platte River and its tributaries
to the Colorado-Nebraska border. The alluvial
aquifer along the South Platte has been
extensively developed for irrigation, industrial .
and municipal purposes, and drinking water.
However, high nitrate levels are presently found
in wells serving several municipalities. These
communities have been forced to seek
alternative drinking water supplies. The
available alternatives, ranging from reverse
osmosis treatment plants to participation in a
regional water supply pipeline, are costly to
residents.
In addition to health concerns (in some
areas, the nitrate level may be as high as 40
parts per million |ppm] — four times the
recommended level for drinking water), the
nitrogen also potentially jeopardizes the
production of high quality sugar beets and
malting barley, the district's major cash crops.
While corn for grain is the largest acreage crop,
approximately 40,000 acres of sugar beets are
also grown in the basin, with gross revenues
exceeding $30 million annually.
Demonstrating total resource
management
Among projects undertaken to protect the
aquifer and the South Platte River, the Northern
Colorado Water Conservancy District is
sponsoring a demonstration of total resource
management for irrigated cropland. Two small
farms of 45 and 20 acres, respectively, provide
area producers an opportunity to evaluate
whole farm management and the transferability
of similar management practices to their own
operations. At the same time, they can assess
the program's cost-effectiveness because the
farms have real expenses and income.
Since a major environmental goal of the
project is to use best management practices to
reduce the amount of nitrate-nitrogen in soil
and water, initial phases of the project focused
on nutrient and irrigation management. Later
phases will demonstrate sediment control with
conservation tillage and polyacrylamide use.
Polyacrylamide, also known as PAM, is a soil
additive that acts as a flocculent to consolidate
soil particles suspended in the irrigation water. . .
The consolidated particles drop out of
suspension and stabilize the furrow surface.
Two chapters of the Colorado Young
Farmers Education Association — the
Thompson Valley Young Farmers and the Valley.
Young Farmers — provided the demonstration
farms. Together these Young Farmer chapters
have more than 80 active members farming an
estimated :20,000 irrigated acres in the project
area. 'Each chapter served as the advisory
committee for operations at its farm site.
Northern Colorado Water
Conservancy District
Northern Coloiado Wats?
Conservancy District
DgflHUisirailoit Site for
Irrigation and Nitrogen Management
(above and right)
Signs posted at
demonstration sites.
The agribusiness community near each
farm also made significant contributions; it
provided inputs for crop production, including
seed, agrichemicals, compost,'manure, and
equipment. The young farmer organizations
prepared the ground prior to planting and
provided seed, fertilizer, chemicals, and the
water for irrigation. The District was'responsible
for planning and performing all other field
operations necessary for normal crop
production.
26
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
Surge irrigation valve and gated pipe set up for surge furrow
irrigation in sugar beet field near Johnson's Corner, Colorado.
Irrigation practices and results
All fields were furrow irrigated. The
control fields were conventionally irrigated,
while water was applied to the others with
surge valves and gated pipe. Surge valves pulse
water across the field, cycling water back and./
forth between two alternating sets of furrows,
using a solar powered controller. The valves :
allow the field alternate wetting and drying .
cycles during irrigation, which permits more
uniform application across the field and
generally improves the efficiency of water use.
Efficiencies can be expressed as the ratio of
water needed or used for crop production to the
volume of water applied to the field. The closer
the value of crop water use is to the actual
application, the greater the efficiency.
Conventional furrow irrigation ranges from 25
to, 60 percent efficiency; surge irrigation
efficiencies range from 30 to 80 percent.
Irrigations were scheduled using the root
zone water balance method along with soil
moisture readings. Average irrigation
efficiencies for the project are depicted in
Table 1.
Groundwater was analyzed for
nitrate-nitrogen oh the Thompson Valley Farm, .
using samples from four observation wells: The
wells were sited so that one" pair represented
water-entering the site, while the other pair
represented water leaving the site (Table 2).
Table. 1 .'—Irrigation effieienees on demonstration
farms along the South Platte.
THOMPSON VALLEY YOUNG FARMERS
FIELD, CROP,
IRRIGATION
METHOD
Sugar Beets - surge
Corn 1 - surge
Corn 2 - surge
Corn - conventional
FIELD SIZE
5.7 acres
6.5 acres
5.8 acres
1 8 acres
Irrigation Efficiencies
1995
59% -
52%
48%
31%
1994
36%
33%
34%
N/A
VALLEY YOUNG FARMERS
Corn 1 - surge
Corn 2 - surge
Corn - conventional
5.8 acres
4.8 acres
1 0 acres
' 46%
39%
36%
21-36%'
21-37%'
N/A
Fields were conventionally irrigated during first half of season
at 2 1 % efficiency. Surge valves were used during second half .
of season, increasing efficiencies to 36% and 37%.
Table 2.— Nitrate-nitrogen in groundwater
observation wells, in parts per million (ppm).
1994
1995
GROUNDWATER
ENTERING SITE
low
4.9
9,9
high
23.0
26.7
avg.
13.7
16.6
GROUNDWATER
LEAVING SITE
low
1.9
3.5
high
8.0
8.9
avg.
5,4
6.5
In addition to the field demonstrations,
the District also operated a surge valve trial
program. Cooperating producers had free use of
a surge valve for one irrigation season, as a way
of introducing them to the unfamiliar
technology. District personnel provided
technical assistance in programming the valve
and suggesting installation options. Where
practical, irrigation application efficiencies were
calculated from measures of the amount of
. water applied and field runoff. Of the 72 valves
loaned during a three-year period, 60 percent
were subsequently purchased by the producers.
CONTACT: Bill McKee
Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment
303692-3583
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
27
-------
CONNECtlCUT
3I9(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting UPS Category: $266,000
ED Agriculture: $169,000
a Urban Runoff: $481,500
E3 Silviculture: $0
(QD Construction: $99,000
D Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
E3 Hydrologic Modification: $53,000
D Other: $20,000
Responding to Urban Development —
Communities in the Mattabesset River Watershed
The Mattabesset River Watershed Pollution
Management Project, initiated in 1992,
targets nonpoint source pollution and the
restoration of riparian areas along the river and
throughout the watershed. Sponsored jointly by
the Middlesex and Hartford county soil and
water conservation districts, the project is
funded primarily by grants under sections 319
and 604(b) of the Clean Water Act, with
nonfederal matching contributions from the
districts and watershed communities.
The Mattabesset River is a major tributary
of the Connecticut River in central Connecticut,
flowing 18 miles from its headwaters in New
Britain to its confluence with the Connecticut
River in Middletown. The watershed's 44,000
acres are highly urbanized and include portions
of seven towns. As a result of intense
development, water quality is impaired, and
important habitats and riparian areas have
been lost. The major project objectives, related
to these conditions, are to
• develop a constituency for protection and
improvement of the river;
• conduct chemical and biological water
quality monitoring to establish baseline
conditions and measure progress;
• establish critical area treatment sites to
demonstrate best management practices;
• develop and implement water quality
management programs for the
municipalities in the watershed; and
• reduce erosion and sedimentation from
urban development sites. • , .
To achieve these objectives, the
conservation districts have conducted
stormwater management workshops for
municipal officials and staff in the watershed
communities. The workshops served as a forum
for ideas and provided an opportunity for
municipal staff from neighboring communities
to build working relationships. The districts -
28
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
Benthic monitoring on the Mattabasett River.
also have provided "one-on-one" technical
training to help municipal staff conduct site
plan reviews and field-based problem solving.
General workshops were conducted for
municipal land use commissioners as part of
regular commission meetings,
The Connecticut RiverWatch Program,
(CRWP) helps the project identify baseline
conditions and water quality problems in the
Mattabesset River. CRWP, a volunteer water
quality monitoring, protection, and improve-
ment program initiated in 1992, is an integral
part of the watershed project. This ongoing
monitoring program has helped the watershed
project focus its efforts to reduce pollution,
especially sediment, nutrients, and bacteria.
Project milestones
Project work in the Mattabesset
watershed has focused on remediation and
restoration. BMPs for sediment control'are
incorporated in new developments, municipal
maintenance measures have been expanded to
preserve riparian values and reduce nonpoint
source pollution, and people are becoming
more involved through education and outreach
programs.
K At Progress Park, an industrial park adjacent
to the Mattabesset in Cromwell, a severely
eroding site from which the topsoil had been
stripped prior to development was stabilized. In
addition, a sediment delta that had formed at
the site's discharge point to the river was
removed, helping to restore the hydrological
conditions in that stretch of the river.
>• On West Swamp Brook in Middletown, an
innovative bioengineering method using
coconut fiber rolls and live plants was used to
stabilize and restore a section of streambank
where loss of riparian vegetation had resulted
in severe erosion. The newly stabilized banks
protect property and water quality.
>• At a public school playing field adjacent to
Belcher Brook in Berlin, custodians roped off
a 10-foot-wide strip along the water's edge to
form a natural vegetative buffer. Previously, the
playing field was being mowed right up to the
streambank.
>* In Cromwell Meadows, a significant tidal
marsh in the mouth of the Mattabesset River,
junk cars and trash we're removed, and cleanup
activities have continued on an annual basis.
> The town of Cromwell used bacteria data
collected from Coles Brook to help justify a
sewer expansion project. A brochure about
septic system maintenance was also distrib-
uted to help residents deal with this problem.
Street sweeping and catch basin pumping
also have decreased sediment and nutrient
.pollution, and district staff are helping the
towns' public works departments develop
pollution prevention plans for town garages'
and parking lots. ,
The Mattabesset watershed project has
improved the quality of the Mattabesset River
and its tributaries. It also has been successful
at encouraging behavior changes that may .
ultimately stem the tide of nonpoint source
pollution. Degraded areas have been
restored and pollution controls designed and
implemented for the new development
projects. -'.'•.'
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME [[
29
-------
Town staff and land use commissioners,
developers, and contractors are more aware of
best management practices to control nonpoint
source pollution and are beginning to adopt
these best management practices as standard
practices. Most promising of all — town staff,
developers, and contractors have developed
stronger working relationships, spurred by a
clearer understanding of the necessity for
nonpoint source pollution controls. In sum, the
project has led to increased communication
and cooperation among the watershed towns.
Project managers view the new, grassroots .
Mattabesset River Watershed Association as an
important measure of their success. Citizens
from the watershed communities have formally
established this organization as a
community-based group. The project believes
that this new group will maintain its vision of a
restored watershed, advocate for its support,
and provide services to ensure the long-term
protection of the river and its watershed.
CONTACT: MeJ Cote
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1
617565-3537
Lake Whitney Artificial Marsh
Treats Urban Runoff
Lake Whitney, in Hamden, Connecticut
(about three miles north of New Haven
Harbor and Long Island Sound) is a
public water supply reservoir owned by the
South Central Connecticut Regional Water
Authority. The lower portion of the watershed is
heavily developed; approximately 70 percent of
land use is for commercial, industrial, or
high-density residential development. Because
of the large amount of impervious surface, the
watershed used section 319 funding to
demonstrate how constructed, multicelled
wetlands (or artificial marshes) can reduce the
impacts of urban runoff.
Describing the new system
The South Central Connecticut Regional
Water Authority's design called for redirecting a
stormwater outfall draining about 20 acres of
primarily small residential lots (with 45 percent
impervious cover) into a new multicell
treatment system. The new system consists of a
sediment forebay, a sediment basin, and an
artificial marsh and wet pond. The cost was
reasonable (less than $50,000) and the system
was compact, covering only about a half-acre or
2.6 percent of the contributing drainage area.
Multi-celled systems have many
advantages. The sediment forebay effectively
traps coarse sediments and trash, is easy to
clean, and preserves system storage volumes.
Subsequent treatment stages are easily
accommodated in the other cells, including
further sediment removal in the sediment
basin, and biological treatment, filtration/and
other pollutant removal mechanisms in the
marsh and wet pond cell. Long, narrow shapes
were used in both the sediment basin and wet
pond to maximize detention time and pollutant
removal, The system is visually attractive,
provides habitat for wildlife, and effectively
removes a variety of pollutants from urban
runoff. . . ' .
Monitoring of the system indicates that
while the sediment basin has variable removal
rates, the combined sediment basin and wet
pond removes conventional pollutants and
heavy metals in excess of 50 percent. Minimal
maintenance is needed, and with the exception
of some nuisance wildlife problems, no serious
functional problems have arisen.
Although better water quality is the
primary objective, multicell systems with
artificial marshes and wet ponds are also
visually attractive and valuable habitat for
wildlife. Additional benefits include the
simplicity of their design and low maintenance
requirements. Publicity generated by the Lake
Whitney project has increased awareness of
urban runoff issues within local government as
attested by several recent land-use decisions
within the watershed. For example, a 30-acre
shopping center has been approved, at least in
part because its developers included plans for a
30
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
(left) Lake Whitney Marsh in August 1995
(below) in Summer 1996
comprehensive stormwater '
management system designed to
minimize adverse impacts to water
quality.
Planning a stormwater
management system
This project identified a
number of issues that should be
considered during the planning,
design, construction, and operation
of multicelled stormwater management systems:
> Incorporate multicell concepts in the
treatment design, with each cell-having its own
primary function. Sediment forebays are
effective; preserve system storage volumes, and
simplify maintenance. Subsequent stages can
be designed to serve many physical and
biological treatment needs. ..
>•' Consider water quality goals, the quality of
incoming runoff, available land, and costs
during the design phase. The,detention volume
should be sufficient to treat .at least one-half
inch of runoff over the.impervious areas;
however, additional volume and
by-pass/overflow provisions may be desirable
for winter thaw and rain storms that can
overwhelm a system of this size. -
>• Increase the potential for pollutant
removal bymaximizing overland flow and
buffering vegetation. When using buffers to
detain flow, flows should be distributed across
the buffers as.evenly as possible.
> Enhance visual attractiveness by using
curvilinear pond shapes, peninsulas, and
wetland.and flowering plants; by substituting
vegetation for riprap; and by retaining existing
trees where practicable.
> Consider in advance possible nuisance
wildlife that could damage vegetation and
affect the appearance, structural integrity, and
function of the system. At Lake Whitney, for
example, the project was plagued by muskrat
burrows and Canada geese droppings.
Three-to-one side slopes, wire mesh barriers,
riprap in certain areas, winter drawdown, and
trapping, grates, and screens over outlet pipes
are'possible countermeasures. Selecting less
palatable plant species may also discourage
nuisance wildlife.
> Design to facilitate maintenance. Ramps
allow heavy equipment access to sediment
removal areas.: ... ,
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
31
-------
>• Design inflow and outflow structures with
adjustable water levels and flows. Removable
weir boards can be used to adjust water levels
or temporarily bypass flows. A high-flow bypass
serves as an emergency spillway and can be
used to lower water levels for maintenance.
>• Project managers should communicate
with local officials early in the planning
process to facilitate local zoning approval. A
stormwater management project may be a new
concept to local boards or may not fit existing
land-use regulations. In some cases, amending
local regulations may be necessary to expedite
the process.
>• Reuse stripped topsoil on basin side
slopes and bottoms. In some places, it may be
necessary to place topsoil over excessively
stony or gravel bottoms to ensure successful
wetland planting.
> Establish a permanent inspection and
maintenance program to monitor system
performance and vegetative cover and
plantings. Maintenance and landscaping crews
should be educated about how each
component functions and how to maintain it;
for example, these personnel should be
, instructed on whether vegetation should be
mowed, removed, or left undisturbed. Crews
should also check system structures for erosion
and subsidence, and look for wildlife damage,
sediment and debris accumulation, and
vandalism. Sediment forebays should be
cleaned every two to three years, although local
conditions, such as excessive soil disturbance,
may require more frequent cleaning.
CONTACT: Mel Cote
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1
617565-3537
32
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $322,331
S Agriculture: $213,246
H Urban Runoff: $0
§3 Silviculture: $0
W Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $41,7QO
H Hydrologic Modification: $ 164,905
D Other: $37,309
In the Christina River Basin —
Delaware and Pennsylvania Work Together
A watershed program shared by Delaware
and Pennsylvania establishes a
common goal to preserve the beneficial
uses of Christina River basin waters.
The basin's streams begin in Pennsylvania
and Maryland and flow through the hills of
northern New Castle County, Delaware, to the
Delaware River. The four major streams,
Brandywine Creek, White Clay Creek, Red Clay
Creek, and the Christina River, currently have
impaired water quality with higher than normal
levels of sediment and bacteria. Nitrogen and
phosphorus levels exceed acceptable limits
during the summer, and when stream flows are
low in the fall. These conditions threaten the
public drinking water supply for northern New
Castle County.
For years, Delaware and Pennsylvania had
different views on how to solve the basin's
problems. The major differences involved water
quality standards, perceptions of uniqueness,
forms of government, and equal representation.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
Delaware regards the Christina Basin as a
drinking water source and requires a higher
degree of protection than Pennsylvania. In
Pennsylvania, the Christina River is used for
wastewater assimilation and water supply
purposes.
Finally, the Delaware River Basin
Commission (DRBC) established a committee
with representatives from both states. The
bistate Christina River Basin Water Sources
Committee, chaired by DRBC, is made up of
district, county, state, and federal agencies. Its
principal purpose is to coordinate the water
quality management policies of Pennsylvania
and Delaware within the watershed.
After collecting watershed data from both
states, the committee found that soil and
geology maps differ across state lines. These
inconsistencies point to the need for interstate
consultation and a watershed-based approach
to water problems.
33
-------
Differences in water quality standards and
government may be at the root of the problem.
Delaware is made up of a small number of
county governments, which permits easier
administration of stormwater quality standards.
But in Pennsylvania's portion of the basin, over
40 different jurisdictions have each imple-.
mented a different stormwater quality program.
The Christina Basin Water Resources
Committee is now developing a unified strategy
for improving the quality of streams that supply
drinking water to residents on both sides of the
Mason-Dixon line. The five-year cooperative
effort will address point and nonpoint source
pollution, beginning with monitoring and
identifying various sources and types of
pollutants.
Using a Total Maximum Daily Load
approach will help control wastewater
discharges and provide the foundation for
developing a water quality management model
of the watershed. Once this step is taken, an
assessment and identification of nonpoint
sources, such as sediment, road oils, fertilizers,
and metals, will be incorporated into the
model. Both Delaware and Pennsylvania will
use the watershed model to develop projects to
control stormwater runoff and reduce water
quality impacts to the receiving streams.
The plans, which extend through
2000, include bioengineering
and riparian restoration
demonstration projects, public
awareness programs, and
stormwater detention retrofits.
CONTACT: Nancy Goggin
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and
• Environmental Control
302739-3451
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ((
-------
DISTRICT OFIOQLiU
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $0
S Agriculture: $0
B Urban Runoff: $525,665
E3 Silviculture: $0
HI Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
S Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
Reviving the Anacostia —
Freshwater Tidal Marsh Restoration
The decline of the Anacostia River, one of
the nation's most threatened rivers,Is a
familiar tale. To make way for urban
growth, its freshwater tidal marshes were filled,
its meanders straightened, and its banks diked
and walled. Eventually the watershed was
paved and piped, leaving the river vulnerable to
high nutrient inputs from combined sewer
outfalls and excessive sedimentation from
eroding streamban.ks.
Historically, expansive tidal freshwater
marshes had helped buffer the river from the
urban' environment, but population pressures
soon overcame the wetlands' natural ability to
process and trap excessive nutrients and sedi- ,
ments. Dredging operations to deepen the river
channel ajid the threat of illness from sewage in
the marshes led to the diking and filling of most
of the Anacostia's unique wetlands.
The Kenilworth Marsh, which is
connected to the Anacostia River in northeast
Washington, D.C., is one of the last unfilled
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
marshes in an area that once was dominated by
tidal wetlands.,This marsh, and the surrounding
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, is managed by the
U.S. National Park Service, which is now in the
process of restoring it. The goal is to restore a
portion of the emergent tidal wetlands that
once characterized the Anacostia River.
The National Park Service sees the
Kenilworth's restoration as one in a series of
steps to save the Anacostia from high nutrient .
and sediment loadings, while simultaneously
expanding the habitat of native species — a .
function of the marshes that all but
disappeared during the last century.
Opportunity to begin the Kenilworth
Marsh restoration coincided with the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers' mandated dredging of the
Anacostia River. A lack of suitable upland .
disposal sites and the National Park Service's
longstanding intention to restore the marsh
lead to a proposal for an innovative use of the
dredge material. The subsequent filling of the
35
-------
Aerial view of the Kenilworth Marsh.
marsh mud fiats with the dredged river material
created favorable conditions for emergent .
macrophyte growth. The project had begun.
Preliminary tests were conducted with
cells of different macrophyte species grown
under varying degrees of tidal inundation.
These tests determined that substrate elevation
and resulting tidal inundation were the limiting
factors in emergent vegetative growth.
A partnership of many agencies
The Kenilworth project involved several
federal and local agencies. The Army Corps of
Engineers did the primary construction work
with the National Park Service as the lead
agency for planning and coordination. The
District of Columbia's Water Resource
Management Division, the Metropolitan
Washington Council of Governments, and the
interstate Commission on the Potomac River
Basin were among the local agencies consulted.
The Army Corps of Engineers provided the
funds to construct the marsh.
The reconstruction and revegetation of
Kenilworth was completed in July 1993. The
Kenilworth Marsh Monitoring Committee, a
workgroup and advisory committee, then
planned and initiated a detailed physical,
chemical, and biological monitoring program to
track the development of the new marsh.
The District of Columbia uses a 319 grant
to monitor the restored marsh. Its findings
contribute to the compilation of an overall
database on the evolving, essentially new,
wetland ecosystem. The aquatic biological
monitoring design used by the District can also
be used to gather baseline data on areas
targeted for future wetlands restoration.
The first season after the replanting saw a
dense greening of the major areas. The seed
bank in the fill sediments contributed greatly to
this rapid growth, and even eliminated the •
planted species in some areas. Growth in the
remaining barren areas occurred in the second
year of the project.
Studies of the surface sediment found the
sediments clean after the filling and planting
operations. Nutrient studies and surveys of
birds and various aquatic communities, for
example, fish, plankton, benthic, and
m'acroinvertebrate communities, are ongoing,
multiyear efforts. Monitoring the restored
Kenilworth Marsh is expected to be a five-year
process that will afford valuable insights into
the early successional stages of large-scale ,
wetland reconstructions.
Findings from the Kenilworth Marsh will
help other partnerships develop successful
wetland restoration projects on the Anacostia
River. At this time, several such projects are in
the planning and implementation stages. These
new restoration projects have already benefited
from the Kenilworth data, and it is believed that
the Kenilworth experience will lead to more
accurate and less costly restorations.
CONTACT: Sheila A. Besse
District of Columbia Department of Consumer and
Regulatory Affairs
202645-6601
36
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting HPS Category: $ 1,484,583
S Agriculture: $693,118
H Urban Runoff: $1,477,299
E3 Silviculture: $0
HE] Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $20,000
H Hydrologic Modification: $225,000
D Other: $0
Renaissance for Lake Jackson -
An Outstanding Florida Water
Lake Jackson in northcentral Leon County,
Florida, became known for its bass
fishing in the late' 1950s and was held in
high esteem until the early 1970s when rapid
urbanization of its watershed resulted in
dramatic changes to the lake: The lake is a
relatively closed, system with no outlets other
than several sinkholes. In fact, its renown .
followed a natural drawdown after the collapse .
of a solution sinkhole.
In addition to the stress of residential
and other urban development, a major federal
highway, Interstate I-10, was built through
the Megginnis and Fords Arms subbasins in
1972. Above average rainfall during the
highway's construction, coupled with .
inadequate sediment controls, created a
large turbidity plume over the southern third
of the lake. Subsequent efforts to protect the
lake turned Megginnis and Fords Arms into
sediment traps.
A clean lakes remedy
Many studies conducted between 1974
and 1976 indicated widespread problems, •
including increased sediment, nutrient loading,
•and contamination of the bottom sediments by
heavy metals and other pollutants. The
Northwest Florida Water Management District
compiled and evaluated this research in a 1977
report. The report concluded that, storm water
runoff was the primary cause of Lake Jackson's
water quality degradation. It recommended that
nutrient and sediment loads to the lake be
reduced.
In 1981, a partnership-was established
between the Florida Department of
Environmental Regulation, the Northwest
Florida Water Management District, and, EPA.,
Using a section 314 Clean Lakes program grant,
the partners built a detention pond, sand filter,
and marsh system to reduce the flow of
stormwater pollutants through Megginnis Arm.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME H
-------
This system, completed in 1984, was
studied extensively for the next four years and
eventually refined for optimal performance..No
matter how efficiently the system operated, it
was still undersized in relation to development
within the watershed. Stormwater loadings .were.
substantially reduced, but the lake and
Megginnis Arm continued to deteriorate.
Removing sediment
In 1990, the Florida Department of
Environmental Regulation committed section
319 funding to the Northwest Florida Water
Management District to remove the
troublesome sediments from Megginnis Arm.
Analyses indicated that the sediments were well
within the limits for land application.
The project broke ground October 11,
1990. The first tasks centered on the
establishment of sediment controls and site
barricades. Favorable weather and minimal
equipment problems enabled rapid
construction of the disposal area and a
sheetpile dam to isolate Megginnis Arm from
the main body of Lake Jackson.
Dredging started on Decembers, 1990.
Low water levels facilitated progress until they
were too low to support the dredge.
Groundwater provided by the city of Tallahassee,
was then used to augment the pool;
Concerned that the dredge slurry could
not be effectively controlled in the disposal
area, the project used a section of an adjacent
.constructed marsh as a polishing pond. To
counter unusually heavy rains from January to
March 1991, hay bales were placed between
sections of the marsh to protect the main area,
while increased alum treatments helped control
turbidity.
Dredging in Megginnis Arm was
completed by July 1991, followed by
reconditioning of the marsh area, removal of
the sheetpile dam,.and consolidation of the
disposal area. Remaining details such as
grading and landscaping the containment area
were completed by May 1992. All told, the
project removed more than 100,000 cubic yards
of contaminated sediment from Megginnis Arm.
Streambank stabilization
Following the dredging project, workers
(again using section 319 funds) helped remove '
exotic or nuisance vegetation (primarily
Chinese tallow and alligator weed) from the
littoral area of Megginnis Arm 'and began to
reestablish native species. The project originally
called for planting 150,000 herbaceous wetland
plants and 200 woody plants on 44 acres of the
littoral zone. However, these plans were
substantially revised because water levels
remained unusually high and wild seed stock -
quickly stabilized the area. Ultimately, 40,000
herbaceous wetland plants and 700 trees were
planted in Megginnis Arm to enhance the
basin's natural biological communities..
Effects on water quality
In general, sampling analyses indicate
poorer water quality at the inflows to the lake
(i.e., at Megginnis and Fords Arms) and better
water quality in more open areas. Data trends
from the northernmost part of Megginnis Arm
show that the project to remove nonpoint
source pollution from the watershed is
38
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME !l
-------
Table 1.- Water quality measures in Lake Jackson, 1970 to 1990.
PERIOD
Early 1 970s
Late 1970s
Early 1 980s
Mid 1 980s
Early 1 990s
Mid 1990s
Average
NO3-N02
mg/L
.054
.087
.035
.038
.010
.008
.039
TN
mg/L
.882
.559
.427
.605
.670
.629
NO3-N02 = nitrate-nitrite
TN = total nitrogen
Orth. P. = orthophosphorus
Orth. P.
mg/L
.015
.046
.048
.012
.042
.005
.028
TP
mg/L
.394
.464
.131
.055
.073
.037
.192
Chi a
ng/L
— -
16.10
26.40
22.97
12.54
19.50
TP = total phosphorus
Chi. a = chlorophyl a
Cond.
(jmho/em
61
87
82
127
67 -
55
80
Turbidity
NTU
55.07
14.10
21.91
9.48
5.70
— -
Sfc. DO
mg/L
5.81
9.64
10.10 .
8.47
6.55
9.10
8.30
Cond. = conductivity
Sfc. DO = surface dissolved oxygen
achieving success. The values shown in Table 1
are means for the various periods.
Nitrate-nitrite, orthophosphorus, total
phosphorus, turbidity, conductivity and
chlorophyl a are at their lowest levels in over 20
years. Dissolved oxygen concentrations at the
surface are near all-time highs and, even more
important, were above 8 milligrams per liter at
mid-depth and bottom during sampling in April
and July 1996.
The Lake Jackson project exemplifies
section 319's contribution to successful
nonpoint source management. This program
financed the restoration of impaired areas and
provided for better management of Lake
Jackson in the future. The lake has been
designated an "Outstanding Florida Water" and
is included in the state's aquatic preserve
program. Consequently, it will continue to merit
attention, protection, and restoration. The
partnerships formed on behalf of Lake Jackson
will continue to achieve remarkable results.
CONTACT: Eric Livingston
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
904921-9915
Florida's Silviculture Best Management Practices—
Test Sites Rated "Excellent"
Florida's silviculture NFS management
program was cooperatively developed by
the Florida Department of Environmental
Regulation, the Florida Division of Forestry, the
U.S. Forest Service, and the forest industry,
acting in response to requirements set forth in
Section 208 of the Clean Water Act. In 1976,
responsibility for the program passed to a
newly formed Silviculture Technical Advisory
Committee. The major goal of this committee
— whose members included 12 paper
companies, the relevant state and federal
agencies, a consulting forester, the University of
Florida School of Forest Resources and
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
Conservation, and the Florida Forestry
Association — was to develop a workable set of
best management practices (BMPs) to minimize
water quality impacts associated with forestry
activities.
Early developments get results
Between 1977 and 1979, the technical
advisory committee, together with the
Department of Forestry, developed a set of
practices, including streamside management
zones, minimum bare ground exposure, culvert '
and cross ditches, water turnouts, broad-based
dips, and a variety of nonstructural BMPs to
39
-------
Testing for forestry BMP effectiveness using biological sampling.
minimize stream crossings and other potential
nonpoint sources of pollution created by
forestry activities. In 1979, these practices were
published as the Silviculture Best Management
Practices Manual.
The practices are intended for use with
forestry activities in discretionary zones
adjacent to waterbodies. The width of these
zones and the specific BMPs to be used within
them are recommended, depending on a "site
sensitivity classification" (SSC), an index that
identifies sedimentation potential. The SSC is
based on soil erodibility, slope, and proximity
to a waterbody.
Initial implementation of the program
was voluntary. In 1982, as part of the state's
stormwater regulation, forestry activities
conducted in accordance with the BMP manual
were exempt from stormwater permitting. When
the Department of Environmental Regulation
delegated the stormwater program to the
regional water management districts, the
silviculture exemption became a noticed
general permit. Its only requirement was to
identify the location and timing of planned
forestry activities.
New issues prompt review
In November 1991, the Department of
Forestry held a public meeting to review the
silviculture NFS management program. .
Participants at this meeting identified 12 major
BMP issues, and a 22-member Technical
Advisory Committee was formed to conduct a
comprehensive review of the BMP
manual. This committee, like its
prototype, had broad stakeholder
representation — this time also
including nonindustrial private
land owners and conservation
organizations. The review was
undertaken in expectation that a
revised updated manual would
result. This revision occurred
between January 1992 and March
1993, with funding provided by a
1992 section 319 grant.
The revised Silviculture Best
Management Practices greatly •
increases the water quality
protection associated with forestry
activities. Though many of the
original BMPs were retained, their use has been
expanded to address other water resources .
such as sinkholes, small lakes (less than 10
acres), canals, and wetlands. Streamside
Management Zones were renamed Special
Management Zones (SMZ). The width of the
primary-zone of the SMZ was expanded from. 35
feet to up to 200 feet, depending on stream
width and waterbody classification. In addition,
general'ecological considerations and wildlife
habitat values were added as specific BMP
objectives. An entirely new set of BMPs were
developed for forestry activities conducted in
wetlands or during wet weather.
Training
Once the new manual was published,
distribution and training began. In July 1994,
the Department of Forestry asked the
community to identify individuals who could
serve as BMP trainers within their respective
companies, agencies, or area; and in
September, 28 prospective trainers — 18 from
the forest industry and 10 from state and
federal agencies — attended a "train the
trainers" session in Tallahassee.
Following that initial training session, the
Department of Forestry conducted BMP
workshops throughout the state, beginning in
northwest Florida and working toward the
south. By May 1994, 47 BMP workshops had
been conducted with over 1,500 participants,
primarily loggers, foresters, forest landowners,
40
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ((
-------
and regulatory agencies' staff. These workshops
and distribution of the manual continue to be a
key component of Florida's silviculture program.
Effectiveness assessments
. In addition to reviewing the BMP manual,
the 1991 Silviculture Technical Advisory
Committee was also charged to evaluate the
environmental effectiveness of the practices. To
lead this effort, a BMP Effectiveness
subcommittee was created. Working with the .
Departments of Forestry and Environmental
Protection, the BMP Effectiveness
subcommittee has also designed a monitoring
program that will use recently developed
bioassessment protocols to evaluate the
impacts of forestry activities on aquatic
ecosystems. This assessment is unrelated to
compliance, since in every case the forestry
activities are already in compliance. The
effectiveness study is to determine whether the
BMPs actually protect the water resources as
planned.
The effectiveness evaluation, which began
in the fall of 1995, includes two components-.
long-term BMP effectiveness monitoring and
project-duration monitoring for BMP
effectiveness under select, controlled
conditions including before and after
disturbance. An example of this second
component is the nearly completed "319
Biological Assessment of the Effectiveness of
Forestry Best Management Practices in
Protecting Stream Biota." This project used a
before and after control impact design to
sample sites up- and downstream of forestry
activities. The sampling parameters included
benthic macroinvertebrates (resident biota),
habitat assessment, and standard physical and
chemical measurements.
Four streams in, north Florida were
chosen for this project. Then, in February 1996,
on each of these streams, three stations
upstream and three stations downstream of a
proposed clear-cutting operation were
monitored to determine the streams before
treatment condition. In February 1997,
investigators went back to the identical stations
to sample for the after treatment condition.
At three of the test streams, the
reference and test sites were
rated "excellent"; at the other
stream, they were "good.
Next, the data were used to calculate the
Stream Condition Index (SCI) for each stream
segment studied. The Stream Condition Index
(a composite of seven invertebrate parameters)
has been calibrated to reflect the regional
conditions in undisturbed streams. Its final
result supports the effectiveness of the
silviculture BMPs.
Based on the SCI, no statistically
significant changes were observed between the
reference and test sites after silviculture
activities in which the BMPs are strictly adhered
to during all aspects of the operation. At three
of the test streams, the reference and test sites
were rated "excellent"; at the other stream, they
were "good." Results from habitat assessment
showed no major adverse habitat changes from
the forestry operations. The project analysts
also found the precision (that is, the
repeatability) of the SCI measures very
satisfactory.
The development of forestry BMPs is thus
shown to be an effective solution to a nonpoint
source environmental problem.
CONTACT: Eric Livingston
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
904921-9915
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
41
-------
GEORGIA
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $ 1,882,100
S Agriculture: $38,500
H Urban Runoff: $ 115,000
03 Silviculture: $0
W Construction: $290,400
B Resource Extraction: $0
Q Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
E3 Mydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0 . . .
Restoration of a Riparian Forest —
An Agricultural Water Quality Improvement Project
Intensively farmed areas can maintain good
water quality if riparian forests are left in
place along the streams draining agricultural
areas. Such forested areas are usually wetlands;
they filter water and prevent excess chemicals,
dissolved solids, nutrients, and sediments from
reaching downstream waters. Therefore, the
reestablishment of riparian forests that have
been cut or drained can also be expected to
contribute to water quality improvements.
Until now, the benefits of restored
riparian forests on water quality have not
been demonstrated or evaluated in the
Southeastern Coastal Plain. This 319 project
— a riparian restoration in the Suwanee River
Basin nearTifton, Georgia, became the first to
focus on the efficiency of the restored
forested wetland to store and remove
nutrients.
The project was designed to reestablish
a riparian forest to ameliorate the water
' quality impacts of applying liquid manure to
cropland; that is, to determine whether a
' restored riparian forest—trees, shrubs, and
native grasses—would improve the quality of
runoff leavingthemanureapplicationsiteand
moving through the riparian area to the stream.
It was conducted in conjunction with an
agricultural project at the University of
Georgia's Coastal Plain Experiment Station
nearTifton.
The USDA Agricultural Research Service
participated.in the section 319 project to
restore a streamside riparian forest receiving
runoff from the USDA-funded liquid manure
application and forage crop production site.
The Tifton project sought to demonstrate the
conservation and water quality effects of
using minimum plowing and liquid manure to
grow forage crops. It was funded by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Low
Input/Sustainable Agriculture Program.
42
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ((
-------
The project demonstrated that
riparian forested wetlands can
be restored to help prevent
nonpoint source pollution from
manure application sites.
Obstacles and successes
Riparian vegetation was successfully
restored in the project area, but not before
several obstacles had been' overcome, for
example, knowing which species to plant.
Yellow poplars were not a good choice for wet
conditions; black gum and green ash were
effective substitutes. Within two months it was
apparent that there would be low survivorship
among the poplars, since they were not locally
produced seedlings and did not thrive in wet,
saturated soils. Black gum and green ash were
substituted since it was thought they would
tolerate wet conditions.
Project workers evaluated the effects of
the riparian restoration by measuring changes
in surface and subsurface water quality
indicators in the field where manure was
applied and again after the runoff had moved
, through the restored riparian area toward the
stream. Results of the monitoring
demonstrated that the restored riparian area
removed nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment
in the first two years of the project. Nitrate
levels leaving the area in shallow groundwater
were higher than in mature riparian forest sites.
The.project demonstrated that riparian
forested wetlands can be restored to help
prevent nonpoint source pollution from manure
application sites. Information gleaned from this
project, and others, has been incorporated in
an interim USDA Natural Resources
Conservation,Service and U.S. Forest Service
specification for Riparian Forest Buffer Systems.
The guide recommends a three-zone buffer
system in riparian areas.
CONTACT: Frank Carubba
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
• 404651-5492
Evaluating Best Management Practices —
A Farm Demonstration Project in Rayle, Georgia
Traditional methods of allowing livestock
free access to streams and pastures must
change as modern farming methods
intersect with environmental concerns.
With this commitment, the Georgia
Resource Conservation and Development.,
Council, Inc., several conservation districts,
federal agencies, and the University of Georgia
arranged a farm demonstration to teach area
cattlemen that new practices to keep livestock
out of streams could be cost-effective and
practical. After selecting a dairy farm, the
partners helped install and monitor the
following practices: proper grazing
management, nutrient management, animal
waste management systems (including holding
pond, solid separator), loafing area, geotextile
walkway, and livestock exclusion.
The dairy farm is located within a
385-acre watershed in northeastern Georgia's
Savannah River Basin near Rayle. In fact, it sits
on an unnamed tributary that flows into a pond
next to the most heavily used section of the .
dairy. The unnamed tributary continues through
a wetlands (actually, another pond that had
been breached) and flows into the Broad River.
The 793,000 acres of agriculture land
within the watershed contain the following
animals: 22,000 dairy cows, 185,000 beef cows,
95,000 swine, and about 22 million poultry
(layers and broilers). These animals potentially
contribute to the nonpoint source pollution
problems in the watershed and river basin.
Direct access of livestock to streams and runoff
from loafing areas have degraded the watershed
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME H
43
-------
(left) The geotextile walkway and
(below) the solid waste separator at
Wilkes County Dairy.
and Impaired water quality, wildlife habitat, and
recreational activities.
The project managers planned an
extensive water quality monitoring program to
demonstrate that the recommended best
management practices were cost-effective and
practical. Water quality measurements included
biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical
oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids
(TSS), fecal coliform, fecal streptococci, nitrate,
ammonia, and orthophosphate. Additional in
situ parameters monitored by an automated
sampler included pH, temperature,
conductivity, ammonia plus ammonium,
turbidity, depth, and dissolved oxygen.
Comparing the results from post-BMP
and pre-BMP monitoring show a marked.
improvement in water quality. Statistical
analyses have indicated significant decreases
(p = 0.05) in ammonia, orthophosphate, TSS,
COD, BOD, and fecal streptococci. Extensive
water quality monitoring has quantitatively
• demonstrated that the recommended BMPs are
both cost-effective and practical.
CONTACT: Frank Carubba
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
404651-5492
44
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
No data available from the state.
A Modified Deep Litter Waste Management System —
The Kealia Farms Model
New animal waste management systems
are helping hog producers in Hawaii
deal with the costly and potentially
polluting aspect of hog farming. Among new
systems, the Modified Dry Litter Waste
Management System has a definite advantage.
This model, unlike traditional water-based
waste management systems, does not use water
. to wash down the pens and transport animal
waste to a storage lagoon, which can be a major
pathway for surface and groundwater pollution.
An interagency team convened by the
Hawaii Association of Conservation Districts
and supported by a 319 grant, developed a
Hawaiian style waste management system by
modifying the dry litter waste management
systems currently being tested in other
land-limited countries, for example, the
Netherlands and Japan. In this system, the hogs
are housed in sloping pens and dry litter or
bedding is used to help push the waste down
slope into a composting or storage pit. Various
slope ratios and types of dry litter help
determine the effectiveness of the system and
the quality of the composted product.
How the system works
The Kealia Farm's model significantly
improves the original dry litter waste
management system by incorporating pen sizes
with slopes ranging from 15 to 1 to 20 to 1. The
optimal pen size for these slope ratios are 8 feet
by 16 feet, which is typical of pen designs used
in the United States (but smaller than a typical •
pen in Japan and the Netherlands)..
Wood chips and grass cuttings were used
as litter; both are excellent bedding materials
for the hogs and keep the pens dry, but the
Kealia and Masazu Farms (in Kona District, •
Hawaii) achieved their best results using
macadamia nut (Macadamia integrefolia) husks.
The hogs crush the bedding materials and the
manure with their hooves; the mix dries and
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUME (I
45
-------
A look at the Modified Dry Utter Waste Management System
Kealia Farm.
begins to decompose (compost), and it
eventually moves down slope into a
composting or storage pit, where high
temperatures finish the job.
Temperatures in the composting pit range
on average from 140 to 150°F. When the team
analyzed the cooked, or composted, product, it
contained 2,6 percent nitrogen, 0.6 percent
phosphorus, and 2.6 percent potassium with a
carbon to nitrogen ratio of 13:1 — making it a
good medium for organic farming. A typical pen
operated under this system can convert about
30 cubic yards of green waste into 20 cubic
yards of valuable compost annually.
Healthy hogs
As the green waste is an excellent
bedding for the hogs and keeps the pens dry
except where the hogs are watered, the
modified dry litter waste management
system also produced healthy hogs. In
fact, feeder hogs produced under the
modified dry litter waste management
. system easily matched and exceeded the
industry's national production standard.
Feeder hogs in the modified dry litter
pens averaged a daily weight gain of 1.20
to 1.69 pounds; the national standard is
an average daily weight gain of 1.25
pounds.
During the trials, small feeder hogs
entered the system weighing an average of
22.0 Ibs. Atypical system has 16 pens (Fig.
1). Each pen can be stocked with 30
wean-offs at the beginning of the growth
cycle, then each group can be subdivided
.as they reach heavier wights to prevent
overcrowding. . . .
Environmental and other assets
Because it does not rely on wash
downs to move the waste out of the pen
and subsequently to a lagoon or storage
tank, the modified dry litter waste
management system eliminates one of the
major potential sources of contaminated
runoff on the farm. And it has other
at attractive benefits: lower water bills and
labor costs to the farm because pen
washing is virtually eliminated.
Odor production is practically nil.
Hydrogen sulfide levels recorded throughout
the production and storage areas were
considerably less than the conventional wash
down or scrapper system. The dry litter waste
management facility produced 10.7 parts per
billion hydrogen sulfide levels and 5.0 parts per
billion in the production and storage area. The
control or conventional wash-down facility had
measurements of 54.3 parts per billion and an
average of 104.5 parts per billion at the effluent
entry to the waste lagoon.
The modified dry litter waste
management system succeeds in turning a
potentially polluting waste product into a
lucrative income stream. A yard of compost
imported from the mainland United States
normally sells for about $100 per cubic yard
including freight costs. The organic farmer on
46
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
Figure 1.—Typical Modified Dry Litter Waste Management Facility.
the island of Hawaii can obtain similar material
at farms with the modified dry litter waste
management system at approximately one-third
that price. Therefore, each pen can produce
about $660 of compost annually.
Expanding benefits
The prospects are bright that as more
farmers learn about the system, other hog farms
in Hawaii will install modified dry litter waste
management systems. The technology is
scheduled to be exported to the rest of the .
Pacific Basin Islands supported by additional
section 319 funding.
CONTACT: Randall Rush
Polluted Runoff Control Program
Hawaii Department of Health
808*586-4309
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
IDAHO
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting MPS Category: $235,654
H Agriculture: $407,731
S Urban Runoff: $339,130
EO Silviculture: $10,000
BID Construction: $127,787
D Resource Extraction: $ 199,000
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
EJ Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
Protecting Bear Lake —
The Thomas Fork Stream Channel Project
The Thomas Fork Watershed in Bear Lake
County, Idaho, and Lincoln County,
Wyoming, is a 144,366-acre agricultural
watershed near Bear Lake. This geologically old
lake, which is one of Idaho's Special Resource
waters, has developed unique physical,
chemical, and biological characteristics. It has
more endemic fish species than any other lake
in North America, including five species found
nowhere else in the world. Thomas Fork is a
major tributary to the Bear River, immediately
upstream from its diversion into Bear Lake.
Thomas Fork is a valuable resource to ,
Bear Lake; however, its condition also concerns
the Bear Lake Regional Commission. Excessive
streambank erosion in the watershed and high
nutrient levels in runoff from Thomas Fork and
the Bear River have accelerated eutrophication
throughout the watershed and lake. Historical
data show the increase of phosphorus and
nitrogen in the area. Bank erosion is largely the
result of earlier channel modifications
undertaken to support agricultural land uses.
When the natural meander patterns of Thomas
Fork were broken, severe down-cutting and
unstable streambanks exceeded the river's
capacity to restore equilibrium.
Project description lures local
landowners
Recently, the Bear Lake Regional
Commission began to interest local landowners
in streambank restoration. Several farmers and
ranchers came forward to begin the project,
which was funded through Idaho's section 319
program. Initial plans called for regrading a.
600-foot section of the streambank to restore
the nearly vertical 4 to 10 foot high banks along
the stream to a 3:1 grade. Materials removed
from the banks were used by area farmers to
level the low, spots in their fields.
The Bear Lake Regional Commission also
obtained a U.S. Forest Service tree cutting
permit and, with the help of area farmers and
48
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
ranchers, cut and transported a number of trees
to the site. The trees, approximately 15 to 20 feet
in length, were placed in the stream channel in
an overlapping fashion as flow deflectors and
temporary fish habitat. They were anchored to
the streambank using special anchors.
A project review found many fish
in the area though none had
been recorded before the
restoration began.
Large rocks and boulders were placed at
intervals to also act as flow detectors and to
protect willow plantings along the
reconstructed banks. After a final grading, the
area was seeded with native Sodar grass (a
streambank wheat grass), and covered with a
thin layer of straw to minimize erosion. The
reseeded area was fenced to keep cattle from
trampling the banks before the plants could
mature and stabilize the banks.
During the summer of 1996, a project
review found many fish in the area though none
had been recorded before the restoration
began. Photographs taken after the
construction and during later stages help.
document the project. Community and area
farmers have enthusiastically supported the
project; and the site has been, and continues to
' be, the focus of many watershed tours. Area
ranchers, farmers, county commissioners, state
legislators, state and federal agency staff, and
citizens have, visited the site.
'Additional work using 319 grants will be
completed in 1997. When finished, the project
will decrease the flow of nutrients to the
Thomas Fork by 25, percent and to' Bear Lake by
10 percent. The Bear Lake Regional
Commission and the 31.9 program is slowing
the pace of eutrophication in Bear Lake and
reducing the impact of human activities on the
watershed., ,
CONTACT: Charlie Bidondo
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
208 373-0274
Paradise Creek Restoration —
Trout Return, Citizens Learn
Paradise Creek, a fourth order tributary to
the South Fork of the Palouse River, is
approximately 19 miles long and drains a
34.5-square-mile priority watershed in
' northcentral Idaho. The watershed's upper
portion is forested with very steep slopes, while
the middle and lower portions are largely
dryland agriculture with moderately rolling
hills. Paradise Creek also flows through the city
of Moscow, Idaho, where much of the sinuous
nature of the original channel has been
modified, that is, lost to channelization.
The Palouse-Clearwater Environmental
Institute, using a grant from Idaho's section 319
program, took the lead in rebuilding a
1,200-foot reach of Paradise Creek. The project
site is owned by Moscow School District,
number 281; several state and city agencies,
local conservation districts, and the nearby city
of Pullman, Washington, actively supported the
project. The Palouse-Clearwater Environmental
Institute provided oversight and design,
coordinated volunteers, and communicated
with the public. Its information and educational
program was extensive. .
According to plan
Detailed design plans, including a site
plan, revetments, plantings, and general
erosion controls, were completed in 1994.
Because no aerial views of the original channel
were available, aerial photographs of an
adjacent stream channel were used to provide a
meander pattern and flood channel design. The
final plan called for widening the channel nearly
200 feet to accommodate a low flow center ,
channel with a 2:1 slope ratio and a floodway
channel with a 3:1 slope.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ([
49
-------
The restoration began in September 1995
with permits from the state and the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers. Within a week, nearly
12,000 cubic yards of earth were moved to
create the channel and a five-acre floodplain.
Volunteers, including school children,
university students, and community members,
did much of the rest of the work.
The restored channel no longer
looks like the old, muddy
Paradise Creek, and trout have
returned to the creek.
Volunteers from the Palouse-Clearwater
Environmental Institute built and
demonstrated three revetment structures to
stabilize the streambanks. These structures
included a 175-foot log crib, a 175-foot rock and
root wad, and a 175-foot BioLog®. Volunteers
also seeded and mulched more than 3,000 feet
of stream bank and the five-acre floodplain,
installed more than 6,000 feet of geotextiles,
and planted more than 750 native plants.
A model for future projects
The new configuration is functioning as
designed, and this project has become a model ,
for future restoration work in the Palouse
region. Not only are the project's partners
pleased with the, project, it has also become an
educational laboratory for students from the
Moscow City School District and the
Universities of Idaho and Washington State.
Long-term monitoring will help
determine how long it takes such projects to
fully restore beneficial uses within creeks. In the
meantime, the physical evidence at this site
points to improved water quality. The restored
channel no longer looks like the old, muddy
Paradise Creek, and trout have returned to the
creek. The restored Paradise Creek now
provides a working flood plain and stream
channel system in an area frequently ravaged by
spring floods, habitat for fish and wildlife, and a
sense of community pride in protecting,
restoring, and preserving its natural resource.
CONTACT: Charlie Bidondo
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
.208 373-0274
50
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
ILLINOIS
Section 319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for FY 1996
• Cross Cutting MPS Category: $ 1,818,762
S Agriculture: $1,054,156
H Urban Runoff: $1,048,280
EHI Silviculture: $0
HI Construction: $0
E -Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
H Hydrologic Modification: $0
D.Other: $0
Chain O'Lakes and Fox River Selected
for Streambank Protection Project
The Chain O'Lakes and Fox River is an
Illinois river system with an on-stream
lake in western Lake County and eastern
McHenry County that provides recreational
opportunities for more than a million visitors
each year. This beneficial use is, however,
potentially threatened by nonpoint sources in
the watershed. The lake and river are affected by
runoff, shoreline and bank erosion, and land
disturbances'(development). In addition, heavy
boat traffic on the lake often stirs up the
bottom sediments, resuspending them in the
waterway.
To counter these problems; watershed
partners began a bank protection demonstration
project. That is, using 319 funding, they
'implemented various bank protection methods,
thereby modeling a wide variety of management
tools. Among the many tools available, the
project emphasized natural or vegetative
solutions, nonstructural management solutions,
and other methods to hold the soil.
Biotechnical methods
To demonstrate biotechnical protection
methods, the project put advanced erosion
control materials and riparian vegetation at the
base of the eroding shoreline, where scour from
wave action usually occurs. Special fabrics,
natural fiber products, wave breaks, or several
of these in combination protect root systems
arid trap sand, silt, and gravel along the water's
edge.. The result is an aesthetically pleasing
natural landscape that routine maintenance will
protect and improve. Leaving a buffer strip of
plants at least 10 feet long and mowed no lower
than 6 inches is simple, inexpensive/and
protective.
The benefits of biotechnical methods are
many; they are cost-effective, improve boating
conditions (wave energy from boats and wind is
absorbed, not reflected), offer attractive and
improved shoreline habitat, and yield better
water quality. While native plants are
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
51
-------
(above) Material laid under the a-jacks for additional
support, (below) Nylon mesh was placed over the
newly Installed sod to protect it and to keep it from
washing away.
recommended, other plants can
be used. Species selected for
revegetation projects should be
adaptable to a moist shoreline
setting and local soil conditions.
Common choices include red osier
dogwood, prairie cord grass, blue
flag iris, and arrowhead.
Biotechnical methods prevent
shoreline erosion, which in turn
prevents sediments from entering
the water. Their use in this project
led to the following overall
improvements:
• erosion prevention control,
• shoreline stabilization, and .
• habitat restoration.
Created wetlands
The Chain O'Lakes and Fox River project
also made the first inland use of a "geotube" to
create new wetlands along the Fox River. This
fabric tube — 30 feet in circumference and 1*40
feet long — is a piece of woven polyester that
can be filled with dredged sediment. Geotubes
should last at least 15 years under normal
weather conditions, and they also act as a
buffer against waves.
"It has worked amazingly well," said Karen
Kabbes, the former executive director of the Fox
Waterway Agency. The agency hopes to use a
series of geotubes, linked together in a giant
circle, for long-term protection. Wetland plants
are added once the interior is filled with
sediment.
Nonstructural methods
Nonstructural management techniques
include the creation of no-wake zones and
no-motor areas. The redirection of traffic routes
to deeper locations, strict dredging rules,
monitoring and educational efforts (with some
especially directed to boaters) are other
proposed management methods.
CONTACT: Laura Rinbenberger
Chain O'Lakes Fox River Waterway Management
Agency
708 587-8540
52
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
Creating Useful Beauty —
The Skokie River Restoration Project
A brochure for the Chicago Botanic
£-\ Garden invites people to "experience the
JL Vbeauty that extends beyond floral color."
This beauty now extends to the banks of the
Skokie River which flows through this 300-acre
living museum. The Chicago Botanic Garden
has recently completed a restoration project on
the Skokie River with section 319 funding.
The project was a partnership,- the '
Chicago Botanic Garden, Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency, Northeastern Illinois
Planning Commission, and Applied Ecological
Services shared responsibilities and resources
to save the river. In all, approximately 100,000
plants of various native species were planted
along the river's edge.
A troubled past
The Skokie River,.a 23-mile-long tributary
of the North Branch of the Chicago River, flows
. along Lake Michigan in Lake and Cook counties
in northeastern Illinois. The river is much
altered from its presettlement conditions. •
Original land maps from the area indicate that
it was once a wet prairie, about
one-quarter-mile wide. Today, it is a channel
not more than 20 to 40 feet wide.
'The river was channelized in 1957,
and over the last 30 years, its banks have
severely eroded. The Skokie also
encounters pollution as.it flows along a
major expressway.- siltation, organic
enrichment, nutrients, urban runoff,
hydrologic modifications, and habitat
alterations are serious problems.
Erosion has exposed many
underground pipes, and the river is
often green with mats of algae.
Sedimentation downstream has created
wide, shallow channels with poor
habitat and degraded buffer zones that
also provide poor pollution filtering
capabilities.
Project toolbox
The Skokie River Restoration Project
began during the summer of 1994 in response
to these degraded conditions. The project's
goals are to stabilize eroding streambanks,
improve water quality, and enhance the
streamside buffer zones. It also serves as an
educational tool. Workshops sponsored during
the project provide information about effective
and economical restoration and management/
techniques. Landscape professionals, urban
and environmental planners, conservation
groups, and engineers are using information
provided by the project:
The project has used seven basic tools to
help restore the river:
• Streambank planting. Native prairie
grasses that have deep, dense roots were
planted to protect the river against
erosion.
I
• Brush layering. Horizontal layers of
willow and dogwood branches were
: , placed along the bank to hold the. soil in
place and reduce the energy of the water
against the bank.
One of the five wetland areas created as a biofilter.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
53
-------
Rock riffle (riffle enhancement) was installed.
• Willow posts. Dormant willow posts,
which root profusely, were pounded into
the ground as a bank stabilization
technique.
» Coir fiber rolls. Biodegradable coconut
fiber rolls planted with native wetland
plants and placed along banks or
in-stream further stabilize and enhance
aquatic habitats.
• Riffle enhancement. Placing large rocks
and boulders in existing riffles improved
water aeration and habitat.
• No-till drill seeding. Approximately 11
acres of streamside buffer were planted
with native prairie plants.
• Wetland creation. A five-acre wetland
was created on the river to treat runoff.
Approximately 48 species of native
wetland plants will grow in this system.
Information and education are integral
components of the Skokie 'River Restoration
Project. The partnership developed a fact sheet
that explains the multifaceted project and
streambank stabilization techniques and a
30-minute video that documents the project's
progress and describes its techniques,
methods, and materials/Students have even
used the site to learn water monitoring
methods.
The Skokie River Restoration Project will
remain an invaluable model of inexpensive,
vegetative solutions to impaired aquatic habitat
and water quality. Using native vegetation to
stabilize and buffer the riverbanks requires little
maintenance and improves pollutant filtering
and aquatic habitat. , •
CONTACTS: Cynthia Baker
Chicago Botanical Garden
847 835-8300
Scott Ristau
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
217782-3362
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $ 1,395,957
S Agriculture: $443,880
H Urban Runoff: $169,200
E3 .Silviculture: $0
ED Construction: $0
B Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
H Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $ 107,303
No-Till Farming Saves Soil —
A Reprieve for Starve Hollow Lake
The Jackson County (Indiana) Soil and
Water Conservation District used 319
funding to help landowners in the Starve
Hollow Lake watershed install best
management practices on sandy soils. The goal
of the project was to reduce the flow of
sediment to Starve Hollow Lake. This 145-acre
lake, constructed in a 1938 flood control
project, drains 4,400 acres of agricultural,
recreational, and woodland areas.
The Starve Hollow watershed has serious
sedimentation problems. By 1980, it had
already lost about 20 acres to sedimentation. A
combination of sandy soils and intensive land
uses.— including specialty crop production
(melons and vegetables), other agricultural
practices, logging, and livestock production —
are eroding the watershed.
To begin the project, the Soil and Water
Conservation District (SWCD) convened
landowners, SWCD supervisors, and
representatives of other local agencies. These
people realized the importance of forming a
cooperative unit to gain credibility and support.
They became the project's steering committee,
committed to solving the problem.
Dredging was considered, but quickly
dismissed as an option, since it would cost .
nearly $400,000, and not stop the flow of
sediment to the lake. Everyone agreed that the
steering committee's choice had to be more
effective than dredging. This agreement, more
than anything else, indicated how serious the
problem had become, and how concerned the
residents were. Instead of dredging, local
landowners agreed to take responsibility for
their activities on the land. "
They began using cover crops and
borrowed the SWCD's two no-till drills to plant"
no-till crops. Others began rotational grazing
practices, moved feedlots from highly erodible
land, converted croplands to additional
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
55
-------
pasture, and used fencing to protect riparian
buffers. Eventually, the treated acreage was
coextensive with the watershed.
"The project has cut down on
erosion. Now we have less
sediment in the lake, no mud on
the county road, and everyone
was cooperative."
The Indiana Department of Natural
Resources, Division of Soil and Conservation,
provided technical assistance, and the
Cooperative Extension Service provided
information and conducted outreach for the
project. Several field days and tours to highlight
the practices were held for interested
individuals and groups.
The SWCD' also worked with the County
Highway Department to install several new
culverts on roads adjacent to the project area.
The project reduces erosion by an estimated
2,751 tons of soil annually on 379 acres of land.
The county road that had previously been
buried in six inches of mud and,soil after each
rain is now.clean. As one landowner says: "The
project has cut down on erosion. Now we have
less sediment in the lake, no mud on the county
road, and everyone was cooperative."
CONTACT: Jill Ebner
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
317308-3216
Constructed Wetlands —
Treatment for Dairy Farm Wastewater
Indiana has used section 319 funds for a pilot
project to monitor the water quality effects
of a constructed wetland system on runoff
from a dairy farm in Koskiusko County in the
Upper Tippecanoe watershed. The Upper
Tippecanoe is a priority hydrologic unit area
included in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Water Quality Initiative. The constructed
wetland system was designed to treat 70 adult
cows (1,400 pounds) and 70 heifers/dry cows
(800 pounds).
Typical wetlands (and constructed
wetlands) remove dissolved organic and
inorganic contaminants in runoff, using aquatic
vegetation for plant uptake and absorption. The
one-acre constructed wetland in this pilot
project has two small wetland cells, operating
in series, to allow for periodic drawdown and
regular maintenance of one cell while the other
continues to function. The first cell is
rectangular; the second, horseshoe shaped.
Solids are removed from wastewater on a
concrete drying pad above a septic manure pit.
Barn washwater is directed into the pit, but
solid animal waste is stacked on the pad.
Liquids remaining in the solid waste stack drain
into the septic pit through slots. The combined
liquids then drain by gravity from the pit to the
first cell through a distribution pipe. Flow from
Cell 1 into Cell 2 is also through a distribution
pipe. Yard runoff is diverted around the drying
pad to the first cell. After passing through the
two cells, wastewater enters a holding pond,
then a grassed infiltration area. The yard from
which runoff is diverted .is 25,300 square feet,.,
and was designed with a theoretical holding
time of 60 days based on average rainfall.
The Koskiusko County operation began in
the spring of 1994 and was monitored through
1995. The treatment's effects on water quality
were determined through chemical monitoring
of the surface water (to determine its nutrient
load), and the observation of plant and animal
dynamics. Monitoring occurred at several sites
along the feedlot-wetland-outflow continuum,
including the cell inlets and the entrance point
for yard runoff to Cell 1, the outlet of Cell 2, the
holding pond, and the infiltration area. A ditch
channel downhill from the infiltration area was
also monitored. The ditch received water from a
subsurface tile beneath the infiltration area
(see Fig. 1).
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
Cropland
Yard Runoff Collection
RunoffDiversion
Drying
Pad
Flow Control Switching Valve
Infiltration
Area
Figure 1.—Diagram of the constructed wetland system used.
Early in the project, samples taken at the
monitoring sites showed a complete absence of
coliform bacteria between the Cell 1 inflow and
the Cell 2 outflow, and declining phosphorus
and nitrogen levels as well. In 1994, the
following improvements in water quality were
observed.
• Between the barnyard runoff inflow point
to Cell 1 and the outlet of-.Cell 2: fecal
coliform bacteria (75 percent); phosphate
(35 percent), and total phosphorus (45
percent).
• Between Cell.l inflow and Cell 2 outflow:
ammonia (68 percent); total suspended
solids (60 percent); total nitrogen (54
percent); and conductivity (24.1 percent).
In 1995, reductions between Cell 1 inflow
and Cell 2 outflow included fecal coliform
'bacteria (95 percent), ammonia.-total
suspended solids, total nitrogen, phosphate
(79 percent), total phosphorus (83 percent), and
conductivity (56 percent). Routine maintenance
and year-round management were required for
successful treatment. These improvements
Resulted from the high motivation of the
landowners to maintain the system. .
The system was also designed to work
with minimal input from the farmer; that is, it
was properly integrated with the layout of the
farm, and it was designed to treatonly runoff,
not manure. The manure was scraped and
stacked for future use.
The system's appeal to wildlife was an
added benefit throughout the project. Mallards
with fledglings, blackbirds, frogs, a crane, and a
red-tailed hawk frequent the site.
CONTACT: Jill Ebner
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
317308-3216
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
57
-------
IOWA
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $922,300
S Agriculture: $1,035,417
S Urban Runoff: $0
03 Silviculture: $0
ID Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
E3 Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
Brown Trout Return to Iowa Streams
The Coon Creek Story
Recent stream surveys by the Iowa
Department of Natural Resources
indicate that trout are once again
reproducing in some northeastern Iowa
streams. A 1994 survey of 15 streams in .
Allamakee, Clayton, and Fayette Counties found
natural trout populations in seven streams,
including (in two streams) the state's first
documented reproduction of rainbow trout.
Natural trout have not yet been observed
in sufficient quantities to support heavy fishing
pressure, so the practice of stocking
hatchery-raised trout will continue. Brown trout
reproduction is, however, extensive in the upper
portion of French Creek, and here stocking has
been discontinued.
Lost spawning grounds
Sediment frequently enters Iowa's trout
streams, much of it carried in runoff from
eroding croplands. When it settles, this -
sediment covers the gravel beds that trout use
as spawning grounds and alters the stream's
overall characteristics. For example, sediments
often create wide, shallow streams that warm
rapidly and provide habitat conditions
unfavorable for trout survival.
In recent years, significant progress has
been made to control soil erosion in Iowa's
watersheds — much of which can be credited to
conservation provisions in the 1985 and 1990
federal farm bills, especially conservation
compliance and continuance of the
Conservation Reserve Program. Other Iowa
streams, for example, Coon Creek, have been
further protected through participation in state
and federally funded water quality projects.
Coon Creek, a small coldwater stream
located in Allamakee and Winneshiek Counties,
illustrates the progress that these combined
programs have made in protecting and
improving many of Iowa's trout streams
58
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
During the 10-year period
ending in 1995, sediment^—"'
movement into Coon Creek was
reduced by 42 percent annually.
andother water resources. During the 10-year
period ending in 1995, sediment movement
into Coon Creek was reduced by 42 percent
annually (from an estimated 24.5 thousand tons
per year in 1985 to 14.1 thousand tons per year
in 1995). The conservation provisions of the
farm bill were responsible for most (nearly
90 percent) of this reduction.
Then, from 1992 to 1994, a water quality
project funded by the 319 program took place at
Coon Creek. This project, too, was highly
successful. It helped install 11 settling basins,
three manure storage structures, and 1,500 feet
of clean water diversions. These structures were
used for animal waste treatment; specifically,
they helped treat the animal waste from 35
percent of the livestock produced within 0.5
miles of Coon Creek. The treatment reduced
manure movement into the stream by an
estimated 1,330 tons annually. In addition, the
project prevented livestock from having direct,
access to the stream; particularly in areas where
their access had already caused significant
water quality problems.
CONTACT: Ubbo Agena
Environmental Protection Division
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
515281-6402
Sny Magill Creek —
The New Standard Agricultural Practices
Sny Magill Creek, one of 25 coldwater
streams identified by the state of Iowa as
a priority, has impaired water quality
primarily resulting from nonpoirit sources,
particularly agricultural nonpoint sources such
as sediment, animal waste, nutrients, and
pesticides.
Sny Magill Creek is also one of the more
widely used streams for recreational trout
fishing in Iowa. It drains a 22,780-acre
agricultural watershed consisting of row crops,
pasture, forest and forested pasture, and
farmsteads. Approximately 140 grain, dairy,
beef, and swine producers live and work in the
watershed.
The watershed is characterized by narrow,
gently sloping uplands that break into steep
slopes with abundant rock outcrops. Up to 550
feet of relief occurs across the watershed. The
stream bottom (of Sny Magill and its
tributaries) is primarily bedrock and gravel with
frequent riffle areas. Along the lower reach of
the creek where the gradient is less steep, the
stream bottom is generally silty. Sny Magill
Creek empties into the Wildlife and Fish Refuge
part of Effigy Mounds National Monument.
Sediment reductions
Estimates based on the Universal Soil
Loss Equation suggest that landowners' use of
best management practices (BMPs) has
decreased sediment delivery to Sny Magill
Creek by over 40 percent since 1991. The BMPs
preferred by landowners are contour terraces,
water and sediment control basins, contour
stripcropping, and conservation tillage.
Streambank revetments
Streambank erosion is a major source of
sediment. Demonstrations that use multiple
bank-stabilization techniques, ranging from
willow posts to rock riprap, are being installed.
Many landowners have adopted animal waste
management systems because they are not
expensive and they provide an economic
benefit from nitrogen and phosphorus crediting
in an overall nutrient program. About 30 animal
manure utilization plans have been developed
since the demonstration projects began.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME [[
59
-------
Soil blocnglneering along the streambank.
Integrated Crop Management
Integrated Crop Management (ICM) is a
method used to help producers balance
nutrient and pesticide applications with plant
and soil needs. For example, a project
coordinator served as a crop consultant and
hired a crop scout to make field observations.
By recommending the use of pesticides and
herbicides only as needed and using soil tests
to balance fertilizer applications with plant
needs, applications within the watershed have
decreased by 39,450 pounds of nitrogen, 33,625
pounds of phosphate, and 28 pounds of corn
rootworm insecticide. ICM activities, in fact,
produce savings for the farmer of about $13.85
per acre.
The project has developed an
education-based Nutrient and Pest
Management Program to help smaller
producers refine their ICM systems on their
own. Workshop sessions instruct producers on
proper soil-sampling techniques, soil-test
interpretation, manure nutrient management,
.fertility planning, and pest management!
Producers then independently develop and
implement their own crop management plans.
CONTACT: Ubbo Agena
Environmental Protection Division
.Iowa Department of Natural Resources
515281-6402
60
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUMEII
-------
KANSM
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NPS Category: $ 1,094,000
S Agriculture: $399,374
H Urban Runoff: $65,890
Ell Silviculture: $0
OH Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
E3 Hydrologic Modification: $0.
D Other: $0
Banner Creek Water Quality Protection Project —
Kansas-Lower Republican River Basin
In 1993, construction of a lake began near the
City of Holton in Jackson County, Kansas. '
Sponsored by the Jackson County Rural
Water District #3, Delaware River Watershed
Joint District #10, and Jackson County, this
multipurpose lake was-designed primarily for
public water supply, flood retention, and
recreation. Its watershed (in northeastern
Kansas) encompasses 12,610 acres and
includes multiple land uses, including
woodlands, agricultural crop and grazing lands,
residential developments, and county roads
and highways. Dam construction was designed
for 520 surface acres and completed in 1996.
Protecting the lake for long-term uses
Kansas law (K.S.A.82a-1608) provides that
any.multiple purpose small lake dam receiving
state funding must have a nonpoint source
management plan. The plan must include an
evaluation of projected water quality conditions
in the watershed and in the proposed
waterbody (based on current conditions) and
an identification of the protection measures
that will be needed to achieve, lake water quality
given these conditions. Accordingly, in 1993,
Kansas State University and the Kansas
Department of Health and Environment, using
a lake model called Eutromod, began
evaluating the flow of nutrients to the lake. The
resulting data and their involvement in the
approved nonpoint source management plan
helped the Jackson County Conservation
District secure EPA section 319 funding to
supplement,and enhance earlier planning and
implementation activities. _- .
The Conservation District's objective and
three-year project is to develop and implement
a comprehensive and holistic watershed and
lake protection plan for the Banner Creek Lake.
Information and education'— both in print and
through demonstration projects — financial
incentives, and water quality sampling are major
elements in the Conservation District's strategy
for success.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ((
61
-------
Milestones
Two water quality monitoring stations
have been established. Samples from 11 runoff
events and three base flows at each of the two
sites identify some pollutants and their relative
impact on the lake. The Conservation District is
successfully using these data to determine
which best management practices it should
focus on in this watershed. These relationships
are shown in Table 1.
Table 1 .—Common pollutants in runoff to
Banner Lake, keyed to management strategies.
POLLUTANT
pesticides
bacteria
suspended solids
phosphorus
nitrate
ammonia
BOD
AVERAGE
infrequent
high
moderate
high
low
low
moderate
PRACTICE FOCUS
maintain practices
waste/disposal/
management
erosion control
erosion/nutrient/organic
waste
maintain practices
maintain practices
nutrient/organic waste
management
The project has encouraged residents and
agricultural producers to maintain the following
practices:
• conservation tillage — by purchasing a
no-till drill to rent to producers;
• biological monitoring — by involving
local students in sampling insect larvae,
snails, crayfish, and other
macroinvertebrates;
• zoning — by establishing a buffer area
around the lake to protect it from
residential development and the effects
of construction-generated pollution;
The project has installed two
diversions totaling 695 cubic
yards, four ponds, 4,453 linear
feet of tile terraces, and two
streambank stabilization
projects, and upgraded
10 septic systems.
• nutrient and pesticide management —
by implementing plans on brome grass
and croplands.
Nutrient and pesticide management
plans are now in effect.on 37 acres of cropland
and 132 acres of brome grassland,, and 147
acres are under crop residue management
practices (i.e.,'no-till or 30 percent residue). An
additional 34 acres have been planted with
native seedings, and 10 acres of brome pasture
have been renovated.
• Finally, the project has installed two
diversions totaling 695 cubic yards, four ponds,
4,453 linear feet of tile terraces, and two
streambank stabilization projects, and
upgraded 10 septic systems. Riparian
management projects, stream stabilization
projects, and tree and shrub plantings are
likewise included in the project's goals. In 1996,
3,780 trees and 12,878 shrubs were installed in
mitigation areas of Banner Creek; the Holton
Central Schools' third grade classes planted 86
trees.
CONTACTS: Scott Satterthwaite
Kansas Department of Health and Environment
913296-8038
Don (ones
Jackson County Conservation District
913 364-4638
62
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
Clean Water Neighbor Projects —
Local Initiatives Drive Public Awareness
Glean Water Neighbor, funded by the 319
program, is designed specifically to
involve local groups and individuals in
voluntary nonpoint source pollution programs.
Thus/it also seeks to enhance the public's
awareness of water quality problems, their
causes, and the best management practices and
individual behaviors that can lead to their
control .and elimination.
Cooperation is key
Clean Water Neighbor projects are local
initiatives. They involve a range of participants,
various degrees of difficulty, and diverse goals.
Indeed, the idea of neighbor helping neighbor
may be the only common element among many
projects. The following projects, exchanges, or
alliances, are Clean Water Neighbors: '
> Wichita State University's "Teaching
Teachers." Two members of the Biology
Department hold workshops to teach high
school teachers stream monitoring techniques.
Teachers then teach their students these same
methods. The University has also added a full
course to its curriculum so that secondary
~ teachers can request academic credit.
> High school monitoring projects. In
separate projects,' four high schools established
stream monitoring projects. Each school
developed its own program and follow-up
activity. One high school began to compile a
computer database for stream quality in
Topeka; another completed a stormdrain •
stenciling program in Wichita. The third planted
1,100 tree seedlings along streambanks; the
fourth hauled a large quantity of debris from a
number of county streams.
Clean Water Neighbor projects
are local initiatives. They involve
a range of participants, various
degrees of difficulty, and
diverse goals.
> Faculty and graduate students of the
School of Architecture and Urban Design,
University of Kansas designed a watershed
identification project to teach midd.le school
students to delineate the watershed and to
understand the way human activities affect
watershed health.
> Riparian vegetation surrounding Cheney
Lake, the primary source of Wichita's drinking
water, sustained significant storm damage.
Clean Water Neighbor funds contributed to the
debris cleanup that followed the storm and to
the cost of replanting riparian vegetation that
had sustained storm damage.
> Fort Scott, Kansas, completed two good
neighbor projects: monitoring to determine
pollutant sources affecting a local lake, and a
citywide composting effort.
Other Clean Water Neighbor
projects-in-progress include establishing
wetlands and sand filters/wetlands monitoring,
distributing nonpoint source pollution
literature for middle schools, and household
hazardous waste disposal efforts.
CONTACT: Judy Scherff
Kansas Department of Health and Environment
913296-8038
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
63
-------
KENTUCKY
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $526,008
S Agriculture: $651,966
H Urban Runoff: $0
03 Silviculture: $0
M Construction: $30,000
B Resource Extraction: $0
Q Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
Q Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $261,471
The Tripplett Creek Project —,
On-site Wastewater Issues in Rural Areas
The Tripplett Creek Project, a 20-month
program to reduce septic system effluent
in Rowan County's Tripplett Creek
watershed, was developed and implemented by
the Gateway District Health Department in
response to high in-s'tream levels of bacteria,
mostly downstream from older residential
clusters. The overall goal of the project was to
reduce pathogen loadings into Tripplett Creek
by reducing or eliminating the number of
unpermitted straight-pipe discharges,
increasing compliance with home septic .
regulations, installing and demonstrating best
management practices (BMPs) (including
constructed wetland wastewater treatment
systems), and initiating a maintenance and
management educational program for owners
of home septic systems and other on-isite
wastewater treatment technologies.
Graduate students from Morehead State
University's Environmental Science program
monitored the watershed during all phases of
the project, which also featured an extensive
public education and outreach component:
walking surveys, direct contact with
homeowners, news media releases, feature
articles, radio and television interviews, and
presentations to various student and
community groups. . •
Background and results
Tripplett Creek was part of an ongoing
effort by the Nonpoint Source Section of
Kentucky's,Division of Water to explore ,
innovative strategies to address on-site
wastewater treatment problems, in low-income
rural areas. Project staff have been advocating
the development of a statewide cost-share, plus
a low-interest loan program to encourage
low-income rural residents to comply with
on-site wastewater treatment regulations.
Replacing failed septic system
components, eliminating straight pipes, and
64
SECTION 31 & SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME 11
-------
installing demonstration systems in places that
have substandard systems are the obvious ways
tb.reduce human pathogens in the watershed.
Success in the project area will determine
whether it can be carried over to other
'low-income rural counties.
This project's extensive public
education outreach program,
BMP demonstrations, and
successful formation of
partnerships have fostered
tremendous contributions and
progress toward assuring a
bright future for the Triplett
Creek watershed and its
inhabitants.
More than a hundred applications for
assistance were distributed to businesses and
individuals in the project area, with other
referrals provided by county agencies and
health department staff. The project received
more than 48 applications for cost-share funds,
and approved 30 for assistance. Eligibility for
cost-share support was determined using
conventional public assistance program
guidelines. A three-member committee
approved all cost-share projects, and
arrangements for repairs to existing but
inadequate systems were handled on a
case-by-case basis. Health department
environmental staff designed and inspected all
installations and repairs. ,
Applicants who had substandard septic
.systems were eligible for subsidized
replacement of the wastewater line (from the
residence to the septic tank); the concrete,
1,000-gallon tank; the line from the tank to the
distribution box; and the distribution box.
Installation of the remaining components (e.g.,
trench and gravel lateral field, leaching
chambers, and plant/rock filters) was the
responsibility of each property owner, who
agreed to complete the work within a specified
time period.
Project success, in terms of
improvements in the water quality of Triplett
Creek, will be measured by follow-up pathogen
monitoring, which is scheduled to begin during
late summer 1997. However, other measures of
project success have already been documented.
For example, in addition to the many
homeowners who repaired or upgraded their
pn-site wastewater systems with section 319
funds, 20 additional community members used
their own money to voluntarily correct their
on-site wastewater disposal problems as a
result of this project. " . ,
Although the specific factors motivating
these 20 individuals are not known, this
, project's extensive public education outreach
program, BMP demonstrations, and successful
formation of partnerships have, fostered
tremendous contributions and progress toward
assuring a bright future for the Triplett Creek
watershed and its inhabitants.
CONTACT: David Daniels
Gateway District Health Department
606674-6396
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
65
-------
Renovating a Constructed Wetland —
Rock Creek's Answer to Acid Mine Drainage Treatment:
Mining practices in the coal-bearing
strata of Appalachia have created a
serious water pollution problem in
the Rock Creek Watershed. When pyrite is
exposed to the atmosphere, it forms acid mine
drainage (AMD), a low pH, iron- and
sulfate-rich, highly acidic water.
In 1989, a 1,022-square-meter surface flow
wetland was constructed at Jones Branch, a
tributary of Rock Creek, to reduce the effects of
acid mine drainage. Metal concentrations and
acidity were reduced substantially during the
first six months of treatment; however, the
system failed thereafter. It did not sufficiently
use the treatment area and produced
inadequate alkalinity and metal overloading.
In an attempt to improve treatment
efficiencies, a two-phase renovation project was
developed that incorporates the use of anoxic
limestone drains and a series of anaerobic
subsurface drains that promote vertical flow
through limestone beds overlain by rich organic
compost. The modified design is intended to
increase pH and bicarbonate alkalinity through
limestone dissolution and bacterially mediated
sulfate reduction. Moreover, the subsurface
drains force the interaction of AMD within the
substrate, leading to increased residence time
— and possibly increased filtering of
contaminants within the wetland system.
Looking for results
Analyses of postconstruction water
quality monitoring data are encouraging. Mean
iron concentrations have decreased from 788 to
35 mg/L; pH increased from 3.41 to 6.38; and
acidity has been reduced from 2,280 to 124
mg/L CaCO?. The renovated wetland retains the
following pollutants (figures after each element
refer to how much of the total pollutant load is
retained): aluminum, 98 percent; iron, 95.5
percent; acidity, 94.4 percent; sulfate, 57.3
percent; and manganese, 48.6 percent. Monthly
performance data revealed dramatic( changes in
water quality after construction and have
continued to indicate good consistency in
treatment efficiency ever since.
Results from the renovation
indicate that sulfate-reducing
bacteria are effectively
precipitating heavy metals as
insoluble sulfides and producing
a net alkaline drainage capable
of neutralizing acidity from
metal hydrolysis.
Prior to renovation, the surface flow
system was curtailed by a, two-hour residence
time and an acid-forming environment: Results
from the renovation indicate that
sulfate-reducing bacteria, are effectively
precipitating heavy metals as insoluble sulfides
and producing a net alkaline drainage capable
of neutralizing acidity from metal hydrolysis. In
addition, an increased residence time in the
subsurface flow system of nearly 94 hours has
been observed through the use of a bromide
tracer. Thus, modifications from the renovation •
have enhanced heavy metal removal efficiencies
and contributed to the increased life expectancy
of the treatment system.
CONTACT: Dr. A.K. Karathanasis
University of Kentucky
606257-5925
66
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUMEII
-------
Beginning with Information and Technical Assistance —
Kentucky's Agricultural Water Quality Act
In 1994, Kentucky's legislature passed an
Agricultural Water Quality Act that requires
the use.of best management practices on all
logging and farming operations larger than 10
acres. A 15-member panel, the Kentucky
Agriculture Water Quality Authority, also
established by the act, representing farmers
and loggers, environmental groups, agriculture
and forestry agencies, commodity groups, and
industries, then examined water quality data
and evaluated management practices.
With additional input from 250 producers
and commodity groups, the Authority
developed a manual of best management
practices (BMPs) to be used by all state
agencies. The manual includes 58 BMPs and
encompasses a broad range of land uses:
livestock, crops, farmsteads, and silviculture. A
special category was also created for stream
protection management.
Kentucky farmers and loggers must
develop and implement a management plan
based on this selection of BMPs. A producer's
notebook that accompanies the manual
provides a series of questions to help them
make appropriate selections among the
practices. ,
Producers have five years to implement
their management plans. This schedule ensures
that education — and technical and financial
assistance — will precede the statutory
requirements statewide. After that, enforcement
will, rely primarily on complaints or
documented water quality problems. A "bad
actor" protocol will be the enforcement arm for
implementing this statute.
The Kentucky Agriculture Water
Quality Authority developed a
manual of best management
practices to be used by all state
agencies. The manual includes
58 BMPs and encompasses a
broad range of land uses:
livestock, crops, farmsteads,
and silviculture.
If documented water quality problems are
occurring because of agricultural operations,
these operations will be reviewed and if they
have not implemented all appropriate BMPs,
they will be given another opportunity to do so.
Should a producer fail to comply with this
statute, the producer is subject to a "notice of
violation" and enforcement action, and may no
longer be eligible to participate in cost-share
programs.
CONTACT: Jack A. Wilson
Division of Water
Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection
502 564-3410
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
67
-------
LOUISIANA
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NPS Category: $512,986
S Agriculture: $415,748
B Urban Runoff: $1,003,075
03 Silviculture: $135,600
fflD Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $98,991
H Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
E3 Hydrologic Modification: $250,000
D Other: $0
Tangipahoa River Projects —
Using an Ecosystem-Based Approach
The Tangipahoa River flows for 79 miles
southeast across the Mississippi and
Louisiana state lines to Lake
Pontchartrain. The northern segment of the
river is an upland stream that flows through
rolling hills above a sand and gravel substrate;
the southern segment is a lowland stream that
widens and flows through a cypress/tupelo
swamp before entering Lake Pontchartrain.
Most of the watershed is rural, consisting of
pine forests, pastures, truck farms, and upland
dairies, with swamps and marshes in the lower
portion.
Dairy farming is a predominant land use
in the watershed; Tangipahoa Parish alone has
273 dairies. Other agricultural land uses —
truck farms, beef, poultry, fish, and swine
operations — follow dairy farming in that order.
Industries in the area are primarily agricultural,
such as milk, fish, and meat processing.
A potential health hazard
Public concern for the safety of the
Tangipahoa River for swimming and tubing
began in October 1987, when a graduate
student concluded .that the river was not
meeting water quality standards for primary
contact recreation; and, later, that high levels of.
fecal coliform in heavily used beach areas could
pose a health hazard.
A review of historical fecal coliform data
from the Tangipahoa River and preliminary
results of a sampling program begun in October
1987 confirmed her judgment. In 1988, the
Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals,
in conjunction with the Louisiana Department
of Environmental Quality, issued an advisory to
residents along the Tangipahoa River of a
potential health hazard from primary and
secondary contact recreation in the river. The
entire river was not in violation of the bacteria
standard; however, the standard is exceeded
68
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
periodically at all sampling stations, thus, the
advisory covered the entire length of the
'Tangipahoa River.
Source assessments
Bacterial contamination in the
Tangipahoa River includes both point and
nonpoint sources. Fecal coliform bacteria reside
in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded;
mammals, both humans and animals, and are
released to the environment in wastewater and
from nonpoint sources. During an initial
investigation, 11 wastewater treatment facilities
were inspected, and enforcement action was
recommended for nine of these facilities.
Nonpoint sources of pollution were also
identified, including runoff from unseweredor ,
poorly sewered communities and recreational
campgrounds, and animal wastes from dairy
farms-ahd other animal holding operations.
Wastewater treatment
Communities with no sewage systems or
poor sewerage worked with the Tangipahoa :
Parish sanitarian and the Household Sewage
Committee to reduce the level of untreated
sewage entering the river. In recent years, more
than 7,882 new home sewerage systems have
been installed in the parish. The Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality has also
contracted with the Louisiana Cooperative ,
Extension Service to implement a'n education
program focusing on the maintenance of
existing septic systems and installation of
traditional individual sewage systems.
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency also awarded funding to Tangipahoa
Parish for the construction of a sewage treatment
plant to alleviate problems faced by the parish
resulting from a shortage of available locations
for the proper disposal of septic tank sludge. The
sewage treatment plant was completed in 1995
and began full operation in the spring of 1996.
The section 319 grant supported lagoon clean-out
programs and education programs for the proper
siting, selection, and maintenance of home
sewage systems. .
Controlling dairy runoff
To control runoff from dairies, the
Department of Environmental Quality
requested that all farmers in the parish apply
for NPDES permits or install no-discharge
animal waste management systems (lagoons).
Over 125 farmers agreed to install treatment
systems. Design specifications were developed
by the Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) and the Louisiana Cooperative
Extension Service. These agencies also
provided technical assistance for the
construction of lagoons or other waste
treatment structures.
Both projects emphasize the
importance of leaving trees and
other vegetation along the edge
of the bayou or drainage canal,
since these riparian areas
provide filtration for nonpoint
sources of pollution and
nutrient assimilation.
Farmers are eligible for federal cost-share
assistance through the Farm Service Agency,
NRCS, and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin
Foundation and for state cost-share assistance
through the Louisiana Departments of ,
Environmental Quality and Agriculture and .
Forestry.
During 1996, 120 dairies were inspected
to determine their status on installing
no-discharge animal waste management
systems and applying for wastewater discharge
permits for their dairy operations. These
inspections resulted in 60 notices of violation
and one compliance order. The remaining dairy
operations have agreed to participate in the
program. , '
Additional projects
Based on the most recent data from the
Tangipahoa River, average and median levels of
fecal coliform continue to decrease, meeting
state water quality standards for primary and
secondary contact recreation during portions of
the year. The Louisiana Department of
Environmental Quality will continue to monitor
the river closely"to determine when the health
advisory can be lifted.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
69
-------
Other projects in the watershed have
emerged from the cooperation between federal
and state agencies working to restore the
Tangipahoa River. These projects include, for
example, a Forestry Nonpoint Source Task Force
and a Hydromodification Demonstration
Project modeling alternative methods for
control of vegetation along streambanks,
waterways, and canals.
Both projects emphasize the importance
of leaving trees and other vegetation along the
edge of the bayou or drainage canal, since
these riparian areas provide filtration for
nonpoint sources of pollution and nutrient
assimilation. As more native habitats are •
encouraged and maintained along the
streambank, water quality should improve and
maintenance costs decline.
Volunteer monitoring programs have also
been .implemented along the.Tangipahoa River,
and their results indicate that conditions in the
river continue to improve. In sum, these
cooperative efforts lead to a better
understanding of water quality problems in the
Tangipahoa River; they are-also helping to
'reduce pollution to levels that will soon,
residents hope, permit the lifting of the health
advisory.
CONTACT: Jan Boydstun
Louisiana Department of Environmental Protection
504 765-0546
Louisiana's Bayou Queue de Tortue Watershed
Incorporating BMP Demonstrations in
Pollution Prevention Plans
Bayou Queue de Tortue — its French
name means "tail of the turtle" — is
located in the Mermentau River Basin in.
southwest Louisiana. The area is often referred
to as the "rice capital of the world." One of the
first watersheds in the state targeted for
nonpoint source implementation activities,
Bayou Queue de Tortue exemplifies most of the
problems in the Mermentau River Basin. Since
the Mermentau has more bayous not meeting
their designated uses than any other Louisiana
basin, demonstration projects in Bayou Queue
de Tortue can have a significant areawide
impact on water quality.
The Bayou Queue de Tortue Task Force
began in 1989 as a joint cooperative effort to
coordinate section 319 programs with USDA
programs such as the President's Water Quality
Initiative. The task force included staff from the
Louisiana Department of Environmental
Quality, the Louisiana State University Rice
Research Station, the USDA Natural Resource
Conservation Service (NRCS), the Louisiana
Cooperative Extension Service, and the Farm
Service Agency (FSA).
Most bayous in the Mermentau River
Basin are impacted by sediment, nutrients,
organic enrichment, and low dissolved oxygen
levels, all of which affect fish habitats and
fisheries. Agriculture and hydromodification are
the two primary activities that contribute to
water quality impairments in the basin. .
Rice growing in the watershed.
In the Bayou Queue de Tortue Watershed,
92 percent of the land is used for agriculture,
primarily rice and soybeans. Farmers here and
throughout the basin use mudding-in and
water-seeded rice as cultural practices to
control the weed, red rice. As a result, water
used to irrigate rice fields before and during the
planting season is laden with solids, nutrients,
and metals. Its discharge affects the streams
and bayous, especially during the spring
planting season when most traditional
mudding-in practices are used.
Working rice fields in water results in
suspension of soil particles in irrigation water. If
irrigation water is discharged before soil
particles settle out, topsoil is lost and sediment
is deposited in the receiving water. Because of
the prolonged time period for settling of soil
particles, removal of even 50 percent of the
sediment is a challenging goal.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
As rice field discharges are released from
fields through drainage canals to the bayous,
bottom sediments are resuspended, creating a
sediment oxygen demand (SOD) in the bayou.
Dissolved oxygen levels in the bayous barely
average 2.0 to 3.0 milligrams per liter (mg/L),
and when rice field discharges are released,
these levels are significantly reduced, ranging
from 0.2 to 0 mg/L.
Beginning with the.1990 planting season,
farmers participated in a multiyear
demonstration project to
evaluate the effectiveness of
rice management practices
in improving water quality .
in the Mermentau River
Basin. The Farm Service
Agency provided cost-share
assistance to rice growers in
the project area (the Bayou
Queue de Tortue
Watershed), while NRCS.
and local soil and water
conservation district.staff
provided technical;
assistance to the
participating farmers.
The project developed
and recommended four
management practices for
rice: '
• no-till rice planting — water planting
into previous crop residue with no
mechanical soil disturbance;
• mudding-in with a 15-day settling
period — flood water is retained in a
closed levee system constructed prior to
soil disturbance;
• dry cultivation with clear water planting
'— clear water planting into a prepared
seed bed; and
• mudding-in with a vegetative filter strip
— retention of flood water in a closed
.levee system,constructed prior to soil
disturbance; flood water is drained into
an adjacent area where native vegetation
is maintained.
The clear water and no-till rice plantings
were equally effective in reducing sediment
(right) A rice
field and
(below) the
Louisiana rice
field day at the
Research Station
in Growley, LA.
concentrations in the initial discharges.
Mudding-in with a vegetative filter strip also
significantly reduced sediments from rice fields
as compared with the traditional mudding-in
practice. Results from the project indicate that
all four management practices can improve the
quality of rice field discharges, though results
differ, depending at least in part on historic
conditions in the treatment streams.
Numeric evaluation — water
monitoring .
Department of Environmental Quality
analyses of Bayou Queue de Tortue and other
bayous in the Mermentau River Basin show
improvements in dissolved oxygen
concentrations. Dissolved oxygen levels showed
declining tendencies from 1982 to 1989, before
the demonstration project was implemented.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
71
-------
The reverse is true from 1990 to 1995, when
average dissolved oxygen concentrations
increased from 2.434 mg/L in the preproject
time period (1982-1989) to 3.335 mg/L during
the project implementation time period
(1990-1995).
Other data also illustrate the success of
this project. For example, from 1991 through
1994, FSA cost-share funding helped support
the four recommended rice best management
practices (BMPs) on over 80,000 acres. Since
then, interest in water quality improvement and
BMPs has continued without FSA cost-share
assistance. Rice growers voluntarily used the
recommended BMPs on over 3,200 acres in
1996 — motivated by concern for water quality
and topsoil losses from their farms.
According to a report from the Louisiana'
State University (LSU) Rice Research Station,
conservation tillage practices were used to
plant an estimated 99,600 acres statewide
during the 1996 planting season. This acreage
represents approximately 20 percent of the total
rice acreage in Louisiana. Of the acres planted
with conservation tillage practices, 13,000 acres
were within the project area, and 10,000 acres
were in adjacent areas in Vermilion Parish.
In 1996, the Farm Service Agency
submitted Bayou de Queue Tortue as one of
three priority watersheds for additional
cost-share funding through the Water Quality
Incentive Program, a move that will result in the
use of additional BMPs on rice fields.
Narrative evaluation — ongoing
activities
The Bayou, Queue de Tortue Task Force
continues to support activities to improve the
bayou's water quality. First, to address the.
sediment problem more directly, the Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality and the
Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service have
developed a suspended sediment test kit to
enable rice producers to reduce soil loss by
determining the amount of sediment
suspended in irrigation water. The test kit
contains a chart that indicates (in parts per
million) the amount of suspended sediment
contained in the sample and also estimates (in
inches) the amount of topsoil that would be
lost in 100 years if the water were released when
. tested instead of after the soil particles had
settled out.
During the 1996 planting season, the LSU
Agricultural Center disseminated 750 test kits
free of charge to rice producers in the
Mermentau River Basin. During the 1997
planting season, a total of 1,500 kits were
distributed.
Second; the Louisiana Department of
Environmental Quality, the state legislature,
USDA, and various agricultural commodity
producer groups, such as parish, regional, and
state rice growers' associations, provide ideas
and funding for many educational programs to
help reduce nonpoint source pollution in the
Mermentau River Basin and to encourage other
farmers to adopt the BMPs used in the Bayou
Queue de Tortue Watershed.
These agencies are also helping farmers "
build their pollution planning skills. Because 82
percent of the rice growers and 75 percent of
Louisiana's total rice acreage are located in the
Mermentau River Basin, Cooperative Extension
will develop a model pollution prevention plan
(PPP)-for introduction in this area. (Since 1990,
Louisiana has required that all agricultural
producers must develop and follow such plans).
To ensure that the rice field PPP will cover
most if not all potential sources of nonpoint
pollution encountered by rice producers, initial
field tests in the Mermentau River Basin are
planned for 1997. Once the model has been
developed, the public will be made aware that
additional help is available to those needing to
develop farm-specific PPPs; and the tenets and '
practices in the model plan will be adapted as
lesson plans for use by 4-H agents, volunteer
leaders, and teachers in grades K through 12.
This aspect of the project is still in the
development process, and extension agents
have submitted a proposal to expand the effort
to the entire Mermentau River Basin. The
Department of Environmental Quality
anticipates initiation of this project during 1997.
CONTACT: Jan Boydstun
Louisiana Department of Environmental Protection
504 765-0546
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
MMNfi
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting MRS Category: $459,002
S Agriculture: $288^222
H Urban Runoff: $10,080
'_ HI Silviculture: $0 -
W Construction: $O
B Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
H Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0 \
The Taylor Pond Watershed Project— Increasing Public
Awareness about Nonpoint Source Pollution
From past to present
Taylor Pond is a 644 acre pond
encompassed by a 15-square-mile watershed
located in Auburn, Maine, about 25 miles
southwest of Maine's .capital city of Augusta.
Land use in the watershed is predominantly
residential. Other land uses include two active
commercial farms and several small logging
operations. Although slopes throughout the
watershed are highly variable, the eastern shore
of Taylor Pond is moderate to steeply sloping
and creates problems for the two- and
three-tiered developments existing in .the.area.
Water quality data have been collected for
Taylor Pond since 1941, and during the past
decade the lake has been monitored regularly by
the Taylor Pond Lake Association and the Maine
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Local residences generally dispose of waste-
water through septic systems or connection with
the Auburn Sewer District. Many lakefront
homes are occupied year-round, camproads are.
traveled throughout the year, and road and
shoreline erosion problems are common.
Present water quality is not suitable to sustain
a coldwater fishery, exhibiting documented .
signs of below-average water clarity, severe
dissolved oxygen depletion, habitat loss, .and
increasing total phosphorus levels.
. The cumulative effects of annual
phosphorus loadings from various sources and
the conversion of forest land to developed land
are primary, causes of Taylor Pond's water
quality decline. , /
A community protects its lake
Over the years, most Taylor Pond
residents were unaware of the exact nature of
nenpoint so.urce pollution and even less able to
manage it. More important, few recognized that
they were part of the problem. This condition
changed in 1992, when the Androscoggin Valley
Soil and Water Conservation District and the
Taylor Pond Lake Association began the Taylor '
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
73
-------
Pond Watershed Project with the cooperation of
landowners, the nearby towns of Auburn and
Minot, and local, state, and federal government
agencies. Partial funding for the project was.
provided by a section 319 grant. The objectives
of this 319 grant project were primarily water
quality-related: to stabilize or improve the lake's
water quality, and to reduce phosphorus and
sediment inputs to the lake through widespread
use of best management practices (BMPs).
The centerpiece
accomplishment of this project is
its design and implementation of
BMPs that successfully reduce
phosphorus and sediment
loading to the lake.
Technical assistance
From the beginning, the project faced a
substantial challenge. It was accomplished,
however, in two phases that continued from
1992 through 1995. A project steering
committee including an aquatic biologist,
several engineers, conservationists, municipal
representatives, and local residents, delineated
focus areas. Issues needing the greatest
attention included education about nonpoint
sources, creation of BMP demonstration sites,
direct technical assistance to landowners, and
implementation of a phosphorus ordinance.
When volunteers, contractors, town and
government officials, students, teachers,
planners, homeowners, and even some
admitted skeptics of the operation eventually
pitched in, the project became a community .
effort to reduce nonpoint source pollution
sources in Taylor Pond. Many residents received
one-on-one assistance with erosion problems
that seemed of little consequence to
individuals, but which when added together
contributed significantly to lake pollution.
Problems and solutions ranged widely, from
repairing and maintaining eroding camp and
forestry roads, ditches, and driveways to
preventing washwater discharges and excessive
use of lawn and garden fertilizers.
Technical assistance helped landowners
know why and how to use BMPs effectively, and
road crews learned how to perform roadway and
ditch maintenance activities to reduce
sedimentation and avoid future maintenance
costs. Inspections and technical assistance
encouraged town planning boards and
developers to incorporate BMPs into local
development projects.
Even with technical help and a solid plan
of action, success would be difficult without
local notice of ongoing project activities.
Newsletter articles were distributed to teachers
and municipal officials. Brochures and other
resource materials illustrating the effects of
erosion and phosphorus were developed and
distributed at presentations and workshops for
schools, associations, construction engineers,
and town officials. A watershed ecology
curriculum series with expert guest speakers
was presented to local grade school teachers,
who incorporated the information into daily
instruction.
Lasting accomplishments
According to methodology developed by
the Maine Department of Natural Resources
and applied by the Department of
Environmental Protection, Taylor Pond's yearly
transparency data and long-term average
means for water transparency do not indicate a
statistically valid rise in water quality over the
past 16 seasons of data collection, because a 90
percent confidence level was not attained. Yet,
the information does indicate a positive
increasing trend in water transparency at the 84
percent confidence level, suggesting that
statistically proven and "quantifiably
measurable" water quality improvement may be
just around the corner for Taylor Pond.
The centerpiece accomplishment of this
project is its design and implementation of
BMPs that successfully reduce phosphorus and
sediment loading to the lake. Each BMP
demonstration site was carefully chosen to
model effective low-cost erosion and
sedimentation controls and stormwater runoff
management. The project team worked
extensively with individual landowners and
towns to construct these sites. Local residents
and those of other nearby watersheds (Sabattus
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
Lake, Range Pond, Crystal Pond, Mud Pond)
toured the sites, and local public works
departments donated signs and other displays
to inform people about the project.
Thus, the project increased the public's
awareness of the variety of nonpoint pollution
sources to Taylor Pond and their effects on
water quality. It showed landowners that each
of them has a personal stake and responsibility
in protecting water resources, and emphasized
the difference each of them can make acting
individually and as a community. Their
sustained energy and enthusiasm will be the
deciding factor in whether this effort continues
to be successful in the years to come.
CONTACTS: Tony St. Peter
207287-3901
Norm Marcotte
207287-7727
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Bond Brook Responds to Progress —
Fish Habitats Improve
Maine's 20-square-mile Bond Brook
watershed has long'been a victim to
the wheels of progress in Augusta,
Maine. A tributary to the venerable Kennebec
River and a popular fishing attraction for
residents of Maine's state capital, this once
vibrant trout and salmon fishery had declined
significantly over the years, as a result of rapid
development. The brook was still a source of
recreation for many but compared to earlier
times, it was clearly in trouble.
Local ordinances were insufficient to
protect Bond Brook from the effects of:
uncontrolled development, poorly constructed
or maintained roads and ditches, agricultural
and mining activities, and unstabilized,
naturally eroding streambanks. With so many
forces pressing the brook to the brink of col-
lapse, local residents began to consider Bond
Brook as a resource-that could not be saved.
Then the Kennebec County Soil and
Water Conservation District came up with an
idea. Active in watershed protection efforts
throughout Kennebec County, the district saw
Bond Brook as an opportunity to augment its
ongoing water quality improvement efforts and
to address major problems within the brook
watershed. With help and funding from the
Maine Department of Environmental
Protection's (DEP) nonpoint source program,
the Conservation District sought a 319 grant to
begin the work. In 1991, the district contacted
the City of Augusta and the Maine DEP,
proposing to restore the worst portions of the
brook's eroding shoreline'and reduce recurrent
discharges ,of sediment into the brook.
Project design invites approval
the district's overall approach was
simple: repair significant erosion sites
immediately adjacent to the brook and attack
the problem at its root by teaching the public
about nonpoint source pollution.
The district presented a work plan to the
DEP that called for stabilizing eroding banks,
implementing and demonstrating best
management practices (BMPs) on multiple sites
within the watershed, and establishing a basic
information flow about erosion and BMPs. Led
by Water Quality Specialist Mitch Michaud, the
Conservation District undertook the Bond
Brook Watershed Project in cooperation with
other city, state, and local agencies and
partners. Significant accomplishments
followed, including:
• construction and demonstration of an
innovative livestock exclusion and
watering site;
• training for local residents in the use and
, importance of forestry BMPs (erosion
controls, buffer strips, runoff control, and
road construction techniques);
• production of newspaper articles and
presentations featuring the restoration of
Bond Brook;
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
Z5
-------
• presentation of the project's goals and
efforts at the 1993 Northeast Fish and
Wildlife Conference; and
• erosion control BMP demonstrations at
' seven sites within the watershed.
The BMP demonstrations included riprap
installations, vegetative planting and mulching,
and slope preparation. Other satellite projects
were generated from these project activities.
Technical assistance was provided to these
additional projects but no 319 funds were spent
on them. These projects included instruction in
fill placement and soil stabilization techniques,
storrnwater runoff control, revegetation plan
reviews, ditch construction and maintenance,'
and assistance in fish ladder permitting and
construction at the Governor Hill State Fish
Hatchery,
Teamwork and commitment
Teamwork was a key ingredient to the
success of the Bond Brook grant project, as
shown in the following examples of project
activities:
>• Several eroding streambanks were
revegetated using mostly volunteer help from
local groups (e.g., Trout Unlimited) and
neighboring residents.
>• A large section of streambank was
riprapped to prevent the landowner's septic
system and 20 feet of severely slumping
shoreline from washing into the brook. This
repair required contractor expertise but also
received ample roll-up-your-sleeve volunteer
help from Maine DEP staff, Natural Resources
Conservation Service staff, and the landowner
himself.
>• Still another heavily eroded bank, located
within 100 feet of Bond Brook, was repaired
with help from the City of Augusta, who agreed
to purchase and remove some of the eroding
clay material for use as landfill cover,
facilitating sloping and ditching of the site for
final hydroseeding.
From armoring an all-terrain vehicle
crossing to planting trees in an eroding
playground, the variety of repairs conducted by
a similar variety of people during the fieldwork
segment of this project created a team
atmosphere that carried on through the entire
project.
The district's overall approach
was simple: repair significant
erosion sites immediately
adjacent to the brook and attack
the problem at its root by
teaching the public about
nonpoint source pollution.
Higher fish survival rate
The Bond Brook project was completed in
1996, and preliminary results point to at least
some water quality improvements/According to
recent observations by Maine's Department of
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, higher salmonid
survival rates (brown trout) are evident within
Stone Brook (a major Bond Brook tributary).
Further observation shows that brook trout are
doing well in the upper reaches of Bond Brook,
and sites repaired during the project are
contributing significantly less sediment to the
brook than sites that were not repaired.
. More needs to be done to fully restore
Bond Brook, and additional work is being
planned to.restore riparian buffer habitat in the
upper watershed in 1998. Without water quality
monitoring having been performed over many
years, it is virtually impossible to gauge the
success of project activities or determine the
long-term effects on water quality in the
watershed. But one thing is certain. The
cooperation and commitment of the
participants in this project offer new hope that
Bond Brook.can become the exceptional
clean-water recreational and fisheries resource
that it was in its earlier days.
CONTACTS: Tony St. Peter
207287-3901
Norm Marcotte
207287-7727
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUME (I
-------
Building a Local Watershed Alliance —
A Common Sense Approach
Ghina Lake, Webber Pond, and Threemile
Pond are culturally eutrophic lakes in'
central Maine — in the towns of China,
Vassalboro, and Windsor. Combined, these
lakes drain an area of approximately 52 square
miles. Because they are primarily used for
recreation, the improvement and maintenance
of their water quality directly affects the
economic base for the communities in this.
region.
During the 1980s, in-lake treatment,
funded in part by section 319, was employed on
Webber and Threemile Ponds to help address
declining water quality. Threemile was treated ,
with aluminum salts to achieve a reduction in
internal nutrient cycling, and a new outlet
structure was constructed on Webber to
facilitate annual drawdowns. In both lakes,
restoration efforts focused primarily on these
measures rather than on the continual influx of
phosphorus from the combined watersheds.
Eventually, coordinating efforts between the
towns began to make sense as residents
recognized the value of pooling resources and
providing landowners with technical assistance
for repairing nonpoint source problems — with
landowners contributing to the cost of repair
materials.
The idea gained additional support when
local volunteers suggested that a regional
alliance be created to share knowledge,
experience, and human and financial resources
to establish a coordinated and long-term .total
watershed management system over the
three-town area. The Maine Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) and EPA
Region 1, also saw this innovative approach to
lake restoration as a unique opportunity to
establish, with partial funding support from
section 319, a permanent, and self-sustaining
lake protection presence in the region.
In 1994, the China Region Lakes Alliance
was. formed between the three towns as a
regional nonprofit corporation, with a board of
directors representing the lake associations, the
towns, and the Kennebec Water District (a local
utility). Core program funding from section 319
allowed the Alliance to establish itself and
obtain local public and private funding, along
with grant funding from various sources. Since
its inception, the China Region Lakes Alliance.
has been creative in finding effective solutions
to nonpoint source problems within its
jurisdiction. •
Local volunteers suggested that
a regional alliance be created to
share knowledge, experience,
and human and financial
resources to establish a
coordinated and Ibng-term total
watershed management system
over the three-town area.
Partnership-based protection
The Maine DEP section 319 Nonpoint
Source Program has become a vital player in
this ongoing regionally integrated watershed
management effort. EPA Region 1 and the state
have worked with the Alliance to fund and
implement the first and second phases of the
Webber and Threemile Ponds Watershed
Project; a third phase is currently under review
for possible implementation in 1998-1999.'
These efforts are bringing the Threemile
and Webber Pond watershed programs up to
the level of China Lake's program. A full-time
resource specialist and summer Youth
Conservation Corps workers-receive watershed
survey results from trained local volunteers,
facilitate design and implementation of erosion
controls around the ponds, help educate the
public about nonpoint source pollution, and
assist landowners install best management
practices.
Results of the China Region Lakes
Alliance program are impressive. Working
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
77
-------
Youth Conservation Corps workers installing best management practices in
China Lake.
labors of 20 Erskine Academy
students (who would be
considered "at risk" in a
traditional school setting) to
repair eroding banks on a heavily
silted section of Jones Brook, a
major tributary to the south
basin of China Lake. These
energetic students learned about
erosion control techniques and
water quality protection while;
also learning the basic
ingredients for teamwork and
cooperation. Since this work was
completed, gravel has
reappeared on the stream
bottom and brown trout are
again occupying this traditional
salmonid spawning area.
cooperatively with state, federal, and local
agencies and landowners is producing tangible
results, among them:
• a highly successful local public and
private nonpoint source remediation
program;
• education and employment opportunities
for local high school students involved in
helping the China Region Lakes Alliance
install scores of cooperative erosion
control projects;
• a locally-enacted Phosphorus Control
Ordinance currently serving as a
statewide model;
• employment of prison inmate volunteers
on large projects;
• a strong financial and human resources
commitment from the Federal Highway
Administration and the Maine
Department of Transportation; and the
• implementation of ongoing projects
aimed at restoring and protecting the
three-lake area and its tributaries.
> The Erosion Control Demonstrations —
China Lake Watershed. This 319 project
focuses on 10 stream and lakeshore sites where
various structural and vegetative techniques
new to central Maine are employed to stabilize
existing erosion problems. Some sites were
more successful than others, but all were
educational and will continue to be employed
as regional training sites.
Through this comprehensive grassroots
process, the local public are becoming aware,
informed, and involved with resource
protection in the China Lake/Threemile
Pond/Webber Pond watershed. As the water
quality of the resources is improved and
protected, the local economy and property
values will also increase. Public safety will be
enhanced as a result of local road
improvements. Over time, the result will be a
locally funded, perpetual watershed
management program that produces continuing
and comprehensive environmental and
economic benefits for this valuable lakes region.
Among the latter projects, two were
outstanding:
>• The Jones Brook Restoration Project. This
also is a 1995 319 grant project that used the
CONTACTS: Tony St. Peter
207287-3901
Norm Marcotte
207 287-7727
Maine Department of Environmental Protection
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $296,322
S Agriculture: $735,894
H Urban Runoff: $438,396
EB Silviculture: $71,368
HID Construction: $O
E Resource Extraction: $0
H Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
H Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
Constructed Wetlands —
Maryland Investigates Dairy Waste Treatment Methods
Untreated dairy effluent contains high
concentrations of nutrients, oxygen-
demanding substances, and solids that
can adversely affect water quality and the
health of aquatic organisms in downstream
waters. To address this threat, the State Soil .
Conservation Service (now the Natural
Resources Conservation Service [NRCS])
constructed a waste treatment system consist-
ing of two settling basins, two wetland cells, and
a vegetated filter strip at a dairy farm near
Frederick, Maryland, in the Monocacy River
watershed in July 1993. Other partners.in this
319 project are the University of Maryland at
College Park, the Maryland Department of
Natural Resources, and dairy farmer Clyde Crum.
Background
The project is designed to investigate
whether constructed wetlands can provide a
cost-effective alternative to conventional
technologies, such as lagoons and land
application, for controlling animal waste runoff
from dairy farms. While constructed wetlands
have been found.to be effective for treating
other waste types (e.g., domestic sewage and
industrial waste), few quantitative data are
available to document the effectiveness of
constructed wetlands for treating dairy waste.
Controlling nutrient releases from dairy
farms has some urgency, since Maryland and
other states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
have agreed to reduce the input of nutrients to
the Bay to 40 percent of 1985 levels by the year
2000. Animal waste, particularly from dairy
cows, is a major source of nutrients to the
Monocacy River, which flows into the
Chesapeake Bay. .
Wetland treatment systems
Effluent from the dairy milking parlor
flows through one of the settling basins and is
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME H
-------
then split to flow into both of the wetland cells
in parallel. Runoff from the barnyard flows
through the other settling basins and then into
one of the wetland cells. Effluent from the
wetland cells then flows through the vegetated
filter strip and out through a culvert at the
downstream end.
The project is designed to
investigate whether constructed
wetlands can provide a
cost-effective alternative to
conventional technologies, such
as lagoons and land application,
for controlling animal waste
runoff from dairy farms.
To assess the effectiveness of the wetland
treatment system, researchers from the
University of Maryland collected surface water
samples once each month in each of two
settling basins receiving effluent from the
milking parlor and barnyard, at the inflow to
each wetland cell, and at four to six sites across
the length of each cell. Additional samples were
taken at the outflow pipes of the cells if
discharge was occurring, at a culvert at the
downstream end of the vegetated filter strip,
and at a groundwater seep area within the strip.
The samples were analyzed for several water
quality parameters including five-day
biochemical oxygen demand (BOD?), total
suspended solids (TSS), total Kjeldahl nitrogen
(TKN), nitrate-nitrogen (NOs-N),
nitrite-nitrogen (NO2-N), ammonia-nitrogen
(NHs-N), orthophosphate (PO4-P), and total
phosphorus (TP).
Reductions in nutrients
Based on the results of sampling and
analysis conducted between May 1995 and
January 1997, the treatment system as a whole
achieved considerable reductions in all
parameters except nitrate and nitrite. The
percentage of overall reduction (from the
settling basin receiving milking parlor effluent
to the outlet of the vegetated filter strip) was 87
percent for BOD, 99.8 percent for TSS, 59 .
percent for ammonia, 97 percent for total
nitrogen, 88 percent for orthophosphate, 94
percent for total phosphorus. Nitrate and nitrite
increased from 5.7 to 12.4 mg/L (117percent),
and most of the increase in nitrate and nitrite
occurred in the filter strip, suggesting that the
strip is a site of nitrification (a precursor to
nitrogen removal via denitrificatiort). The
settling basins reduced TSS but had .little effect
on BOD or nutrients.
. Guidelines developed by the NRCS
specify as design objectives that constructed
wetlands'for treating agricultural waste should
reduce BOD and TSS to below 30 mg/L and
ammonia-nitrogen to below 10 mg/L. Filter strip
effluent contained average concentrations of
TSS (60 mg/L), BOD (144 mg/L), and ammonia
(30 mg/L) that exceeded design objectives.
Nonetheless, these concentrations are within
an order of magnitude of design objectives and
represent a tremendous improvement over
conditions that existed prior to the treatment
system. •
Our results suggest that the system could
be improved by recirculating effluent through
the system or creating another wetland cell
downstream of the .existing system. The
University is continuing to work.with the NRCS
and Mr. Crum to develop design modifications.
CONTACT: Andrew Baldwin, Ph.D.
Department of Biological Resources Engineering
University of Maryland
301405-1198
80
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
The Sawmill Creek Project —
Modeling the Watershed Approach
Sawmill Creek — one of four watersheds
selected by the governor's Chesapeake
Bay Work Group to develop,
demonstrate, and evaluate a coordinated
approach to improving water quality and
habitat conditions for living resources — is
using an adaptive management approach to
reverse declines in water quality and habitat.
Substantial habitat improvements have already
been made to a tributary to the creek, and the
project may also provide some of the first
documented research on the lag times
associated with restoration activities.
Project description
A wide spectrum of land owners and land
management agencies have pooled their
resources to develop the new approach and
restore Sawmill Creek: five Anne Arundel county
government departments, seven state agencies,
three federal agencies, five nongovernmental
organizations, several local businesses, and
numerous private citizens. Each partner is
mandated to use existing programs to achieve
the goal. No new funds were allocated for the
project, and even section 319 funding was used .
solely for assessment and monitoring.
Profile of the watershed
Sawmill Creek is a second order
freshwater stream on Maryland's
coastal plain. The watershed drains
approximately 8.4 square miles,.and
the creek flows about 5 miles from its
headwaters to its mouth, a tidal
estuary near the mouth of the
Patapsco River and Baltimore Harbor.
The region was originally known
for its productive fruit and vegetable
farms. Approximately two-thirds of the
• watershed has been converted to
residential and light industrial land
uses over the past 50 years.
Development of a major
transportation network has had a
significant effect on the watershed.
The Baltimore Washington
International Airport is the center of a
. web of interconnecting rail lines and
interstate highways.
Groundwater withdrawals for
municipal drinking water have
increased dramatically, and excessive
pumping from an unconfined aquifer
has reduced the annual base flow in
the creek from an average of six cubic
feet per second in 1965 to less than
one cubic foot per second during
more recent dry years.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
81
-------
The adoption of a watershed perspective
(i.e., the coordinated and integrated approach
called for by the governor's work group) is
intended to be a continual and permanent
change in management practice. In this case,
the monitoring and implementation teams
acted concurrently. The implementation team
began to address obvious flaws in historic
management practices, while the monitoring
team investigated the subtle, cumulative
impacts of various land-use practices.
The implementation team drafted a
restoration strategy that described the
geographic location of each environmental
problem, prescribed a general restoration goal,
and identified the responsible management •
agencies for each major problem. The partners
then used feedback from the monitoring team's
ongoing investigations to revise and improve
the details of each restoration project. This
interactive process has been described as
adaptive management. It continues, but after
three years the emphasis has shifted from
assessment and planning to implementation
and evaluation.
Examples culled from the
implementation phase
The implementation phase began in 1994
and actively continues. A wide variety of best
management practices have been, and will be,
installed as the partners revisit each site using
biological health and
stream conditions to
guide their
determination of overall
conditions. Thus, for
example, the project
used a biological survey
(EPA's Rapid
Bioassessment
Protocols) to assess and
quantify stormwater
problems. Table 1
compares habitat scores
and fish populations in a
reference stream and a
Sawmill Creek tributary
before and one year after
restoration. The scores
shown for each stream
parameter are reported as a percentage of a
theoretically perfect stream. The last line shows
the number of fish species that were found in
each stream.
There is documented evidence
that six species of fish survive
in the restoration area.
The reference stream indicated in Table 1
is covered with second growth forest. It is not
pristine but the stream ecosystem is in good
condition for a western shore coastal-plain
stream. Tributary 9, by comparison, is in an
urban portion of the watershed and has
approximately 50 percent impervious cover. It
drains an area mostly covered by subdivisions
built in the late 1940s. Much of the upper
stream network was buried in drain pipes under
the streets with no stormwater management
plan in place to control either the quantity or
the quality or runoff.
Habitat improvements on Tributaiy 9
consisted of reshaping the eroded channel to
restore a stable cross-section, gradient, and
plane geometry to accommodate the increased
stormwater discharge rates. The new channel
was stabilized with bioengineering techniques
including root-wad-revetments, rock weirs, and
dense riparian plantings..
Table 1.— Habitat scores and fish species on Sawmill Creek.
HABITAT PARAMETERS
Substrate and cover
Enbeddedness
Flow
Channel alteration
Scouring and deposition
Pool/riffle/run ration
Bank stability
Bank vegetative stability
Stream side cover
TOTAL SCORE
FISH SPECIES
REFERENCE
STREAM
80%
65%
60%
93%
67%
87%
80%
90%
80%
78%
9
TRIBUTARY 9
PRE-IMPLEMENTATION
50%
25%
45%
13%
40%
47%
30%
40%
60%
39%
1
TRIBUTARY 9
POST-IMPLEMENTATION
75%
60%
30%
67%
60%
87%
70%
90%
50%
65%
6
82
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
Table I indicates the significant habitat
improvements that have evolved from the
stream restoration practices installed on
Tributary 9. The habitat scores are expected to
continue to improve as the riparian plants
develop into a mature forest buffer.
Experimental stocking of resident nongamefish
species has also been accomplished, with help
from a local junior high school science club.
Thus far, there is documented evidence that six
species of fish survive in the restoration area.
Lessons learned
The Sawmill Creek project shows that an
ecosystem-based approach can be used to set
priorities for watershed management planning.
Quantifiable measures of biological health and
stream stability can be used to guide the
integration of a wide variety of best
management practices. The approach can be
used for both restoration and planning
purposes. However, lag time — the time that
elapses between the installation of a best
management practice and the first improved
conditions —- is highly variable depending on
the level of action and specific site conditions.
As monitoring continues in the watershed,'
section 319 funding may contribute to.research
on this aspect of watershed management.
CONTACTS: Larry Lubbers
410260-8701
Watershed Restoration Division
Elysabeth Bonar Bouton
410260-8734
Coastal Zone Management Division
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
83
-------
* V • 1 • 4
I I, >1 f ( Jl I, (
MriSSACHUSETtS
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting MPS Category: $666,160
S Agriculture: $0
H Urban Runoff: $66,578 •
E3 Silviculture: $0
3H] Construction: $0
BQ Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
0 Hydrologic Modification: $390,000
D Other: $128,762
Wetlands to the Rescue —
Spragues Cove Stormwater Remediation Project
In June 1995, Marion, Massachusetts,
completed construction of a wetlands
system designed to reduce stormwater
pollutant discharges that were adversely
affecting Spragues Cove. Elevated levels of fecal
coliform bacteria were the primary concern;
before the wetlands system was built, they had
contributed to the closure of shellfish'beds in
the cove and threatened nearby swimming
beaches.
To obtain funding for the remediation
structure, the town joined the Buzzards Bay
Project of the National Estuary Program in
competing for a section 319 grant. In
Massachusetts, the 319 grant program is
administered through the Department of
Environmental Protection, Office of Watershed
Management. The town also received grant .
monies from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and the Marion Cove Trust.
Once grant funding had been obtained,.
the Buzzards Bay Project requested technical
assistance from the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS put
together an interdisciplinary team of engineers,
biologists, soil conservationists, a geologist,
and a soil'scientist to'work with the town and
the Buzzards Bay Project. This team helped the
partners identify alternatives and select best
management practices. Several alternatives
were considered, including chlorination, UV
dissectors, vegetative swales, and infiltration
structures. The constructed wetlands system
was deemed the most feasible solution based
on site-conditions, pollutant removal
capabilities, capital costs, and operation and
maintenance requirements and costs.
Constructed wetlands
The constructed wetlands system is
comprised of a sediment basin, two shallow
marshes located on both sides of a deep pool,
and a stone-lined channel. Project workers used
design criteria from a Florida manual to size the
84
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUME ((
-------
system: it was made to store 1.0
inch of runoff with an average
detention time of 14 days.
Although wet weather
monitoring has been limited
since the construction of the
wetlands system (because of
summer drought conditions in
Massachusetts), thejatest data
indicate fecal coliform counts of
10 organisms per 100 milliliters
in Spragues Cove. In
Massachusetts, the Water Quality
Standard for shellfish harvesting
without depuration is 14
organisms per 100 milliliters.
Prior to construction of the
wetlands system, fecal coliform
counts as high as 20,000
organisms per 100 milliliters were
recorded. Monitoring of-the
discharges from the wetlands
system and Spragues Cove will
continue on a regular basis. The
data will help determine ther
effectiveness of the system in
reducing stormwater pollutant
loads and thus, project the future
status of the shellfish beds.
Shellfish beds open for
harvesting
At this time, it appears that
the wetlands system has -
successfully reduced the stormwater
pollutant loadings to levels that
permit the valuable shellfish beds of .
Spragues Cove to be open for harvesting.
In addition, the project has given the
town an aesthetically pleasing landscape.'The
restoration reclaims a former salt marsh that
had been filled with dredge materials in the
1950s. The townspeople of Marion have shown
their support for this project by helping to
replant the shallow marshes and stabilize the
BEFORE the project
- ---,,-,; T ":.;„ —,,_ ^p;,*^r rEr^-pi.J* ,*5^5-J,,.™=a ^, .•»,_
shoreline. They have also continued to replant
the vegetation that died during the drought.
CONTACT: Elizabeth McCann
Division of Municipal Services
Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Protection
617292-5901
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
85
-------
MICHIGAN
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting MPS Category: $1,395,957
H Agriculture: $710,213
H Urban Runoff: $335,000
03 Silviculture: $35,000
ID Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
E3 Hydrologic Modification: $113,000
D Other: $300,000
Talking with Farmers —
The North Branch Chippewa River 319 Watershed Project
The North Branch of the Chippewa River,
located in the center of Michigan's lower
peninsula, forms a subwatershed of the
Saginaw Bay basin. The North Branch begins in
Isabella County and flows into the Chippewa
River near Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.
Land use in the 49,000-acre watershed is
78 percent agricultural, including a mixture of
dairy, beef, and rowcrop farming. Row crops are
grown on 33,000 acres or 67 percent of the
watershed (87 percent of the agricultural area)
and livestock are found on 100 (53 percent) of
the roughly 189 farms in the watershed.
Clay soils and rolling typography, along
with an intensive network of agricultural
drainage tiles, lead to unstable flows — to high
water velocities that transport large quantities
of nutrients and suspended solids during storm
events. Excessive rainfall or a heavy snowmelt
only intensifies the problem.
First Steps
The Isabella County Soil Conservation
District received a section,319 planning grant
for the watershed in 1990. Since the
Conservation District's primary goal was to
reduce sediment, -phosphorus, and fecal
coliform levels in the North Branch, it began
the project by surveying the watershed to
identify the major sources of these pollutants.
The district's watershed planner walked all the
tributaries in the watershed and recorded and
ranked sources of nonpoint pollution on aerial
photos. In addition, the district hosted local
advisory meetings to promote awareness and
participation.
The water quality problems were
sediments, nutrients (particularly phosphorus),
and fecal coliform. The sediments and nutrients
derived mainly from soil erosion on
row-cropped fields, while uncontrolled cattle
access was a source of fecal coliform. Fully 25
86
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
river miles and 26 miles of tributaries
were affected. The basis for ranking
the nonpoint sources on the aerial
photos was the watershed planner's
experience and expertise in
• recognizing and diagnosing the
problems and solutions. In effect,
each problem area was scored in the
field as low, medium, or high priority
in consideration of the project's
. overall goals.
Once the priority sources were
identified, the watershed planner
contacted individual landowners and
met with them at their farmsteads.
During these meetings, the planner
proposed an appropriate system of
farming practices that would address
all known and potential nonpoint
sources — and meet the landowners'
specific farming needs.
The watershed planner
identified the priority areas and
actively sought farmers in these areas
to develop plans for implementing
best management practices (BMPs). In
other watersheds (i.e., those that .were
not designated as priority areas),
those interested in participating in the
program contacted the. district to sign
up for cost-share funding. The
"one-on-one" interaction with
landowners in the priority areas contributed
greatly to the project's overall success/
Reducing loadings result
Implementation of BMPs began in 1991
and continued for three years. During this time,
the project installed 49 erosion control
structures, over 7 miles of fencing, numerous
stream crossings, 24 acres of filter strips, a
grassed waterway, 0.5 miles of diversions, an
agricultural waste management system, over
17 acres of critical area seeding, and 2.7 miles
of streambank stabilization that included seven
in-stream check dams. All livestock in the North
Branch of the Chippewa River are now restricted
by fencing from access to the main tributaries.
These structural practices have prevented
12,015 tons of sediment from entering the
North,Branch; they have also saved an
estimated 6,248 pounds of phosphorus and
78 pounds of nitrogen.
CONTACT: Amy Peterson
Nonpoint Source Unit
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
517373-2037
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ((
87
-------
Saving Michigan's Blue Ribbon Trout Stream —
The Boardman River Project
In 1992, the Grand Traverse Soil Conservation
District received a section 319 grant to treat
streambanks and road crossings that were
contributing sediment to the Boardman River, a
295-square-mile blue ribbon trout stream •
located in northwest lower Michigan. To ensure
that the diversity of river users would be
honored, the District developed a steering
committee that topped 200 members, including
local townships, numerous state and county
agencies, communications companies, utilities, .
recreational groups, a regional land
conservancy, construction companies, and
other businesses.
Working together for almost
four years, these partners stabilized
96 sites on the Boardman River and,
as a result, prevented over 1,200
tons of sand from entering the
system each year. To maximize
resources, the District worked with
the Michigan Department of
Corrections to obtain prison labor
for the project. They also used
numerous bioengineering practices
to further stretch their 319 funding.
Bioengineering practices used
included
• transferring native plants from
elsewhere in the watershed to
the site needing vegetation,
• using whole tree revetments at
the toe of some slopes,
• using log cribbing to terrace a
steep slope,
• bringing vegetation to near the water's
edge, and
• planting vegetation with rock riprap.
These practices stabilized the sites at a
lower cost than traditional rock structures and
helped blend the new sites into the
surrounding landscape.
Other practices also proved useful in the
Boardman River. For example, working with
fisheries managers, the District added fish
lunkers to several of the sites to help provide
habitat for trout. The wooden lunkers were •
installed at the toe of a bank, covered over with
rock and topsoil, then seeded. Amazingly, the
sites with lunkers look no different than sites
without lunkers.
And — a final example — using
composted .leaves became a regular practice for
the District. The leaves were donated by
Traverse City and mixed into the soil prior to
seeding or hand planting vegetation: This
practice has been especially helpful, on
^•UKMi^^BMHH«R*MH*!BB:. _.«t*fti*«i™*SB»fl^Tii«K*«a9«M^»««»«^
Log cribbing, shown in the foreground (right), was used on the Boardman
River to impede the downward movement of soil on a bank. Here, seed,
individual plantings of native shrubs, and stairs were used with the log
cribbing to create a natural-looking access site.
south-facing sandy slopes where it is usually
difficult to get vegetation to grow.
Ongoing and long-term management
Having addressed the primary sources of
sediment in the watershed, the District
installed and developed long-term agreements
with individuals and groups to maintain four.
sand traps, each of which, when cleaned, will
remove an additional 1,000 tons of sand from
the river.
88
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
To promote the watershed
restoration efforts, the District also
developed an information/education
campaign,that included watershed
brochures, a project display, T-shirts,
an educational video, and three
30-second public service announce-
ments (PSAs). The educational video,
entitled "Currents of the Boardman,"
was filmed and produced by a local
utility company, MichCon, which also-
filmed and produced the PSAs. The
PSAs have been aired over 1,000
times on local television.
Now that 319 funding has
ended, the District has joined forces
with the Grand Traverse Regional
Land Conservancy and local
businesses to continue the project.
The Conservancy is a nonprofit land
protection organization that has
already worked with local landowners
to protect nearly 600 acres
in the Boardman River watershed. In
addition, an endowment fund for the-
Boardman .River has been.established
• through the Conservancy. The interest
from this fund will provide for the
long-term management of the
Boardman River system,
CONTACTS: SteVe Largent
Boardman River Project Director
616941-0960-
.Amy Peterson
Nonpoint Source Unit
Michigan Department of Environmental
Quality
517373-2037
aSSr "*sfcs. ••agjJjg**"»*ug"BUBi»um; i imss vis* • a uji/^/n •
yw j«^p»i|«^r SK^SS- y jiir=s5r="~51-<^-JE»'*' *, Ag -
jg. jf "*.j% yFj^f^f. *jB # ayjpg^i- .fTfepw JEM** * s*'
2*-" -«. a sf*s—• •^T Ha*15*- .. .n*. ,.*~»» «A-» »™ .
This site on the Boardman River was contributing sediment to the river.
Here, workers are applying composted leaves to help create a better
growing medium for vegetation on this "hot" slope. Photo by Steve Largent,
Grand Traverse Soil Conservation District.
The same site after one growing season. Note how the composted leaves
and seed were brought to the water's edge — on top of some of the rock
riprap — to provide a more natural-looking finish. Photo by Steve Largent,
Grand Traverse Soil Conservation District.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES; VOLUME (I
89
-------
MINNESOTA
3I9(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $2,829,742
S Agriculture: $298,843
H Urban Runoff: $92,158
0 Silviculture: $0
(H Construction: $0
B Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $ 159,263
03 Hydrologic Modification: $146,737
D Other: $76,947
Lake Shaokatan Restoration Project — Improving
Water Quality Through Reduced Phophorus Loading
Lake Shaokatan is a shallow prairie lake
located in western Minnesota,on the
South Dakota border. The lake water
quality severely deteriorated in the 1980s as a
result of excessive nutrient loading associated
with watershed land-use practices. Nuisance
algal blooms dominated the open water season
and occasionally produced algal toxins alleged
to have resulted in the death of dogs and cattle.
The lake has a surface area of 1,018 acres,
a mean depth of 7.3 feet, and drains about
8,054 acres. The Yellow Medicine River
Watershed District initiated a Clean Water
Partnership project in 1990 that subsequently
discovered extremely high levels of total
phosphorus (average summer value of 270
ug/L). Chlorophyll a concentrations were
episodic with concentrations noted to exceed
100 pg/L (with summer means of 20 to 30 ug/L).
The major source of the phosphorus was
attributed to feedlot and drain tile operations
within the watershed.
Assessing nutrient budgets
To counteract these problems, the
watershed began an extensive monitoring
program in 1991. The data were expected to
help residents understand watershed nutrient
loading and lake response dynamics. Using
seven state-of-the-art stream measurement
sites, the monitors obtained water and mass
loading estimates and determined lake system
balances. The basic approach was to manage
the lake nutrient budget to achieve a total
phosphorus goal of 90 pg/L (as defined by EPA's
ecoregion analyses).
Watershed restoration
After completion of the monitoring effort,
a complete watershed restoration program
began. Since late 1991, this program has
• diverted a stream from a swine operation,
• rehabilitated a feedlot-impacted wetland,
90
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
bought out,a swine operation to
eliminate it as a nutrient source
to the lake,
upgraded a dairy feedlbt
operation,
repaired shoreline septic
systems, and
restored four wetland
complexes in the watershed.
Lake Shaokatan in June 1995 — after restoration.
These actions reduced phosphorus
loading rates by 58 to 90 percent (over a range
of years). They cost about $3 to $ 11 per
kilogram of reduced phosphorus.
Nuisance algal blooms
dominated the open water
season and occasionally
produced algal toxins alleged to
have resulted in the death of
dogs and cattle.
The watershed's responses to these
corrective actions was immediate and
significant as both nutrient and sediment
losses were reduced. Concurrently measured
average summer total 'phosphorus
concentrations dropped from 270 to 89 ug P/L
by 1994. The intensity and duration of seasonal
algal blooms have been curtailed with all values
now less than 20 pg/L.
These trends are expected to continue as
the Yellow Medicine River Watershed District
and local management groups continue
additional watershed actions. Project
monitoring is conducted mostly by farmers and
others in direct contact with landowners who are
most knowledgeable about land-water
interactions and causal relationships between
their operations and water quality.
CONTACT: Margaret Velky
Water Quality Division
Watershed Assistance Section
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
612296-8834
The Lake Bemidji Watershed Management Project —
Clean Water is Good for Business
The Lake Bemidji Management Project is a
cooperative effort between 21 local, state,
and federal groups and citizen
organizations (including EPA's Clean Lakes
Program). It began seven, years ago with a'single
objective: to improve and maintain Lake
Bemidji's water quality by reducing nonpoint
sources of pollution.
The Lake Bemjdji watershed contains
more than 400,000 acres and includes the
headwaters of the Mississippi River and its first
major tributary, the Schoolcraft River. The City
of Bemidji, justly proud of being the "first city
on the Mississippi," has helped bring massive
lake management changes to the watershed
over the past 15 years.
Accomplishments along the way
With help from its many partners, Lake
Bemidji and its city have avoided confrontation
and legal proceedings. Instead, the
management project has defined specific lake
management goals and pursued corrective
actions worth about $1 million. Examples of
their accomplishments illustrate the power of a
true partnership. Among other activities, the
project has
• established a state-of-the-art flow
monitoring and sampling program to
define river and in-lake conditions,
• created three stormwater basins to treat
runoff from downtown Bemidji,
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
91
-------
• installed multiple sediment traps to treat
runoff from other downtown areas,
• conducted winter litter clean-up
campaigns with many cooperators (the
area's a virtual city on the ice during
winter),
• rehabilitated about 400 feet of severely
eroded Mississippi riverbank, and
• revegetated a wetland on the new
downtown sediment basin/Chamber of
Commerce learning center (next to the
historic Paul Bunyan and Babe statues).
Notwithstanding this'impressive list, a
crowning accomplishment may well be the
project's extensive education and outreach
program. The partners sponsor educational
seminars, give television interviews, and teach
countless secondary education
classes, from which the project has
drawn many student volunteers. The
partners also distribute informational
brochures (more than 95,000 so far),
file newspaper inserts, sell placemats
and bait shop clean-up bags, plant
trees (more than 250,000 to date), and
help develop forestry plans.
Water quality, the first and
final goal
The Lake Bemidji Management
Project has achieved its long-term
goals for the Lake Bemidji basin.
Phosphorus levels are in the 15 to
22 ug/L range (down from the 30 to
40 pg/L range observed in the 1970s
and 1980s), Of more significance,
however, is that they have also'achieved
widespread agreements to protect those levels.
The City of Bemidji continues (without outside
funding) to install sediment basins to treat
urban runoff.
These commitments will help maintain
the lake despite its draw of 536,000-visitor days
of water-based recreation annually. Water
quality and the watershed's economic health
are thus intimately related. Among its other
findings, the Lake Bemidji management project
discovered that recreationists will seek
alternative bodies of water or reduce their level
ENTERING
W1SM
(above) These signs were placed on the watershed borders
along every major road entering the watershed.
(below) Two of the Girl Scouts who labeled storm sewer inlets.
of activity whenever water pollution is an issue
— particularly in an area where people expect
to find a "land of .sky blue water," And they ;,
estimate that a 10 percent reduction of visitor
activity can result in economic losses of
millions of dollars per year. "Clean water," in the
words of the Lake Bemidji Watershed
Management Project, "is good for business."
CONTACT: Margaret Velky
Water Quality Division
Watershed Assistance Section
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- 612 296-8834
92
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $955,000
S Agriculture: $329,515
H Urban Runoff: $359,919
[JE Silviculture: $100,000
Hffl Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $82,700
11 Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
H Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $82,866
An Animal Waste Irrigation Project in Mississippi —
Saving Farmers Money
Mississippi's Soil and Water
Conservation Commission has
initiated a demonstration project
that will ultimately change the way lagoons
and other animal waste facilities are managed.
A relatively simple description explains the
activity: farm workers remove (pump) solids
from improperly functioning animal waste
lagoons and apply them to the land with a
traveling gun irrigation system.
Animal waste is a contributing factor
to the high level of nitrogen, phosphorus,
and fecal coliform found in some Mississippi
streams. However, on land, the fecal coliform
die and the nitrogen and phosphorus become
a rich source of natural fertilizer. Production
values increase when animal wastes are
recycled, and the water stays cleaner.
Improperly functioning lagoons?
Animal waste lagoons stop functioning
properly if they are being misused, that is, if
they are too small; or if they are not properly
maintained. Suppose one has an older lagoon,
one built for 50 head of cattle. If the herd
increased to 100 head, the old lagoon will fill up
twice as fast. Further, removing the solids that
accumulate in any lagoon is a standard operating
procedure that should be performed regularly.
This project, which was funded through a
319 program grant from EPA, began in the
Amite, Pike, and Walthall County Soil and Water
Conservation Districts in southwestern
Mississippi. Those districts were selected for
the first demonstrations to help remedy water
quality problems in the Tangipahoa River. Once
the irrigation system was demonstrated in this
area, other districts began to serve as
demonstration sites.
Nutrient management plans
Demonstration sites must have a suitable
amount of pastureland or cropland near the
lagoons being pumped out. Landowners
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
93
-------
participating in the demonstration (or choosing
this option as a best management practice) are
required to consult with the Natural Resources
Conservation Service. An approved animal
waste management plan should be developed
for each lagoon system.
Production values increase when
animal wastes are recycled, and
the water stays cleaner.
The waste management plan may also
include a nutrient management plan. Farmers
must know the nutrient content in their lagoon,
the amount of nutrients already available in soil
resources, and plant nutrient needs before they
can determine how much waste can be properly
applied.
An economic and environmental
success
During the entire time period of this
proiect, a total of 12 lagoon systems were
pumped out. Of these, 10 were dairy lagoon
systems, one was a swine lagoon system, and the
other a poultry lagoon system. The total amount
of land used for the applications included 192
acres of cropland and 206 acres of pasturelahd.
The total volume of lagoon effluent
irrigated onto these acres contained 72,402
pounds of nitrogen, 34,911 pounds of
phosphorus/and 82,715 pounds of potassium.
The dollar value of those nutrients — that is,
the money landowners saved in fertilizer costs
— was $19,548.54 for nitrogen, $6,633.09 for
phosphorus and $9,925.80 for potassium.
The landowners who.participated in this
demonstration project were pleased with the
outcome. They knew that a positive impact was
being made on water quality through this
system and agreed with the Mississippi Soil
and Water Commission that the demonstration
contained at least the following benefits:
• The irrigation system helps alleviate
lagoon overflow problems, thus
preventing water quality problems in the
demonstration areas.
• The project shows that more expensive
and time-consuming equipment is not
necessary for.the adoption of this lagoon
management practice. Tank trucks and
tractors, which cause soil erosion and
compaction, can be eliminated.
• Production costs are' significantly lower
when nutrients are recycled to crop and
pasture systems. The alternative practice,
commercially formulated fertilizers, is
more expensive.
This system has now been transferred to
the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation
Commission who will continue to demonstrate
its benefits, especially in Mississippi's priority
watersheds. Having received numerous
requests for use of the system, the Commission
applied for, and received, an additional grant
from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Land
and Water 201 program to purchase an
additional system. That system is now in use in
the 32 TVA counties in Mississippi.
CONTACT: Gale Martin
Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission
601 354-7645
Lake Hazle Project Takes on Urban Runoff
Expects Return of Beneficial Uses
Lake Hazle, a 22-acre public lake in
Hazlehurst, Mississippi (about 40 miles
south of Jackson), is used for fishing,
wildlife, and aesthetic quality. Nearly
one-quarter of its 400-acre drainage area has
been developed for commercial or residential
use. Approximately 50 acres of the surrounding
land contribute sediment runoff. Service
stations, auto repair shops, streets, highways,
and parking lots collect oil and grease, and
highway construction and commercial
developments are another major source of
contaminated runoff and sediment. The impacts
from these nonpoint sources of pollution are
keeping Lake Hazle from meeting its designated
uses.
94
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
The purpose of the Lake Hazle Project
was to identify and correct the nonpoint
sources of urban runoff, thereby restoring the
recreational values and aquatic life resources of
the lake to their full potential. EPA provided 319
funding for the project. Several, other state,
federal, and local governmental agencies were
cooperating partners, including the Mississippi
Soil and Water Conservation Commission;
Copiah County Soil and Water Conservation
District; the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service; the Department of
Environmental Quality, Office, of Pollution
Control; the City of Hazlehurst; and the
Southwest Resource Conservation
Development Office.
Lake Hazle's water quality
has clearly improved since
the implementation of BMPs
throughout the watershed.
In 1990, EPA's Region 4 provided
guidance on the proposed Lake Hazle
monitoring plan. The Water Quality Assessment
Branch of the state Department of
Environmental Quality implemented the
monitoring plan to document improvements to
water quality from the installation of best
management practices in the Lake Hazle
watershed.
Section 319 grant funds funded up to 60
percent of the best management practices
(BMPs). Nine BMPs were installed to treat
runoff from 233 acres. Of the nine practices, six
were critical area plantings; one, a grade
stabilization structure; and two were water and
sediment control wet detention basins. As a
result of these activities', 2,238 tons of soil
annually are retained on properties adjacent to
the lake. Although water quality has improved,
additional practices are needed to bring Lake
Hazle to its fullest potential.
Awareness and water quality increase
Comparisons of monitoring samples taken
before and after the practices were installed
show a dramatic decrease in suspended solids
following the, installation of stormwater
controls. The critical area plantings and other
practices had a similarly dramatic effect, as did
the BMPs installed to manage stormwater
sediment. The depth of the euphotic zone (water
clarity) increased 72 percent, thereby taking
sunlight to greater depths and increasing
photosynthesis in the lake. Other water quality
parameters were also monitored:
• Dissolved oxygen and temperature data
are less conclusive, but indicate that
dissolved oxygen did increase, though
slightly, at both-middle and bottom
depths during the post-BMP period.
• Tests indicate a reduction in
nitrate-nitrogen concentration greater
than 61 percent. The reduction of total
nitrogen in stormwater runoff had a
positive effect on nitrogen within the lake.
Once BMPs were introduced around the
lake, the in-lake total nitrogen
"concentration fell by 54 percent.
• Stormwater runoff concentrations of
phosphorus declined by 50 percent. Lake
samples indicate that the combined
project activities reduced phosphorus
loading to the lake by 34 percent.
• Pre-BMP stormwater monitoring showed
a very high number of fecal cpliform
(bacteria) colonies; post-BMP levels fell
by 84 percent.
Lake Hazle's water quality has clearly
improved since the implementation of BMPs
throughout the watershed. However, it is still
too early to determine the long-term'effects of
these activities. As project activities continue
and lake users become more aware of how
nonpoint sources affect water quality, it is
possible to anticipate that Lake Hazle will be
restored sufficiently to support its original
designated uses.
CONTACT: Gale Martin
Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission
601 354-7645
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
95
-------
Mississippi Demonstrates Dead Chicken Composting —
A Water-Quality Safe Disposal Method
A t the time this project began,
/•A southcentral Mississippi was bracing for
JL Xa rapid expansion of the poultry
producing industry. It was widely predicted that
the poultry population in a six-county area
would increase to approximately seven million
birds. In fact, in 1993,62 growers handled 7
million birds and by 1997, 150 growers reported
a census of 16.2 million birds. In an industry
this large, the disposal of dead birds must be
carefully managed to avoid potential threats to
surface and groundwater resources.
Alternative methods
Traditionally, dead birds have been
disposed in burial pits or incinerated.
Unapproved methods were sometimes
discovered, such as exposing the carcasses or .
dumping them in streams or roadside ditches.
But even the approved methods carry some risk
of water contamination that adds to the cost of
production. Arkansas, another major
poultry-producing state, has recently prohibited
the use of pits for dead bird disposal, and other
states are likely to take this action in the near
future. The Arkansas ban tells the story: often
the carcasses decay only partially and leachate
from the pit poses a danger to surface and
groundwater.
In Mississippi's case, several agencies
worked with local soil and water conservation
districts to educate and advise area producers
about the composting project, then provided
technical assistance to those who cooperated.
The original project plan called for one
composter to be constructed in each district
included in the demonstration, but the project
was so well received in two conservation
districts that ah additional composter was
constructed with cooperators electing to divide
the cost-share funds among themselves.
Following construction, workshops were
held in each of the participating conservation
districts to give participants an opportunity to
relate their experiences. Local producers who
had not participated and the general public
were also invited to learn more about the use of,
cofnposters to protect water quality. The
Department of Environmental Quality expects
more composting facilities to be constructed if
producers can obtain funds to cover the cost of
construction.
And area farmers are realizing
an additional benefit. Many are
saving up to $25 per ton by using
the composted material as
fertilizer, thereby reducing their
purchase of and dependence on
commercial fertilizers for land
applications.
Benefits that distinguish composting
from other methods
Approximately 194,400 birds per year will
be disposed of by composting in a manner that
reduces the chance of groundwater
contamination. And area farmers are realizing
an additional benefit. Many are saving up to
$25 per ton by using the composted material as
fertilizer, thereby reducing their purchase of and
dependence on commercial fertilizers for land
applications. When composting is combined
with other practices such as soil testing and
nutrient management planning, it reduces the
risk of nutrient enrichment to nearby surface
waters.
CONTACT: Robert Seyfarth
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
601 961-5160
96
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting MPS Categpry: $487,721
.S Agriculture: $1,577,680
H Urban Runoff: $210,994
§3 Silviculture: $0
M Construction: $0
G Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
• H Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
Forage and Grassland Improvement —
Livestock Producers Explore Best Management Practices
Missouri's "show-me" livestock
producers demonstrated their forage
management project with great
enthusiasm. "Except for areas where I cut hay,
we haven't used any nitrogen, phosphorus, or
potassium in three years," says Joe Ewing of
Polk County, Missouri. •
Ewing has been a Clean Watershed '
Cooperator with the Missouri Department of
Natural Resources since the Forage and
Grassland Improvement Demonstration Project.
began in 1992. Previously, his pastures had
been straight Kentucky 31 tall fescue, and more
than 80 percent was infected with the
endophyte fungus. Now Ewing has adopted a
more intensive grazing system. He also tests his
soil for fertilizer and pH; and overseeds the
grass with a mixture of red clover, white clover,
and annual lespedeza.
"We retest soils each year," he said. "But
so far, the only plant nutrients needed have
been calcium and magnesium. We try to
maintain soil pH in the 6,5 range. Phosphorus
and potash have stayed up well, and the
legumes fix enough nitrogen for the grass."
In the rotational grazing system used for
this project, livestock graze a section of pasture
for one to three days before moving on to the
next section. Each section is rested 18 to 40
days between grazings. Ewing manages three
separate grazing cells. He uses' electric polywire
fencing to subdivide pastures into grazing
paddocks. One cell is divided into 12 paddocks
of 3 acres each; a second, larger cell has 8
paddocks of about 12 acres each; and the third
cellconsists of 6 paddocks, each about 7 acres
in size.
Ewing turns cattle into a paddock when
the grass, is 6 to 8 inches tall and lets them
graze the forage down to 3 to 4 inches. This still
leaves enough leaf surface for good
photosynthesis and quick regrowth. Depending
on how fast the grass regrows, each paddock -
gets a rest period of 18 to 26 days. Ewing said
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
97
-------
his steers gain weight at the rate of 1.76 pounds
per day, which is an added incentive for
rotational grazing — it brings home a tidy profit
when Ewing sells the steers after 173 grazing
days.
"Except for areas where I cut
hay, we haven't used any
nitrogen, phosphorus or
potassium in three years."
Other producers buy the project's
claims
In all, 15 demonstration sites in
southwest Missouri participated in the Forage
and Grassland Specialist Improvement Project.
The Top of the Ozarks and the Southwest
Missouri Resource Conservation and
Development councils conducted the project
from mid-1992 through 1995. As incentives to
participate, producers received guidance on
how to design, install, and maintain the grazing
and watering systems and additional
information on pasture establishment
measures.
The success of this project owes much to
the dairy producers and ranchers who
cooperated, and to the soil and water
conservation districts, Cooperative Extension,
Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS), and Missouri's Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) — who all who shared their
time, technical knowledge, and management
skills during the project. Two Resource
Conservation and Development councils, the
Missouri DNR. the NRCS, and EPA'(using 205
and 319 program grants) funded a grasslands
specialist to implement the project.
The project site, a 23-county area in
southcentral and southwest Missouri, has the
highest concentration of beef and dairy cattle in
the state. (Missouri ranks second in the nation
as a producer of beef cows.) The area's five
recreational lakes and several scenic rivers
provide a base for tourism and residential
development in the area. This potentially
uneasy mix of land uses works as smoothly as it
does because so many of its residents are
willing to participate in demonstration projects
of this kind and adopt practices that protect
their valuable water resources. ••
Related benefits also count
The farms ranged in size from 40 to 4,000
acres. Mark Kennedy, the project's grassland
specialist, tested .soils on the farms and helped
producers maintain a satisfactory plant fertility
level through nutrient recycling. Improved
manure distribution also eliminated the need
for supplemental fertilizers. What is more, the
grazing livestock "harvested" many weeds, such
as ragweed and lambs quarters, thereby
eliminating the need for herbicides.
Practices implemented in this project
helped protect recreational waters and
increased profitability in the forage and
livestock enterprises. Rotational grazing
systems provide the following actions and
benefits:
ACTIONS
Reduced bare soil exposure
Alternative watering supplies
and fences, thus, (1) limited
cattle access to streams
(2) improved water quality
for consumption
Even distribution of manure
Reduced fertilizer application
Improved forage qualify
Reduced weeds, thus reduced
herbicide
BENEFITS
Reduced field erosion
(1) reduced strearnbank
erosion and improved wildlife
and aquatic habitat
(2) improved cattle and dairy
performance
Reduced nutrient runoff
Reduced nutrient runoff
Improved cattle and dairy
performance
Reduced chemical runoff
"From an animal waste standpoint," says
Kennedy, "management-intensive grazing
ensures that plants are in a high state of
nutrition when livestock graze. From a plant
standpoint, it provides respite, and from an
environmental standpoint, it more evenly
distributes manure .over the grazing area. It ties
the animal needs to the plant needs."
98
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
Extending the program statewide
In an unusual twist to the project, farmers
who implemented the grazing systems did not
receive cost-share. Kennedy explains that the
cash-flow benefits of the systems were their
selling point. "It would have defeated the .
purpose of the demonstration project if other
farmers who wanted to apply the grazing
systems could not obtain cost-share."
In 1994, however, the Missouri
Department of Natural Resources recognized
the benefits of grazing systems and initiated a
pilot cost-share program for three counties.
This year, the cost-share program was extended
to nine counties and statewide. The program is
administered by local soil and water
conservation districts.
Missouri livestock producers who have
• tried the system agree that the demonstration
project offered convincing evidence for the
notion that changing livestock systems to
reduce inputs in favor of increased
management results in positive water quality
and income benefits — a change that Kennedy
says, "replaces horsepower with brain power."
CONTACT: Ruth Wallace
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
,. 573 526-7687
The Mark Twain Water Quality Initiative — Total Resource
Management in Missouri's Upper Salt River Basin
The Mark Twain Water Quality Initiative is a
dual project designed to implement
on-farm BMPs and inform and educate
citizens on the importance of watershed
management in northeast Missouri. The two
portions of the project include the Mark Twain
Water Quality Demonstration Project and the
Mark Twain Public Information Project. The
paragraphs that follow describe the Water
Quality Demonstration Project.
The Mark Twain Water Quality
Demonstration Project expedites the adoption
of innovative best management practices
(BMPs) through technical assistance to
producers. Led by the Natural Resources
Conservation Service, the original project
targeted portions of seven counties draining
into the. Mark Twain Lake, but the focus has.
been expanded to include a major portion of
the Upper Salt River Basin. The project.is
designed to help farmers
• develop, implement, and evaluate total-
resource management (TRM) systems or
whole-farm plans that emphasize nutrient
and pesticide strategies;
• plan, design, and install animal waste
systems; and
• provide assistance to field personnel in
the formulation and implementation of
TRM systems training.
The project area consists of
approximately 630 square miles in northeast
Missouri and includes all of the drainage area
of the Crooked, Otter, and North Fork
tributaries located within the hydrologic or
political boundaries of Knox, Monroe, Shelby,
Macon, Marion, Rails, and Randolph counties
that empty into. Mark Twain Lake.
Agricultural land comprises 55 percent of
the project area's Jand use and is the number one
industry in the basin. Soybeans, corn, wheat,
grain, sorghum (milo), and other feed grains
and forage crops are the major crops grown in
the basin, and agricultural chemicals are used
extensively throughout the area.
Upland and bottom lands of the basin are
intensively cropped, and the basin is also a
major hog producing region, with Shelby and
Monroe Counties among the top 10
hog-producing counties in Missouri. The two.
counties have over 300 swine facilities in
operation with an additional 100 dairy and beef
operations in existence. Animal waste produced
in the counties has a human population
equivalent of 144,500 (6,845 in Shelby County
and 8,872 in Monroe County).
The total resource management plans
include BMPs such as manure and nutrient
management, intensive rotational grazing
systems, alternative water supplies for
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
99
-------
livestock, waste production storage and '
treatment programs, erosion control, prairie
restoration, woodland and wildlife
management, precision farming, crop rotation,
farm dump cleanups and alternatives to illegal
dumping, insect scouting, weed mapping, dead .
animal composting, pesticide container,
recycling, nitrogen-fixing legumes for reduced
fertilizer applications, and soil and water testing.
Fertilizer savings
On one farm in the project area,
84-year-old Lucille Redman has planted
lespedeza clover — and also grass and legume
species such as brome, orchard and ladino,
along with red clover on her hay field. "My cattle
have had more grass to eat than ever before, yet
my fertilizer bill has gone down," she says. At
one point, the hay field was so tall Redman had
to bring in her cattle between hayings, which in
turn gave their usual grazing pasture a resting
period for regrowth.
Redman also maintains a buffer strip
along the riparian corridor which helps to
stabilize streambanks and filter runoff. Soil
erosion and rainfall runoff are major hazards on
about 80 percent of the cropland and pasture in
the project area, she reminds her visitors and
friends. The sediment is really bad," she says.
"Since nutrients and chemicals adsorb to clay
and silt and are deposited with them in lakes
and streams."
Redman's reduced fertilizer bill indicates,
however, that there is less potential for nutrient
runoff under the Water Quality project than
before the project began. The result is a cleaner
drinking water supply for residents in Monroe
City as well as an increase in profit for area
farmers like Redman.
On still another project site, Clarence
Seiber notes that half of his farm borders the
Sugar Creek Lake reservoir north of Moberly,
Missouri. Sugar Creek is one of the six drinking
water resources threatened by sediment and
runoff from the project area.
Before Seiber took over, the land his farm
is on had been stripped of its terraces and
greatly deforested. He was faced with working
up glacial plains land that had lost a
considerable amount of topsoil. More recently,
Seiber has been working with the Randolph
County Soil and Water Conservation District,
the Missouri Department of.Conservation, the
Natural Resources Conservation Service, and
the Missouri Department of Natural Resources
in an effort to rebuild the highly erodible land.
"My cattle have had more grass
to eat than ever before, yet my
fertilizer bill has gone down."
Increased profitability
Tdidn't believe hay production could be
any more profitable than grain, he says, "but
I've learned through this program that with this
kind of soil I can produce hay in higher quality
and for higher profit than grain."
In addition to reducing fertilizer inputs on
the hayfield, Seiber and his son Max are
involved in a Wildlife and Forestry program and
a Stewardship Incentive Program. Now the
cooperation among the many agencies, and the
family's hard work, is beginning to pay off: in
soil conservation, fertilizer savings, improved
wildlife habitat, and increased hay quality — all
of which mean, less polluted runoff in Sugar
Creek Lake and an increase in profits for
Clarence Seiber.
Actions expended, benefits received
The combined actions and benefits from
the Redman and Seiber projects are examples.
of TRM. Each producer selected management
actions that would limit bare soil exposure,
reduce his or her dependence on fertilizer,
improve crop or forage quality, control weeds,
and save herbicides.
In short, each one chose management
actions that would benefit the whole farm. In
addition, both took some action to protect
riparian areas, buffer zones, and wildlife.
As a result, their farms and communities
reaped whole benefits, including improved
water quality, less field and streambank
erosion, more plentiful wildlife and beneficial
pests, fewer chemicals and nutrients in runoff,
and not. least, increased yields and income.
CONTACT: Ruth Wallace
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
'• ' - 573526-7687
100
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting UPS Category: $638,311
S Agriculture: $666,949
H Urban Runoff: $0
E3 Silviculture: $0
W Construction: $0
D Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
S Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $82,000
Reducing Nutrients in Agricultural Runoff —
The Godfrey Creek Project in Gallatin County
The Godfrey Greek project, initiated in 1989
by the Gallatin County Conservation
District and other key agencies, has two
primary objectives: to demonstrate agricultural
best management practices that will reduce
suspended solids, fecal coliform, and nitrates in
runoff from dairy operations, grazing, and .
farming practices; and to develop an education
program for producers in the watershed.
Several animal confinement operations
(dairies, swine, and beef operations) are located
immediately adjacent to Godfrey Creek and are
the major sources of impairment. But grazing
management, riparian area degradation, and
crop farming also add to the problem. The
education program can help the agricultural
community in general understand how its
actions impact water quality, the environmental
and financial consequences of the impact, and
the benefits of improvement. .
Farmers turn out
All landowners became actively involved
in project implementation — at least to the
extent of making management changes in their
operations. Over 80 percent participated in
major efforts such as fencing riparian areas,
adopting improved grazing systems, removing
livestock from riparian areas, establishing buffer
zones, improving manure-handling systems,
and improving irrigation water management. In
addition, nearly all landowners participated in
informational tours and meetings.
Because of the expense associated with
improvements to the dairies' waste
management systems — lagoons or similar
structures can cost $60,000 to $80,000 each —
the District pursued multiple funding sources .
for this project. Major funding was provided by
the USDA, section 319, and the state of
Montana.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME [(
101
-------
(left) Water gap approximately one year following installation in 1992. (right) Same area in 1994.
Reductions in nutrients
The District collected baseline data on
various water quality parameters for this
project, including total suspended solids,
nitrate + nitrite, total phosphorus, fecal
coliform, and macroinvertebrate samples. To
monitor the effectiveness of the project, data
collected prior to 1994 were considered
preproject; data collected since 1994 were
considered postproject.
Samples of these parameters were taken
11 to 19 times a year at each of three sites.
Annual means were computed from monthly
averages of the raw data to eliminate potential
effects of seasonal bias that might occur from
an increase in sampling frequency part way
through the project. The hydrograph data and
relationship between flow and pollutant
concentration were also examined to ensure
that flow variability would not influence the
results.
Postproject data (samples taken in 1995
and 1996) are sufficient to prove that water in
Godfrey Creek watershed did improve as a
result of project activity. Estimated reductions
in mean annual concentrations are 58 percent
for total phosphorus and 64 percent for total
.dissolved solids over preproject conditions (see
attached figures). Fecal coliform data also .
indicate a dramatic 82 percent decline in
bacterial contamination. These improvements
were not, however, matched by reductions in
nitrate plus nitrite. Instead, the data show an
(estimated) average increase of nitrate plus
nitrite of 24 percent.
Though it. has not yet reached its goal of
80 percent reductions in these key indicators
(except for fecal coliform), the project is
successfully helping landowners gain control of
the factors that influence surface and bank
erosion and nutrient runoff. Agricultural
practices that can be managed to help control
nitrate include a combination of irrigation and
manure disposal methods. Future project
activities may need to emphasize these
practices to ensure the full realization of
Godfrey Creek's potential.
CONTACT: Bob Bukantls
_ Montana Department of Environmental Quality
406444-4684
102
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UQLUMEII
-------
Reclaiming East Spring Creek —
Greater Trout Populations
The East Spring Creek Project
was initiated in 1987 by the
Flathead County Conservation
District with support from the EPA
and the Montana Departments of
Environmental Quality, Natural
Resources and Conservation,
and Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Project
goals were to improve water quality
by reducing accumulated in-stream
sediments, improving the riparian
habitat, restoring the trout fishery,
and removing debris and debris dams.
East Spring Creek flows through
a suburban area near Kalispell,
Montana, that is bounded by 194
individual tracts. Thus, the stakeholders, as well
as the management activities needed to achieve
these goals, were many, and the changes
required might have been resisted. However, an
exceptional public relations campaign
convinced all but two landowners along the
stream corridor to participate in the project.
As a result, management changes were far
easier to recommend than anyone thought
possible, and a number of best management
practices (BMPs) were implemented, including
'fencing, stoekwater development, flow control
structures, channel reconstruction, erosion
control, fish habitat improvement, and riparian
vegetation planting. These activities are, in fact,
complete, though the monitoring phase
continues.
Biological monitoring on East Spring
Creek measures water quality and the project's
, effectiveness. The Montana Department of
Environmental Quality sampled
macroinvertebrate communities using EPA's
Rapid Bioassessment Protocol III (RBP-III), and
the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and
Parks took fish population surveys.
Based on these data, conditions
improved in two out of three sites included in ,
the macroinvertebrate data. One of the sites
iroproved from moderately to slightly impaired,
Manure pit installed to reduce animal waste.
while the other improved from moderately •. .
impaired to unimpaired.
Project success was also clearly indicated
by improved trout populations. Trout densities
quickly responded to improved habitat from
channel reconstruction. Table 1 shows the
results of fish density estimates on a reach of
East Spring Creek sampled from 1988 to 1995.
Estimates of trout density have increased
almost threefold since the channel was
reconstructed in 1989. When fish biologists
sampled a nearby reach of East Spring Creek
that had been left in the preproject degraded
condition, they found about one-fifth as many
trout as were in the restored reach.
Table 1.— East Spring Creek trout .abundance
(per 150 M)
s/J^J-
Brook
Rainbow
Cutthroat
& **i f
1988
41, ,.
5
0
RESTORED REACH
1989
.15
3
0
1991
87
27
2
1994
104
42
5
1995
82
27
1
UNRESTORED
1995
19
0
0
CONTACT: Bob Bukantls
Montana Department of Environmental Quality
406 444-4684
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
103
-------
m ? !) • fci ; fi «»! ~ * 1 s :^
', -. ;,iiiii,i iii!,(ii»i jiiijg i it, •• •• •''«'"' ">:;''"
^:*W,M.^:::sJ),'.w.
NEBRASKA
3I9(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NPS Category: $30,000
S Agriculture: $2,265,776
EH Urban Runoff: $0
E3 Silviculture: $0
On Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
E3 Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
Hanscom Park Lake Rises to New Heights
Hanscom Park, the oldest remaining park
in the Omaha, Nebraska, park system,
provides numerous recreational
activities for city residents. Its lake provides
winter ice skating and summer fishing
opportunities and serves as the aesthetic focal
point of the park. Recently, however, the lake
fell victim to age. Its banks collapsed and
eroded, filling the lake with sediment. The
shallow water became eutrophic; sediment
continually resuspended and dissolved oxygen
all but disappeared. The lake lost its aesthetic
value, and the fishery failed.
In 1992, the City of Omaha's Parks,
Recreation, and Public Property Department in
cooperation with the Papio-Missouri River
Natural Resources District, the Nebraska
Department of Environmental Quality, and EPA
Region T.began to restore Hanscom Park Lake.
Project objectives were to increase the water
depth to restore the fishery and prevent further
degradation by redesigning and replacing
shoreline structures. The six major components
of the restoration project included removing
sediment, stabilizing the shoreline, replacing
the overflow and inlet structures, installing an
aeration system, and improving access to the
lake.
Lake reconstruction activities
Restoring Hanscom Park Lake was a multi-
task activity, beginning with dredging the lake to
a new depth of 8 feet. Among shoreline improve-
ments, a new concrete footing was constructed
below water level with a stone wall extending 1
foot above the original grade. This design
increased the lake's depth at minimum cost.
Next, drainage pipes were installed to
allow the .springs to discharge under the stone
wall lather than weep through it. The old inlet
pipe was removed and a new 2-inch copper line
was extended from an existing water line to a
new access hole and inlet structure. The drain
line now extends under the stone wall and
discharges out of sight below the water line.
Finally, an electric-powered fountain aeration
system was installed to maintain oxygen levels
and serve as an aesthetic focal point.
104
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
Landscaping
iriiprovementis
Access to the lake was
also improved. A walkway
was constructed and
•shoreline pads were
extended from the walkway
to the stone wall. The .
walkways provided a
stabilizing structure around
the lake and directed foot
traffic away from the
shoreline. The shoreline
pads allowed close access
to the lake, however, so that
visitors may fish in deep
water without.disturbing the
shoreline. The newly
restored lake was quickly
restocked with carpi a
favorite of park fishing
enthusiasts.
Hascom Park Lake, Omaha.
Data collection and analysis
Monitoring results indicate that the
project has had a positive impact on water
quality (Table 1). The concentration of total
suspended solids was reduced from an average
of 21 milligrams per liter (mg/L) to 5.0 mg/L.
Total phosphorus decreased from 0.08 mg/L to
0.05 mg/L. Organic nitrogen declined from an
average of 0.85 mg/L to 0.72 mg/L. The concen-
tration of chlorophyll a decreased from 27.17
mg/m3 to 0.24 mg/m3. Water clarity'increased
from an average of 7.5 inches to 96 inches. It
should be noted that while these differences
are large, statistical confidence cannot be
assessed because the sample,size is too small,
Table 1.— Monitoring results.
PARAMETER
Total suspended solids
Total phosphorus
Total nitrogen
Chlorophyll a •
Water transparency
WATER QUALITY
IMPROVEMENT
76 percent reduction
38 percent reduction
1 5 percent reduction '
99 percent reduction
1 1 00 percent increase
The aesthetics of Hanscom Park Lake are
vastly improved and the lake area is much
simpler to maintain as a result of this
restoration project. Increased recreational use
of the lake and adjacent areas for fishing, family
and group picnicking and walking is '
immediately apparent. Pedestrian traffic around
the lake has increased as people come-to the
park in greater numbers and with more
frequency. Use of the walkway and shoreline
pads makes the lake accessible but reduces the
visitors' encroachment oh the shoreline.
Because section 319 funding was
available for this project, the city of Omaha was
able to leverage city funds otherwise dedicated
solely to Hanscom Park Lake to initiate a
watershed management planning effort for the
much larger Zorensky Lake.
CONTACT: Elbert Traylor
Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality
402471-2585
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
105
-------
NEVADA
3I9(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting MPS Category: $494,066
S Agriculture: $253,526
H Urban Runoff: $64,787
0 Silviculture: $ 11,000
ID Construction: $0
B Resource Extraction: $130,000
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $20,000
E3 Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
Controlled Flooding Helps Nature Take Care of Itself —
The Truckee River Story
A n innovative restoration effort has taken
/•A advantage of two winters of abundant
JL Vsnowfall and spring floods to bring
hundreds of trees back to the lower Truckee
River in northwestern Nevada. The Pyramid
Lake Paiute Indian Tribe's reservation
surrounds the lower Truckee River and the
desert lake toward which the water rushes.
Pyramid Lake is home to two endangered fish,
the Lahontan cutthroat trout and the cui-ui, an
ancient desert sucker found nowhere else.
Giving water back to the river
All along the lower reaches of the Truckee
River, patches of cottonwoods are beginning to
cover the raw banks. Unlike the situation in
most reforestation projects, however, these
trees were not planted by people. The river
itself did the work. But it took a concerted effort
by the Nature Conservancy, working with the
tribe, federal agencies, and local governments,
to put enough water in the river to do the job.
These cottonwood saplings grew from
seeds that floated down on carefully controlled
floods in the last two summers. They are the
first visible signs of success for a cooperative
effort to make a tightly controlled river that
furnishes much water for farms and cities
behave more like a free-running river. Scientists
managed the river to mimic the natural flood
cycles that were lost when water was diverted to
farms and cities.
Natural cottonwood regeneration
depends on just the right combination of spring
floods and summer water levels; the levels must
drop slowly enough that young tree roots
beside the river can stay in contact with the
declining water table. For the last two summers
on the Truckee, those natural conditions have
been artificially created with releases from
reservoirs. Last year, the tribe experimented
with excavated basins on the bare, gravelly
banks.to bring the ground surface a little closer
to the water table and give the cottonwood
106
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUMEII
-------
One of
thousands of
cottonwood
seedlings along
the lower
Truckee River.
Photo by Jonathan
R. Kfotz, University
of Nevada, Reno.
seedlings an even better chance for survival.
This spring, several of the basins were covered
with tiny cottonwoods, grasses, and wildflowers.
If this newborn cottonwood forest
survives and expands, the endangered
Lahontan cutthroat trout and cui-ui will benefit
from a narrower, shadier, and cooler river in
which to spawn. Weeds that cover riverbanks .
will be crowded out by a healthy forest along
the riparian zone and at least some of the 42
species of songbirds that currently avoid the
hot riverbanks of the lower Truckee can be
expected to return.
CONTACT: Jim Smitherman
Department of Conservation
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
702687-4670
The Small Ranch Water Quality Program —
Teaching Residents about BMPs
The Small Ranch Water Quality Program
was developed as a pilot program to teach
suburban property owners about best
management practices and decrease nohpoint
source pollution in Dry Greek — and ultimately
in the Truckee River, Reno, Nevada's most
important source of drinking water. The project
watershed contains only 1,500 acres, but Reno's
water treatment system serves about 164,000
people.
Program promotes land-use
management
Pollutants such as nitrogen, phosphorus,
sediment, and salts are present in small
amounts all over the Truckee River watershed,
and their effect on the environment is
cumulative. For example, sediments that
" accumulate downstream of Reno clog spawning
gravels and smother fish eggs, and phosphorus
and nitrogen stimulate algae growth, which
leads to reduced levels of dissolved oxygen in
the water and the death of coldwater fish such
as trout. Therefore, a program that promotes
land-use management techniques that reduce
nonpoint source pollution along each small
tributary can be expected to improve the overall
water quality in the Truckee River.
BMPs also increase beauty
Agricultural experts were recruited from
the University of Nevada, Reno, the Desert
Research Institute, the USDA Natural Resource
Conservation Service, and the U.S. Geological
Survey to teach a series of indoor classes and
outdoor workshops. The program coordinator
made individual visits to small ranches to
document conditions and provide plans for
best management practices. People opted to
increase the beauty and value of their small
ranch properties by adopting practices to
protect the water and habitat of Dry Creek in
southwest Reno. Among the practices
demonstrated:
• replacing lawns around wells with
drought-tolerant vegetation,
• pasture regrading and renovation,
• no-till seeding,
• composting (several projects and
different methods),
• grazing systems and fencing,
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUMEII
107
-------
(left) This pre-renovation pasture shows the effects of
overstocking and over grazing.
(below) During renovation the pasture is rested and
furrows are installed for more efficient irrigation.
, "» =;- •'•:•',•!•••••• *v> • »•• •'^.^^jS^"^is^5^SfiS^
»^s-.-»r-*^w^ iiilff8?^!*^^!^^^
• riparian plantings at creek side for
temperature control, and
• upsizing of septic systems.
Each summer participants hold a
barbecue to celebrate progress and share
success stories. The program, which is ongoing,
was the first of its kind in Nevada, and quickly
reached an audience of 450 ranchers. It recruited
61 ranches (14 percent) as active volunteer
participants, and continues to recruit new
participants through various outreach programs.
Promoting wise decisions
A Small Ranch Manual promoting \
management for green pastures and clean water
was published and distributed to all
homeowners in the Dry Creek watershed. This
96-page illustrated guide covers irrigation
system management, erosion control, and
animal waste management; care of wells and
septic systems; control of weeds, rodents, and
insects; landscape planning and care; and
protection of creeks, ponds, ditches, and wet
pastures. Photographs, diagrams, and tables of
information were designed to assist wise
decisions on property management. Using this
manual and pooling their labor, residents
worked very hard to improve their properties
and the quality of water for everyone. The
publication is now used in 30 states and five
foreign countries, and has received a national
publication award.
A monthly newsletter is distributed to 450
ranches. Each issue explains a relevant BMP in
detail. A telephone tree network has been
m^i
...... ...^
established to help organize work parties for
BMP implementation. Demonstration projects
completed to date include pasture renovations,
planned grazing systems, structural measures
and vegetation establishment for erosion
.control, planting of drought-tolerant species,
animal waste composting and reuse, and
noxious weed control.
Reductions in pollutants result
Water samples collected in Dty'Creek in
1994 and 1995 will provide a baseline for
monitoring trends in water quality. Monitoring
of local irrigation water at one demonstration
project site already has shown a drop in
phosphorus levels from 2.1 grams/day to 0.5
grams/day, and reduction in suspended
sediment from 238.7 g/day to 11 g/day.
In 1996, the Small Ranch Water Quality
Program received two national awards-, the
Search for Excellence Award from the National
Association of County Agricultural Agents and
the Environmental Achievement Award from
Renew America. The program has been written
up in the journal of Soil and Water Conservation
(51(1): 41-45).
CONTACT: Jim Smitherman
Department of Conservation
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
702687-4670
108
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1994
• Cross Cutting HPS Category: $141,225
H Agriculture: $200,005
H Urban Runoff: $10,623
HE Silviculture: $0
HI Construction: $0
G Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $128,206
H Hydrologic Modification: $80,459
D Other: $24,992
Crystal Lake Preservation Association
Tackles Urban Runoff
Successful watershed projects usually
have two common elements: active
community participation and a relatively
small geographic area. The Crystal Lake
Watershed Project in Manchester, New
Hampshire, is the first 319 project in that state
with contract funds awarded directly to a
volunteer organization with no professional
staff. Members of the Crystal Lake Preservation
Association (CLPA) have a direct stake in the
lake's water quality and an active presence both
within the watershed and in city government. •
The watershed is about 200 acres and includes
about 300 homes.
Project description
Crystal Lake is a small urban lake (21.2
acres), that is also an important recreational
resource. Its watershed lacks tributaries during
dry weather; the lake is recharged by
groundwater and stormwater runoff. The source
Of all tributaries is the interface between
stormwater runoff and groundwater. A
diagnostic/feasibility study completed in 1985
documented that 67 percent of the phosphorus
contribution to the lake is from stormwater .
runoff. Anecdotal information, such as dumping
crankcase oil in storm drains and grass -
clippings in drainage ditches, indicated that
residents did not understand that stormwater
drains into the lake without treatment.
Crystal Lake's 319-project began in 1994
and ended in June 1996. It had three
interrelated components: storm drain
stenciling; street sweeping/stormwater quality;
and an informational kiosk. Educational
activities were included in all project activities.
For example, a workshop on stormwater was
held prior to storm drain stenciling. Volunteer
stencilers were equipped with doorknob flyers
that let residents know why they should be
concerned about stormwater drainage.
Additional workshops were held to .
educate watershed residents about shoreline
| Sy|^|| ST0?{fS: VOLUME (I
109
-------
Crystal Lake Preservation Association volunteers Blanche
Manning and Kacle and Elizabeth Cardln participate in a
clean-up day at Crystal Lake Park.
vegetation, lake water quality trends, and
proper disposal of household hazardous
wastes. To inform the public about long-term
lake issues, the CLPA constructed an
information kiosk on which they could post
water quality monitoring results,
announcements about upcoming events, and
lake protection tips for homeowners.
Pollutant levels decrease
Water quality benefits from educational
activities are difficult to measure; however,
volunteer lake assessment data collected
monthly during the growing season from 1991
to 1995, indicate that pollutant levels have been
reduced to levels at which alum treatment,
recommended in the diagnostic/feasibility
study, is no longer needed.
The project's street sweeping/stormwater
quality component included storm event
monitoring to measure the effectiveness of
street sweeping. Stormwater runoff was
monitored at four entry points to the lake •
during similar storm events before and
immediately after street sweeping. After street •
sweeping, pollutant levels were significantly
lower. For example, phosphorus declined by 48
percent; lead by 78 percent; total suspended
solids by 75 percent; turbidity by 68 percent;
copper by 67 percent; and zinc by 33 percent.
E. coli bacteria increased after street
sweeping — from a range of 30 to 70 colonies
per 100 mL to a range of 10 to 2,000 colonies
per 100 mL, for reasons unknown to the
monitors. ,
The CLPA complements the lake project
with political action. Local politicians now
participate in CLPA meetings and trust their
ideas. The planning board has required at least
one developer to redesign Stormwater drainage
included in his proposed building plans, based
on CLPA objections. CLPA is also lobbying for
sewer line extensions into the watershed.
New project planning
Using its Stormwater monitoring data,
CLPA has identified the subwatersheds that
contribute the greatest pollutant load to Crystal
Lake, and will in the near future (and in
partnership with other stakeholders) install a
structural best management practice that will
intercept and filter Stormwater that flows into
the lake from these sources. The watershed
residents' heightened awareness of nonpdint
source issues combined with Stormwater
monitoring has helped create a long-term
vision for controlling pollution.
CONTACT: Eric Williams
New Hampshire Department of Environmental
; • Services
603271-2358
110
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
The Connecticut River Watershed Project —
Agricultural BMPs Enhance Stream Ecology
New Hampshire does not have a
significant agricultural nonpoint
pollution problem statewide. However,
the Connecticut River watershed (in central
New Hampshire, midway along the New
Hampshire/Vermont border) does have
significant dairy farming and other agricultural
activity (corn and field crops) and associated
water quality impacts. Many of the farms are
old and worked on the margin; few of their
owners have money available for dealing with
agricultural nonpoint problems. To address
certain needs, the New Hampshire Department
of Environmental Services' Nonpoint Source
Program funded the Upper Connecticut River
Watershed Project in 1991 with a 319 grant.
Part of this project included working with
farmers to demonstrate agricultural best
management practices (BMPs). The
demonstration site chosen for intensive
monitoring — whose owner was a willing
participant in the project — was Dale Lewis'
farm (the Rocky Hill Farm). This dairy operation
is located near the headwaters of Morris Brook
(which has, a total length of about 2 miles and .
-drains about 3 square miles), a tributary to
Oliverian Brook which feeds into the
Connecticut River in Haverhill. Problems with
sediment and stream turbidity, cow manure,
and fertilizers were the main focus. Beginning in
1991, agricultural BMPs were installed to
address these problems.
BMPs included construction of manure
storage areas and application of manures to
avoid contamination of the brook, construction
of concrete pads in heavy animal use 'areas to
minimize soil disturbance, addition of house
and barn roof drains to divert clean runoff away
from the dairy, and a brook crossing for animal
control'(to prevent streambank erosion). In
1992, the River Watch Network (RWN) was
contracted to monitor the water quality
(chemical and macroinvertebrate monitoring)
of Morris Brook to assess the effectiveness of
the BMPs. Volunteers and staff of the
Connecticut River Watch Program collected the
water and macroinvertebrate samples and
performed the data analysis.
Improved macroinvertebrate
community
River Watch Network's summary report,
The Impact of Agricultural Waste Management Practices
on Morris Brook, 1992-1994, included chemical
A stream crossing
for cattle was
installed at
Morris Brook to
reduce impacts
from stream
access at Rocky
Hill Farm. This is
one of the BMPs
that helped
improve the
macroinvertebrate
community in
Morris Brook.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
111
-------
and biological monitoring and sampling for
total phosphorus, turbidity, temperature, and
E. coli bacteria at six sites and for
macroinvertebrates at three locations. Elevated
bacteria were found in Morris Brook at all sites
(including the upstream control sites), both
during storm events and during dry weather.
RWN's findings indicate that the source of
bacteria is not runoff related, but from a
constant source such as manure deposited
directly into the brook or a failing septic
system. Samples tested for phosphorus and
turbidity were somewhat elevated below the
farm most of the time.
The macroinvertebrate community
downstream from the demonstration site
showed significant improvement.
Macroinvertebrates are stream insects and
other tiny life forms that are excellent
indicators of pollution, since some are more
pollution tolerant than others. Over the three
years, the previously impacted sites
downstream from the farm changed. They
began to show greater diversity and fewer
pollution-tolerant organisms.
Over the years, RWN observed an increase
in the percentage of the mayflies, stoneflies,
and caddisflies in the sample, from about 55
percent in 1993 to over 75 percent in 1994. In
addition, the dominant group shifted from
worms in 1993 to mayflies in 1994. This
represents a shift from pollution-tolerant to
pollution-intolerant organisms; thus, the
quality of the water was improving.
BMPs included construction of
manure storage areas and
application of manures to avoid
contamination of the brook,
construction of concrete pads in
heavy animal use areas to
minimize soil disturbance,
addition of house and barn roof
drains to divert clean runoff
away from the dairy, and a brook
crossing for animal control
(to prevent streambank erosion).
In its report, RWN stated "the waste
management practices implemented on the
farm reduced organic pollution and improved
the quality of the brook's ecological integrity,
despite consistently elevated bacteria levels."
Had this assessment relied solely on
water chemistry as a measure of BMP success,
the project may not have demonstrated any
improvements. On the other hand, RWN noted
.that without the bacteria monitoring, the
continuing E. coli problem would have been
missed. The Morris Brook report recommends
continued annual monitoring to document
continued improvements, and the installation
of additional BMPs isuch as streambank fencing
to keep out livestock along the entire stream).
CONTACT: Eric Williams
New Hampshire Department of Environmental
Services
603271-2358
112
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1995
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $855,100
S Agriculture: $75,000
H Urban Runoff: $481,000
H Silviculture: $40,000
HI Construction: $0
B Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
S Hydrologic Modification: $226,000
. D Other: $49,000
Navesink River Shellfish Beds Upgraded
On January 1, 1997, the Navesink River ;
was approved for unrestricted shellfish
harvesting for the first time in 25 years.
Water quality in the Navesink River has
improved significantly as a result of a major
interagency initiative involving federal, state,
and county governments, private institutions
(representing the environment, health, and
agriculture), and the general public. The
Navesink flows through Monmouth County,
New Jersey, near the Atlantic coast.
Success through partnership
The primary goal of this initiative, which
has been underway for several years in the
Navesink River watershed, is to reduce
nonpoint sources of pollution sufficiently to
reopen the river- to unrestricted shellfish
harvesting. Harvesting in the Navesink has been
restricted since 1971.
A comprehensive, coordinated
management plan was implemented in 1987 to
reduce bacterial loadings to the estuary and
restore recreational and commercial shellfish
harvesting. At that time, a Memorandum Of
Understanding was signed by the New Jersey
'Department of Environmental Protection
(NJDEP), the New Jersey Department of ' •
Agriculture, U.S. EPA, and the USDA Natural
Resource Conservation Service. It. was also
endorsed by 12 county, municipal, academic,1
and private organizations. The agreement
formalized each one's commitment to the
Navesink River Watershed Management
Program and its goals. The water quality
improvements in the Navesink are a direct
result of successful nonpoint source pollution
controls implemented by these partnerships
over many years.
In the 1980s, the New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection's Environment
Planning Program initiated the Navesink
nonpoint source study, which included •
intensive watershed/land-use analysis,
inventory and compliance assessment of point
source permits, evaluation of potential
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
113
-------
nonpoint sources and monitoring of the estuary
and its tributaries. Sources of contamination
were subsequently attributed to a combination
of stormwater runoff associated with residential
development, agricultural waste, and
marina/boat associated pollutants.
A total of nearly 4,800 acres
were upgraded in the shellfish
reclassification as a result of
improvement in overall water
quality, bringing the total
harvesting acreage to
over 580,000.
Over the last 10 years the NJDEP (Land
Use Regulation, Shellfisheries and Marine
Water Classification and Analysis programs)
successfully carried out a joint project review
strategy to "red-flag" coastal development
applications (Coastal Area Facilities Review Act
and Waterfront Development permits) for
individual docks, marinas, and multiunit
development projects in the Navesink
watershed. Proposed projects considered for
approval were scrutinized to assure that
nonpoint source best management practices
(BMPs) were incorporated in the design plan.
The NJDEP also designated the Navesink a
"Special Water Area" in the Rules on Coastal
Zone Management (N.J.A.C. 7:7E-3.1). which
provides an additional measure of protection.
Innovative measures
Many innovative measures were
implemented to control nonpoint source
pollution in the Navesink watershed:
• Construction of a manure composting
facility with federal and county funds to
reduce animal waste runoff. Manure is .
removed from the waste stream through
composting.
• Comprehensive stormwater controls as
part of coastal permits. Project
applications in the coastal zone portion
of the Navesink watershed were not
approved for permits unless adequate
stormwater management controls were
part of the plan.
• Putting in place berms and concrete pads
to redirect manure and contaminated
runoff away from tributaries that drain to
the Navesink.
• Initiation of a citizen monitoring program.
• Formation of the Navesink Municipalities
Association and the Navesink
Environmental League, which meet
monthly to represent local government
and citizen stakeholder interests in the
watershed.
• State and federal funding for public
education on ways to reduce nonpoint
source pollution in the watershed,
including hiring a public outreach
coordinator; completing a 30-minute film
documentary, Navesink — the Restoration of a
River, that aired periodically on PBS
television; a quarterly newsletter, Navesink
News-, and a Navesink watershed
worldwide Web page on the Internet.
• State funding for a free public boat
• pumpout facility, which led the way to
other pumpout facilities and a pending
application to EPA for a "No Discharge
Zone" in the Navesink River.
• Development of subwatershed approach
to environmental planning,'monitoring,
and implementation of BMPs.
There was an upgrade in classification for
623 acres of waters east of the Oceanic Bridge
that allowed shellfish to be harvested every year
from November through April without need for
purification. A total of nearly 4,800 acres were
upgraded in the shellfish reclassification as a
result of improvement in overall water quality,
bringing the total harvesting acreage to over
580,000.
CONTACT: Bob Scro
Office of Environmental Planning
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
609633-2003
114
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUME (I
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $ 128,560
S Agriculture: $ 1,061,324
H Urban Runoff: $0
E3 Silviculture: $0
M Construction: $0
B Resource Extraction: $34,192
HI Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
H Hydrologic Modification: $80,783
D Other: $0
Grant County's Royal John Mine —
A Full-Scale Site Reclamation Project
The Royal John Mine, located in the Gila
National Forest on the headwaters of the
Mimbres River, produced lead, zinc, and
silver ores enriching a variety of owners for pver
100 hundred years, until the 1960s.
This portion of the Gila Forest (about
'25 miles east of Silver City, New Mexico) is the
dominant drainage for a large closed desert
basin,in Grant, Sierra, Hidalgo, and Luna
counties in southwestern New Mexico. Drainage
is through Cold Creek to the Gila River. The mine
area consists of several buildings, walls, and
foundations, including the mine portal and two
acres of waste rock and tailings. Present, too, are
typical riiine yard dumps and refuse materials.
In the early 1990s, a single open portal
still emitted a perennial metal-laden flow, and
approximately two acres of mine waste
remained, bisected by a six-foot-deep incised
channel. The Forest Service monitored the
contaminated water flowing from the open
mine portal, and New Mexico's nonpoint source
staff used x-ray fluorescent technology to
document the transport of the polluted water
and sediment from the mine and mill to sites
located more than three miles downstream.
Water samples routinely contained
copper (46.0 ppm), zinc'( 16,0 pprn), aluminum
(4.5 ppm), iron (2.4 ppm), and lead (1.0 ppm).
These concentrations exceed the applicable
state standards for all five metals. In addition,
turbidity measurements in the water were quite
high, over 1,000 nephelometer turbidity units
(NTUs), and the. water was also slightly acidic
(pH=5). Initial attempts to divert this perennial
drainage away from the mine waste as it
emerged from the portal failed; the material
beneath it was too porous.
Installing best management practices
Having determined that only a full-scale
mine reclamation project would protect the
Gila River and Cold Creek, the Nonpoint Source
Section of New Mexico's Environment
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ((
115
-------
-
^'""^ jf if ( » "•„! „ ,1
' «•/.'•"<'"•»'•""** 5:5::,:
'''
Royal John Mine after reclamation — showing lined
channel and revegetation.
>
Department — with a 319 grant and with other
state and federal agencies as partners — began
the installation of the critical best management
practices (BMPs). By project's end, they had
installed an adequately sized sediment control
basin downslope of the waste materials and
reconstructed the central drainage channel.
The reconstructed drainage (some 300
feet in length) was lined with a geotextile fabric
to reduce infiltration during runoff events, then
meticulously armored by hand with limestone
riprap. The drainage channel was designed with
as much sinuosity as the physical constraints of
the site allowed to provide for reduced slope.
The deeply incised waste piles were graded
back toward the adjacent undisturbed slopes.
Project managers constructed an energy
dissipator apron along the last 50 feet of this .
channel that connects into the sediment
control basin. The slopes adjacent to the
channel were graded to blend with the
surrounding undisturbed land area. This
topographic configuration was then covered
with 12 inches of topsoil and growth media,
mainly biosolids obtained from local stock
tanks, and hand seeded with 40 pounds per
acre of dry-season range grass. The entire
reclaimed area was mulched with wheatstraw to
retain soil moisture, and this material was then
crimped into place with bulldozer cleats.
The perimeter of the reclaimed area was
fenced to reduce grazing impacts. The perennial
seep from the mine portal created a saturated
zone along the south side of the project area,
covering approximately 1,500 square feet. This
entire area was hand planted with emergent
wetland vegetation. The fringes of the wetland
and the sides of the .reconstructed channel were
planted with woody riparian .species. All of this
work was completed in late 1994 and early 1995.
In March 1996, an additional 600 willows
were planted in the reclaimed riparian
enclosure at the Royal John, in April 1996, a
french drain consisting of a trench lined with
clay and filled with limestone was constructed
to divert mine drainage away from an old.mill
building. This drain also expands the wetted
area associated with the previously
reconstructed stream channel. In July 1996, the
local Boy Scout troop and parents of some of
the boys planted 300 willows along the full
length of the restructured channel, bringing the
total to about 1,100 willows. In September 1996,
staff of the New Mexico Environment '
Department's Silver City field office, along with
. members of the Friends of Cold Creek
Watershed Association, spread native grass
seed and mulch at the Royal John Mine site.
After the initial reclamation, the Silver
City field office assumed management
responsibility for the Hot/Cold Springs
Watershed project of which the Royal John
reclamation was a part. Members and parents
of a local Boy Scout troop planted additional
willows in July 1996. Other adults have also
planted willows as part of their community
service work (in a partnership arranged though
a local district attorney's office). Staff of the
Silver City field office participated in and
coordinated these efforts.
Mine wastes stabilized
The first sediment control basin
downslope of the wastes received an effective
test when two severe storm events occurred
only two weeks apart shortly after its
installation. During both events, turbidity
values exceeding 1,000 NTUs were measured
entering the sediment basin; however, the
effluent discharged from the basin ranged from
20 to 25 NTUs during these intense storm
events. Clearly, this BMP worked as intended.
As of early May 1995, the grass cover on
- the reclaimed area was over 75 percent, and 95
percent of the riparian pole plantings were
sprouting leaves. The willow plantings of 1996
116
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
improved the site further by establishing
riparian vegetation in the upper portion of the
enclosure and supplementing the willows in the
lower portion.
Sediment from upstream is creating a
substrate in the channel, returning it to a state
more conducive to the growth of a biotic
community. In addition, the saturated zone
created by the seep from the mine portal is now
a wetland. The mine wastes are stabilized and
protected from further erosion. The french drain
installed in 1996 is serving its purpose,
diverting water away from the old mill and
expanding the wetted area of the channel.
Cold Creek, the drainage through and
below the mine site, has been transformed at '
the Royal John site from a gully deeply incised
into,mine wastes, with no riparian vegetation,
into a stable, meandering channel lined with
hundreds of willows.
CONTACT: Dennis Slifer
New Mexico Nonpoint Source Pollution Program
New Mexico Environment Department
505827-2841
Treating Acid Mine Drainage from the Oro Fino Mine
In operation from 1880 through the early
1900s, the Oro Fino Mine is located about 10
miles north of Red River,-New Mexico, on
the headwaters of Bitter Creek, a tributary of the
. Red River in the Carson National Forest in Taos
County, northern New Mexico. Late stage
hydrothermal alteration from-the area rocks was
responsible for the formation of the gold ores
and a broad suite of sulfide minerals, especially
pyrite.
During the early years, mine operators
extracted free gold primarily by mercury
amalgamation. The resulting rock drainage and
increased metals content in runoff are charac-
teristic nonpoint source pollution problems
found along these reaches of Bitter Creek. A
combination of surface runoff, seep discharge,
and groundwater drainage moves through the
Oro Fino Mine wastes and emerges as acid
mine drainage.
Tracking the source
Watershed assessments delineate the
stream site at which the acidic, metal-laden
waters enter Bitter Creek, some metal
precipitation occurs, and upstream high quality
waters are suddenly degraded. The source of
this pollution is a seepage zone in pyritic waste
rock piles a,few yards northwest of the mine
portal. Monitoring data collected from the seep
in July 1992 reveal water quality standards
violations for seven metals, pH, conductivity,
and total dissolved solids (see Table. 1). After
the Oro Fino site was mined and abandoned,
the surface waste and tailings piles started to
deteriorate and the mine portal collapsed. The
main mine workings are fully flooded.
Partners approach a solution
Primary financial support for the Oro Fino
Mine project,came from Amigos Bravos, a
. Taos-based river conservation group. The N
Questa Ranger District, Carson National Forest,
provided labor and logistic support, and
additional labor and subsequent monitoring
were accomplished by the New Mexico
Environmental Department's nonpoint source
staff, with funding from 319 grants.
In September 1993, the project installed a
bench-scale anoxic alkaline drain passive
treatment system to treat the acidic
metal-loaded mine drainage. An L-shaped
trench, 12 to 14 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 4 to 5
feet deep was dug into the poorly consolidated
tailings and positioned to intercept the obvious
area of seepage, where the tailings were well
saturated. The trench was filled with 12 cubic
yards of crushed cobble-sized limestone (2 to 4
inches) that was 88 percent CaCO.
Several layers of 20 millimeter
polyethylene liner were installed as a dilution
barrier on top of the limestone. The treatment
system was capped with 14 to 20 inches of
compacted clay, and a resurgence pool (about
4 feet deep) was built downgrade of the drain.
The acid mine drainage passes through the
alkaline drain, fills the resurgence pool, and
flows on toward a developing wetland for
secondary treatment before it enters Bitter Creek.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
117
-------
Table 1. Sampling results at the Oro Fino Mine on Bitter Creek in New Mexico.
PARAMETER
pH
Aluminum
Cadmium
Cobalt
Copper
Iron
Lead
Manganese
Molybdenum
Nickel
Zinc
Sulfates
Conductivity
TTDS
MEASUREMENT BEFORE
REMEDIATION (7/24/92)
2.4
89.0 mg/L**
0.005 mg/L
0.52 mg/L
0.29 mg/L*
990.0 mg/L*gw
< 0.005 mg/L
4.2 mg/L*gw
2.4 mg/L**
1.5mg/L*gw
1.5 mg/L
3,675.0 mg/L
3,668.0 nmhos*
5,642.0 mg/L*gw
MEASUREMENT AFTER
REMEDIATION (6/22/94)
6.6
0.7 mg/L
< 0.001 mg/L
0.01 mg/L
7.0 mg/L*gw '
<0.1.m'g/L
1 .8 mg/L*gw
<0.1 mg/L
0.1 mg/L
0.08 mg/L
647 mg/L
1,1 00.0 nmhos*
l,028.0mg/L*gw
MEASUREMENT AFTER 3 YEARS
REMEDIATION (9/24/96)
5.93
2.2 mg/L*
< .0001 mg/L .
<0.01 mg/L
93.0 mg/L*gw
< 0.001 mg/L
2.5 mg/L*gw
0.04 mg/L
0.2 mg/L
0.08 mg/L
790.0 mg/L
1, 238.0 nmhos
1,31 0.0 mg/L*gw
The above results for metals are for the dissolved phase.
* These values violate New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission standards for surface water.
*gw These values violate standards for groundwater.
** These values violate standards for both surface water and groundwater.
Results
After the anoxic alkaline drain was
installed, the quality of the acidic water emerg-
ing from the site wastes improved dramatically.
The results of monitoring samples taken;at the
resurgence pool before and after effluent passes
through the drain are shown in Table 1.
These results show that dramatic
improvement continues even four years after
the drain was installed with little or no
maintenance. The slight decrease in the drain's
effectiveness indicated by the September 1996
sampling can be attributed to off-road vehicles
trespassing on the site. The trespassers made
tire ruts that diverted a small amount of acid
drainage from the control seep (left untreated
to measure local improvement) into the .
finishing pool. Livestock and wildlife had also
been accessing the pool, eroding the
surrounding berm. Some ruts .were filled in and
other minor repairs performed at the site, but
further repairs and the installation of a barrier
are necessary to prevent future trespassing.
Lessons learned
This project reinforces the value of careful
observation and water quality testing before
best management practices are installed.
Second, the relatively small size of the affected
area was also helpful; as the drainage was
obviously seeping through the tailings, it was
possible to position the drain precisely for
maximum effectiveness.
A third lesson is that continued mainte-
nance of the site is needed to ensure the highest
efficiency. Finally, project staff will find it useful
to look at methods adopted in other parts of the
country. The anoxic alkaline drain was initially
used to treat acid mine drainage from coal
mines in the eastern part of the United States.
This project successfully reduced the
impacts of acid mine drainage on Bitter Creek.
Improved water chemistry in Bitter Creek helps
reduce the impact of nonpoint source
pollutants on the main stem of the Red River
system and benefits wildlife at the site and
downstream.
CONTACT: Dennis Slifer
Nonpoint Source Pollution Program
New Mexico Environment Department
505827-2841
118
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting UPS Category: $2,743,064
S Agriculture: $608,000
H Urban Runoff; $12,000
E3 Silviculture: $0
ill Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $0 ,
B Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
H Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $20,000
Village of Forestville —
Water Quality and Water Quantity Improve
A two-year project to protect and improve
- /-\ the springs that are the Village of
JL JlForestville's primary source of drinking
water is nearing completion. The project (in the
southeastern corner of New York) involved
activities to remove the potential for nonpoint
source groundwater contamination, protect
public health, and increase system efficiency. •
If successful, the project will not only
address threats to water quality, but will also
increase the quantity of water provided. The
availability of groundwater to deep production
wells is extremely limited in this area; hence,
the importance of safeguarding the shallow
groundwater collection system.
i
Preserving future integrity
Work performed on this project includes
reconstructing the groundwater collection
systems, diverting overland flow away from the
collection systems, sealing disturbed areas to
inhibit infiltration to the systems, revegetating
disturbed areas, and implementing a watershed
maintenance plan to preserve the system's
future integrity.
The Village was able to shut
down two shallow, low-yield
wells — a gain in water
conservation, a reduction in
operating costs.
Monitoring to assure the project's
effectiveness show that both water quality and
water quantity have improved. The turbidity
spikes that used to be associated with storm
events have been eliminated. Bacteria levels
have also declined dramatically. The Village has
been able to reduce the amount of chlorine
used to disinfect its water by 50 percent. In
terms of yield, the production of the springs has
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
119
-------
increased from about 50,000 gallons per day to
about 110,000 gallons per day. On the strength
of this increase, the Village was able to shut
down two shallow, low-yield wells — a gain in
water conservation, a reduction in operating
costs. The Village plans to continue formal
postproject monitoring through the summer of
1997.
CONTACT: Robin Warrender
New York Department of Environmental
Conservation
518457-0635
Constructed Wetlands Block Passage of Nutrients —
The Wayne County Project
TV s part of a project to reduce nonpoint
A-\ source nutrient loadings to Port Bay] the
J. Vwayne County, New York, Water Quality
Coordinating Committee has sampled
tributaries that enter the Bay (which is
connected to Lake Ontario). The committee
determined that Wolcott Creek was the highest
priority tributary.
Recommending treatment
Based on a study of the nutrient loadings-
in Wolcott Creek and subsequent analysis of
management strategies, the soil and water
conservation district recomm'ended that
constructed wetlands be installed on two farms
in the watershed. The wetlands were
constructed in 1996.
These two constructed wetlands,
both in the Wolcott Creek
watershed, will reduce nutrients
in runoff from two significant
agricultural sources.
The first wetland was designed to treat
miikhouse wastewater from a 120-head dairy
farm. The system has dual beds and a design
flow of 360 gallons per day. Separation tanks
were installed to reduce the volume of solids
entering the treatment beds. Both beds are 60
feet wide, 25 feet long, and 2 feet deep. Bed one
is an organic matter bed filled with 70 percent
wood chips, 20 percent pine bark, and 10
percent stone. The second bed is filled
completely with washed stone and planted to
Phragmites.
The second wetland is a single bed
system with washed stone and Phragmites. It
has a design flow of 480 gallons per day. The
bed is 120 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 2 feet
deep. Alternating berms slow the water's
movement through the wetland. A clean water
diversion on the upland end of the barnyard
prevents runoff from entering the waste stream.
Determining efficiency
Comparisons of water quality samples
taken before and after the constructed wetlands
treatment indicate that the wetland does
successfully contribute to nonpoint source
control. Downward trending data (expressed,as
averages) were recorded for the following
indicators:
• Organic Nitrogen (TKN): down 91.5
percent;
• NO2 and NOs; down 47 percent;
• Ammonia: down 84 percent;
• Total Phosphorus: down 93 percent;
• Soluble Phosphorus: down 70 percent.
Nutrients have been identified as the
primary pollutant to Port Bay, causing
significant algae blooms annually. Agricultural
sources have been, identified as the primary
source of nutrients to both the Bay itself and to
Wolcott Creek. These two constructed wetlands,
both in the Wolcott Creek watershed, will
reduce nutrients in runoff from two significant
agricultural sources.
CONTACT: Robin Warrender
New York Department of Environmental
Conservation
518457-0635
120
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $398,744
S Agriculture: $925,166
H Urban Runoff: $466,822
03 Silviculture: $220,000
M Construction: $0
B Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $316,268
H Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $162,000
Sediment Controls Installed along Timbered Branch —
Common Sense Practices for Forest Roads
In 1992, the North Carolina Division of Water
Quality asked the U.S. Forest Service to
design simple, effective, lowrcost methods
for reducing chronic sediment loading from •
streamside gravel roads and to apply these best
management practices on a demonstration site
in the Nantahala National Forest. A section 319
program grant accompanied the request.
Project description
Timbered Branch, a tributary to Upper
Creek in the Catawba basin, is closely paralleled
for over two miles by Forest Service Road (FSR)
982, a historic travelway stabilized with gravel.
Seven practices were used along this stretch of
FSR 982 to infiltrate road runoff or reduce its
sediment content. The best management
practices (BMPs) were field-designed in less
than a day, and all were easy to construct. They
were able to capture about two-thirds of the
road runoff, and effectively controlled sediment.
Common sense was the rule in applying
the BMPs. For example, ditch outlets with or
without sediment traps effectively dispersed
concentrated ditch flow and runoff from
. trenched roads into available roadside
infiltration areas. Weeps accomplished the
same task on bermed roads.
Since conducting the Timbered
Branch project, the Forest
Service has successfully used
these techniques in other road
reconstruction projects in North
Carolina and Georgia, and has
transferred the technology to
other land managers, including a
demonstration project in Mexico.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUME (I
121
-------
Sediment traps were a useful option
when distance to the stream channel was
limited. Berms kept runoff on the roads until it
reached a safe disposal area. Outslopes were
used to allow sheet flow to adjacent infiltration
areas. Humps diverted flow on down-sloping
road surfaces. Quantitatively, the best manage-
ment practices included 28 weeps, 19 sediment
traps, 14 ditch outlets, 10 outslopes, nine
berms, seven relief culverts, and five humps.
High ratings for Timbered Branch
Biological monitoring performed by the
Division of Water Quality a year after the BMP
installations showed improvement in water
quality compared to a control stream and to
two sampling events before BMP installation.
Benthic macroinvertebrate and total taxa
richness values increased (from 38 to 48 and
from 74 to 79, respectively); the biotic index
value also improved, dropping from 3.01 to 2.68
on a scale of 10 to 1. Thus, largely as a result of
the roadway BMPs, Timbered Branch received
an excellent biological rating.
This rating creates the potential for
including Timbered Branch in the Outstanding
Resource Waters (ORW) supplemental"
classification currently in place on the rest of
'Upper Creek and its tributaries. An ORW
classification can be considered if an
outstanding trout population or fisheries
habitat can be documented. At this time,
fisheries monitoring has not been conducted.
Moving on
Since conducting the Timbered Branch
project, the Forest Service has successfully used
these techniques in other road reconstruction .
projects in North Carolina and Georgia, and has
transferred the technology to other land
managers, including a demonstration project in
Mexico. A nontechnical pamphlet, Road Runoff
Control, describing the method is available from
either the Forest Service in Asheville, North
Carolina, or the Division of Water Quality in
Raleigh.
CONTACT: Annette Lucas
Division of Environmental Management
North Carolina Department of Environment, Health,
and Natural Resources
919733-5083
Practice Makes Perfect —
The Long Creek Watershed Project
Land-use patterns in the Long Creek
watershed in the southwestern Piedmont
of North Carolina are agricultural, urban,
and industrial. Nonpoint source pollution from
all three sectors are a potential threat to Long
Creek, which is a perennial stream and the
primary water supply for Bessemer City
(population about 4,888).
The Long Creek Watershed Project in
Gaston County, North Carolina, began in 1994.
The goal is to accelerate the implementation of
best management practices (BMPs) that the
Long Creek Nonpoint Source Monitoring
Program Project had initiated in fiscal year 1992.
A major component of the watershed
project is to quantify the effect of BMPs on
water quality. BMPs that prevent or treat
nonpoint source pollution have been developed
to reduce nutrient and sediment loading to
rivers and streams. These BMPs include
nutrient management, waste management,
livestock exclusion, riparian buffer restoration,
field borders, grassed waterways, conservation
tillage, urban stormwater wetlands, and waste
storage structures. •
Whether it is a farmer planting a
vegetative buffer along a stream or a
homeowner properly disposing of pesticides,
• these practices implemented by entire
watershed communities over a period of time
should reduce pollution and improve our
environment. The following BMPs have been
implemented:
>• Three dairy farms (representing 75 percent
of the watershed's dairies) have fenced their
livestock or otherwise excluded them from the
122
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
stream, installed alternative watering systems,
stabilized streambanks, established riparian
buffers, and used level spreaders, stream
crossings, and proper nutrient and waste
management practices. '.
> Two beef farms (representing about 20
percent of this industry) have fenced their
livestock or otherwise excluded them from the '•
stream, installed alternative watering systems,
stabilized streambanks and established riparian
buffers, and implemented proper nutrient and
waste management.
>• One. horse farm (a boarding stable
- representing about 80 percent of this industry),
has fenced its livestock or otherwise excluded
them from a pond and stream, installed
alternative watering systems, established
riparian buffers, and implemented proper
nutrient and waste management.
> One urban watershed site has been
selected as a best management practice .
demonstration site. Its BMPs include
streambank stabilization, construction of a
stormwater wetland, and pollution prevention
through education.
At least one value judgment follows from
these figures, namely, that landowners in the
watershed are keenly interested in participating
in the project. . .
Phosphorus levels decline
Initial results illustrate that pathogens,
nutrients, and sediment concentrations have
decreased considerably since the installation of
BMPs. The Kiser Dairy Farm was selected as a
monitoring site to evaluate the effect of waste
management and a riparian vegetated buffer on -
pathogens, nutrients, and sediment.
Weekly grab samples have been taken for
the months of February through June since 1994
for total Kjeldahl nitrogen (organic nitrogen
"plus ammonium), total phosphorus, and total
suspended solids. Organic nitrogen
concentrations downstream of the farmstead
have decreased considerably since the
installation of the livestock exclusion fence in
February 1996.
Similar decreases in total phosphorus
and total suspended solid concentrations have
also occurred. Before BMP installation, total
phosphorus averaged above 0.5 mg/L and at
least 20 mg/L for total suspended solids. After
BMPs were installed, total suspended solids
were slightly lower at downstream sites than at
upstream sites. Total phosphorus levels •
downstream were at least 50 percent lower than
those reported the previous year.
Whether it is a farmer planting a
vegetative buffer along a stream
or a homeowner properly
disposing of pesticides, these
practices implemented by
entire watershed communities ,
over a period of time should
reduce pollution and
improve our environment.
These imprbvements can be attributed to
fencing out livestock and providing an alternate
drinking water source for the cattle. Fencing out
livestock prevents trampling, allows natural and
planted vegetation to stabilize the soil in highly
eroded areas, and ultimately results in less
solids and sediment in the water. The
combination of fencing and vegetative
enhancement promises further improvements
in the watershed.
Teaching watershed protection
The Long Creek project includes a strong
education and community outreach program.
Educational programs include an annual tour of
the watershed and project sites' and a workshop
to update funding agencies, local officials,
community leaders, scientists,-engineers,
environmental.educators, and citizens. Nearly
80 individuals attended the third annual
workshop in 1996.
Specific technical workshops are
occasionally scheduled to teach bioengineering
techniques for BMP implementation,
monitoring designs for BMP evaluation, data
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (1
123
-------
analyses techniques, and water quality
education programming.
Other educational events are scheduled
periodically to publicize the project, encourage
stewardship, and promote the use of BMPs. For
example,
• A Stream Watch team was organized to
expand monitoring in other watersheds
within the county. Volunteers conduct
stream monitoring on a monthly basis.
• One-on-one visits with watershed
landowners provide technical assistance
with BMP implementation.
• Water quality programs tailored to
elementary, junior high, and high schools
actively involve students in learning
environmental stewardship. In 1996, 77
environmental education classes were
taught to 2,011 students.
CONTACT: Annette Lucas
Division of Environmental Management
North Carolina Department of Environment, Health,
and Natural Resources
919733-5083
Forestry Nonpoint Source Pollution Management
In 1989, the North Carolina legislature
amended the Sedimentation Pollution
Control Act to limit its forestry exemption to
only those operations that adhere to forest
practice guidelines. The amendment required
the Division of Forest Resources to develop
performance standards known as the Forest
Practices Guidelines Related to Water Quality.
Put into effect on January 1, 1990, the
guidelines are nine performance standards for
activities such as maintaining streamside
management zones and applying fertilizers and
pesticides. They are used to'help the forest
industry understand how its activities can be
managed to control nonpoint sources in
downstream waters. They can also determine if
a forestry operation falls under the jurisdiction
of the Division of Land Resources, which
enforces the Sediment Pollution Control Act.
Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) have
been signed between the departments of Forest
Resources and Land Resources and the
Division of Water to coordinate their respective
activities in the sedimentation control program.
The Division of Water is the state's primary
water quality agency, coordinating enforcement
activities from a water quality perspective.
Site-disturbing forestry activities are
inspected by local Forest Resources personnel
as part of an ongoing training, mitigation, and
monitoring program. Additional site
inspections are conducted when a problem or
potential problem is suspected. Forest
Resources refers sites not brought into
compliance within a reasonable time to Land
Resources or the Division of Water Quality for
appropriate enforcement action.
The Division of Water Quality has an
ongoing monitoring program in support of the
Forest Practice Guidelines. This program has
conducted 14,542 site evaluations since its
inception in 1989. In recent years, the number
of evaluations has averaged about 3,000 per
year. In fiscal year 1995, 3,318 site evaluations
were conducted, yielding 94.2 percent
compliance and 9 enforcement referrals to the
Division of Land Resources.
CONTACT: Annette Lucas
Division of Environmental Management
North Carolina Department of Environment, Health,
and Natural Resources
919733-5083
124
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NPS Category: $172,879
S Agriculture: $991,921
H Urban Runoff: $222,460
E3 Silviculture: $0
OKI Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $0' •' :
H Stowage and Land Disposal: $6
H Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
The Bowman/Hayiey Watershed Project —
Conservation Planning Succeeds in North Dakota
Originally developed in 1990, the . •
Bowman/Hayley Watershed Project has
become a model for improving the __
' quality of North Dakota's waters. Project efforts
funded in 1990 arid again in 1994 focus ;on
controlling the flow of nutrients and sediments
from agricultural lands. To reduce the delivery
of these pollutants to the reservoir and improve
water quality, the project staff provide ,
one-on-one technical assistance to local
producers and help them develop conservation
plans for their farms arid ranches.
The basic purpose of,conservation
planning is to evaluate potential nonpoint
source pollutants on the farm or ranch and
remediate them by installing the most
appropriate best management practice (BMP).
Financial assistance is provided through
various USDA programs (e.g., the Water Quality
Incentives Program, Agricultural Conservation
Program, etc.); the 319 funding also offsets
costs associated with the installation of BMPs.
Over 50 percent of the
watershed's acreage is
under some type of
conservation plan.
In conjunction with conservation
planning, the Bowman/Hayley Watershed
Project coordinates efforts with the Cooperative
Extension Service to provide information and
educational activities to project participants
and other watershed residents. Increasing the
public's awareness of the impacts of nonpoint
source pollution on water quality is a primary
goal of the project along with reducing the
delivery rate of nutrients and sediments to the
reservoir.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
125
-------
Project accomplishments
To date, the project has developed one
livestock waste management plan and farm or
ranch management plans that collectively cover
2,460 acres of cropland, 4,860 acres of
rangeland, 1,543 acres of pasture land,
1,194 acres of hayland, and 246 acres of
farmstead or wildlife habitat. Over 50 percent of
the watershed's acreage is under some type of
conservation plan.
Project staff have also organized and
conducted several information and education
events and assisted the North Dakota
Department of Health in promoting nonpoint
source pollution control in other areas of the
state. Water quality data indicate that the
median concentrations for phosphorus and
total suspended solids have also declined over
the past three1 years.
CONTACT: Jim Collins
Division of Water Quality
North Dakota State Department of Health
701 328-5242
Protecting the Knife River —
Improved Land Management Around Goodman Creek
The Goodman Creek Watershed Project is a
subwatershed of the Knife River
watershed located in west-central Mercer
County, North Dakota. The project area
encompasses approximately 59,000 acres, of
which 52 percent is cropland and 45 percent is
either rangeland or pasture. Low residue
farming practices (plowing) and overgrazing
have resulted in increased wind and water
erosion on much of this land. Agricultural
pollutants attached to the wind and waterborne
sediments are deposited in Goodman Creek at
an accelerated rate.
Taking action
The goals and objectives of the Goodman
Creek project are twofold. First and foremost, it
will improve the water quality of Goodman
Creek by promoting improved land
management practices and installing various
best management practices that are known to
reduce erosion effectively on agricultural lands
within the watershed.
A second objective is to document and
disseminate information on the positive effects
that the application of various best
management practices (BMPs) has on water
quality — especially in small watersheds.
Water quality and land treatment data
compiled during this project are being used to
determine the correlation between land
treatment and water quality improvements. This
data will help the state and individual farmers
to evaluate the overall effects of the project
activities on the watershed.
Monitoring results
The following structural practices were
installed during this project:
• feedlot windbreaks,'
• fencing,
• grassed waterways,
• pasture/highland planting,
• pipelines, .
• ponds,
• spring developments,
• tanks, and
• wells.
Four monitoring sites have been
established at which both water samples and
macrpinvertebrate inventories will be collected
to help measure the project's effectiveness.
Approximately 248 water quality samples have
been collected since the project began in 1993.
Trends from these samples indicate an
improvement of several variables, that is,
declining concentrations of fecal coliform, total
phosphorus, and total suspended solids.
Figures 1 through 3 document the results to
date, but as this project is relatively new, these
numbers (and the trends they establish) can be
expected to change by the project's end.
126
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
CONTACT: Jim Collins
Division of Water Quality
North Dakota State Department of Health
701 328-5242
200-
o. 150-
S
s
100-
50-
1993 median 1994 median 1995 median
Fecal Coliform Bacteria
Figure 1;—Monitoring results of fecal coliform bacteria in the watershed.
Total Phosphate as P Nitrate + Nitrite as N
11993 medians •• 1994 medians EH3 1995 medians
Figure 2.—Monitoring results of ammonia, total phosphate, and
nitrate-nitrite in the watershed.
1993 median ' 1994 median 1995 median
Total Suspended Solids
Figure 3.—Monitoring results of total suspended solids in the watershed.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
127
-------
OHIO
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NPS Category: $715,000
S Agriculture: $782,845
B Urban Runoff: $210,000
El Silviculture: $0
[QI] Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $600,000
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $ 176,793
E3 Hydrologic^Modification: $0
D Other: $392,400
The Mautnee River Project — Curbing Sediment Delivery
The Maumee River watershed is the single
largest contributor of phosphorus and
sediment to Lake Erie. The watershed
contributes 46 percent of the phosphorus and
37 percent of the sediment entering Lake Erie,
but only 3 percent of the inflow.
The Ohio portion of these watersheds
drains 4,850 square miles and covers portions
of 17 northwest Ohio counties. Approximately
80 percent of the land surface in the watershed
is cropland. Erosion rates are relatively low
(less than 5 tons per acre), but the soils are
high in clay content. Clay particles easily
suspend in water and have chemical and
physical properties that strongly absorb
phosphorus, thus creating a major water quality
problem for Lake Erie.
The key to phosphorus reductions
The Maumee River's goal for this project
was to reduce phosphorus transport to Lake
Erie by 310,000 pounds over a three-year
period. To do so, however, the project would
need an annual soil savings of approximately
99,028 tons (297,084 tons over three years).
Using a conservative 10 percent sediment
delivery-ratio, the necessary soil savings was
forecast as 9,903 tons per year.
• ' To obtain local buy-in and increase
landowner participation, the Ohio. Department
of Natural Resources, other state and federal
agencies, and the soil and water conservation
districts in the Lake Erie basin worked with
local county committees to develop
phosphorus reduction strategies.
Each county had a specific phosphorus
reduction allocation, and a local strategy
designed to meet it. In general, the plans
indicated that the best way to reduce sediments
and phosphorus entering Lake Erie was to
maintain adequate cover on the land, especially
in winter and early spring.
Federal funds were available so that the
project could
« cost-share the purchase of conservation
farming equipment;
128
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
• offer incentives (in this case, tax rebates)
to encourage (1) the adoption of cultural
practices such as winter cover and filter
strips, or (2) permanent land-use
changes; and
• provide financial assistance for such
high-ticket items as animal waste
management collection and storage
facilities.
The resource management systems that
resulted from these aspects of the project-
usually included rotation, conservation tillage.
(residue management), pest management, and
fertility management. They were often
developed and installed with technical
assistance from the Natural Resources
Conservation Service.
Exceeding expectations
Not only has the Maumee River Project
met its goals, it has enjoyed widespread
acceptance by the agricultural community. The
actual phosphorus and soil saved was nearly
double the initial objectives. Reliable estimates
are that 545,736 pounds of phosphorus and
43,168 tons of sediment were saved.
Another number to note is that 525.
' farmers cooperated in the project. Given that
conservation tillage equipment lasts many
years and is now installed on over 500 farm
demonstration sites, residue management will
continue to be practiced in the watershed for
years to come. Not only that, but since "farmers
learn from farmers first," we can expect the
adoption rate of conservation tillage to increase.
Although the catalyst and overriding
influence for the success of the Maumee River
Project was the farmers' strong conviction that
it was in their best interest to participate, other
motivations also played a role:
• the involvement of all stakeholders,
including local, state, and federal
agencies, bankers, machinery dealers, and
farmers;
• the identification of a common purpose
and single goal;
•' clear and attainable objectives on the
Ohio side of Lake Erie;
• flexible decisionmaking, shared
leadership, process planning, and local
ownership; and
• identification of best management
practices that not only dealt with the
environmental problem but also made
sense to farmers in turn of improving
management and profitability.
The resource management
systems that resulted from these
aspects of the project usually
included rotation, conservation
tillage (residue management),
pest management, and
fertility management.
Lessons learned for future projects relate
to scheduling times and economic realities.
First, consider timing. Farmers make most of
their equipment and land-management
decisions immediately after fall harvest.
Consequently, the greatest impacts are likely to
come from projects driven by the cropping
season, not agency or corporate budget cycles.
Then, consider economic incentives. Filter
strips, for example, have not been easy to •
promote in Ohio; most farmers have to give up
cropland to establish this BMP, and do not
always see its value. The average annual
incentive payment for filter strips was only $20
per acre, while the average annual cash rent
available on the land was $80 per acre. Farmers
derive little income from filter strips, though
they must also continue to pay real-estate tax
or rent on land put to that use. At a minimum,
then, the incentive payment should be equal to
the farmers' cost.
CONTACT: Julio Perez
Division of Stormwater-Nonpoint Source
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
614644-2874
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME H
129
-------
Indian Lake — Limiting Pollution Inputs
Eight years of cooperative activity
between many federal, state, county, and
local agencies and citizens is yielding
results in the Indian Lake watershed. Ohio's
third largest reservoir, Indian Lake covers 4,800
acres in west-central Ohio and draws from a
drainage area of 100 square miles in three
counties — Logan, Hardin, and Auglaize.
Indian Lake was formed by the damming
of the Miami River in 1852 to supply water to
the Miami-Erie Canal system, an important
trade route between the Ohio River and Lake •
Erie. Since that time, Indian Lake has been
heavily used for recreation. More than a million
people visit Indian Lake each year for camping,
boating, swimming, fishing, or a variety of other
activities.
The Clean Lakes Program funded several
assessments of Indian Lake (in 1988 and 1990),
and these assessments identified several
nonpoint source problems:
• overabundant weed growth,
• high nutrient levels and algal production,
• poor transparency and aesthetics, and
• diminishing volume as a result of
sedimentation.
Indian Lake's watershed contributes
approximately 1.500 tons of sediment annually
to the lake from each square mile in the
drainage area. Agricultural runoff from highly
erodible soils within the watershed accounts for
most of this problem. With an average sediment
thickness of 3.5 feet, the lake's depth has been
reduced to an average of 6.5 feet, which severely
limits recreational activities.
Because of the sediment problem, the
lake has been dredged on a regular basis since
World War II. Innovative watershed activities
have been added to the dredging effort to
emphasize the importance of limiting other
pollution inputs, especially phosphorus and
nitrogen. The area's multiple agencies use a
watershed approach, which includes the
following practices:
• cost-sharing no-till and ridge till
equipment, chaff spreaders, and chisel
points;
• offering a conservation incentive to
recognize farmers achieving at least a
minimum percentage of crop residue;
• demonstrating various stream protection '
and restoration practices;
• installing a sediment retention basin; and
• conducting nutrient management
education.
The Indian Lake project was one of the
first in the nation to incorporate a highly
successful equipment buy-down program,
encouraging farmers in the watershed to use
conservation tillage equipment.
Taking stock of recent gains
After six years of project activities related
to various nonpoint source controls, soil losses
from erosion have been reduced by an
estimated 50,000 tons per year — roughly a
third of the total soil loss occurring in the'
watershed.
Citizens and professionals notice fewer
sediment plumes in the lake after significant
rainfall events. Crop observations throughout
the watershed in 1996, often performed by
professionals using transects/ revealed that 87
percent of crops are now planted-with
conservation tillage.
Use attainment in 1994, based on
samples of fish and macroinvertebrate
communities, indicates that streams or stream
reaches that failed to support their designated
aquatic life use in 1988-1989 have improved to
full or partial attainment in 1994.
CONTACT: Julio Perez
Division of Stormwater-Nonpoint Source
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
614644-2874
130
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $ 1,475,
S Agriculture: $0
H Urban Runoff: $94,500
03 Silviculture: $0
Hffl Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $0
H Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
H Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
100
Tulsa County Blue Thumb Program—
Volunteers Make a Difference
The Tulsa County Blue Thumb Project was
initiated to educate Tulsa residents and
businesses about controlling and :
preventing water pollution. A strong emphasis
on education is central to the entire project,
which also provides technical assistance to
developers, homeowners, and public officials.
Topics include erosion control, streambank
protection, and other nonpoint source
pollution control activities. Finally, Blue
Thumb's trained volunteers collect water
quality data and work on "educational programs.
Blue Thumb partners include the Tulsa
County Conservation District, Oklahoma State
University Cooperative Extension Service,
• USDA'Natural Resources Conservation Service,
and the Oklahoma Conservation Commission.
In all, 24 agencies, civic groups, and
environmental organizations participate in
various ways.
Education
Nonpoint source pollution education is a
major project goal, involving staff, volunteers,
youth, and adults in various formal and informal
settings. Blue-Thumb developed a miniature
stormsewer drainage model that demonstrates
how stormwater can pollute and how people
can use their blue thumbs to keep water clean.
Over 50 different schools, civic clubs, churches,
and educational events (e.g., the Tulsa State
Fair and the Greater Tulsa Home and Garden
Show) have seen this model.
Blue Thumb also works with more
specialized audiences. For example, it teaches
erosion and sediment control training to
builders, developers, engineers, government ,
staff, and others who must have a professional
Understanding of the field. At training sessions
and in two-.day courses participants learn
• the principles of soil erosion,
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
131
-------
' the importance of ground cover and
vegetation,
alternative practices that minimize
erosion and maintain sediment on site,
and
the importance of proper maintenance
and best management practices.
A combination of classroom
learning, science labs, and
field trips prepare the
volunteers for monthly chemical
monitoring, biological and ,.
habitat assessments, and
educating the public.
Evaluations of the two-day course have ,
been exceptional. Participants have been
particularly pleased with the site tour and
sessions dealing with how to prepare a
stormwater pollution prevention plan. The
Oklahoma Department of Transportation has
requested training for their staff and
contractors in 1995 and 1996. Blue Thumb staff
also traveled to Pierre, South Dakota, to provide
similar training in that state.
Volunteers integral to Blue Thumb
programs
Blue Thumb volunteers were integral to
the success of the program. The Tulsa Blue
Thumb Program has 40 active volunteers,
including eight teachers who joined so that
Blue Thumb monitoring can benefit students as
well. Among the 32 other volunteers, are 11
members of the original class who trained in
the spring of 1993.
A combination of classroom learning,
science labs, and field trips prepare the
volunteers for monthly chemical monitoring,
biological and habitat assessments, and
educating the public.,Volunteers contributed
over 3,700 hours between 1992 and 1995. Data
from their monitoring activities are used to
tailor outreach activities. The result is a greater
emphasis on the wise use of lawn chemicals
and continued emphasis on erosion and
sediment control.
CONTACT: John Hassell
Water Quality Division
Oklahoma Conservation Commission
405 858-2000
Combining Oil Production and Water Quality
The Clearview Brine Reclamation Project
The Clearview Brine Reclamation
Demonstration Project in east-central
Oklahoma is a cooperative effort of the
Water Quality Division of the Oklahoma
Conservation Commission, EPA, and the
University of Oklahoma. Oil field development
began decades ago in Clearview and oil
production continues today, although the sheer
density of wells in the field and historically
poor environmental practices have
contaminated the area's water resources.
The eroded landscape of the Clearview
site is common to many old oil fields in the
area. Because significant salts accumulate in
the soil matrix, the soil is unable to support
plant growth. Vegetation disappears, erosion
increases, and with it, the discharge of salts and
sediment into nearby creeks and rivers — in
this case, into Clearview Creek, which runs
through the project area and discharges into
Alabama Creek.
Long-term improvements expected
Once soil productivity and vegetative
cover are reestablished, sediment and brine
discharges will decrease and water quality will
improve. Thus, the objective of the Clearview
project was to improve soil productivity by
increasing its organic matter content and
correcting its dispersion potential to make it
132
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
less erodible..Preproject field-sampling and
laboratory analytical work documented the
contamination-postproject sampling will help
evaluate the project's success.;
The formerly intermittent creek
has shown steady flow
during every postproject
monitoring event.
To begin the project, workers amended
the impacted soil with a combination of fly ash,
turkey litter, sulfur, and gypsum. Then they
graded the site to establish proper drainage
- and mitigate the potential for soil erosion.
Next, they sprigged the site with Bermuda grass
to establish vegetative cover — to control
erosion and improve the soil simultaneously.
Finally, they began a monitoring program to
track the changes in soil, water, and vegetation
resulting from the project.
Physical changes
To date, 1Q months after the reclamation,
water quality measurements have not shown
any statistically significant improvements;
however, significant qualitative improvements
have,been noted and may be seen in
photographs taken of the site. In addition, the
formerly intermittent creek has shown steady
flow during every postproject monitoring event.
Thus, continued long-term monitoring is
expected to confirm that the project does lead
to improved water quality and increased
biological activity.
Perhaps the most successful aspect of the
program has been the participation of
community members, local conservation
service staff members, agronomists, legislators,
and other stakeholders. Their involvement was
the more notable at this location because
Clearview's land ownership patterns are
complex and greatly increase the number of
potentially affected parties. Only a committed
populace with a stake in the success of the
program could have reached consensus.
CONTACT: John Hassell
Water Quality Division
Oklahoma Conservation Commission
405 858-2000
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
133
-------
OREGON
3I9(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NPS Category: $369,242
S Agriculture: $811,893
H Urban Runoff: $87,973
El Silviculture: $104,100
IB Construction: $ 19,400
B Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
0 Hydrologic Modification: $68,018
D Other: $27,000
Coos Coquille Watershed—
Haynes Inlet Project Allows Shellfish Beds to Reopen
Coos County. Oregon, has long been
economically dependent on
resource-related industries, such as
agriculture, timber, and fisheries. Cutbacks in
employment opportunities in these industries
can cause economic decline throughout the
area. The county is currently working to diversify
employment opportunities and to enhance its
historical resources. Expansion of the shellfish
industry is one opportunity to diversify county
employment opportunities.
Haynes Inlet has been identified as a
desirable shellfish production area because it
provides rich mudflats and clam waters during
storms. However, shellfish production had to be
prohibited in this portion of the Coos Bay
Estuary because of elevated fecal'coliform
counts.
The estuary has three fresh water inputs:
Larson, Palouse, and the much smaller Hollow
Stump Creeks. In 1983, the two larger
tributaries, Larson and Palouse creeks.
exceeded the standard for fecal coliform in
waters used for contact recreation. When these '
creeks enter the estuary, the fecal coliform is
carried into the Haynes Inlet area.
Spontaneous, piecemeal initiatives
In '1991, the Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife (ODFW) entered into a funding
agreement with the EPA to begin enhancing fish
habitat on Palouse Creek. Meanwhile, staff from
the Division of Health's Shellfish Program, in
cooperation with ODFW, began a water quality
evaluation and the Division of Health
completed a sanitary survey of the.area. In the
latter project, each home was visited to
.document the condition of its on-site septic
system and other potential nonpoint sources of
pollution. The Oregon Department of
Agriculture also met with the owners of a
Confined Animal Feeding Operation to address
its potential for fecal coliform problems.
134
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ((
-------
Although some links existed between these
projects, they were not coordinated, and their
goals were no.t defined.
Next, a coordinated effort began to bring
the community and these many agencies
together through a series of meetings. Invited "
agencies included the Oregon Department of
Agriculture, Oregon Health Division, Coos
Estuary Shellfish Task Force, USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service, Oregon State
University Extension Service, Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife, Water
Resources, Coos County Commissioners, and
Economic Development. It was the first
coordinated effort between government and
private landowners to resolve resource issues.
Shellfish beds reclassified
If mutual goals are identified and peer
pressure applied on a community level, the
effort can be successful. Downstream users
began asking upstream sources for help. The
perception that agency and landowners have
different and mutually exclusive goals is slowly
being dispelled. Mutually acceptable
approaches have begun to surface that pave the
way for project implementation. Many area
landowners have stepped forward and
implemented projects on their properties.
They have, for example, installed fences
to restrict cattle and protect seedlings and used
wooden structures to encourage the formation
of pools and hold back gravel. They have also
. replanted riparian areas, in some cases with
willow and fir trees, which filter and reduce
runoff, decrease sedimentation, and provide
shade. As protection .against further
degradation, they have installed pump-noses
for cattle to.drink from and created channel
ponds for livestock watering areas.
The Haynes Inlet area has been
reclassified from prohibited for shellfish
production to a conditionally approved growing
area; and so has the remainder of the classified
area in Upper Coos Bay. Max and Lillie.Clausen,
oyster growers, are thrilled to open this area to
shellfish production and have just completed
construction of a processing facility on the inlet
that will employ up to 25 persons full time.
In addition, Oregon's 1995 legislature
passed a bill resulting in the resolution of stock
watering restrictions. Landowners are now free
to participate in projects that exclude stock
from streambanks without fear that they may
forfeit their historic source of water for their
stock.
Government and private
landowners as partners are
making great progress to clean
up the estuary and to develop
the community's economic base.
Together, they are making a real
and measurable difference to
the watershed.
- Lessons learned in the Haynes Inlet
project, including the need for, and the way that
resource management goals can be
coordinated, are currently being applied in
other Coos County watersheds. Strong councils
have been formed to represent area
landowners. These councils are privy to
technical guidance provided by the
coordinating agencies. Such partnerships are
significant in Coos County; they enhance
watersheds and provide improved water quality
and fishery resources. Government and private
landowners as partners are making great
progress to clean up the estuary and to develop
the community's economic base. Together, they
are making a real and measurable difference in
the watershed.
. CONTACT: Ivan Camacho
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
503 229-5088
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
135
-------
Tualatin River Vastly Improved —
TDMLs and Section 319 Included in Basinwide Initiatives
Pollution problems in Oregon's waterways
are nothing new. In 1938, the State
Sanitary Authority — now known as the
Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) —
was created to clean up the Willamette River.
The first efforts focused on limiting discharges
from industry and sewage treatment plants, but
demands on the water are changing as
communities grow and chemical uses increase.
To address these changes, the DEQ is
now working with a strategy that sets limits
known as Total Daily Maximum Loads (TMDLs)
for each pollutant entering a body of water.
TMDLs are established for waterways that fail to
meet certain standards for water quality. They
describe the amount of each pollutant a
waterway can receive without violating water
quality standards. DEQ considers future growth
and development in establishing these limits,
then adds a margin of safety to its calculations.
TMDLs take all pollution sources into account,
including discharges from industry and sewage
treatment facilities, runoff from farms, forests,
and urban areas, and natural sources such as
decaying organic matter or nutrients in soil.
In 1988, Oregon's Environmental Quality
Commission (EQC) established TMDLs to
improve the water quality of the Tualatin River.
This action established in-stream criteria for
total phosphorus and ammonia-nitrate at
various locations on the Tualatin River and at
the mouths of certain tributaries. The TMDLs
for phosphorus and ammonia were necessary to
bring the river into compliance with dissolved
oxygen and pH standards and the criteria for
ammonia toxicity and nuisance algal growth.
Significant reductions in point and
nonpoint source pollutant loadings followed
the establishment of the TMDLs and have
greatly improved the Tualatin River over the last
10 years. Data collected over the last several
years show the river to be in compliance with
water quality standards most of the time.
Most of the reductions resulted from the
construction and subsequent upgrading of two
advanced tertiary municipal wastewater
treatment facilities by the Unified Sewerage
Agency. Both facilities, Rock Creek and Durham,
have very stringent water quality-based effluent
limits for biochemical oxygen demand,
phosphorus, ammonia, and chlorine, and now
meet the waste load allocations established by
the TMDLs. .
Forestry, agriculture, and urban land uses
in the Tualatin Basin were assigned nonpoint
source load allocations through the TMDL
process, and best management practices were
used to bring the loads into compliance.
Designated Management Agencies (DMAs) are
responsible for implementing the practices for-
their respective land uses. The DMAs are the
Unified Sewerage Agency; the cities of Portland,
Lake Oswego, and West Linn; Clackamas
County/Rivergrove, Multnomah County;
Washington County; and the Oregon
Departments of Agriculture and Forestry.
The section 31.9 program, has also funded
projects that reduce nonpoint source pollution
in the Tualatin Basin. These projects increase .
local involvement and stewardship in nonpoint
source pollution control projects and
contribute to environmental education and
water quality monitoring. Two examples are the
Dairy-McKay Hydrologic Unit Area (HUA)
Project conducted by the Oregon Graduate
Institute, and the Student Watershed Research
Project of the Saturday Academy.
HUA project demonstrates link
between land management and
improved water quality
Extensive federal and state funds have
been applied to agricultural and forested
watersheds in the Tualatin Basin to promote
and implement best management practices
(BMPs), but the connection between improved
land management and improvements in surface
water quality has not been sufficiently
documented.
The Dairy-McKay HUA Project is designed
to assess the impact of agricultural BMPs on
136
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
water quality in an agricultural watershed. Its
overall objective is to monitor the water and
relate any changes in water quality to
modifications in land management practices in
the watershed. If such a relationship can be
documented, better recommendations to
managers will be possible; that is, the most
effective, rapid, and economical land
management practices can be selected and
implemented to improve water quality. Section
319 projects help identify and evaluate local
efforts to use agricultural best management
practices in the project area. The Oregon
Department of Agriculture is working closely
with producers; the DEQ's contribution is to
validate the practices and reflect them in policy
developments.
Students contribute to regional
database
Saturday Academy, a community-based
precollege education center of the Oregon
Graduate Institute of Science and Technology,
has developed a program that encourages
middle and high school students to add
information to the regional watershed
database. The Student Watershed Research
Project (SWRP), partly funded by section 319,
involves teachers and students performing
in-field research with practicing scientists.
During the school year, students collect and
analyze physical, chemical, and biological data
at sites in the Tualatin Basin and other area
watersheds. Throughout the process, teachers
and students receive support from SWRP staff
and agency scientists. An additional benefit of
this project is that many middle and high
school students have become interested in, and
enthusiastic about, water quality in the Tualatin
River and other streams in the Portland area.
The data collected by students in the
SWRP program are high quality data. The
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
used this database to help develop the state's
in-stream dissolved oxygen standard. The SWRP
program has also served as a model and a
catalyst for the development of citizen monitor-
ing programs. SWRP staff help train citizen
groups to use the quality assurance and quality
control procedures necessary for the collection
and analysis of valid water quality data.
CONTACTS: Ivan Camacho
503 229-5088
Roger Wood
503 229-6893
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
137
-------
! S'B'i"
PENNSYLVANIA
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NPS Category: $ 1,418,649
S Agriculture: $722,685
H Urban Runoff: $73,000
El Silviculture: $0
ED Construction: $0
B Resource Extraction: $521,946
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
Q Hydrologic Modification: $110,557
D Other: $0
Pennsylvania Adopts Nutrient Management Act —
Package Includes Education, Incentives, and Financial Help
After several years' discussion and
debate, Pennsylvania adopted a Nutrient
Management Act in 1993. This legislation
requires high-density animal farms (those with
more than 2,000 pounds of livestock or poultry
per acre) to develop nutrient management
plans to prevent water pollution, and
encourages other farmers to do the same
voluntarily.
The plans are written for the farmers by
nutrient management specialists certified by
the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
The Nutrient Management Act also directs the
State Conservation Commission to develop
programs for education, technical assistance,
and, to the extent funds are available, financial
assistance.
Defining criteria, negotiating
regulations
As a first step toward nutrient
management, Pennsylvania's State
Conservation Commission began to define
minimum criteria for nutrient management
regulations. The criteria apply to how the plans
are written and to standards for manure storage
facilities, recommended best management
practices, and administrative requirements, The
regulations were developed through a
negotiation process with the Nutrient
Management Advisory Board. This 15-member.
board includes farmers, agribusiness
representatives, scientists, a local government
representative, nonfarming citizens, and an
environmentalist.
For 3.5 years, the State Conservation
Commission and the advisory board developed
and proposed regulations, held public meetings
and hearings, received numerous comments,
and drafted final regulations. The Commission
formally adopted the regulations in March 1997
with an effective date of October 1, 1997.
Education and assistance programs
Education and technical assistance ,
programs will be carried out in large part by
138
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
cpunty conservation districts in partnership
•with Pennsylvania State University Copperative
Extension, the Natural Resources Conservation
Service, the Department of Agriculture, the
Department of Environmental Protection, and
others. The State Conservation Commission
funds conservation districts to provide these
services and to administer other aspects of the
Nutrient Management Program, such as
reviewing and approving plans. A framework for
loans, grants, and loan guarantees is included
in the regulations, and.funding sources are
being pursued.
Incentives
The Nutrient Management Act preempts
any local ordinances that are inconsistent with,
or more stringent than, its statewide
regulations. This, unique feature benefits
farmers whose farms lie in two or more
municipalities. In addition, the Act limits a
farmer's liability for penalties or damages in
civil actions related to nutrient use, provided
that such farmers are fully and properly
implementing approved nutrient management
plans. The State Conservation Commission is
also developing a program to assist farmers
with the costs of having to write the nutrient
management plan.
CONTACT: Mike Sherman
Division of Watershed Support
Bureau of Watershed Conservation
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection
717787-5259
Partners in Wildlife —
The Pike Run Watershed Restoration Project
The primary goal of the habitat restoration
project in Washington County's Pike Run
Watershed is to demonstrate the .
effectiveness of including habitat restoration
techniques in a watershed treatment program.
A secondary aim is to show that landowners are
willing to cooperate with government agencies
and conservation groups in habitat restoration
programs.
The project is a partnership venture of the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Partners in
Wildlife Program. Other partners are the
Pennsylvania Game Commission, the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service and
Pasture Systems and Watershed Management
Research Laboratory, Ducks Unlimited, National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation, California
University of Pennsylvania, Pheasants Forever,
the Audubpn Society of Western Pennsylvania1,
and interested landowners.
.Major funding for the project came from
• section 319 grant administered by the
Department of Environmental Protection,
Bureau of Watershed Conservation. Other
contributions were provided by cooperating
groups and agencies and private landowners.
Results are being monitored by Fish and
Wildlife Service biologists, USDA researchers,
and California University of Pennsylvania
students.
This project shows that restoring
riparian areas and wetlands
benefits landowners by
providing direct economic gain
— increased land values and
better herd health — but also by
providing excellent habitat for a
variety of wildlife.
Rebuilding habitats improves
watershed health
Restoration efforts in the Pike Run
Watershed have progressed rapidly. Since
Spring 1994, approximately 48,500 feet of
streamside habitat have been fenced on 15
properties, and 22 stone ramps have been
installed for controlled cattle access and
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ((
139
-------
crossing. In addition, 12 alternative
livestock watering structures have been
constructed to provide a clean water
supply and eliminate the need for
livestock to enter the stream.
A total of 40 wetland acres in Pike
Run Watershed has been restored by
fencing cattle out of degraded wetlands,
blocking tile drains, filling ditches, and
constructing low-level earthen dams.
More than 8,500 trees and shrubs have
been planted in the riparian zones and
restored wetlands of Pike Run.
Approximately 112 acres of native
warm season grasses have been planted
in the Pike Run project area. These
grasses contribute significant
environmental benefits. They provide
cover for ground-nesting birds, erosion control
on upland soils, and a filter for surface runoff.
Landowners are permitted to harvest or graze
these grasses after July 1, when most
ground-nesting birds have fledged. Warm
season grasses grow well in dry conditions and
can be used for grazing between the growing
seasons of other grasses.
Nothing succeeds like interest
Landowner interest and participation in
the Pike Run Restoration Project contribute to
its success. Landowners have been involved in
every aspect of the project, from planning where
to locate cattle crossings, access gates, and
watering structures to clearing trees and brush
from fence lines and mowing to control weeds
in the planted areas. They have also spread the
word to their neighbors about the benefits of
participation in the project. Landowners also
help document the success of the restoration;
they report wildlife sightings, streambank
revegetation, and visible improvements in water
quality.
Volunteers work on Pike Run Watershed Project.
This project shows that restoring riparian
areas and wetlands benefits landowners by
providing direct economic gain — increased
land values and better herd health — but also
by providing excellent habitat for a variety of
wildlife. Indeed, the Pike Run Watershed
Restoration Project has been 'so successful that
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service chose the
project as a national model for habitat
restoration.
In June 1996 the Richard King Mellon
Foundation awarded $750,000 to the California
University Foundation to fund several
watershed restoration projects modeled on the
Pike Run Project. This new Farmland Habitat
Project will include 5,000 acres in Fayette,
Westmoreland, Montour, York, Berks, Centre,
Erie, Franklin, and Mercer Counties. In all, nine
watersheds will be included in the project
planning.
CONTACT: Dave Putnam
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
814234-4090
140
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ((
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting MPS Category: $322,296
S Agriculture: $0
H Urban Runoff: $99,929
§3 Silviculture: $0
U Construction: $35,735
G Resource Extraction: $0
H Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
H Hydrologic Modification: $54,013
D Other: $164,527
The Greenwich Bay Initiative —
Shellfishing Closure Challenges Rhode Islanders
Greenwich Bay, a 4.9-square-mile
embayment of Narragansett Bay, Rhode
Island, is one of the East Coast's most
productive shellfish areas. In 1992, a severe
Nor'easter triggered elevated fecal coliform
bacteria levels in the Bay. Since fecal coliform
bacteria is used as an indicator of sewage
contamination, the bay was closed to.
shellfishing to protect public health. Such
closures are normally temporary, but when the
bacteria levels did not return to acceptable
limits within a reasonable time, the Rhode
Island Department of Environmental
Management closed the Bay's waters
indefinitely until the area could be reclassified
as permanently closed.
While the Department of Environmental
Management and the Federal Food and Drug
Administration launched an extensive
investigation to identify potential pollution
sources, a number of organizations mobilized
to restore the Bay, including the Narragansett
Bay Estuary Program, the City of Warwick, the
Rhode Island Shellfisherman's Association, the
Southern- Rhode Island Conservation District,
the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service, Save the Bay, the University of Rhode
Island, and the Rhode Island Department of
Transportation. This coalition, unique in Rhode
Island, is linked together by common restoration
goals, open and constant communication, and
mutual respect for each one's expertise.
Resolute and successful
In 1994, the Narragansett Bay Estuary
Program and the University of Rhode Island
undertook the first pollution source assessment
in the Hardig Brook watershed. Samples taken
during three storm events tested so high for
fecal bacteria that everyone suspected a broken
or failed sewer line or sewer pump station.
Instead, the team discovered that a dairy farm
had not sheltered its manure storage pile from
runoff from the barn roof and farmyard. The
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUMEII
141
-------
contaminated runoff flowed across the farm to a
small tributary of Hardig Brook. Once there, the
contaminants traveled rapidly downstream.
14 months after the bay was
closed, Rhode Island's Governor
Bruce Sundlun boarded a
shellfishing skiff and
participated in the dry-weather
conditional reopening of
Greenwich Bay.
As soon as the farm was identified as a
source of contamination, rapid coordination
ensued among the farmers, the Narragansett
Bay Estuary Program, the City of Warwick, and
the Department of Environmental
Management's regulatory branches. With the
farmers' trust and cooperation and help from
other partners (the USDA Natural Resource
Conservation Service and the Southern Rhode
Island Conservation District), they designed
and helped implement interim best
management practices. In fact, their work
established a model for dealing with similar
situations on other farms. To date, this
coalition has secured nearly all the funding
needed to install final BMPs. /
Failing or inadequate septic systems are '
another source of contamination to the Bay. To
counteract this problem, the partners used
Section 319 funding and alternative technology
to develop an innovative septic system 'pilot
project. The project provided nearly 50 percent
of the funding needed to design and construct
advanced on-site wastewater treatment systems
on five residential sites! These residences are
located in a section of the Greenwich Bay
watershed that is not well-suited for septic
systems, yet is unlikely to be sewered. Among
the problems thatresidents face are constraints
such1 as high water tables and exceptionally
small lots. Advanced technologies can address
these problems and remove s'ome of the
nutrients and possible disease-causing
organisms from the septage.
In lune 1994, only 14 months after the bay
was closed, Rhode Island's Governor Bruce
Sundlun boarded a shellfishing skiff and
participated in the dry-weather conditional
reopening of Greenwich Bay.
CONTACT: Susan Adamowicz
Rhode Island Department of Environmental
Management
401 277-396l.ext. 7272
Flexible Zoning —
The Scituate Reservoir Watershed Project
The Scituate Watershed Zoning Project was
developed to help three rural towns in
northwestern Rhode Island design and
implement flexible zoning. The new ordinance
will achieve two goals: the preservation of the
towns' rural character and the prevention of
new pollution sources that could potentially
degrade the Scituate Reservoir, the primary
source of drinking water for two-thirds of all
Rhode Islanders.
Referred to by many as a new tool for
saving community character, flexible zoning is
not conventional or cluster-style development.
Nor is it really new. In fact, many communities
142
developed before zoning ordinances appeared
used this common-sensical approach.
Impervious surfaces pose problem
Concerns about the effect of conventional
land development on water quality in the area
led former Governor Edward DiPrete to
commission a study of the watershed. Analysis
confirmed that conventional land development
projects were adding too much impervious
surface/threatening water quality, and
destroying the area's rural character. Moreover,
the development was often misplaced —
occurring in the middle of fields, atop ridges,.
and sprawling across open spaces.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
As a result of conventional land
development, stormwater runoff increases in
volume and intensity and has higher
concentrations of pollutants (e.g., nutrients, oil
and gas, salts, and human and animal wastes).
The higher velocity increases erosion and
threatens riparian areas as well as water quality.
New plan boosts profits
Using a section 319 grant, the Npnpoint
Source Pollution Management Program of the
Rhode Island Department of Environmental
Management helped the Scituate Reservoir
communities develop new standards based on
flexible zoning. The new plan not only prevents
environ-mental problems; it also reduces taxes
and boosts developers' profits. In short,
everyone wins.
• Flexible zoning allows the Scituate ,
communities to guide land development to
more appropriate sites within the area. It is a
tool that helps planning boards approve
building placements and lot lines that.conform
more closely with land forms.and
environmental features. Thus, where flexible
zoning is available, a farm here or there may be
retained; a forested ridge may be preserved; or
a wooded lake front may be spared. Flexible
zoning weighs the placement of impervious
Flexible zoning allows the
Scituate communities to guide
land development to more
appropriate sites within the area.
surfaces and land clearings to lessen the impact
that most development has on water quality. •
The Rufal Design Manual, a guidebook
prepared as part of the project, makes flexible
zoning easy to understand. It explains the new
procedures and standards in nontechnical
terms and provides a straightforward reference
for community officials, developers, and
interested professional and lay persons.
The three towns implementing the new
zoning regulations in the Scituate Reservoir
Watershed are also being used as model
communities. Portsmouth, a Rhode Island
community outside the watershed, has recently
adopted the new zoning standard. Other
communities will likely follow suit.
CONTACTS: Jim Riordan
401 277-3434, ext. 4421
Scott Millar
401 277-4700, ext. 4419
Rhode Island Department of Environmental
Management
Section 319 Helps Common Fence Point Improvement
Association — The Portsmouth Salt Marsh Restoration Project
The Common Fence Point Improvement-
Association has restored a coastal
wetland at the northern tip of
Portsmouth, .Rhode Island. Undisturbed salt
marshes are critical habitat for juvenile fish,
nesting areas for waterfowl, and a natural
filtration system for many pollutants, but this
tidal marsh and pond complex had not been
functional in 45 years — not since it received
more than 20,000 cubic yards of dredge spoil
from Mount Hope Bay.
The spoil drastically altered the coastal
wetland system. The marsh turned into a thicket
of tall reeds, a mosquito breeding ground, and
a dumping site that was also the scene of
numerous fires through the years. In addition,
the degraded marsh blocked tidal flow and
disrupted natural habitats.
With help from a section 319 grant, the
Association removed the dredge spoil from
more than five acres of tideland. This action ,
was the first step toward recreating the original
tidal marsh and salt pond ecosystems. Once the
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
143
-------
spoils had been removed, the Association's
work continued: channels and ponds were
installed to enhance tidal flushing, which in
turn eliminated mosquito breeding sites and
helped rebuild the intricate chain of species
dependence.
Finally, engineers built a new tidal
channel to connect Mount Hope Bay with two
salt ponds in the restored marsh. Then the
restoration team recreated a 2.6-acre salt marsh
by transplanting seeds and shoots from marsh
plants near the site. The existing dike was
widened to a uniform width of 40 feet, and
water runoff was directed into a sedimentation
basin, then filtered across the marsh to the
upper road.
The Common Fence Point Improvement
Association and its project have been
nominated for three awards: a Greenways
award, an Environmental Merit Award (from
EPA), and a National President's Service Award
(the Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management nominated Mill
Consella Sullivan for the latter).
CONTACTS: Stephanie Powell
401 277-3434, ext 4418
Jim Riordan
. 401 277-3434,.ext. 4421
Rhode Island Department of Environmental
Management
Rhode Island's Septic System Maintenance Policy Forum—
A Spearhead for Collaboration
Rr years, Rhode Island, like many states,
as encouraged its communities to adopt
aptic system management programs; but
while launching numerous attempts, few
programs have actually materalized. Now that
has changed.
Spearheading collaboration, the section
319 program of Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management (RIDEM) convened
the Septic System Maintenance Policy Forum.
The forum is a roundtable group that includes
representatives of federal, state, and local
governments, as well as private associations
and citizens. It has delivered two essential
advances in septic system management and
helped four towns initiate management
programs.
Guidance for septic systems
inspection
How should septic systems be
maintained? How can one determine if a given
septic system is working? Previously, there were
no standards, but the Rhode Island Handbook for
the Inspection of Septic Systems written by nonpoint
source program staff, will fill that gap. The
handbook describes two types of inspections: •
1. A maintenance inspection to determine if
pumping and minor repairs are needed,
and
2. A home inspection for use during
property transfer. It includes detailed
instructions for locating septic system
components, diagnosing in-home
plumbing problems, scheduling
inspections, and flow testing and dye
tracing. Never before has the subject of
inspection protocol been covered so fully.
Never before has the subject of
inspection protocol been
covered so fully.
Loan program and pilot project grants
Rhode Island estimates that 90,000 or
approximately 60 percent of its on-site
wastewater systems predate regulation. These
antiquated systems, probably cesspools, rarely
serve the needs of a modern family. However,
cost to upgrade—as much as $20,000 for an
advanced system—often outstrips even an
affluent household's budget.
144
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
• Nonpoint source program staff, who
recognized that upgrade costs were probably
preventing the adoption of management
programs, began to seek a source of funding.
Coincidentally, the Rhode Island Clean Water
Finance Agency discovered that the State
Revolving Fund (SRF) could be used to provide
low-interest loans to fix septic systems. The
agency, in collaboration with the Department of
Environmental Management (its regulatory
partner in the SRF) then established the
Community Septic System Loan Program
(CSSLP). Slated to come out later this year,
CSSLP marks the. first SRF program in New
England designed exclusively to provide :
low-interest loans for septic system upgrades.
A related pilot project has been
developed by the section 319 program to help
initiate the CSSLR The pilot project provides
$150,000 in special one-time grant funds. Four
communities on the outskirts of Rhode Island's
very sensitive coastal salt ponds have been
contacted to participate in the program. The
grant funds are for management plans and
startup of the community programs.
CONTACT: Jim Riordan
Rhode Island Department of .Environmental
Management
401 277-4700, ext. 4421
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
145
-------
SOUTH CAROLINA
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NPS Category: $585,360
H Agriculture: $393,738
B Urban Runoff: $104,515
03 Silviculture: $144,572
ID Construction: $0
B Resource Extraction: $9,537
H Stowage and Land Disposal: $90,726
El Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $225,552
Bush River-Camping Creek Watershed —
A Priority Watershed in South Carolina
The Bush River-Camping Creek watershed
in Newberry County, South Carolina,
drains directly to Lake Murray, a
51,000-acre impoundment used to generate
power. The lake is also a municipal water
supply serving approximately 330,000 people
and a major recreational resource in the
midlands of South Carolina. More than 175
miles of streams (perennial, intermittent, and
ephemeral) run through the project area, and
more than 800 ponds are located along these
streams. The ponds range in size from 0.5 to 25
acres in size and are used for livestock watering,
irrigation, and recreation.
Agricultural land uses
Though land uses vary, the potential for
nonpoint source pollution is primarily
agricultural. The watershed's nearly 130,000
acres support the following uses: about 29,500
acres of cropland, 60,700 acres of forest, 22,900
acres of pasture, and 16,600 acres of
development (urban, industrial, and
• commercial). Over 200 farmsteads are
maintained in the watershed — with an average
size of 165 acres. The farm industry is quite
diversified, though the most prevalent
enterprises are confined animal operations, •
small grain production, and row crop farming.
Over 60 confined animal operations have
been inventoried in the watershed, and more
than 50 percent of these enterprises are dairy •
and beef operations. The others are poultry and
swine units. The estimated animal population
in the watershed is 15,000 beef cattle, 7,000
dairy cattle, 2,800 swine, and over 1,000,0.00
poultry. The USDA Natural Resources 5
Conservation Service (NRCS) estimates that the
watershed produces about 75,000 tons of
animal waste annually.
Thus, agricultural activities in the project
area are a major influence on the streams and
ponds in the watershed. They also contribute to
nutrient-related water quality problems in the
headwaters of Lake Murray. In fact, bacteria,
nutrients, and sediment from soil erosion are
146
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ([
-------
the primary contaminants affecting these
resources. The NRCS has calculated that soil
erosion, occurring on over 13,000 acres of
cropland in the watershed, ranges from 9.6 to
41.5 tons per acre per year. At times excessive
amounts of nutrients, especially nitrates, are
found in the water, primarily as a result of land
applying too much manure — sometimes with
or in addition to commercial fertilizers. Based
. on these conditions, the Bush River-Camping
Creek watershed was identified in the South
. Carolina Nonpoint Source Management Plan as
a high priority watershed.
A coordinated multiple agency effort to
control these nonpoint sources began in 1990
and continues into fiscal year 1997, with
funding provided by Section 319(h) grants and
USDA funds along with matching state and '
local dollars. Additional partners include
Clemson University Cooperative Extension
Service, South Carolina Department of Natural
. Resources, South Carolina Forestry
Commission, the Newberry County Soil and
Water Conservation District, and landowners in
the watershed.
Phase one of the project/demonstrated
agricultural best management practices (BMPs),
provided technical assistance to agricultural
landowners implementing nonpoint source
pollution controls, financial assistance to •
qualifying landowners for BMP installations, •
and a water quality monitoring program.
Section 319(h) funds were used to demonstrate ;
a BMP called interseeding, a tillage technique
that combines conservation tillage, controlled
traffic, narrow rows, and full-season growth. The
Land Resources Division of the Department of
Natural' Resources coordinated the demonstra-
tion under contract to the Department of
Health and Environmental Control.
Simultaneously, an agricultural
technician from the Department of Health and
Environmental Control helped inventory and
inspect.all confined animal facilities in the
watershed. Technical assistance was then
provided to owners who were not in compliance
with regulations. Potential violations include
illegal discharge pipes, overflow discharges,
high vegetation around lagoons, runoff from
animal housing, improper dead animal
disposal, and no permits. The Department of
Health and Environmental Control used
•*««&.. ____
.***
~— -?=™*
, -&SK
-!*«*««
.«&- »«
(above) Mobile equipment is being used to pump but a
confined animal waste lagoon.
i
(below) The liquid animal waste that was pumped out of
the lagoon is then used to irrigate pastureland on the farm.'
Section 319(h) funds for this aspect of the
project; it also provided, and continues to
provide, in-stream monitoring for the project.
- NRCS conservationists worked with land-
owners to develop and implement conservation
plans and the Cooperative Extension Service ,
provided a full-time water quality specialist to
work with landowners to implement BMPs. The
Consolidated Farm Service Agency provided
funding for cost-share assistance.
Ongoing efforts
• Phase two of the project concentrates on
confined animal operations in the watershed.
Components include demonstration of
innovative BMPs, such as lagoon
pump-out/irrigation practices and dead bird
composting. Farmers can rent the lagoon
pump-out equipment for a very nominal fee.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
147
-------
Farmers in the project area have access to
a mobile nutrient testing service, which helps
them calculate the right amount of manure to
apply to their fields and pastures, and
additional computerized information to help
them make prudent decisions about pesticide
selection and management. Educational activ-
ities include newsletters, workshops, field days,
and one-on-one technical assistance to farmers.
Since implementation of the project in
1990, nonpoint source pollution from
agricultural activities has lessened, thus .
improving water quality in the watershed. At the
beginning of the project, 48 confined animal
operations in the watershed were not in
compliance with regulations. As of 1993, 26 of
these operations were in compliance and the 22
others were working with the state and their
natural resource conservation district to gain
compliance. The farm community's interest in
the project is widespread. For example, in April
1995, approximately 80 people attended a
demonstration of the agricultural waste lagoon
pump-out equipment, and by the end of 1996,
at least 112 long-term contracts between
landowners and USDA had been signed, and
the following best management practices had
been installed:
• conservation tillage on 18,000 acres;
• proper land application systems on 3,600
acres,
• tree plantings on 2.000 acres,
• conversion of cropland to forest land on
1,000 acres, and
• eight new agricultural waste lagoons.
The NRCS estimates that 94,000 tons of
soil have been saved in the watershed through
the use of BMPs, and that annually 75,000 tons
of animal waste are being properly us£d •
according to South Carolina guidelines (i.e.,
application rates, slopes, and time of year).
The Department of Health and
Environmental Control maintains an ambient
water quality monitoring station in the
headwaters of Lake Murray that receives the
flow from the Bush River-Camping Creek
watershed. Sampling data at the station
gathered between May and October 1992
indicated statistically significant reductions in
nutrients (total phosphorus and nitrate-nitrite)
occurred after the project's implementation.
These decreases could be attributed to
reductions in the amounts of nutrients reaching
the waterbody from nonpoint sources. Similar
data gathered at that location between 1992
and 1996 indicates continued statistically
significant reductions in nitrate-nitrite. While
reductions in total phosphorus were not noted
. during the latter five year period, neither were
statistically significant increases, even though it
is likely that activities contributing to nutrient
inputs increased into the watershed during that
period.
CONTACT: Doug Fabel
Bureau of Water
South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Control
803734-4837
South Carolina Hones in on Nonpoint Source Pollution —
Minigrants Program Encourages Local Participation
South Carolina uses Section 3I9(h)
funding to implement management
strategies for nonpoint source water
pollution and reduction. Until 1995, the state
used only the annual allocation of funds and
large-scale multiyear projects to implement
these strategies. State agencies, universities,
and similar organizations carried out these
projects, because participation in the Section
319(h) grant program required sizable
resources. More recently.'however, the state has
realized that a much broader array of groups
have a stake in controlling nonpoint source
pollution and that involving these smaller,
often locally oriented groups would help1
balance and diversify the statewide Section
319(h) program, effectively bringing nonpoint
source pollution control closer to home.
Nonpoint source minigrants
Therefore, South Carolina's Section
319(h) grant recipient, the Department of
148
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
Health and Environmental Control, began to
develop an administrative framework for a new,
innovative program commonly called Nonpoint
Source Minigrants. Under this initiative, a
portion of the state's annual Section 319(h)
allocation is reserved for small grants that
enable local governments, community
organizations, schools, conservation districts,
and similar groups to implement smaller, more .
narrowly focused nonpoint source prevention or
reduction projects. A staff member serves as the
Minigrant Manager whose job it is to screen
proposals, award grants, provide technical
support, administer grant agreements, and
manage the projects.
The minigrants program
supports and strengthens the
state's nonpoint source
management program by
creating new partnerships with
local governments, community
nonprofit organizations, and
other private-sector groups.
To maximize the number of minigrants
that can be awarded each year, a $10,000 cap'
has been placed on the federal share of a
project, and the grantee must match the federal
share with 40 percent nonfederal funds. The
minigrants program supports and strengthens
the state's NFS Management Program by
creating new partnerships with local
governments, community nonprofit
organizations, arid other private-sector groups.
As the program facilitates their pursuit of
effective nonpoint source solutions through
relatively small education and implementation
projects, the effectiveness of the overall
nonpoint source water pollution program is
thus enhanced.
Minigrant funding supports projects that
are focused in scope, site, or program specific,
and relatively small in scale. Only projects that
intend water.quality improvement through
nonpoint source prevention or reduction are
considered for funding. Among the activities
that are.eligible fora minigrant are
implementation of small watershed strategies,
unique or innovative BMP demonstrations,
financial support to local volunteer stewardship
programs, the formation of watershed
organizations, various citizen, involvement
programs, wellhead protection activities,
riparian buffer preservation/restoration, and
community awareness campaigns. The
minigrant program is in keeping with EPAs
emphasis on community-based environmental
protection programs and also supports the
Department of Health and Environmental
Control's "Local Solutions to Local Problems"
vision statement. ,
' Now entering its second grants cycle, the
minigrants program can point to many
successes. In this short time, a variety of new
organizations throughout the state have
received grants to facilitate their involvement in
locally oriented nonpoint source projects. The
minigrant program has also received
considerable publicity; it was featured in the
January J 997 newsletter of the Water
Environment Federation.
Exemplary accomplishments
The minigrants program has increased
the number and diversity of organizations
involved in the statewide nonpoint source
pollution control effort. Nine new organizations
have now become involved in nonpoint source
control projects, and some of these groups are
taking on the problem of nonpoint source
pollution for the first time. One project, for
example, involved helping a lakeside
homeowners' organization post signs at
marinas and boat landings warning boaters of
. the regulations prohibiting the discharge of
sanitary waste into a reservoir.
, , Another minigrant recipient, the
Congaree Land Trust, has undertaken a
streamside forest land acquisition project.
Negotiations with land owners are currently in
progress on easements along two major creeks
of the Congaree watershed, Besides the
potential for nonpoint source prevention
inherent in preserving riparian buffer zones, this
project is establishing a precedent in South
Carolina whereby land trusts can acquire land
for the specific purpose of water pollution
control. A similar land acquisition project
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
149
-------
administered by a regional council of
governments has already acquired two parcels
of land along the Catawba River, is negotiating
for 20 additional acres, and has several other
tracts under consideration.
Coastal projects
Along the South Carolina coast, two
minigrant projects stand out. An organization
that originally formed as a result of a prior
Section 319(h) project has been able to
continue its involvement in protecting water
quality in the highly prized East Cooper
watershed through activities funded through
minigrants. The Clean Water Council's volunteer
monitoring project supports hands-on
involvement by action-oriented citizens. Its
efforts have led to an opening of dialogue
between area citizens and four local
governments regarding actions needed to
protect valuable local water resources.
On Hilton Head Island, the town
government has taken the initiative to
undertake a comprehensive nonpoint source
project. The goal is to eventually restore the
shellfishing status of the central creek of the
island now situated within a mostly developed
watershed. This project has involved town
personnel, the Department of Health and
Environmental Control, university researchers,
and consultants. Together, they are working to
characterize nonpoint sources in the watershed,
formulate a strategy for its control, and educate
the Hilton Head population on the need for
water quality protection in the Broad Creek
watershed. The town's commitment to this
project represents a major change in how water
pollution control is viewed. Instead of looking
to state water pollution control agencies to find
a way to make water quality improvements,
Hilton Head has made a commitment to find its
own solution.
In a short time, the minigrants program
has established new and different working
relationships between the state's water
pollution control authority and a number of
different governmental and citizen-based ' ,
organizations. The nontraditional nature of
these relationships represents a new and
innovative way of doing business. It is hoped
that through this new emphasis on fostering
local water quality stewardship, the state's
nonpoint source control program will realize
greater water quality benefits.
CONTACT: Doug Fabel
Bureau of Water
South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Control
803 734-4837
Champions of the Environment — South Carolina Program
Rewards Student Environmentalists
Champions of the Environment, a
public-private partnership with Union
Camp, DuPont, WIS-TV, Riverbanks Zoo,
and the University of South Carolina, merges
environmental education with experience of
nature and science. The program is designed to
cultivate an aware, critical-thinking generation
challenged to develop breakthroughs in environ-
mental protection and technology and stimulate
stewardship in South Carolina citizens.
The Champions program encourages
creativity outside the classroom, it advocates
an interdisciplinary approach to learning
science by connecting science, mathematics,
and technology with the arts, humanities, and
vocational subjects. Champions of the
Environment develops students' ability to use
the scientific method for solving problems and
testing new ideas; it also provides recognition
for academicians and others involved in
scientific endeavors.
The centerpiece of the program is its
focus on the student environmentalist —'• he or
she is given a starring role in a 30-second
television spot that is broadcast 25 times by
WIS-TV to 40 of South Carolina's 46 counties.
The program began as an educational outreach
component of South Carolina's nonpoint
source water pollution program, funded
through the Section 319(h) program.
150
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
Learning through
competitions and creativity
A partnership with industry
has significantly expanded a
program that began five years ,
earlier as the South Carolina
Environmental Awareness Student
Awards Competition for middle
school students. This first
component of the Champions
program incorporates six
categories of competition and '
culminates each Spring at Riverbanks Zoo. This
competition is for middle school students and
includes environmental awareness posters,
essays, speeches, bowling, projects, and
photography. The second component of the
Champions of the Environment program
recognizes outstanding environmental students
with a television spot showcasing the student
wearing the Champions medallion: This competi-
tion 'is open to students in all grade levels who
actively seek solutions to environmental
problems. The students work individually, as a
team, or collectively on class projects.
• These "Be a Champion" spots and a series
of environmental tips geared toward pollution
eradication recorded 15 million impressions
during the past year. The student "champions"
address such topics as nonpoint source
pollution, creating a wildlife habitat, learning
how to compost, following label directions,
landscaping to prevent pollution, recycling
.used oil for pollution prevention, participating
in environmental competitions,,and avoiding
pollution while boating.
Current activities
Now in its fifth year, the Champions
program reaches South Carolina's 640,197
students in grades 1 through 12 and has
recognized student projects that range from
converting an,area used for felonious activity
into an outdoor laboratory to creating an
environmental awareness musical involving .3 50
students (an entire school district). Other
topics and projects honored have included
• compiling data on a city's trees,
• studying the behavioral responses of
juvenile Atlantic sturgeon to various light
. and magnetic fields,
1996 scholarship awards reception.
• planting and caring for native trees, -
• measuring amounts of lead in drinking
water from various sources,
• comparing contaminants in stormwater
runoff to bacteria counts in different
surface waters, and
• researching such issues as decomposition
rates, the effects of acid rain, and fecal
contamination in well water.
During the past four years the partnership
has presented over $16,000 in scholarship
awards for students and an additional $3,000
for teachers.
Each year the program increases in
participants: from 200 in 1993 to 470 in 1994;
1,100 in 1995; and 1,500 in 1996. The program
has received national commendations from the
White House Conference on Environmental
Technology, EPA, and South Carolina Governor
David Beasley for'its innovative approach to
environmental education. The South Carolina
Department of Health and Environmental
Control selected the Champions program as
one of the top 10 most successful programs in
the agency (which has 6,000 employees and
many programs). "It's a textbook example of
what can be done when we pool resources to
help our young people and our planet thrive,"
said Governor Beasley during the 1996
scholarship awards reception.
CONTACTS: Doug Fabel
Bureau of Water
South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Control
803 734-4837
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
151
-------
SOUTH DAKOTA
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $489,425
S Agriculture: $927,652
B Urban Runoff: $84,608
03 Silviculture: $0
HID Construction: $0
ED Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
El Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
Bad River Watershed Project —
Watershed Management Model Works in South Dakota
The Bad River watershed, 3,172 square
miles that drain into the Missouri River at
Ft Pierre, South Dakota, consists
primarily of highly erodible shallow and dense
clays. The river does not support its assigned
beneficial uses primarily because its sediment
load is 3.25 million tons per year, which also
severely impacts the Lake Sharpe
impoundment of the Missouri River. The sport
fishery in this reach of the Missouri River
contributes about $2.5 million annually to
Pierre's economy, but only when it is not
impaired by turbidity from the Bad River. When
the Bad River is flowing, the value essentially
goes to zero.
Unchecked sediments pose many risks
The Bad River's sediment load settles in
the Missouri River near Pierre and Ft. Pierre and
has significantly filled the channel. The result is
increased flooding in the municipalities and
surrounding area, and a consequent reduction
in the water that the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers will release from the Oahe Reservoir
during extremely cold periods. The loss of
power generation during these times has an
average annual value of $12.5 million.
Beyond economic value, however, is a
greater concern; namely, that the loss of power
generation during critical winter conditions may
result in regional multistate brown- or
black-out conditions with consequent loss of
life. If the sediment continues to accumulate,
the Corps of Engineers predicts flow
restrictions and subsequent power generation
curtailments even under open channel flows.
Although these impacts of sediment
delivery are sizable and well known, numerous
obstacles must be overcome before anyone can
undertake a project large enough to make a
significant reduction in the volume of sediment
delivery.
152
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
Steering committee takes first
steps
The Bad River watershed steering
committee — composed of local
residents and governmental officials —
selected a watershed management
approach. Thus, the steering committee,
who will guide program development
and conduct a monitoring and
assessment program, began
documenting the magnitude and . • •
location of sediment contributions in
the watershed as a first step toward
solving the problem. People generally
believed that the sediment came mostly
from South Dakota badlands in the
upper basin and tablelands that had been
converted from grasses to wheat production.
The steering committee's assessment program
suggested,1 however, that the lower third of the
watershed produces two-thirds of the sediment
— primarily from gully erosion on grazing lands
and streambank scour.
The next step toward a solution was to
begin a demonstration project in the . ,
250-square-mile Plum Creek subwatershed to
illustrate the feasibility of pollution controls.
The practices must be carefully chosen not to
jeopardize the economic stability of ranches
and farms in the project area. In the Bad River
watershed, the project recommended an array
of practices: planned grazing systems, proper
grazing use, erosion control structures, riparian
revegetation, range seedings, water spreader
systems, and alternative stock watering •
facilities.
The breadth of these practices
demonstrated to farmers and ranchers that the
program Was truly voluntary and would
enhance the economic stability of their
operations. Simultaneously, it convinced
management agencies that the project could
achieve substantial landowner participation. •
Above all, this portion of the workplan showed
that the steering committee had explored
innovative best management practices and
knew for certain that the recommended
practices would help the watershed community
control the volume of sediment in the Bad
River drainage.
The Bad River Watershed in South Dakota.
The principal partners in the Bad River
contributed financially and offered technical
expertise. Among them:
• Stanley County Conservation District
(Primary Sponsor)
• South Dakota Department of
. . Environment and Natural Resources
. • South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks
• USDA Farm Services Agency
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation ••
Service
• South Dakota Department of Agriculture
• South Dakota Cooperative Extension
. Service
• U.S. Geological Survey
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
• North Central Resource Conservation and
Development
• Pheasants Forever
• South Dakota Wheat Commission
Results of the demonstration project
exceeded expectations and achieved a
significant reduction in erosion and sediment
delivered to the Bad River. In 1990, Plum Creek
delivered 82.7 tons of sediment per acre/foot'of
runoff. The average annual sediment delivery
during 1993 through 1995 was 10.2 tons of
sediment per acre/foot of runoff.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
153
-------
A major tributary of the Bad River that drains approximately
87,000 acres of rangeland and cropland.
These data were collected by the U.S.
Geological Survey in cooperation with Stanley
County Conservation District and published in
the annual USGS Water Resources Data for
South Dakota, 1990 through 1995. Years 1991
and beyond were unusually high precipjtation
years. Nevertheless, a significant reduction of
sediment delivery was apparent. Increased
vegetation in the formerly eroded streambanks
and riparian areas helped control water yield.
Improved land resource management by project
cooperators further reduced total runoff.
Landowner participation in the Plum
Creek watershed was approximately 90 percent,.
with approximately 95 percent of the land under
some type of intense, management. The
watershed residents have supported expansion
of the project to the rest of the basin and
demands for technical and financial assistance
are about four times expected levels.
CONTACT: Duame Murphy
South Dakota Department of Environment and
Natural Resources
605 773-4254
Riparian Improvement on the East River —
Information and Education are Keys to Success
Water quality in the Big Sioux, James,
and Vermillion rivers of South Dakota,
which drain all or parts of 34 eastern
counties, is impaired. Samples from these
streams contain pollutants and physical
impairments that limit their use for drinking
water, fisheries, and water-related recreation.
The persistence of poor water quality over many
years relates to several land uses in the
watersheds, namely, urban growth, and a
variety of agricultural practices.
Sediments from sheet, rill, and ephemeral
erosion on croplands and construction sites;
stormwater runoff; streambank erosion; and
loss of riparian vegetation, mainly from cattle
grazing and cropland encroachments, are ,
partial reasons for the water's poor quality.
Excessive nutrients, especially phosphorus and
nitrogen, and human and animal wastes in
runoff and sediments are additional concerns.
Identifying the players
Although some remediation work is
ongoing in these watersheds, South Dakota's
Nonpoint Source Task Force saw the section
319 grant program as an opportunity to
strengthen the effort. It organized the East River
Riparian Committee to determine how local
people can be encouraged to take active roles
in riparian management and water quality
improvement. The Nonpoint Source Task Force
is an ad hoc group of South Dakotans
interested in water quality; its members are
representatives from agricultural groups, state
and federal agencies, resource conservation and
development districts, conservation districts,
and water development districts.
The East River Riparian Committee is
composed of competent resource managers
and local area leaders who have developed a
project to provide information and education
154
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME K
-------
on riparian area management
for resource managers, land
users, and the general public.
The committee's goal is to
provide incentives to land users
who voluntarily implement a
riparian management
demonstration site. The sites
can be in an area that needs
treatment or in one that already
displays the results of good
riparian stewardship.
Reaping the benefits
The project helps resource
managers develop their
knowledge and improve their
confidence in planning and
implementing riparian area
management projects. Land
users interested in improving
riparian areas can also obtain
technical and financial
assistance from the project.
Landowners who already have
good riparian areas receive
recognition for their efforts and
share their experience with those
working in riparian areas for the
first time.
Everyone increases his or
her awareness and
understanding of the values arid
functions of healthy riparian
areas in relation to water quality.
Riparian areas influence the surface water
quality by affecting the timing and amount of
water, sediment, nutrients, and organic matter
that enter, an intermittent or perennial stream
from the adjacent uplands.
The riparian areas in the James River
watershed (along the mainstem and tributaries)
are pasture. In the Big Sioux and Vermillion
River watersheds, both cropland and pastures
are found in the riparian area. Overgrazing,
cultivation, and trampling eventually eliminate
riparian plants, which increases runoff and
sediment delivery to the rivers, accelerates
streambank erosion, and prevents the-
floodplain from functioning as it should to
retard flooding.
Project overview and sponsors
. The project began with section 319
funding. The local landowners and the South
Dakota Conservation Commission provided
local match. Moody County Conservation
District was the project sponsor with 15 other
conservation districts serving as cosponsors.
The endeavor is a true exa'mple of how
partnerships work.
To date, 18 projects have been identified
in 14 counties. Funding and technical
assistance are provided by EPA, local
landowners, South Dakota Department of
Environment and Natural Resources, South
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
155
-------
Dakota Department of Agriculture, USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS), Farm Service Agency. U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service, South Dakota Game, Fish, and
Parks, and Ducks Unlimited.
All management practices demonstrated
at the project sites were selected from the
Natural Resources Conservation Service Field
Office Technical Guide. Most practices were
related to grazing management: for example,
planned grazing systems, cross fencing,
livestock crossings, livestock exclusions, range
seeding, and water development (nose pumps,
solar pumps, pipelines, dugouts, stockwater
dams). Other practices include grass waterways,
grass seeding, tree planting, grade stabilization
structures, and streambank stabilization. Wet
weather has hampered the implementation of
these practices at several sites, but the
landowners have remained enthusiastic.
In all cases, the land user was asked to
allow media coverage and public tours to
observe progress and riparian values of each
site. Riparian information reaches the public
through on-site tours, newspaper articles, slide
talks, displays, and presentations. On-site tours
are especially useful; they show that
landowners accept riparian management
practices and that improved riparian vegetation
benefits both the landowner and surface water
quality.
Benefits and results
The East River Riparian Area
Demonstration Project has shown how
conservation-oriented riparian management
can succeed in South Dakota. A total of 18
project sites were selected in the riparian areas
of the Big Sioux, lames, and Vermillion river
basins. The majority of the riparian areas in the
project were classified as nonfunctioning or
functioning minimally. Partnerships between
the producers, the NRCS, the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited, and other
resource agencies have provided a vehicle for
improving the condition of these riparian areas.
Producers and resource personnel are
working together to manage agricultural
systems in riparian areas in an economically
and ecologically sound manner. Producers have
implemented grazing plans that have increased
the vegetative cover and the stability of the
riparian areas, while still increasing net profit
from their agricultural operations. The overall
results from the project have been an increase
in the number of functional streams in the river
basins, improved water quality, larger profits
from agricultural operations, and an increased
awareness of the value of riparian management.
CONTACT: Steve Scholtes
South Dakota Department of Environment and
Natural Resources
605 773-4254
156
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $66,344
EJ Agriculture: $625,545
H Urban Runoff: $0
EOT Silviculture: $83,844
HI Cpnstruction: $0
B Resource Extraction: $66,233
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
H Hydrologic Modification: $146,811
D Other: $527,023
A New Era for the West Sandy Creek Watershed —
Tennessee Works with Landowners to Reduce Erosion
In response to a history of water quality
problems in the western embayments of
Kentucky Lake Reservoir, the Tennessee
Nonpoint Source Program contracted with
Austin Peay State University Center for Field
Biology to work with landowners to reduce
erosion in the West Sandy Creek Watershed.
This project has involved multiple state, federal,
and local agencies in the Henry County area
near Paris, Tennessee (about 70 miles
west-northwest of Nashville).
A total of 73 agricultural best
management practices (BMPs) have been
implemented in West Sandy Creek. For
example, 95 percent of the land used for row
crop agriculture is under no-till BMPs, and
numerous roadside BMPs have been installed
in cooperation with the Henry County Road
Commission. Over the past five years, more
than 20 in-stream BMP structures have been
installed to enrich biotic habitat and reduce
sediment and organic particulates.
Water quality data indicate a significant
improvement in water quality since BMP
installations. In-stream structures include log
and rock wing deflector weirs and artificial riffle
systems.
Educational forums and demonstration
projects have been stressed in all project
activities. Each year, several public meetings,
workshops, and field days are offered to raise
public awareness and provide hands-on
experience for interested residents and
professionals in the West Sandy Creek
watershed and surrounding areas.
CONTACT: Greg Upham
Nonpoint Source Program
Tennessee Department of Agriculture
615 360-0690
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
157
-------
TEXAS
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NPS Category: $789,476
S Agriculture: $1,505;384
H Urban Runoff: $920,173
03 Silviculture: $292,919
Hi Construction: $569,914
E Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
E3 Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $632,134
Protecting the Edwards Aquifer —
Urban Development BMPs in Central Texas
The Edwards Aquifer is often described as
amazing because it recharges so rapidly,
has relatively high groundwater velocities,
and large yields in springs and wells. Aquatic
environments as far downstream as the Gulf
Coast (about 150 miles) depend on springs that
discharge from the Edwards Aquifer. The aquifer
runs under nine counties and serves as the
public water supply for numerous communities.
In 1975, the San Antonio portion of the
aquifer was the first in the United States to
receive EPA sole-source status; and in 1988, the
northern Hays/southern Travis counties portion
of the aquifer received the same designation. In
recent years, development within the recharge
zone has been very rapid.
Critical factors and regulations
Three critical factors potentially affect the
aquifer:
• its rapid acceptance of recharging waters,
either directly through karst features, or
more circuitously as surface runoff
percolating through soils or through a.
fractured vadose zone;
• relatively rapid groundwater movement;
and
• rapid population growth over the San
Antonio-Austin region of the aquifer.
Because of the importance of the
Edwards Aquifer to the population of central
Texas, the Texas Natural Resource Conservation
Commission and its predecessor agencies have
regulated development over various portions of
. the aquifer since July 31, 1970, when the Texas
Water Quality Board issued .a board order
designed to protect the quality of water
entering the Edwards Aquifer recharge,zone.
The board seeks to identify and eliminate
potential sources of pollution from
developments prior to their construction.
Formal regulation of nonpoint source
pollution in the recharge zone commenced in
158
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUME (I
-------
The Edwards Aquifer in Texas.
1990 with a revision to the
Texas Administrative Code,
Chapter 313. Under the
revised rules, individuals,
developers, their agents, or
government agencies seeking
to develop property in the
recharge zone must submit
Water Pollution Abatement
Plans for approval by the
Texas Natural Resource
Conservation Commission.
These plans must
include descriptions of
proposed site disturbance and
development, erosion and
sediment control plans, a
geologic assessment
including recharge features,
and a stormwater pollutant mitigation plan. As
a condition of approval, the TNRCC may impose
other site-specific provisions deemed necessary
to protect the Edwards Aquifer from pollution.
This process is supported by section 319
funding and carried out by the TNRCC's
regional offices.
Changing behaviors and attitudes
Through the permitting process,
developers, construction staff, engineers, and
water quality specialists are educated in the
application of best management practices
(BMPs) for the prevention of nonpoint source
pollution. While changing construction and
development habits has not always been easy,
there have been several positive changes in
development activities over the recharge zone
in recent years, and some innovative solutions
to satisfy the requirements of Water Pollution
Abatement Plan permits.
/
New developments use innovative
practices
Two commercial developments in Travis
County prove that stormwater BMPs can be
attractive as well as efficient. At one
development, an office complex, the engineer
combined the natural slope of the land with
good landscaping to treat the first 0.75 inches
of stormwater at the site. This treatment uses
grassy berms to form a sediment pond followed
by a filtration area where grasses slow and filter
Williamson
San Marcos
Hays
New Braunfels
Coma!
Bexar
the water befpre draining it into vertical
filtration walls made of rock, peat, and sand.
The system creates an overall impression of a
gently rolling landscape, incorporating several
beautiful live oak trees that were saved during
construction.
Two sets of detention/filtration ponds
catch runoff from both parking lots at the site.
In addition, grassy berms have been
constructed to conduct runoff from the building
roofs into the filtration areas. Runoff in excess
of the first 0.75 inches is diverted into three
separate detention ponds. The project engineer
estimates that the combined removal rate of
the three treatment components will eliminate
95 percent of the total suspended solids, 75
percent of the total phosphorus, and 87 percent
of oil and grease.
Another commercial development, a local
plant nursery, uses two sets of landscaped
detention and filtration ponds between its
complex and the highway access road. The
ponds are lined with attractive rock walls that
hold the soil in place. Planter boxes at the top
of the walls are filled with native shrubs. Two
splitter boxes bring stormwater into the
detention ponds, from which the water drains •'
through a series of conduits into the filtration
basins. These ponds treat the first 0.5 inches of
stormwater from the nursery site. Data from the
City of Austin's Environmental Quality Manual
indicate that a structure of this type removes
70 percent of total suspended solids. .
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
159
-------
Sedimentation/filtration ponds at a plant nursery located in
the Edwards Aquifer Protection Zone.
The environmental sensitivity of the
Edwards Aquifer recharge zone requires strict
regulation of development in the recharge area.
The activity of-the TNRCC's regional
offices in verifying and approving Water
Pollution Abatement Plans is an
important step in the process of
preventing nonpoint source pollution in
local receiving waters. In addition, the
knowledge that the regional staff are
following up on BMPs to ensure that
they are properly maintained encourages
business owners to keep these pollution
prevention measures in good operating
condition.
The transfer of technology that
necessarily takes place as a part of this
process also increases the use of
pollution prevention practices in the recharge •
zone, and therefore provides additional
protection for this critical natural resource.
CONTACT: Arthur Talley
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
512239-4546
Clean Texas 2000 —
Urban Composting Program Meets Its Goals
The Clean Texas 2000 campaign, a
pollution prevention program of the Texas
Natural Resource Conservation
Commission, has two major goals: to reduce
the amount of wastes generated in the state
and to educate all Texans about how their
lifestyles affect the environment. The strategy
for reaching these goals is to form a statewide
network of partnerships (citizens, businesses,
civic groups, schools, and government
agencies) to reduce pollution, reclaim
resources, and make our communities healthier
and cleaner places in which to live.
The Urban Composting Project is part of
this innovative pollution prevention program. It
begins, as does the larger campaign, with the
notion that individual Texans play a critical role
in achieving waste reduction goals. Yard
trimmings and vegetative food material account
for over 20 percent of the trash going to
landfills in Texas. However, if composted or
recycled, these materials can be used as
organic, environmentally friendly substitutes for
home chemical fertilizers.
Too much chemical fertilizer in runoff
from urban landscapes can cause algal growths
and eutrophic conditions in aquatic
ecosystems, especially lakes. The Master
Composter and Centralized Compost Planning
programs, a one-year project supported by a
section 319 grant, were designed to address this
issue by increasing composting and decreasing
the use of chemical fertilizers. The project took
a dual approach to reducing the waste stream:
one part aimed at directly educating individual
citizens; the other, at educating waste control
professionals.
Citizens train to be master composters
The goal of the Master Composter.
Program was to teach a core group of individual
citizens why and how to compost yard waste
and how to pass their information on to other
citizens, individually or in group settings.
Volunteers committed to this program
participated in 20 hours of formal instruction
and performed 20 hours of community outreach
to earn their certification.
160
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
(above) Demonstration of a composting bin. (right) Wetting and turning the
compost at a Master Composter workshop.
The training sessions were conducted in
partnership with other state agencies, regional
planning agencies, or cities. The Master
Composter Training Manual, Master Composter
Program Planning Guide, and Resource Notebook
were distributed to all participants. In a
relatively short time, the program trained 116
people to be Master Composters; of these
trainees, 32 have completed their public
outreach hours and are certified Master
Composters. By November 1995, these masters
had trained another 3,951 citizens.
Several cities sign on
In the Centralized Compost Planning
program, professionals responsible for planning
and implementing waste management policies
learned effective methods for setting up
community composting plans. Participants in
this program received instruction on collection,
processing, and marketing strategies;
equipment selection; facility siting and design
issues; and regulatory compliance. Participants
were also provided with a.Centralized Composting
Planning Notebook and a Compost Information
Kit, including posters and brochures and other
: informational resources. This program trained
95 people. . . .
The Urban Composting Project met or
exceeded its original goals for the number of
citizens trained and the production of project
training materials. Its success in reducing water-
pollution was determined through surveys
distributed to participants. Of those responding
to the Master Composter Program survey, 30
percent reported using less fertilizer after their
training. In the Centralized Compost Planning
Program, the results were similar; 30 percent •
reported that they used less fertilizer after the
training. All respondents to the surveys had
stopped bagging lawn trimmings, which
decreases the need for additional lawn
fertilizers by 50 to 66 percent.
Urban composting is increasing through-
out Texas. Local governments have embraced
the initiative that began as a section 319 project
and are now supporting urban composting
without the need for federal money. So far, 15
communities have implemented, or have made
• plans to implement, the Master Composter
Program. Several cities have expressed interest
in beginning the program or in hosting training
sessions on backyard composting in their cities.
The cities of Beaumont, Bryan, and Big Springs
have served as'host cities for the training and
technical assistance provided through the
Centralized Composting Training Program. This
project shows that Texas citizens are willing to
comply voluntarily with practices that improve
the environment if they are informed about
reasons and benefits.
CONTACT: Arthur Talley
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
512239-4546
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
161
-------
Wellhead Protection Program — Communities and
Wellhead Protection Follow-up
The Texas Natural Resource Conservation
Commission Wellhead Protection (WHP)
Program is the lead team for prevention of
nonpoint source pollution to public
groundwater supplies. With support of section
319 grant funds, the Wellhead Protection
Program accomplishes this goal by delineating
Wellhead Protection Areas to prevent.
groundwater contamination and offering
guidance and technical assistance for
conducting inventories of potential sources of
contamination in the protection areas/The
WHP program then assists communities in
developing local ordinances to protect
groundwater, and contingency plans for
alternative water supplies.
In addition, the WHP program educates
public water supply officials about best
management practices (BMPs) available for the
prevention, abatement, and remediation of
nonpoint source pollution. Some of these BMPs
include land-use management practices, local
ordinances and permits, regulation of specific
activities in the protection areas, and public
awareness programs. The program encourages
institutionalization of wellhead protection at
the local level.
The Wellhead Protection Program of the
TNRCC was established in Texas in 1987 with
initiation of the nation's first WHP project in
Del Rio, Texas. In 1988, the Texas Natural
Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC)
began recruiting Texas cities that rely on
groundwater for their public water supply into
the WHP program. Since that time, more than
200 government entities have enrolled in Texas'
voluntary WHP program. By making the
program voluntary, the TNRCC has made it
possible for local governing agencies to tailor
the program to their specific needs and
resources, implementing cost-effective BMPs
with government assistance rather than by
government mandate.
One of the early successes of the WHP
program comes from the city of Rockdale,
population 5,500, in Milam County. Rockdale .
joined the TNRCC's Wellhead Protection
Program within the first year of its
implementation. One of the first cities in the '
state to enact a Wellhead Protection Ordinance,
Rockdale went on to develop and adopt the first
Wellhead Protection Contingency Plan in Texas.
Rockdale was also one of the first cities to erect
WHP roadside markers. Fortunately for the city,
these tools were in place when it had to
respond to a chemical spill. Quick response and
affirmative leadership prevented a potentially
dangerous situation from escalating.
Public Works staff pose behind Rockdale's Environmental
Excellence Award.
The City of Rockdale wrote their
ordinance and contingency plan with technical
assistance from the WHP program at the
TNRCC. As a pioneer in the WHP program, the
City of Rockdale constructed a model ordinance
that describes and delineates their wellhead
protection area, regulates water well drilling in
the WHP area (which the state does not have
the power to do), and.mandates enforcement
measures.
Because of Rockdale's leadership and
competent planning, their ordinance and
contingency plan are used as models for other
Texas cities participating in the WHP program.
Rockdale's plans have also been distributed to
approximately. 200 cities nationwide. As a result
of these achievements, the City of Rockdale
162
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ((
-------
received the EPA Award for
Environmental Excellence for its
Wellhead Protection Program in
1994, and was the first city in
Region 6 ever to receive such an
award.
In 1993, the TNRCC WHP
program began a project to follow
up with WHP participants in the
state to identify and document their
voluntary implementation of WHP
activities. This project was also
supported by section 319 grant
funds. In Texas, s'everal public
entities with varying degrees of .
legislative and enforcement powers
have impact on and governing power over .
underground water supplies. This complexity.
, can hinder the implementation of BMPs.
Therefore, TNRCC determined that it should
follow -up with the communities that had
enrolled in the original program, and.reach out.
again to those communities that did not
' participate from the beginning of the program.
Questionnaires were sent to the 6,000
public water supply systems in Texas that rely
wholly or in part on groundwater. The
questionnaire asked respondents to identify
and describe the BMPs their communities had
implemented. In addition to providing
information on voluntary compliance, the
questionnaire also enabled TNRCC staff to
identify those entities unfamiliar with the WHP
program and those who needed additional
assistance to complete implementation.
The follow-up study determined that
throughout the state, approximately 62 percent
of all WHP participants are involved in some
form of BMP implementation. If participants
,'who have been enrolled in the program for less
than two years are excluded, the
implementation rate jumps to 76 percent.
City officials show off their EPA awards.
Based on the trend of .earlier WHP studies, the
newer participants can be .expected to
implement their BMPs in one to two years.
Measured against the original project goals,
this is a good success rate, and compares
favorably with compliance in regulated
programs.
Voluntary implementation has been
consistent and measurable under the Wellhead
Protection Program, and the program's success
has increased public awareness and use of
other related TNRCC programs, such as
Household Hazardous Waste Collections, Texas
' Country Cleanups (collection of agricultural
chemicals), Empty Pesticide Container
Recycling programs, and Citizens Monitoring,
as these programs were selected by some
entities for BMP implementation. These
programs have shown that voluntary public
service programs can surpass the milestones
originally established by regulatory actions.
CONTACT: Arthur Talley
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
512239-4546
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUMEII
163
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting PiPS Category: $224,760
S Agriculture: $1,065,575
O Urban Runoff: $0
03 Silviculture: $0
Hffl Construction: $O
D Resource Extraction: $0
I Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
E3 Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
Rangeland Restoration —
New Management Practices In the Otter Creek Watershed
Utah's Otter Creek watershed is a
tributary to the Sevier River. Located
mostly in Sevier and Piute counties,
Otter Creek provides municipal, industrial, and
agricultural water to several thousand
downstream water users. However, the
watershed is also a source of nitrate and
nitrites, phosphorus, sulfate, sediment, and
coliform to the Sevier. Most of the riparian
areas along Otter Creek were in poor condition
before the restoration project began, and while
some riparian areas have greatly improved,
much of the watershed was not affected by the
restoration and remains degraded.
Otter Creek watershed encompasses
240,000 acres. It is about 39 miles long and 12
miles wide, and drains into the East Fork of the
Sevier River. Otter Creek is the main tributary to
the East Fork, with six to eight tributaries
feeding it. Three reservoirs are also located
within the watershed: Boobe Hole, Koosharem,
and Otter Creek.
Streambank erosion
Studies of the watershed identify several
water quality problems, including sheet, rill,
gully, and streambank erosion; streambank
channel erosion; and degraded riparian areas.
The loss of vegetation in the riparian areas and
on rangeland increases erosion, which is
aggravated by heavy grazing. Livestock and
wildlife (deer and elk) have grazed this land for
many years.
About 38,000 acres of highly eroded land
within the watershed need special treatment to
stabilize vegetative cover. This area contributes
up to 18 tons of sediment per acre per year.
About 80 percent of the affected land is
managed by the Bureau of Land Management;
the rest is private.
Much of the worst streambank erosion
along Otter Creek and many other Utah rivers
and streams took place a decade ago during the
severe floods in 1983 and 1984. Erosion during
164
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ((
-------
lower flow years is usually caused by animals-
trampling banks as they drink from the stream.
Ongoing efforts will reduce
rangeland erosion and stabilize
streambanks to prevent
continued erosion.
Stream-channel erosion also affects the
riparian condition by lowering the water table
along some reaches of the stream. When
adequate water no longer reaches the root
systems, riparian and other vegetation cannot
survive to protect the streambanks from
erosion, thus, changing both the water quality
and quantity. Shrubs and other vegetation no
longer filter the runoff that flows to Otter Creek.
Without this important filter strip, agricultural
chemicals-and animal wastes can more easily
enter the stream. .
Irrigated acres and wet meadows
The watershed has about 2,800 acres of
irrigated pasture/hayland and some 3,100 acres
of wet meadows adjacent to Otter Creek. About
90 percent of the,land is privately owned. .Heavy
livestock concentrations in these areas are a
potential source of additional sediment,
nutrient, and coliform bacteria.
The objectives of the restoration project
in the Otter Creek watershed follow from this
analysis of historic and current land uses and
their effect on the health of the watershed.
Ongoing efforts will reduce rangeland erosion
and stabilize streambanks to prevent further
erosion. To reach these goals, landowners and
other partners must begin proper management
of wet meadows and pasture/hayland to prevent
pollutants from reaching the stream, modify
grazing practices to .better manage erodible
rangeland, and install irrigation systems to
assist in irrigation water management.
CONTACT: George Hopkin
Environmental Quality Section
Utah Department of Environmental Quality
801 538-7177
Miles of Fences, Hundreds of Cows —
Farmers on the Little Bear River Protect Water Quality
Richard Nielsen runs a 250-cow dairy near
Hyrum, Utah, in the Cache Valley. A third
generation farmer, Nielsen worries about
things his father and grandfather never had to
think about. One such concern is water quality.
Nielsen's farm is along a canal in the
Little Bear River watershed. Water in the canal
is diverted from.the Little Bear River just below
Porcupirie Reservoir. It serves several farms
above Nielsen's dairy and two or three farms
below before his before emptying into Spring
Creek. Spring Creek, in turn, eventually drains
into the Little'Bear River.
The return of the canal to the main
channel creates a potential for agricultural
nonpoint source pollution that lets Nielsen and
other farmers along the canal know that they
must be good stewards of their resources. They .
are also good candidates for programs funded
by section 319 grants,
Rerouting the water
"Nielsen's dairy was, in fact, contributing
significant coliform to the system before we
began this project," says Bob Clark of the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service. His
corral was adjacent to the canal — and it had
been built on a downward slope to the water.
Everything drained right into the canal, the
problem worsened during storms .and flowed
constantly during spring runoff.
Project managers considered various
alternatives before deciding to pipe the canal
around the corral. Project money also helped
Nielsen construct two animal waste storage
facilities. Now any pollution that leaves the
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
165
-------
corral goes directly into pasture and alfalfa
fields and does not leave the farm. While work
was being completed at the Nielsen dairy, other
section 319 projects and other types of water
quality efforts were taking place upstream from
Nielsen's property on the canal.
"Consider the miles of fences
we've installed and the number
of cows we've moved off the
river already. And more projects
are expected."
Water quality improvements
The results are significant. The Cache
County Health Department took water samples
above and below the canal before and after the
project. Tests were run for total coliform and
fecal coliform. Before Nielsen's farm was
included in the section 319 project, total
coliform in the canal entering his property was
10,000 colonies per 100 milliLiters (mL) of
water; the fecal coliform count was 7,600
colonies per 100 mL.
At a point just below Nielsen's corral, the
total and fecal coliform were too numerous to
count. After the completion of Nielsen's project
and other projects at farms upstream on the
canal, total and fecal coliform levels fell to 350
colonies per 100 mL entering Nielsen's farm.
What's more, the readings below the corral were
identical. Contamination by the dairy had been
completely eliminated.
More projects expected
Though the project at the Nielsen dairy
was only a tiny piece of the water quality puzzle,
the successes are starting to mount up. in the
Little Bear River and other watersheds that, host
section 319 projects, according to Utah's
Department of Agriculture. Such projects also
demonstrate the value of continued water
quality monitoring. The Division of Water
Quality needs dependable quantitative data to
document-improvements and the methods
used to achieve them.
An interagency workgroup has formed to
monitor channel geomorphology, riparian
health, and biological integrity in the Little Bear
River watershed. This initiative will document
the permanent effectiveness.of the BMPs on
several stream reaches and, in time, provide a
more complete picture of stream recovery.
"Consider the miles of fences we've
installed and the number of cows we've moved
off the river already," says Nielsen, "and more
projects are expected. Monitoring will ensure
that our efforts are not in vain."
CONTACT: George Hopkin
Environmental Quality Section
Utah Department of Environmental Quality
801 538-7177
166
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $ 153,158
H Agriculture: $179,071
B Urban Runoff: $0
El .Silviculture: $0
Din Construction: $167,486
B Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $ 126,270
H Hydrologic Modification: $ 152,513
D Other: $0
Agricultural Best Management Practices Lead to
Less Phosphorus in Lake Memphremagog
Richard DelFavero flicks a switch in his
barn in Derby, Vermont, and the manure
from his 100 beef cows and 200 young
stock begins moving toward an animal waste
storage structure. DelFavero is quite proud of
the round concrete structure built with financial
and technical assistance from the Orleans
County Natural Resources Conservation District
and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS).
DelFavero is one of 26 farmers who
participated in the Lake Memphremagog Best
Management Practice Demonstration Project.
DelFavero says_he could not have built the
structure and implemented other conservation
practices without financial assistance from the
project, which began in May 1994 and ended in
February 1997. The purpose of the project was
to reduce the flow of nutrients (primarily
phosphorus) and other pollutants to Lake
Memphremagog by installing agricultural waste
management systems in th*e Black, Barton and.
Clyde river watersheds — all of which drain to
Lake Memphremagog.
Learning from the past
Lake Memphremagog is a 5,800-acre lake
that straddles the border between Vermont and
Canada. An international study by the
Quebec/Vermont Working Group, published in
1993, stated that surface runoff and nonpoint
source pollution from agricultural watersheds
were contributing to the lake's water quality
problems and impairing its beneficial uses.
The NRCS started two projects in the
1980s to help farmers in the Black River, Barton
River, and Clyde River watersheds. These
projects included cost-share measures funded
by the Small Watershed Protection Act (Pub.
Law 83-566) to implement conservation
practices that would reduce phosphorus
loading to Lake Memphremagog.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
167
-------
Several farms did not have enough capital
to complete their contracts in those projects
(i.e.. they could not match the federal grant).
The Orleans County Natural Resources
Conservation District believed that if the
cost-share rate was raised to 75 percent, more
farmers could install best management
practices and thereby reduce the pollution from
agricultural land.
Pollution reduction was further
enhanced in the watershed
when modified waste utilization
plans were developed for
all farms receiving
section 319 funds.
Testing the belief
The Newport office of the NRCS provided
technical assistance to 42 farmers who
volunteered to participate in the new project. Of
these farmers, 26 installed water quality
improvement practices with section 319 funds,
including 18 animal waste storage structures
and 12 barnyard runoff improvement practices.
One animal waste storage structure was
modified for better performance. Where
milkhouse waste was a problem, it was
incorporated in the waste storage structure or
treated separately.
1 The NRCS estimates that 250 farms in the
' watershed house about 27,600 animal units.
..Thus, the 26 farmers receiving section 319 funds
have .increased the number of animal units,
under best management practices by 10
percent. Estimates of phosphorus loading
reductions using computer .models indicate
that about 2,500 pounds per year are retained
on-farm by the increased cost-share — an
estimated 10 percent of the total nonpoint
source pollution load.
Pollution reduction was further enhanced
in the watershed when modified waste
utilization plans were developed for all farms-
receiving section 319 funds. Orleans County
district supervisors worked to develop, these
plans, which specified waste application rates
for fields based on nutrient needs for average
crop yields. Manure nutrient tests and soil
nutrient tests were used to develop the plans.
The modified waste use plans provided .
recommendations for nutrients needed,
number of spreader loads needed, and any
remaining nutrients, needed from inorganic
fertilizer for each field on the farm.
CONTACTS: Paul Stanley
Franklin Natural Resources Conservation District
802524:6505
, Jon W. Anderson
• , • , Vermont Conservation Council
. 802 828-3529
Rick Hopkins
. Water Quality Division
Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
802241-3770
168
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
Integrated Crop Management —
Preventing Agricultural Pollution
In 1992, the Vermont Natural Resources
Conservation Council, the Agency of Natural
Resources, and Vermont's Natural Resources
Conservation Districts were looking for a way to
incorporate pollution prevention into dairy
farming operations, specifically to improve
water quality. A group of state, federal, and
local government personnel, farmers,
conservation district supervisors, the
Cooperative Extension Service, and business
owners met to consider ways of reducing
agricultural nonpoint source pollution on
Vermont dairy farms. As a result, the Franklin
County Integrated Crop Management (ICM)
Service was developed.
Franklin County takes the lead
The Franklin County Natural Resources
Conservation District took the lead in
developing the ICM Service for Franklin County
dairy farmers in the Mississiquoi River
watershed. The project began in northwestern
Vermont for several reasons:
> The Mississiquoi River is a major tributary
to Lake Champlain. Many segments of Lake
Champlain have become eutrophic as a result
pf excess phosphorus loadings, particularly
from nonpoint sources in watersheds that are
heavily agricultural. These sources must be
reduced if Vermont is to meet its in-lake
phosphorus criteria.
> Farmers in the watershed have been
involved in other USDA water quality
programs, and many of them already have the
infrastructure (manure storage facilities) in
place to manage their manure in a more
efficient manner.
The ICM Service was developed to
improve farm management and the economic
viability of the farm — to foster the creation of
environmentally sound and sustainable farming
operations. It provides direct assistance to help
farmers improve their management of crops
and pastures. The improvement follows from
reduced chemical (fertilizer and pesticide)
inputs made possible by optimal use of the
nutrients in dairy manure. Properly managed
waste applications can reduce the farmer's
dependence on chemical inputs with no
reduction in crop'yields.
ICM methods
The program provides accurate, detailed
information at the individual,field level based
on soil tests, manure sampling for nutrient
content, pest scouting, side-dress nitrogen
tests for corn, crop yields, and economic ;
analysis of all crop management activities. A
computer-based record-keeping system
developed by the University of Vermont
Extension Service helps each participating
farmer track this information.
The immediate results of the
program included reduced
inputs of commercial nitrogen
and phosphorus on nearly all of
the first 11 farms enrolled in
the program.
A review of pesticide applications
indicate a marked difference in field
management. Instead of using broad-based
chemicals for pesticide applications,
information received through pest-scouting led
to the use of pesticides based on specific pest
species and population numbers. The end
result was a reduction in the amount of
chemicals applied to the fields and a reduction
in the cost of pesticides to the farmer.
While no in-stream monitoring was
conducted in conjunction with this project, it
can be assumed that reductions in inputs of
commercial fertilizers and pesticides,
accompanied by tailored applications of
manure to fields, will eventually reduce the
amount of nutrients and pesticide chemicals in
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
169
-------
field runoff, and ultimately, in the Mississiquoi
River. Less than 10 percent of the watershed is
affected by the section 319-sponsored ICM
program. Combined with other ICM services, '
however, the percent of the watershed affected
maybe 10 percent.
Project funding
The ICM service has been funded through
two section 319 grants that the Conservation
District considered as seed money. A second
section 319 grant was used to support the
program through the spring of 1996. The initial
goal of the project was to have 15 farms signed
up for the service by Fall 1995. Currently, 23
farmers are active in the program and
numerous others have expressed their desire to
contract for services.
The initial intent of the Franklin County
Natural Resources Conservation District board
was to facilitate the start-up of a crop
management service in the community. It will,
therefore, relinquish the service to the current
Crop Management Technician as a private
business this spring. The District does expect,
however, to continue its leadership role in crop
management services by piloting a program to
provide geographic information systems
databases and field-specific maps to farmers to
increase their efficiency in nutrient'and field
management.
CONTACTS: Paul Stanley
Franklin Natural Resources Conservation District
802 524-6505
Jon W. Anderson
Vermont Conservation Council
802828-3529
Rick Hopkins
Water Quality Division
Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation
802 241-3770
IZO
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting MPS Category: $471,046
S Agriculture: $706,505
B Urban Runoff: $250,275
ED Silviculture: $0
HI Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $150,000
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $50,000
H Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
Lower Powell River —
Riparian Restoration and Karst Conservation Program
During 1992, the Virginia Department of
Conservation and Recreation, Division
of Soil and Wafer Conservation,
awarded the Nature Conservancy a nonpoint
source pollution implementation grant for the
Lower Powell River Riparian Restoration and
Karst Conservation Program in Lee County,
Virginia.
This program was designed specifically to
protect priority riparian and karst areas in the
Lower Powell River Hydrologic Unit. The
Department of Conservation and Recreation
ranks this area as a priority because it is
sensitive to nonpoint source pollution and host
to an unusually rich aquatic and cave
biodiversity.
As many as 37 species of mussels live in
the Powell River, including six species that the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service lists as endangered,
In addition, 12 of the top 24 cave communities
in the Commonwealth are found in this
hydrologic unit, which is also the most -
significant karst area in the state. The project
included an extensive information and
education program to publicize the region's
biological significance and the importance of
conserving land, water, and karst/groundwater
resources. .
Objectives and methods
Each restoration activity complied with .
the best management practice protocols
specified by the Department of Conservation
and Recreation and the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and
was evaluated using chemical analysis and
bioassessments of macroinvertebrates. In
addition, the project included a hydrogeologic
investigation of the Cedars karst region (Central
Lee County Karst Area) to ensure that major
groundwater basins were included in the karst
conservation.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
171
-------
Eight restoration projects were
completed from October 1992 through
December 1994. These projects included four
riparian restoration projects at ecologically
significant mussel concentration sites on the
Powell River and four karst conservation
projects at critical cave and karst recharge sites
within the Central Lee County Karst Area.
Each project was designed and
implemented with technical assistance from the
NRCS. The Daniel Boone Soil and Water
Conservation District and the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service also provided financial support
for additional best management practices
(BMPs) at many of the restoration sites. Other
partners also contributed to various aspects of
the project: for example/the Virginia
Department of Forestry, the Virginia Cave
Board, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and
the Cooperative Extension Service.
Highlights of the restoration
The project protected 13,500 feet of
riparian habitat along the Powell River and
other waterways; 22 species of mussels, includ-
ing three endangered species; the entrance of
Gollahon Cave Number 1, a habitat for seven
globally rare cave-adapted species including
the federally endangered Lee County Cave
Isopod; and two sinking streams and a sinkhole
dump site in the Cedars karst recharge area.
The array of management strategies used
to achieve these protections included denying
stream access to 250 head of cattle grazing
upstream of four significant mussel concentra-
tion sites; fencing and bank stabilizing activities
at the cave entrance; the development of
alternative watering sites for livestock at five
project sites (using two water wells, 5,000 feet
of pipeline, and seve~n water troughs serving 12
fields); stream and sinkhole cleanups; and
several innovative practices including the
"cow-powered" Rife pasture pump, freeze-proof
troughs, division fencing for rotational grazing,
solar fence chargers, and a stream crossing
reinforced with geotextile filter cloth.
Reduced concentrations of
herbicides/pesticides
Restoration projects, where feasible, were
paired with monitoring stations to evaluate
changes in water quality and macroinvertebrate
communities before and after restoration.
Parameters for water quality measurements
were pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrates and nitrites,
stream flow, conductivity, total fecal coliforms,
total dissolved solids, and total suspended
solids. The project used EPA Rapid
Bioassessment Protocol III to evaluate
macroinvertebrate communities.
Results of chemical water quality
monitoring of data collected over a 12-month
period tended to follow predictable curves
according to precipitation event intensity and
duration. All data collected and analyzed for
herbicide and pesticides revealed
concentrations below detection limits.
A heightened conservation ethic
will be among the enduring
benefits of this project.
Continued monitoring on the Lonesome
Creek watershed may better determine
effectiveness of livestock crossings and other
best management practices since the project
there addressed a much smaller drainage.
Flows from springs or open cave systems
appear to follow surface stream curves,
indicating that flow regimes are subject to
storrnwater inputs.
Biological assessments using EPA Rapid
Bioassessment Protocol III were inconclusive.
Factors contributing to this result include the
limited time allotted to the study, the variety of
sites, and difficulty at some locations in
determining valid control sampling locations.
Despite these challenges, several sites did
improve following BMP installations and visual
indications are that habitat improvements
(such as plant recovery on banks and sediment
reductions) will prove beneficial to
macroinvertebrate populations,and species
diversity. In each case, vegetation improved and
bank instability was reduced by removing
livestock from sensitive rivers, streams, sinking
streams, and cave entrances.
The Lower Powell River Riparian
Restoration and Karst Conservation Program
112
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
projects were significant not only for their direct
conservation benefits, but also because they
will serve as permanent demonstrations of ways
to protect the unique resources'of Lee County,
Virginia. Each one applied a new conservation
technique or innovative practice to this ,
ecologically important region of southwest
Virginia. Thus, a heightened conservation ethic
will be among the enduring benefits of this
project. ' .
CONTACTS: Stu Wilson
804786-4382
Bill Kittrell
540676-2209
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
Alternative Watering Systems for Livestock —
The Middle Fork Hoiston River Builds on Success
The New River-Highlands Resource
Conservation and Development Council,
sponsor of the Middle Fork Hoiston River
Project (see Success Stones, 1994), has begun a
new section 319 project in the watershed.
The new project (the fourth section 319
project in the Middle Fork Hoiston watershed .
since 1990) was launched in April 1994. Entitled
"Using TMDL Study to Plan and Model BMP
Implementation in the Middle Fork Hoiston,"
this project has focused on the implementation
of best management practices (BMPs) in the
Greenway Creek and Chestnut Ridge, two
subwatersheds in Washington County.
The Middle Fork Hoiston watershed
includes 153,437 acres covering a 38-mile
stretch in Smyth and Washington Counties in
southwest Virginia. The towns of Abingdon,
Chilhowie, and Marion are located in the
watershed. The subwatersheds of Greenway
Creek and Chestnut Ridge are located in the
southern portion of the Middle Fork.Hoiston
watershed in Washington County.
Project managers selected the sites by
identifying the most critical treatment sites for
water quality benefits based on the total , •
maximum daily load (TMDL) methodology
developed in 1991 with 319 funding. Area
farmers then installed various BMPs, including
alternate watering systems for cattle (beef and
dairies), streambank fencing, and pasture
management improvements.
Project managers used the AGNPS model
to quantify pollutant loading reductions for the
various practices based on site-specific
conditions (e.g,, soil type, slope, proximity to
stream). Then they used a computer-based
geographic information system (GIS) named
VirGIS with the AGNPS model to rank land
tracts in the subwatersheds based on their
potential for contributing -
nutrient (nitrogen and
phosphorus) and sediment
loadings.
In all, 18 farmers
participated in the project,
each one implementing an
alternative watering system for
cattle.. Five cooperators used
solar powered pumps to
operate their watering
systems; two connected their
systems to public water; and
the remainder used electric
power. The water sources
varied from spring
Alternative watering system for cattle.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
1Z3
-------
development to water intakes in streams and
farm ponds.
In conjunction with the watering systems,
the farmers also installed 8,000 feet of fencing to
protect streambanks, and three of the farmers
implemented pasture management BMPs. The
Greenway Creek and Chestnut Ridge subwater-
sheds total 6,133 acres. BMPs were installed on
1,996 acres. The total length of streambank in
the two subwatersheds is 24.88 miles.
Based on the expected performance of
these BMPs, VirGIS and the AGNPS model
predicted that 4,880 tons of sediment, 24,948
pounds of nitrogen, and 3,330 pounds of
phosphorus would be removed from the
nonpoint source loading to Greenway Creek.
Reductions to Chestnut Ridge included 3,788
tons of sediment, 22,809 pounds of nitrogen,
and 3,396 pounds of phosphorus. The
estimated reductions in sediment, nitrogen,
and phosphorus loadings are listed in Table 1
are based on the period of May 1994 through
June 1996.
Table 1.— Nutrient loadings (Mdy 1994-June 1996)
GREENWAY
CREEK
Sediment
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
CHESTNUT
RIDGE
Sediment
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
BEFORE
27,730 tons
1 60,592 Ibs
3 1,790 IBs
BEFORE
16,474 Ions
93,486 Ifas
17,889 Ibs
AFTER
22,850 tons
135,644 Ibs
28,460 Ibs
AFTER
12,686 tons
70,677 Ibs
14,493 Ibs
REDUCTION
(instream)
4,880 tons
24,948 Ibs
3,330 Ibs
REDUCTION
(instream)
3,788 tons
22,809 Ibs
3,396 Ibs
Monitoring results
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has'
used the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) for fish
community structure and conducted benthic
surveys to assess water quality conditions in
the Middle Fork Holston watershed on an
annual basis since 1988. The 1994 to 1996 IBI
scores showed no improvement in the upper
Greenway Creek subwatershed, despite the
predicted nonpoint source loading reductions.
IBI scores remained in the poor to fair
range but did improve over 1991 baseline
conditions, and benthic invertebrate sampling
using the family-level Ephemeroptera,
Plecoptera, and Tricoptera (EPT) index
indicated water quality improvements from
1994 to 1996. Scores improved from "poor to
fair" to the "good" range.
For the Chestnut Ridge subwatershed, the
IBI scores and EPT scores did not improve for
the 1994-1996 period, even though the project
resulted in a substantial reduction in the
• sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus loadings
there. EPT scores would be expected to respond
faster than IBI scores to water quality
improvements. A lack of increase in the
biological indicator scores indicates a system
lag time between the actual BMP
implementation and habitat improvements that
generally are reflected in positive changes in
the biological community structures, providing
water quality is adequate. The biological
monitoring will continue in 1997.
Keys to success
Projects in the Middle Fork Holston have
been successful — so much that other
watershed groups across the state have visited
the project area. The New River-Highlands
Resource and Conservation District attributes
its success to several factors:
• project marketing by a conservation
specialist who makes numerous
one-on-one contacts with landowners;
• strong local support spearheaded by a
watershed committee;
• successive 319 projects, each building on
the other;
• adequate sources of funding beyond 319
from TVA and NRCS help support the
BMP implementations; and
•,a preexisting monitoring network in the
watershed.
CONTACTS: Stu Wilson
804 786-4382
Bill Kittrell
540676-2209
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
174
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $259,185
S Agriculture: $1,101,079
H Urban Runoff: $137,975
E3 Silviculture: $240,856
W Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
H Hydrologic Modification: $171,215
D Other: $0
Irrigation Best Management Practices in the Moxee Drain —
The Yakima River Basin Water Quality Plan
Nonpoint source pollution stemming .
from surface irrigation, inadequate
tailwater management, sedimentation,
and irrigation spills have been depositing
approximately 40 tons of sediment per
irrigation day to the Yakima River via the Moxee
Drain. This figure — and the sediment carries
all manner of associated agricultural chemicals
— is based on monitoring performed by the
Bureau of Reclamation from 1974 to 1981.
In January 1994, the Washington State
Department of Ecology approved the Yakima
River Basin Water Quality Plan that had been
developed by the Yakima County.Conference of
Governments (COG Plan). The COG Plan
identified 31 major tributaries within the
Yakima River Basin and summarized
information on the natural conditions, land and
water uses, and quality for each basin. Based on
that information, the COG Plan recommended
529 specific actions to address water quality
issues in the basin.
In relation to the Moxee Drain/the COG
Plan identified five problems and
recommended an action for each one. For
example, irrigation delivery systems contribute
to water quality problems; COG called for
financial incentives and technical assistance as
the actjon needed to help landowners improve
the delivery system.
Reduction in TSS goal
Starting in late 1993, the North Yakima
Conservation District received a section 319
grant to work on this action item. The goal of
the project was to initiate a common effort
among many agencies and other stakeholders
to reduce on- and off-farm soil erosion, improve
the water quality of irrigation return flows to
the Yakima River, conserve irrigation water, and
improve the irrigation district's operational
capabilities.
In addition, the project was expected to
• protect groundwater quality;
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
175
-------
• improve in-stream flows of the Yakima
River for fisheries and downstream users;
• enhance and expand wetland and wildlife
habitat areas;
• enhance Yakima County, Terrace Heights,
and Moxee's surface water management;
• develop and implement adequate
voluntary incentive programs; and
• enhance the agricultural economies of
the diversified crops of the Moxee
Hydrologic Unit.
The specific measurement goal was a 75
percent reduction of total suspended solids
(TSS) in the agricultural tailwater draining to
the Yakima River.
Watershed delineation
The Moxee Hydrologic Unit is in the
Yakima River Basin in the center of Washington
State. The Yakima River Basin consists of nearly
4 million acres; however, this Unit covers 97,680
acres near the middle of the river basin. The
Moxee Drain carries the primary return flow of
surface water to the Yakima River from the
entire Moxee Hydrologic Unit. Annual
precipitation in the Unit is under 10 inches and
mean annual runoff is less than 0.2 inches.
Land uses in the Unit are furrow-irrigated
land, 7,000 acres (all in hops production); other
irrigated land, 12,880 acres; tailwater areas,
1,000 acres; dry cropland, 2,700 acres; and dry
rangeland, 74,110 acres.
Priority was directed first to
furrow-irrigated lands, second to irrigation
tailwater management, third to all other
irrigated lands, fourth to cultivated dryland, and
fifth to nonirrigated rangeland.
Project interventions by year
The 7,000 acres of furrow-irrigated land
were producing up to 100 tons of sediment per
acre per year, and the sediment carried
additional pollutants, such as DDT and its
derivatives, at levels in excess of water quality
standards. The first year of this five-year project
was spent developing farm plans, doing project
outreach to hops farmers, and developing
contacts and partners.
During the second and third years, the >
major emphasis has been the development of
contracts with over 80 individual hops farmers
to convert to drip irrigation.
This effort has also encouraged
several thousand individuals
to volunteer their time for
water quality improvement
work throughout the
Yakima River Basin.
Evaluation data and criteria
The evaluation of best management
practices (BMPs) in large-scale watershed
projects is always a difficult task. Current
recommendations from EPA and othejs
generally state that many years (10 or more) are
needed to monitor, observe, and analyze
conditions and to relate changes in water
quality to nonpoint source control efforts.
However, several measures of success can be
used to rate this project, despite the
uncertainty of the scientific data.
On individual farms, for example, the
conversion from furrow to drip irrigation has
reduced sediment loads to zero tons per acre.
The Moxee drain sediment load now averages
28 tons' per irrigation day, a 30 percent
reduction over the numbers recorded 20 years
ago. The 1997 growing season will see the
implementation of drip irrigation BMPs on a
total of 2,148 acres. This event will double the
impact of previous seasons' conversions.
With the cooperation of Education
Service District 105 and using this area for a
field training, 50 Washington teachers have
been trained in watershed management. This
effort has also encouraged several thousand
individuals to volunteer their time for water
quality improvement work throughout the
Yakima River Basin.
The absolute need for active partnerships
to develop planning, create multiple funding
sources for project administration and
implementation, and organize a solid education
116
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
and outreach program was the major lesson in
this project. These programs require
tremendous time and effort to set up. They
cannot be properly done as an adjunct to other
duties. Major partners in this effort included
the Washington Hop Growers Association and
the USDA. USDA helped with a Small
Watershed Project Grant and direct support
from its Natural Resources Conservation
Service.
CONTACT: Mike Tobin
North Yakima Conservation District
509 454-5736
Sediment Control in the Skagit and Stillaguamish River
Basins — A Pilot Project
The Skagit and Stillaguamish Rivers flow
easterly from the Cascade mountains into
Puget Sound. The Skagit River, a national
Wild and Scenic River, drains 3,093 square
miles while the Stillaguamish River basin,
directly to the south, drains 557 square miles.
Annual precipitation in the eastern,
mountainous areas of these watersheds.is over
100 inches but decreases as it moves west to
less than 30 inches annually in some areas.
Land-use activities, principally logging,
have added greatly to the flow of sediment from
these basins. Numerous stream reaches and
various tributaries to the rivers are listed on the
state's section 303(d) report for nonattain- ment
of sediment and temperature standards.
Forest roads used to access logging areas
are significant contributors of sediment to
streams. They increase surface erosion and the
problem is compounded for roads on steep and
unstable slopes and in areas with high water
flows. Such roads are also vulnerable to dam
breaks and landslides that contribute even
larger amounts of sediment to downstream
waters. These events widen streams,' reducing
their depth and further increasing their
temperature. :
Forest roads and riparian
enhancement
Two watersheds, one each in the Skagit
and Stillaguamish River Basins, were selected
for a forest roads and riparian enhancement and
restoration pilot project. The first, Deer Creek,
flows into the North Fork of the Stillaguamish
River; the second, Finney Creek, flows into the
Skagit River immediately to the north.
The Deer Creek basin contains 43,000
acres located north of the town of Oso,
Washington. Elevation ranges from 340 feet at
its confluence with the North Fork of the
Stillaguamish, to 5,142 feet at the top of Mount
Higgins. The basin bedrock can be generally
described as metamorphosed sedimentary rock
with igneous intrusions that have been
glaciated over the past 2 million years.
The major techniques used for
limiting sediment production are
road abandonment/improvement,
in-stream deflectors, landslide
•„ stabilization, in-stream projects,
and riparian manipulations.
The lower basin, is dominantly glacial
outwash in terraces cut by subsequent
erosions. Stream valleys are typically quite
narrow, with only a few intermittent broad
sections. Very narrow, ravine and canyon
conditions predominate in the lower five miles
of Deer Creek. Stream gradient throughout the
remainder of the basin is moderately steep.
Floodplain characteristics exist in areas of the
drainage where the valley floor broadens.
The federal government owns
approximately half the land, especially along
the upper reaches of the Creek. The remaining
land is controlled by the state and private
owners. Private forest landowners include John
Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, the
Port Blakely Tree Farms, and Merrill, Ring,
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
177
-------
Green, and Crow (MRGC). Land near the town
of Oso is controlled by small nonforest
landowners.
The Finney basin, directly to the north,
contains 38,000 acres and approximately 75
linear miles of stream with elevations between
300 and 5.000 feet,
Initial efforts involve a diverse
partnership
Partners in the project include
landowners, tribes, state and federal resource
agencies, and user groups. Among these many
partners one finds expertise in forestry,
engineering, biology, hydrology, and geology. In
addition, U.S. Forest Service lands are included
in the Adaptive Management Area and the
Mount Baker-Snoqulamie National Forest is
included in the President's Northwest Forest
Plan. These initiatives provide additional
incentives to bolster section 319 program
management.
The Department of Natural Resources
performs watershed analysis (i.e., collects data)
on state and private forest lands for the entire
Watershed Analysis Unit. The analysis generally
covers hydrology, mass wasting, soil erosion
(especially relating to roads and timber
harvest), fisheries, channel morphology, and
riparian condition.
Project plans were developed based on
related scientific studies and watershed
protection and improvement projects already
done or underway in these.watersheds. The
major techniques used for limiting sediment
production are road abandonment/improvement,
in-stream deflectors, landslide stabilization,
in-stream projects, and riparian manipulations.
A network of experienced field managers
using historic data move the project forward
without jeopardizing the watersheds' health,
even while detailed watershed analysis is
occurring. Thus, a proactive pollution
prevention plan has begun using priorities
established by this group.
Respecting nature's timelines
Project managers and generally proactive
citizens can learn patience if they will from their
involvement in this project. Results may not be
measurable in less than 30 years. Consider only
the riparian plantings, for example. Conifers
planted to shade the stream require that many
years to grow tall enough to produce shade.
Still, a few results are evident even now.
Perhaps the most striking early result is that
despite two extremely wet years with reports of
extensive landslides in many areas similar to •
the treated areas, no landslides have occurred
in the project area in several years.
CONTACTS: Bob Penhale
206649-7074
David Howard
360407-6412
Water Quality Program
Washington State Department of Ecology
m
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NFS Category: $485,954
S Agriculture: $188,446
H Urban Runoff: $36,700
EB Silviculture: $100,000
OH! Construction: $0
D Resource Extraction: $0'
H Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
E3 Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
Certification Program for Timber Harvesters —
Changes in West Virginia's Approach to Logging Sediments
In 1992, West Virginia enacted dramatic
changes to it's Nonpoint Source Silviculture
Water Quality Program by passing the
Logging.Sediment Control Act. This Act
incorporated several provisions designed to
protect the environment and to ensure that all
logging operations are registered with the
state's tax department and in compliance with
all other rules, regulations, and laws of the
state. Each logging operation must pay
severance taxes, worker's compensation fees,
and personal income taxes.
The law provides that after September 1,
1992, anyone conducting a logging operation,
buying timber, or buying logs for resale is
required to be licensed with the Division of
Forestry. Acceptance of the license implies that
the operator will protect the'environment
through the judicious use of silviculture best
management practices (BMPs). Improperly
planned and constructed logging roads and
landings can cause soil erosion and
sedimentation. Sedimentation can clog stream
channels, contribute to streambank and
channel erosion, damage the habitat of- fish and
aquatic life, adversely affect.water supplies, and
reduce values. Some recommended BMPs are
• maintaining filter strips,
• limiting grade on haul and skid roads,
• erosion control seeding, and
• water control measures such as culverts
and broad-based dips.
The second main provision of the law
requires the certification of loggers. The
requirements for certification are the
satisfactory.completion of courses in tree felling
safety, personal safety equipment, first aid, and
silviculture BMPs. Since July 1, 1993, each
logging crew must be supervised by a certified
logger.
The Act includes a third provision: loggers
must submit a logging notification form within
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
179
-------
three days of starting a new harvesting
operation. The site must also be posted with a
sign listing the logger's name and license
number. Failure to comply with any of these
provisions, which have also been amplified by
new regulations, can lead to suspended or
revoked licenses.
An appointed committee will meet every
three years to review BMPs, modify them, or
suggest new ones as needed. Current BMPs
have been adopted from those already found in
the Nonpoint Source Silviculture Management
Plan.
CONTACT; James Warren
West Virginia Division of Forestry
304 558-2788
Potomac Headwaters Water Quality Project
Poultry Production and the Environment
Increases in poultry production in the early
1990s served as the catalyst for the West
Virginia Soil Conservation Agency and the
Division of Environmental Protection to
consider using its section 319 program to
provide technical and educational assistance to,
the agricultural community in the Potomac
Valley.
Early interventions
Recognizing the potential for increased
water quality problems associated with the
poultry industry in neighboring states, the West
Virginia Soil Conservation Partnership,
consisting of the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS), West Virginia Soil
Conservation Agency, and the Potomac Valley
Soil Conservation District, in cooperation with
the West Virginia Division of Environmental
Protection, developed proposals for section 319
funding to address these issues.
Section 319 funding currently supports
staff: one nonpoint source environmental
specialist and one nonpoint source resource
management specialist in the region. These
specialists work closely with farmers; federal,
state, and local government agencies; and
private groups such as the West Virginia Poultry
Water Quality Advisory Committee. They
educate residents and farmers on nonpoint
source water quality issues and best
management practices (BMPs) such as nutrient
and pesticide management, sediment and
erosion control, and proper animal waste
handling and storage.
The Partnership's initial efforts led to the
implementation of numerous best management
practices, including 85 litter sheds, 139
dead-bird composters, 72 nutrient management
plans, the incorporation of sediment and
erosion control planning in poultry house
construction, alternative uses for poultry litter,
and educational efforts to reduce nutrient and
pesticide contamination of surface and
groundwater resources in the project area.
Concentrated educational efforts
included 16 poultry nutrient management and
waste management seminars that attracted,
nearly 400 participants in the last two years.
These meetings included 11 grower meetings
and 5 meetings promoting the use of litter
outside the Potomac drainage area. Training
and information services are also provided to
local and state agencies, civic organizations,
livestock groups, and schools to increase public
understanding of various nonpoint programs
and water quality issues.
The Headwaters Project
In 1992, a Memorandum of Agreement
was developed between the West Virginia Soil
Conservation Agency, West Virginia Cooperative
Extension Service, USDA Farm Service Agency,
NRCS, and the Eastern Panhandle and Potomac
Valley Soil Conservation District.
This agreement provides for accelerated
federal, state, and local educational, technical,
and financial assistance to reduce and prevent
water quality impairments arising from
agricultural and urban lands. The project covers
180
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
the eastern panhandle counties in West Virginia
that drain into the Potomac and Shenandoah
rivers. It is identified as the Potomac
Headwaters Water Quality Project.
Local demonstrations focused
on the agricultural use of
compost as a fertility
amendment for vegetation.
In late 1993, the original coalition of
federal, state, and local agencies was expanded
to include the West Virginia University College
of Agriculture and USDA's Rural Development
program.
Through an accelerated cost-share •'
program under the Small Watershed Act
(Pub.Law 78-534), this project will provide up to
60 percent of the cost for accelerated nutrient
management plans, agricultural waste storage
structures, dead-^bird composters, livestock
confinement areas, and riparian area
development. To complement the NRCS
cost-share, the West Virginia Soil Conservation
Agency has initiated the use of the State
Revolving Loan Fund to provide low-interest
loans to producers who install BMPs in the
Potomac Valley District.
Demonstration projects
Since its inception, the Potomac
Headwaters Water Quality Project has garnered
significant support in the form of legislative
appropriations and individual agency budget
allocations on both the state and federal levels.
Numerous .demonstration projects have
illustrated how to properly manage agricultural
resources to prevent impacts on surface and
- groundwater quality. These demonstrations
include rotational grazing, nutrient
management, livestock confinement areas,
riparian zone development, composting, and a
pesticide collection field day. The latter resulted
in the removal of more than 20 tons of outdated
or unused pesticides from the area.
Composting
Among the various demonstration
projects, the composting project is one that
seems to have captured the imagination and
interest of many industry analysts and
environmentalists. The benefits of on-farm
manure composting include soil conditioning,
development of a marketable product, improved
handling measures, better land application,
reduced pollution risk, and the destruction of
disease-causing organisms (pathogens).
This project stimulated the private
sector's interest in whether and how to develop
larger-scale litter composting systems for
economic and water quality benefits. It also
provides opportunities for local producers to
install a regional composting operation that
can produce a salable product and increase
farm profits.
Demonstration activities included the use
of the composted product by local landscapers,
nurseries, athletic fields, and golf courses.
Local demonstrations focused on the
agricultural use of compost as a fertility ,
amendment for vegetation. Compost maybe
used in flood control projects —•• a possible
additional market in the Potomac Valley. Its use
on crop and forage production and as an
ingredient in low-value lumber processing,
perhaps with sawdust and bark, is'also being
tested.
Not only composting, but also the other
demonstration projects serve as a local
educational resource for agriculture producers,
industry, and others. They help identify
alternative markets for litter, proper confined
animal siting arrangements and site layout,
nutrient .and waste management plans, and
animal waste storage facilities, along with odor
and fly control for poultry operations.
The Potomac Headwaters Water Quality
Project is possible only as a result of efforts
over the last five years during which the EPA
continuously and diligently supported West
Virginia's nonpoint source and section 319
programs. •
CONTACT: Theresa Byler
West Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Agency
304558-2204
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
181
-------
WISCONSIN
3I9(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NPS Category: $2,161,744
S Agriculture: $213,132
H Urban Runoff: $ 111,351
El Silviculture: $51,825
M Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
E3 Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
In the East River Watershed —
An Animal Waste Treatment Demonstration
Rrmers in the East River Watershed, one
if 16 watersheds chosen to become a
sderally funded USDA Water Quality
Demonstration Project, are benefiting from .
their embrace of management practices that
enhance water quality and farm profitability.
The practices, which include animal waste
management systems and constructed
wetlands, were the focus of a project carried out
as a joint effort of the University of
Wisconsin-Cooperative Extension, the USDA .
Natural Resources Conservation Service, and
the consolidated Farm Services Agency. The
East River watershed is in the Green Bay area of
northeastern Wisconsin.
Wetlands may be recipient of
milkhouse waste
The impacts of milkhouse waste were
monitored at different sites along the river.
When the data confirmed the need for a viable
and cost-effective disposal system for
milkhouse waste, the project managers
explored the long-term pollution control
capability and survivability of small constructed
wetlands for this purpose. They also examined
the ability of a constructed wetland to remove
nutrients and solids in a cold-weather climate
that is subject to heavy and intermittent rain
events. Once it was determined that,the system
would be effective and durable, even in
Wisconsin's climate, it was recommended as a
best management practice (BMP) for treating
milkhouse wastes in the East River watershed.
Pipes and a holding tank
The wetland filter system begins with a
pipe leading fronrthe milkhouse to a holding
tank with a sump pump. Once the waste
reaches the tank it remains there until it has
accumulated sufficiently to trigger the float
control switch. The waste is then pumped to a
diverter tank, which directs the effluent to either
a settling/flotation tank, which functions as a
182
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ((
-------
pretreatment, or directly to the constructed
'.wetlands. ,
• The constructed wetland is a 12-cell
system arranged in four parallel rows with three
cells in a series in each row. Six of the cells
received untreated wastewater; and six, as
noted above, received pretreated wastewater.
This design made it possible to test the
efficiency of the constructed wetland on treated
and untreated wastes. In both cases, prior to
reaching these cells, the wastewater flows
through the weir slot, where samples can be
taken automatically or by grab sampling. After
' flowing through the weir, the waste flows to the
first cell, then the second, third, fourth, fifth,
and sixth cells, until it reaches the filter strip
and exits the treatment system.
Each cell measures 76 feet by 10 feet. The
sides slope to a depth of 18 inches. A layer of
sand is placed at the bottom'of each cell, then a
plastic liner (to prevent any possible
groundwater contamination), and a second
layer of sand above the plastic liner. Topsoil is
laid above the sand and each cell has a berm
top. Each one also contains several emergent
aquatic plant species.
Results
Based on initial results, the constructed;
wetland does reduce the flow of nutrients in the
wastewater. It is probably more effective in the
summer months than in the-winter when
everything is frozen, but further experience and
monitoring are necessary to determine if the
nutrients trapped in the system remain there, or
if they will be flushed from the wetland during
spring thaws.
When the data confirmed the
need for a viable and
cost-effective disposal system for
milkhouse waste, the project
managers explored the
long-term pollution control
capability and survivability of
small constructed wetlands.
Two other important lessons have
emerged from this project. First, samples taken
at the beginning of the experiment, that is,
before the wastewater enters the wetlands,
show that the pretreated wastewater has less
nutrient content than the untreated wastewater.
However, there is basically no difference
between the pretreated and untreated flows
when the wastewater exits the wetlands. In this
case, pretreatment is probably not necessary.
Second, the system as a whole appears to
be overdesigned for the size of the application.
During the summer months not enough
wastewater is generated to keep all 12 cells of
the wetland functioning. The farm operators
and project managers agree that the
constructed wetlands should be maintained
and reconfigured: the pretreatment structure
will be dismantled and the wetland will be
reduced in size from 12 to 6 cells.
CONTACT: Lynn Goldade
' Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
608264-9223
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
183
-------
Water Action Volunteers Paint the Town —
Wisconsin Citizens Work to Protect Their Resources
Water Action Volunteers (WAV), a
partnership combining the
Department of Natural Resources' •
water expertise and the University of Wisconsin
Cooperative Extension's educational skills,
coordinate a variety of stream and river
activities throughout Wisconsin. WAV provides
educational materials and know-how for local
volunteers who want to take action to improve
water quality.
WAV groups stencil "Dump No Waste,
Drains to River" messages on storm drains to
remind people that refuse dumped into storm
drains does not disappear but ultimately flows
to a waterbody. Groups in more than 60
Wisconsin communities have stenciled nearly
10,000 storm-drain inlets this year. The program
has cooperated with the Lake Michigan
Federation, Chippewa and Waukesha County
land conservation departments, the
Adopt-A-Lake program, the Audubon Society,
and the Wisconsin River Alliance in painting the
towns in Wisconsin.
WAV provides educational
materials and know-how for
local volunteers who want to
take action to improve
water quality. s
Another WAV project involves working
with others to help clean up Wisconsin's rivers
and streams. For example, teamed with America
Outdoors and the Wisconsin River Alliance,
WAV recently drew 580 volunteers to
streambanks and lakeshores for a full day's
work. The three groups distributed information
and trash bags to these volunteers who
collected over 37,000 pounds of garbage to
clean up 267 miles of shoreline.
CONTACT: Lynn Goldade
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
608 264-9223
184
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ((
-------
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting NPS Category: $333,300
S Agriculture: $600,000
H Urban Runoff: $0
E3 Silviculture: $0
ED Construction: $0
B Resource Extraction: $0
I Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
H Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
Restoring Riparian Areas Improves Trout Fishery —
The Squaw and Baldwin Creeks Watershed
The Squaw and Baldwin creeks' section 319
project lies in west-central Wyoming, near-
Lander in Fremont County. The watershed
consists of approximately 5.1.7 square miles,
including a 13-mile stretch of Squaw Creek (a
tributary of Baldwin Creek) and a 17-mile
section of Baldwin Creek. Each section extends
from the point where Baldwin Creek leaves
federal property (managed by the Bureau of
Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service) to
its confluence with the Middle Fork of the Popo
Agie River, north of Lander.
. Land ownership is primarily private,
interspersed'with state-leased properties. The
properties include ranches ranging in size from
500 to 2,500 acres with the larger percentage of
properties consisting of small ranchettes and
subdivisions in the populated fringes of Lander
city. A portion of Squaw Creek traverses the
Lander city limits, including high school and
elementary school properties.
Squaw and Baldwin creek valleys were
settled, along with the town, in the 1800s. At
the time, these streams supported riparian
vegetation, healthy fish, and abundant wildlife
habitats. Residents report seeing many beaver
dams and enjoying excellent brown trout
fishing as recently as 50 years ago: Sometime
during these early years, water was diverted
from the streams and used to irrigate hayland
adjacent to the stream channels.
Riparian areas decline
The streambanks and overflow channels
gradually lost the natural diversified riparian
vegetatiqn they once had through excessive
grazing by livestock and burning and clearing
for agriculture, along with the urban sprawl of
subdivisions. Gone were the beaver dams, and
with them, most of the trout. Channel
alterations/such as cutting through meanders,
facilitated further deterioration of the channel
area over time. Improper irrigation wastewater
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
185
-------
Reconstructed streambanks along a section of Squaw
Creek located in Popo Agie Conservation District. ,
return and poor irrigation water management in
the channel vicinity further eroded the two
streams.
Seasonal high water, resulting from
melting valley snowpack and snow on the
northern slopes of the Wind River Mountains,
flushes the channels with high volumes and
velocities of water. Tremendous amounts of ,
sediment are washed from raw banks and
channels into these streams, then into the Popo
Agie River system, which in turn, dumps
sediment into the Wind River and eventually
into Boysen Reservoir.
The North and Middle Forks of the Popo
Agie River are both important trout streams and
run clear even through much of the high water
season. Squaw and Baldwin creeks, though they
contribute little water to the river system,
totally cloud the water with tremendous
sediment loads.
The Squaw/Baldwin creeks watershed has
been identified as the single greatest
contributor of silt and associated contaminants
to the Popo Agie River. Their sediments damage
Popo Agie trout fishery by covering important
food sources and smothering fish eggs. In
October of 1990, the Popo Agie Conservation
District received the first of two grants from the
Wyoming Department of Environmental
Quality, Water Quality Division (DEQ) and EPA
under Section 319 to reduce nonpoint source
pollution in Squaw and Baldwin creeks.
Correcting grazing and irrigation
practices
The Popo Agie Conservation District leads
the project in partnership with the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS),
landowners,'City of Lander, Wyoming Game and
Fish Department, Bureau of Land Management,
USDA Forest Service, and Fremont County Weed
and Pest District. Lander Valley High School,
Northside Elementary School, Teton Science
School, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Boy ,
Scouts of America are also involved in
information and education portions of the project.
The project goal is to reduce nonpoint
source pollution in Squaw and Baldwin creeks
while correcting resource-related problems in
the riparian areas. Conservation practices have
been installed and land users are implementing
totalresource management systems. The
project installed best management practices
(BMPs) to prevent streambank and channel
erosion and to improve grazing and'irrigation
management adjacent to" riparian zones. In
addition, the project provides an invaluable
educational vehicle to teach students and the
public about nonpoint source pollution and
gives hands-.on experience in working with
these'practices.
To date, approximately 18 miles of
streambank have been treated with BMPs such
as riparian fencing, plantings, water gaps,
streambank stabilization, irrigation water
control structures and pipelines, grade
stabilization structures, pasture and hayland
management, planned grazing systems, and
irrigation water management. These practices
address problems such as overgrazing, grazing
in riparian areas, and irrigation water
application and runoff.
As many as 25 landowners participated
under the initial grant, including the
Education/Demonstration site behind Lander
Valley High School; and 16 landowners have
contracted with the District in the second grant.
Of these, 12 contracts have been completed
with four in progress. The Popo Agie
186
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUME (I
-------
Conservation District offers participants a 60
percent cost-share assistance grant from DEQ
and/EPA; 25 percent from District funds, and 15
percent fro.m landowner.contributions.
Signs of success
Monitoring by the District, Lander Valley
High School Students, Wyoming Game and Fish
Department, and others have demonstrated
numerable accomplishments. Examples include
an increase in pollution-intolerant
macroinvertebrates with a corresponding
decrease in pollution-tolerant .
macroinvertebrates. The Wyoming Game and
Fish Department reports a dramatic
improvement in the brown trout population.
The observation that Squaw Creek no
longer runs red is evidenced by water sampling
reports. Total suspended solids have decreased
an average of 38 percent during the years 1993
into 1996. Community awareness has generated
interest in additional partnerships and has ,
facilitated the locally led conservation effort.
CONTACT: Phil Ogle
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality
307777-5622
Increasing Livestock Grazing on Plateaus —
Water Development for Loco Creek
The 1992 Wyoming Water Quality
Assessment (305b) report listed Loco
Creek's coldwater fishery as threatened by
sediments and'high temperatures. Livestock
grazing and road development were the
suspected causes of the impairments. With the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and
livestock grazing permittees determined to
improve conditions, the Little Snake River
Conservation District organized a project to
address these nonpoint sources of pollution
with a section 319 grant and funding from BLM.
Disturbed streambanks
Loco Creek flows into Savery Creek, which
is a tributary to the Little Snake River. Its
watershed, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre
Mountains in southcentral Wyoming, is
comprised of high plateaus and 11 miles of
steep canyon created by Loco Creek, The
plateaus are roughly 8,000 feet above sea level
and the canyon floor is at an elevation of
approximately 6,700 feet. Average annual
precipitation for the area is 14.inches, and
mountain shrub and sagebrush/grassland
vegetation types, predominate. .
Land ownership within the watershed is
58 percent federal, 34 percent private, and 8
percent state. The Morgan-Boyer is a Bureau of
Land Management grazing allotment almost
' totally within the watershed. It consists of a
single pasture with few water developments.
Five permittees run cows and calves in
the allotment, another permittee runs sheep,
and an additional 12,000 sheep are herded
through the allotment on their.way to and from
their mountain pastures (for spring and
summer grazing). The sheep driveway crosses
the lower end of Loco Creek. Livestock move to,
the canyon for shelter, shade, and water during
hot periods and do not return to the plateaus.
The result is overgrazed riparian Vegetation and
disturbed streambanks.
Solar-powered fences
The Little Snake River Conservation
District and its partners formed.a coordinated •
resource management group to help set
priorities and coordinate various activities.
Solar-powered electric drift fences and
two water developments were completed under
a riparian improvement demonstration grant to
increase livestock use of the plateaus.
Additional funds were needed for water '
developments to provide adequate water on the
approximately 18-square-mile watershed, and to
complete other proposed activities. The
Conservation District received a section 319
grant to continue these improvements.
The partners then-constructed five
additional water developments on the plateau,
and divided the canyon bottom into three
riparian pastures, by fencing and the use of '
natural topographic breaks. They also used
prescribed sagebrush burns on portions of the
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
187
-------
plateau and canyon bottom to improve the
forage base and increase herbaceous vegetation
cover. Next, they installed small in-stream
structures to help control flows, increase bank
water storage, and provide habitat for a beaver
population. A plan to introduce beaver was
abandoned, however, because the recovering
riparian environment was not yet suitable and
because beavers were likely to come from
surrounding watersheds once suitable habitat
was available.
The project also included moving a
portion of the canyon access road away from
the stream and installing a culvert at a
washed-out drainage crossing. The installation
of water bars and drainage control measures on
the road helped limit runoff to the stream.
An information and education
component ensured that other landowners and
interested members of the public would
understand the project and its results.
Taxa richness increases
A variety of monitoring methods have
been employed by both the BLM and the
Conservation District to evaluate success of the
best management practices (BMPs). These
monitoring methods included chemical water
quality sampling, aquatic macroinvertebrate
sampling, measuring stream channel cross
sections, streambank well monitoring, riparian
vegetation monitoring, and photo points. With
the exception of chemical water quality,
monitoring indicates that the project's goals are
being reached and its BMPs have improved
Loco Creek's aquatic and riparian environments.
Results of water chemistry analysis
showed no apparent change in quality from
previous monitoring data, but it is always
difficult to detect changes in chemical water
quality with limited samples taken over a short
time period. Other monitoring methods
indicate greater improvement. , .
Aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling has
been part of the monitoring plan for this 319
project since 1994. Generally, all biologic
indices evaluated indicate an improving trend
in the aquatic macroinvertebrate community
health. Total taxa richness statistically
increased from 26 in 1994 to 34 in 1996.
As part of the initial BMP implementation
and monitoring, the BLM established eight
monitoring locations on Loco Creek to evaluate
width to depth ratios. Monitoring results from
1996 indicate that five of the eight cross
sections have shown reductions in width to
depth ratios, indicating channel deepening and
greater stability.
Eight streambank water wells were
established in 1992. Wells were 5 to 10 feet
deep and 10 to 100 feet from the stream
channel. Water well data were collected from
1993 to 1996 and indicate that the overall
riparian area function, to store water and allow
slow release, is improving.
Both Nebraska sedge and willow are key
riparian species along Loco Creek. Density and
frequency of Nebraska sedge and frequency and
height of willows increased during the
monitoring period from 1992 to 1996.
CONTACT: Phil Ogle
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality
307777-5622
188
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
GUAM
Guam Environmental Protection Agency Shifts Course —
Nonpomt Source Management Reduces
Discharges to Tumon Bay
Presently in Guam, great strides are being
made to implement the nonpoint source
management program through the Guam
Environmental Protection Agency permitting
program. A capacity for on-site handling of
stormwater runoff on commercial properties is
now being implemented, especially on
properties near the shorelines. An erosion
control plan is likewise required before any
properties can be cleared and graded.
Guam is fortunate because it does not
have to control many point sources found in
other areas; mining activities, street salting, and
combined sewer overflows are all essentially
absent. The,nonpoint sources considered to
have the greatest impact on Guam are
• construction,
• agriculture,
• urban runoff,
• solid waste disposal, and
• sewage disposal.
Discharges to Tumon Bay, which fronts
major hotels and other tourist facilities and
attractions, have been eliminated, primarily by
removing all existing storm drains along Tumort
Bay. Overflowing sewage from residential and
other on-site disposal systems has also yielded
. to control, following a house-to-house survey of
. these systems and a requirement that
homeowners connect their houses into the
nearest .available public sewer system.
These measures are impressive if only
because Guam has been so focused on
preventing point sources of water pollution that
little specific data are available from Guam at
this time concerning the effects of nonpoint -
sources of pollution.'Control of nonpoint
sources is more difficult than point sources
because of the difficulty in identifying and
characterizing these diffuse sources. The
importance of nonpoint sources is now
recognized, however, and their impact becomes
relatively greater as point sources are brought
under control.
CONTACT: Narsiso Custodia
Guam Environmental Protection Agency
671 646-8863
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
189
-------
NORTHERN MARIANAS ISLANDS
Turning Problems into Advantages —
The Marianas Islands Responds to Nonpoint Sources in
the Lau Lau Bay Watershed _^_^^
The Commonwealth of the Northern
Marianas Islands (CNMI) is a
commonwealth of the United States,
consisting of 16 small islands in the western
Pacific, The islands are tropical and have a
growing population for which tourism and the
garment industry are major businesses. Saipan,
the largest of the 16 islands, is the business,
government, and population center. Nonpoint
source pollution is a serious problem in the
CNMI. The rainfall pattern (intense storms and
only two seasons [wet and dryl), geology, and
downstream resources (coral reefs) make
nonpoint source both difficult and important to
prevent and control.
Focusing on a watershed approach
The Lau Lau Bay watershed is located on
the southeastern side of the island of Saipan.
The watershed is characterized by steep slopes,
volcanic soils, and intermittent streams. Runoff
from the watershed drains into a fringing coral
reef, the site where most of the tourists and
many residents scuba dive and where many
local families fish and picnic on the weekends.
The watershed is relatively undeveloped; an
unpaved coral road traverses most of the area
and only a few small farms and residences
appear in the watershed. However, much of the
watershed will soon be developed to
accommodate a golf course and megaresort.
In 1991, two unpermitted land clearings
occurred in the Lau Lau Bay watershed, one for
a residential housing development and one for
a limestone quarry. A tropical storm passed by
the island soon after the clearings took place
and caused massive erosion on the sites,
resulting in heavy sedimentation of the reef.
While these activities caused significant
damage to nearshore resources, they also drew
attention to the significance and fragility of the
watershed. The CNMI government took note of
these events and many agencies began to focus
on protecting the watershed.
Agency partnerships and monitoring
project
The Division of Environmental Quality
(DEQ) made the Lau Lau Bay watershed the
initial focus of its efforts to document and
monitor the effects of nonpoint source
pollution on the coral reef. The CNMI
Interagency Watershed Working group has also
"adopted" the watershed as their target to
conduct resource studies and demonstration
projects. In March 1996, DEQ began monitoring
the effects of nonpoint source pollution, mostly
sedimentation, on the coral reef in,Lau Lau Bay.
The project's primary goals were to help
CNMI agencies develop the capacity for
conducting similar projects in other watersheds
and to develop a systematic method to monitor
nonpoint source .pollution throughout the
CNMI. DEQ formed a marine monitoring team
consisting of representatives from DEQ, Coastal
Resources Management, Division of Fish and
Wildlife, and the Northern Marianas College.
The team monitors the nearshore ecosystem to
190
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: UOLUME ((
-------
detect early changes in the reefs' that may be
caused by upland activities and nonpoint
source pollution. Activities include
• analyzing water quality, including
nutrients,
• determining the percent cover of coral
and algae,
• surveying indicator species,
• taking fish censuses, and
• calculating sedimentation rates.
The team monitored the Lau Lau Bay reef
for one year, with inconclusive results (as was
.expected for such a short time). The value of the
study was that it demonstrated the long-term
capacity of the agencies to monitor these
resources and increased public awareness of
environmental needs and resources.
Coastal Resources Management
will produce an educational
video for the local schools to
show the effects of nonpoint
source pollution on the Lau Lau
Bay watershed and describe
methods to control it.
The marine monitoring team also
developed a Long-Term Marine Monitoring Plan
that will allow the agencies to collect and
analyze data to look for early effects of nonpoint
source pollution on the coral reef ecosystem.
These baseline data will help developers and
permitting agencies structure the development
in such a way that its impact on the marine
environment can be limited. The data will also
help enforcement agencies take early action to
control poor development practices.
Developing public awareness
DEQ conducted several activities that
enhanced the public's awareness of the
environmental values and problems of the Lau
Lau Bay watershed. The marine monitoring
team, in conjunction with a class of the
Northern Marinas College, sponsored a public
forum to discuss issues and solutions to
problems in the watershed. Legislative leaders,
agency directors, high school and college
students, scuba divers, and the general public
attended the forum to voice their concerns and
to discover what steps are being taken to
protect the watershed's resources. DEQ also
conducted a survey of the dive operators on
Saipan and determined the value of the reef to
the CNMI. This information has been
distributed to decisionmakers and the public
and hopefully will be used when making future
development decisions.
Erosion controls and other practices
The CNMI Interagency Watershed Working
Group is also focusing their efforts on the Lau
Lau Bay watershed. In May 1997, the group
conducted a secondary road demonstration
project in the watershed to teach heavy
equipment operators best management
practices to reduce sedimentation caused by
eroding roads. More recently, the group has
begun a revegetation demonstration project in
the watershed to show landowners how to
revegetate badlands and eroding slopes using
simple and inexpensive bioengineering
techniques to stabilize and recondition the soil.
Agencies.plan to continue to study and
conduct projects in the Lau Lau Bay Watershed.
The Division of Environmental Quality will
conduct a study to determine the erosion rates
from different soil and vegetation types in the
Lau Lau Bay watershed. These rates will be
compared with the sedimentation rates on the .
reef to better determine the effect that erosion
in the watershed has on the coral reef in the
bay. Coastal Resources Management will
produce an educational video for the local
schools to show the effects of nonpoint source
pollution on the Lau Lau Bay watershed and
describe methods to control it.
The Interagency Watershed Working
group hopes to involve additional agencies and
groups in their efforts to study and protect the
. Lau Lau Bay Watershed, including the Historic
Preservation Office to gain a better understand-
ing of land-use history in the watershed; the
•Division of Forestry to conduct a large-scale
revegetation project; the Department of Public
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
191
-------
Works to construct a better road in the
watershed; the scuba operators to report
unusual occurrences and events; and the
Department of Commence to determine the
value of the natural resources and nature-based
tourism in the Lau Lau Bay Watershed.
Prospects for the watershed and
coral reef
Not every problem of the watershed has
been fixed; in fact, the more intensively the
watershed is studied, the more the CNMI
realizes the severity of the nonpoint source
pollution problem in Lau Lau Bay watershed.
These problems commenced in the Japanese
era (1920 to 1940) when roads were built,
manganese mines were dug, and the land was
cleared. World War II activities compounded the
problem through bombing, fires, and some
industrial development. The problems continue
today as a result of periodic burning and poorly
developed roads. Both the watershed and the
coral reef remain stressed and relatively •
unstable.
However, from the recent studies focused.
on the Lau Lau Bay watershed, agencies and
the public have learned>about the sensitive
nature of the watershed and the value of
preventing nonpoint source pollution. Ideally,
this awareness will lead to better protected
land in which development will be more closely
scrutinized and steps will be taken to protect '
the resources.
CONTACT: Susan Burr
Division of Environmental Quality
Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands
'671 234-6984
192
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
PUERTO RIC§
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1996
• Cross Cutting MPS Category: $0
S Agriculture: $556,444
H Urban Runoff: $0
013 Silviculture: $0
HID Construction: $0
E Resource Extraction: $0
Hi Stowage and Land Disposal: $0
H Hydrologic Modification: $0
Q Other: $0
Puerto Rico's Nonpoint Source Management Program —
New Regulations Expected in 1997
Puerto Rico's section 319 program is
administered by the Water Quality
Planning Bureau of the Office of the
Governor. Puerto Rico targets two main
' categories of nonpoint source pollution:
livestock enterprises and erosion. Regulations
for both categories have been proposed by the
Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board. If
passed, the new regulations will help the board
enforce the use of best management practices.
At present, though no formal regulations
are in place, the board requires an Erosion
Control Plan at any site involving the
mechanical movement of soil components.
These plans include a description of the
temporary and permanent measures that will be
used to minimize erosion and prevent
sediments from reaching nearby waterbodies.
However, as these plans are not mandatory,.
enforcement is very difficult. The proposed
regulation for erosion control will provide the
legal mechanism to enforce these measures. It
was submitted to the public hearing process on
January 28, 1997. .
Livestock enterprises are the other
nonpoint source that potentially threatens the
quality of Puerto Rico's water resources: the
discharge or improper application of animal
waste and its high nutrient concentration. The
board has been concerned about this issue
since the early stages of the nonpoint source
management program, but it has only recently
developed a proposed regulation.
Currently, the board reviews all animal
waste management systems used by livestock
enterprises. Such systems are covered in general
terms only under Puerto Rico's nonhazardous
solid wastes rule. Agreements supporting the
proposed regulation have been reached,
however, with local and federal agricultural
agencies, such as Puerto Rico's Department of
Agriculture and the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service. Its passage will make
compliance with the plans easier to enforce.
. CONTACT: Eric Morales
Water Quality Planning Bureau
, Office of the Governor
787751-5548
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
193
-------
VIRGIN ISLANDS
319(h) Funding by Functional Categories for Fiscal Year 1995
• Cross Cutting DPS Category: $183,600
S Agriculture: $0
I! Urban Runoff: $0
El Silviculture: $0
Hill Construction: $30,OOO
E Resource Extraction: $0
• Stowage and Land Disposal: $55,000
E] Hydrologic Modification: $0
D Other: $0
Boaters Contribute to Water Quality —
Education Leads to Better Marine Sanitation Practices
High bacterial counts have been
detected in some bays in the Virgin
Islands, especially in those with a large
concentration of boats and boating berths. The
contamination is partly the result of sewage
and wastewater discharges from the boats,
particularly from "live-on-board" vessels.
To address this problem, section 319
funds and a grant authorized under the U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Clean Vessel Act were used to
cost-share the installation of vessel waste
pump-out facilities at key marinas. The effort is
managed by the University of the Virgin
Islands-Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service,
part of the University of Puerto Rico Sea Grant
College Program. Six marinas on St. Thomas
and one on St. Croix have already installed
pump-outs through this program, or will in the
near future. Several other marinas are expected
to install pump-outs within a year.
As soon as pump-outs are readily
available, local and federal regulations
prohibiting the release of untreated wastewater
can be enforced. A revision of the Islands'
principal legislation related to boat sewage
discharges, namely, the Vessel Mooring and
Anchoring Rules and Regulations, is underway.
The new law will require that liveron-board
vessels be berthed only at facilities with
connections to sewage pump-outs. The U.S.
Coast Guard and the Islands' principal
environmental agency are stepping up marine
sanitary device enforcement in areas where the
pump-outs are now available.
The Virgin Islands Marine Advisory
Service will use future section 319 funds to
educate the boating public. The curriculum will
include information on the location of
pump-out facilities and the rules governing '
marine sanitary devices and boat sewage
discharges. This project will not only help
boaters comply with regulations, it will also
lead to significantly improved water quality in
the coastal waters and bays most visited by
boaters. , .
The Virgin Islands Department of
Planning and Natural Resources- is presently
performing quarterly ambient water monitoring
194
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
for fecal coliform. This quarterly testing will be
expanded to include turbidity,and total kjeldahl
nitrogen to provide a preliminary assessment
on the quality of water and the effectiveness of
the pump-out facility.
CONTACT: Syed A. Syedali
Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural
Resources
809773-0565
Erosion and Sedimentation on St. John —
For Virgin Islanders, Knowledge is Action
Over half of St. John island; one of-the
U.S. Virgin Islands, is a national park.
The physical layout of the island is a :
combination of short, steep slopes terminating
in sensitive wetlands and marine environments;
this makes it susceptible to damage from even
slight increases in erosion. Working in
conjunction .with federal and local agencies,
and with partial funding provided through the
section 319 nonpoint source management
program, the islanders recently began an
investigation to assess the complex runoff •
processes affecting the park.
The project began in 1994 with the Virgin
Island Department of Planning as the lead
agency. Citizen groups, such as Fish Bay
Homeowners Association and the Friends of
Data logging from each sediment measuring site takes time
and is difficult to do with muddy hands after a rain shower.
Cyrus lean, a research assistant at Fish Bay on the Island of
St. John, makes erosion and runoff entries.
the Virgin Islands National Park; other local
organizations, such as the Virgin Islands
Resources Management Cooperative, the Island
Resources Foundation, and the Virgin Islands
Resource Conservation and Development .
Council, were also involved. They provided
critical local contacts, disseminated
information, and helped assure that problem
definitions and solutions were crafted to fit
local values and customs.
A number of federal and local agencies
and private interests from outside the islands
supported the project — some with additional
funding, others with technical or research
assets. Among them:
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service,
• National Park Service, ;
• US.GS Biological Resources Division, and
• Colorado State University's Watershed
Sciences Program. ' ,
Rainfall on roadways
Roads cut into the hillsides have several
impacts on runoff processes with direct
implications on water quality. First, roads
contribute to overland surface runoff in even
the smallest storms. Investigation has shown
that while undisturbed areas may saturate and
yield runoff in perhaps 5 percent of rainfall
events during the year, roads contribute to
runoff as a result of 70 percent of annual rainfall
events. Landscape with many roads is
hydrologically more active than one with few
roads.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
195
-------
Second, unpaved roads erode severely.
The study documented road surface erosion of
a centimeter a year, delivering in the case of one
catchment some 400 metric tons of sediment to
the mangrove swamps and bays. Surface water
yields of up to 30 percent of rainfall have been
measured on unpaved roads with suspended
sediment loads of up to 60,000 parts per million.
Third, road cuts of one to two meters into
the hillside intercept the slow moving
subsurface water and route it onto the road as
surface water. This water, in turn, causes
additional erosion. After extended periods of
rainfall, the cuts intercepting the subsurface
flow become saturated and slump onto the
roadway, which compounds the problem.
Changing practices
Armed with this better understanding of
how surface runoff works, local homeowners,
machine operators, politicians, and government
officials began crafting acceptable and
economical solutions that address the complex
problem. Their first decisive action involved
retrofitting the island's roads. Spaced drains
and roads sloped to the downhill side have
been installed to allow small volumes of water
to reinfiltrate into the soil. Synthetic mulch is
being demonstrated at different construction
sites as a cover that prevents the exposed earth
from eroding.
Additional solutions will come as new
methods of road layout are analyzed'and used
to replace the outdated practice of connecting
roads directly to gutters. Different low-cost
retaining wall structures are being investigated
to stabilize steep road switchbacks. Porous
paving has also been proposed, and
investigations are underway to determine which
native shrub and grass species should be
planted to help stabilize roads cut into the
hillslopes. The plants should not only anchor
the substrate; they should also increase
transpiration, helping to minimize the extent of
saturation.
The Fish Bay Homeowners Association
has responded to their new understanding of.
the problem by paving several kilometers of
roads in the last three years.
A common problem
The problem the St. John islanders
confronted is a common one on the Virgin ' "
Islands. Sediment — from dirt roads, farmland,
construction sites, urban encroachments, and
other disturbed soils — is the primary nonpoint
source pollutant threatening the Islands' water
resources. Eroded sediment buries coral reefs
and seagrass beds, clouds the water, impairs
fish feeding and breeding sites, and impacts
recreational activities. In sum, sediment and
erosion destroy natural resources, reduce the
income and attractiveness of the tourist
industry, and damage the territory's fishing
industry.
The Virgin Islands Department of Planning
and Natural Resources and the Islands' Non-
point Source Committee are successfully using a
multifaceted education and outreach approach
to address this severe water quality problem.
Workshops sponsored by the University of the
Virgin Islands-Cooperative Extension Service
help regulators, developers, and the general
public better perceive the challenge that erosion
and sedimentation present.
Newspaper articles inspired by committee
members have widely publicized the erosion
and sedimentation problem and the resources
available to help reduce its magnitude. The
Third Annual Virgin Islands Nonpoint Source
Conference in November 1996, highlighted
innovative methods for reducing erosion and
featured the first-ever trade show of erosion
and sediment control products in the territory.
More than 90 percent of those participating
indicated that they would implement at least
one practice presented at the conference.
CONTACT: Syed A. Syedali
Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural
Resources
809 773-0565
196
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ((
-------
INDIAN NATIONS
Project Accomplishments and
Long-term Plans
In the 1987 reauthorization of the Clean
Water Act, Congress added sections 319 and
518 to help states, territories, and tribes
respond to problems caused by nonpoint
source pollution. Section 319 established
baseline requirements for state and territorial
nonpoint source management programs and
authorized national funding to support
implementation of approved management
programs. Section 518 authorized EPA to treat
federally recognized Indian tribes in the same
manner as states, and to grant up to one-third
of 1 percent of national 319 grant funds to
tribes ($330,000 annually).
EPA annually awards section 319 grants
to tribes that submit approved nonpoint
source assessments and management plans.
Each grant awarded under section 319 requires
a 40 percent nonfederal match. If a tribe
demonstrates a special financial need, however,
EPA may, and frequently does, approve a 10
percent nonfederal match. As of fiscal year
1997, 11 tribes have qualified for and received-
section 319 grants.
Tribal section 319 projects have resulted
in many successes, but many tribal programs
are still planning for nonpoint source
programs. Tribal Success Stories showcase the
reduced sediment'loadings on the Cherokee
Reservation in North Carolina, the improved ,
water quality in trout streams on the Umatilla
Reservation in Oregon, the reduced nutrient
loadings oathe Tampa and Brighton
Reservations of the Seminole Tribe of Florida,
and others. More Success Stories preview the
plans of tribes that are new to the section 319
program; many have received their first section
319 grant in the past year.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
197
-------
EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE
INDIANS
Cherokee Critical Area Treatment
Trout Return to Streams
In 1995, the Cherokee Tribe in southwestern
North Carolina used section 319 funding to
complete an erosion project that it had
begun in 1988. At that time, the tribe and the
Southwestern North Carolina Resource -
Conservation and Development Council had
determined that severe erosion along access
roads on tribal trust lands constituted critical
areas for treatment.
The roads in question, many of them
extending 3,500 to 5,500 feet above sea level,.
had been eroding for 20 to 30 years. The
average rate of erosion was 150 tons of soil per
acre per year, but along some roads, the soil
loss was more than 1,000 tons per acre. By the
The mill road BEFORE Critical Area Treatment
time the Critical Area Treatment was
completed, a total of 147,421 linear feet (60.8
acres) of main and access roads had been
treated.
Specifically, the 319 project treated the
Mill Road section, the seventh and final phase
of the project. It involved regrading some
.26,796 linear feet of road and reseeding the area
to permanent vegetation. In sum, the Mill Road
section stabilized 9.9 acres, and since its
completion, soil loss has fallen to less than
6 tons per year.
In addition to installing soil-conserving
measures, the Mill Road project provided
enhanced habitat for bear, deer, and small game
birds. These species are now very active in the
area — a direct benefit of including
plants that wildlife feed on in the
reseeded areas along side roads.
Stream habitats have also improved
as erosion and sediment controls
take hold; native trout have
returned to many streams. '
CONTACTS: Kenneth Futreal
Southwestern North Carolina Resource
Conservation and Development
704452-2519
Eddie Almond
Tribal Environmental Office
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
704497-3814
198
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
MISSISSIPPI BAND OF (
INDIANS
Choctaw Tribe Assesses Soil Erosion and Siltation —
Proposes Water Quality Best Management Practices
The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is
proposing to develop a Water Quality
Best Management Practices (BMPs) plan
to address the problems of soil erosion and
siltation resulting from various silviculture, •
construction, a,nd resource extraction activities
on the Choctaw reservation.
Forestry, construction, and mining
activities add to soil losses
Source assessments indicate that land
uses are the major pollution problem on tribal
lands. In particular, three land uses account for
most critical areas. They are
. • silviculture, especially harvesting and
reforesting activities without appropriate
residue or groundcover management;
• construction, especially for highways,
bridges, and roads (sometimes in
connection with forestry or mining
activities) but also for housing, industrial,
and commercial development; and
• resource extraction and development,
especially surface mining, or topping pits.
Thus, soil losses to erosion in some
upland (hilly) areas may be as high as 40 to 50
tons per acre per year. In some places the land
is devoid of adequate tree, brush, or grass
cover; in others, skid rails, fire lands, and roads
have created gullies that cause annual soil
losses in excess of 100 tons per acre per year.
Siltation resulting from these identified
nonpoint sources is the primary pollutant of
tribal waters. .
Pollution prevention
The following activities — a mixture of
pollution prevention, source controls, structural
and nonstructural remedies (such as
ordinances) — are proposed in the BMP plan
for tribal lands:
1. Develop a nonpoint source (best
management practices) plan to address
erosion and siltation problems that affect
water quality on the Choctaw reservation.
2. Hold meetings with stakeholders to
discuss, and implement'pollution
prevention activities and this plan. These
stakeholders will serve the 'tribal chief in
an advisory capacity to help prevent
nonpoint sources of pollution on the
Choctaw reservation and to implement
and enforce tribal ordinances.
3. Conduct monitoring activities to identify
discharge points, drainage patterns,
direction of flow, water quality at surface
water bodies affected by discharges,
locations of significant materials exposed
to stormwater, and structural control
measures to control erosion and siltation.
4. Formulate and pass tribal ordinances,
adopt erosibn and sediment controls for
disturbed areas, and enforce selected-
- BMPs.
5. Evaluate the success of pollution
prevention activities to include the
following activities:
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
199
-------
• Annual site compliance evaluation to be
conducted by qualified personnel to
evaluate the effectiveness of BMPs.
• Revise the BMP plan as needed.
• Implement a pilot project demonstrating
the effective use of BMPs selected and
comparing this site to a project where no
pollution prevention activity is
implemented.
The tribe will also evaluate its current
environmental management plans for
consistency, and determine which, if any,
provisions should be strengthened and
incorporated in the Pollution Prevention Plan.
CONTACT: Bernadette Hudnell
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
EPA Program
601 656-5251
200
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
COLUILLE
TRIBES
Owhi Lake — Restoring a Resident Fishery
The Owhi Lake watershed is a 25,000-acre
watershed located in Okanogan and Ferry
Counties of Washington state, near, the
center of the'Colville Confederated Tribal
Lands. The lake, which-encompasses 500 acres,
is 10 miles northeast of Nespelem, near tribal
headquarters. The project area is within the
Little Nespelem watershed. The Little
Nespelem River originates at Owhi Lake.
The Owhi watershed is roughly one-third
rangeland (8,790 acres) and two-thirds
forestland (16,210 acres). The rangeland occurs
at lower elevations in the southwest corner of
the watershed and extends north to Owhi Lake
and east to the Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir
forests. Owhi Lake is nutrient-enriched; its
problems have multiple sources, but livestock's
unrestricted, all-seasons use of the Owhi creek
and lakeshore coupled with.a historic pattern of
road construction for timber
harvesting intensify the impacts
from all sources.
Limiting livestock access
The tribes' Owhi Lake
section 319 project is part of an
integrated management plan
that includes forests, rangelands,
recreation, and traditional land
uses. Its goal is to improve water
quality through best
management practices (BMPs).
Tribal activities have
focused on limiting livestock
access to Owhi Creek and Lake.
Using section 319 funding, tribal,
and other money, the tribes fenced Owhi Lake
and created livestock enclosures to restrict the
use of pastures along the creek. The primary
and ultimate objective of these and other
project activities is to flush the lake and reduce
the inflow of phosphorus'. However, the tribes
also plan to improve riparian habitat and
encourage more beaver activity along the creek.
The fencing portion of the project was .
completed about, 18 months ago. School
children worked with tribal technicians- they
planted riparian vegetation and helped put
medium organic debris in the creek, using only
local materials.
Owhi Lake also has the most important
resident fishery within the reservation. Indeed,
School students placing organic woody debris in Owhi Creek. ;
~n
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME [[
201
-------
the lake provides an excellent subsistence
fishery for the Colville Tribes and is the sole
source of brook trout broodstock for the entire
reservation. The Tribal Fish and Game Division
collects between 700 and 800 thousand brook
trout eggs annually to restock the fishery. •
Current fish stocking efforts provide
subsistence and recreational opportunities for
tribal members and other lake users.
CONTACT: Gary Passmore
Environmental Trust Department
Colville Confederated Tribes
509 634-8844
Livestock fencing — lake In background.
202
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
Demonstrating the Effects of Managed Grazing
Improved water quality is a major concern for
the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes
of the Fort Peck Reservation in northeastern
Montana's glaciated plains, and nonpoint
source program management is the method
most likely to serve their goal.
Grazing is a major contributor to
nonpoint source pollution on the reservation.
Most grazing units follow waterways because
livestock are dependent on the streams for their
water supplies. More than that, however,
livestock grazing makes a dual contribution to
the tribes' economic livelihood:, the tribes
produce livestock and lease grazing lands to
other ranchers.
The demonstration .of a managed grazing
system, a section 319 project, is underway as a
first phase of a full-scale water quality
protection plan for the reservation. The system
will be demonstrated in the Little Porcupine
Creek watershed, which' is used for grazing from
summer through fall.
The creek itself, a Class 1 Warm Water,
supports several beneficial uses: aquatic life,
secondary contact recreation, and agriculture.
Three monitoring locations will be used to help
project managers gage the effectiveness of the
best management practices (BMPs).
Approximately 80 percent of the
watershed is native rangeland which produces
approximately. 0.25 animal unit months per
•acre. The normal management of the range is to
graze cow/calf pairs for 5.5 months between
May 15 and November 1. Generally the livestock-
are unconfined and tend to concentrate in the
riparian areas in the heat of the summer.
At its upper end, Little Porcupine Creek
has lost almost all integrity as uncontrolled
grazing stripped its banks of riparian
vegetation. Though the stream flows mostly
underground, appearing only in isolated pools
in the flat valley, it still serves as the only
livestock watering source for the range.
Grazing along the riparian corridor has
been especially heavy. Woody species, including
trees and shrubs, have been reduced to almost
nothing, degrading the landscape and
increasing stream temperatures/sedimentation,
and conductivities. Summertime water
temperatures average 22°C. The stream channel
bottom is over 50 percent silt.
Short-term goals for this project include
the restoration of a healthy riparian zone and
improving water quality at the long-term
monitoring sites located in this range unit.
Indicators for grading water quality and riparian
improvement include increasing the biological
condition category from severely impaired to
moderately impaired and increasing the habitat
supportability ratings from nonsupporting to
partially supporting.
CONTACT: Deb Madison
Fort Peck Office of Environmental Protection
406 768-5155, ext. 399-
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
203
-------
HOOPA VALLEY TRIBE
The Hoopa Valley Tribe Is Making Plans —
A Soil Remediation Project to Remove Leaking Diesel Fuel
For the Hoopa Valley Tribe of northern
California. 1997 is a potential turning
point: it is the first year the tribe is
formally participating in the section 319 grant
program.
Project scope
A watershed assessment financed
through a 1991 Section 305(b) grant has
identified both point and nonpoint pollution
problems on tribal lands. Four major industrial,
areas and approximately 20 minor sites
contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons-
(total petroleum hydrocarbons [TPH]) remain in
residential areas of the reservation. Many are
contaminated with diesel fuel (D), and some
threaten the tribe's domestic water supplies.
Among these 24 sites, a single site has
been selected to demonstrate and evaluate a
soil remediation technique and whether an air
contact and wood-chip composting program
can reduce the TPH-D levels in soils. The
treatment should be sufficient to protect both
surface and groundwater.
The Masonite Mill Creek site is an
abandoned sawmill with two large underground
storage tanks. A leak from the tanks has
contaminated the surrounding soil with diesel
fuel. Investigators suspect that the leak may ,
have been as much as 10,000 gallons.
Initial site investigations show that
petroleum hydrocarbons had already
contaminated the site's groundwater. Project
managers had the tanks removed and disposed
of in an approved manner by a licensed
contractor. Contaminated soils were likewise
excavated and transported off-site. •
Postexcavation testing of both the residual soil
• and the groundwater show no traces of TPH-D.
The tribe considered various alternative
methods for cleaning the contaminated soil
and eventually selected bioremediation. This
technology appears to be the appropriate
method; it is within the scope of the tribe's
available technological skills and appears to be
cost-effective. Bioremediation uses
microbacteria to break down and digest volatile
organics (such as diesel fuel). The warm
summer months will aid this process.
The tribe plans to conduct
bioremediation on approximately 1,700 cubic
yards of soil contaminated with diesel fuel. The
process will include windrowing the soil on an
impervious surface, working wood chips into
the soil, and turning the soil monthly to
encourage complete aeration. The soil will be
monitored for TPH-D during the treatment
period.
The tribe's Environmental Protection
Agency believes that two summer seasons will
be required to remediate the soil. Windrows will
be covered during the rainy season between the
first and second years. When remediation is
complete, the open pit will be refilled, and the
site will be cleaned and revegetated. During the.
remediation period, the site can also be used
for educational field trips.
CONTACT: Larry P. Oetker
Hoopa Valley Tribal Environmental Protection Agency
. 916625-5515
204
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
HUALAPAI TRIBEj
Hualapai Tribe, Northwestern Arizona
The Hualapai Reservation, on
approximately one million acres of land in
northwestern Arizona and 108 miles of the
Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, will be a
first-time participant in the section 319 grant
program in 1997. The Hualapai Department of
Natural Resources will be responsible for
accomplishing the program on the Hualapai
Indian Reservation.
Flight of the burros
The Spencer Creek subbasin is located
directly west of the Diamond Creek/Peach
Springs Canyon subbasin and covers about 240
square miles. Spencer Creek is the largest
perennial stream on the reservation. The creek
and its tributaries, the Meriwhitica, Milkweed,
and Hindu canyons, drain a large part of the
Hualapai Plateau.
The land changes from a high elevation
pinon-juniper forest on the southern end to
high-desert vegetation along the Colorado
River, the northern boundary of the reservation.
Many feral burros live on the reservation: 17
were counted in an April 1996 reconnaissance
of the drainage. The predominant land uses in
this subbasin are cattle grazing and recreation.
The confluence of Spencer Creek and Lake
'Mead is a popular camping spot for Colorado
River trips and recreational lake boaters.
Coaxing the flight
The removal of 90 percent of the feral
burros in the Spencer Creek subbasin is a major
undertaking for this project. Removal methods
include the use of helicopter net guns and
riding herd on the burro by horseback. The
roundup is necessary to prevent fecal
contamination of the creek and to protect the
basin's wetlands, restoring the native
vegetation and providing important habitat for
migratory birds and other wildlife.
The actual project will require three days'
using a helicopter. During the first four hours,
the helicopter crews will haul fence panels
down to Indian Gardens to make a temporary
holding pen. Then they will net all burros
encountered in Spencer Canyon and transport
them by helicopter to the holding pen for
relocation to other areas. Estimates are that
this step will require approximately 16 hours.
Previous projects to remove burros and
wild horses from the reservation have been
successful. However, the animals regain their
original numbers in approximately 10 years. In
the meantime, the Department is developing
plans to prevent the .buildup of these feral.
populations, and the woody riparian vegetation
now lost to overgrazing will have an opportunity
to mature. Selected sites will be observed for
vegetation recovery.
Removal of the burros from Spencer
Canyon will immediately improve wetland
plants and water quality throughout the
Spencer Creek drainage. Project managers will
monitor its effects by pre- and postremoval
photographic documentation.
The project is expected to enhance
approximately 321 acres of wetland habitat
along the lower reaches of the creek. These
areas serve as forage, nesting, and cover
grounds for migrating waterfowl and •
neotropical migrants.
CONTACT: Don Bay
Hualapai Department of Natural Resources
520769-2255
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
205
-------
SEMINOLE TRIBE OF FLORIDA
Projects on the Brighton and Tampa Reservations
The Seminole Tribe of Florida has
requested assistance to develop and
implement best management practices on
two distinctly different reservations. The
Brighton Reservation Project seeks to limit the
flow of nutrients in runoff from lands used
primarily as pasture for cow-calf cattle ranching.
Because the reservation is highly urban, the
Tampa Reservation Project seeks to divert
runoff from a large parking lot, and collect it to
restore a wetlands area that is part of a
recreational business.
The Brighton project has entered the
monitoring phase; the Tampa project is only
now being implemented. Its purpose remains
as described, but its design has expanded as
other businesses on the reservation become
involved,
Pasture management
The Brighton Reservation, approximately
36.000 acres located on the northwest edge of
Lake Okeechobee, is sweet cabbage palm
flatwoods dominated by palm hammocks and
bahia/Pensacola grass pasture lands. It has 25
ranches on 12,000 acres of pasture, which are
grazed by approximately 6,500 head of cattle.
The tribe worked with the local USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service office
to develop a pasture management plan that
would use a four-pasture rotational system with
new cross-fences and livestock watering
facilities. Autosamplers were placed at the
surface water ditches entering and leaving each
pasture. A fifth pasture was used as a control,
and phosphorus and nitrogen are measured
weekly.
Data from the monitoring activity on
Brighton Reservation indicate that total
phosphorus and nitrogen are still present in the
field runoff. However, a longer-term monitoring
.program is needed to gage the project's overall
success. In the meantime, the rainfall, water
quality, and surface water pumping quantities
are being measured and grazing patterns
documented for further remediation.
Managing urban runoff
The Tampa Reservation consists of 45
acres in eastern Hillsborough county between
Highways 98 and 1-4. It is primarily steeply
sloping urban land with a hotel,' stores, gaming
facility, a cultural village, and community
townhouses. It even has a recreational softball
field. The Tampa Reservation is about 80
percent paved; runoff from the paved areas at
the top of the hill flows to the Village and
community homes at the bottom of the hill.
The original plan to route runoff from the
Tampa parking lot called for installing a
constructed wetlands in the cultural village.
More recent plans are to drain more of the
parking lot and expand'a small detention pond
that will actually be the first tier of a multiple
floor parking garage.
CONTACT: Craig Tepper
Water Resources Management
Seminole Tribe of Florida
954 967-3402
206
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
-------
CONFEDERATED TRIBiS^FirH&«
UMATILLA INDIAN RESERVATION
Protecting the Floodplain, Riparian, and In-stream Habitat
Land uses on the Umatilla Indian
Reservation and in the surrounding
Umatilla River watershed (in northcentral
Oregon) include agriculture (both dryland and
irrigated), ranching (grazing),, forestry, and
residential, commercial, and.industrial .
development.
These land uses yield a variety of
nonpoint sources primarily related to erosion.
Thus, for example, they include the loss of •
wetlands and riparian vegetation along the :
Umatilla River and its tributaries and runoff
from fields, roads, parking areas, and industrial
sites. Groundwater contamination may also
result from these land uses. Failing septic
systems and sewage 'effluent also contribute to
water quality impairments associated with
nonpoint source runoff and soil erosion.
River basin protection enhances
ancient rights
Throughout the Umatilla River Basin, the
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation retain aboriginal and treaty rights
related to fishing, hunting, livestock
production, and the gathering of traditional
plants. Water quality, riparian, and'watershed
conditions must be managed to provide ample
opportunity for the tribes to exercise those
rights. Most recently, the tribes have
undertaken a.project to ensure the in-stream,
riparian, and upland habitats for fish, wildlife,
and plants. , •
An integrated approach serves the
coldwater fishery
The project is using a watershed
protection approach to restore the Umatilla's
Jloodplain, riparian areas, and in-stream
habitats. The tribes look forward to improved
livestock and crop management practices that
will ultimately improve coldwater fisheries
(especially the salrnonid habitat), water quality,
and native plants. Specifically, the tribes will
reduce stream temperatures and control
sedimentation through increased riparian "
plantings, shading, and additional groundwater
storage and infiltration.
The following objectives have been
identified:
• increase riparian shade and bank storage
to improve productivity and survival of
adults during holding and spawning of
eggs and of juveniles during rearing and
passage;
• improve pasture management and
efficiency by rotational grazing and wider
use of upland pastures;
• reduce late summer water temperatures
and increase winter stream temperatures
to improve productivity and survival of
adult salmonids, eggs, and juvenile
salmonids during rearing and passage;
• improve crop management practices to
protect and restore water quality and fish
habitat;
• increase riparian vegetation and consider
the introduction of beaver to provide
natural habitat structural improvements;
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME ({
207
-------
• increase in-stream structure and channel
diversity to improve overwintering
habitats and fish survival; and
• implement a proactive approach to
private land grazing and agricultural
management.
Monitoring for outcomes
Project outcomes can be evaluated by
monitoring five categories:
• physical changes in streambank and
floodplain vegetation;
• changes in water quality (temperature
and suspended sediment primarily);
• juvenile salmonid production;
• adult salmonid returns; and
. • maintenance of project improvements.
Streambank and floodplain vegetation
and stream morphology will be monitored
through habitat surveys, photo points, and air
photographs; water quality, with permanent
in-stream temperature monitoring stations.
Other changes can be gaged through synoptic
educational and effectiveness monitoring.
Salmonid numbers will be monitored, with
prior landowner permission, by the
Confederated Tribes and the Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife.
CONTACT: Rick George
Department of Natural Resources:
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation
541 278-5206
208
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
Access road—a temporary or permanent road over
which timber is transported from a loading site to a
public road.
Acid mine drainage—Mine leachate, or drainage,
that contains free acidic sulfates (usually, ferrous '
acid). Sulfide minerals generally breakdown in the
presence of oxygen and water.
, Aquifer—An underground geologic formation or
structure that transmits water in sufficient quantity
to supply the needs for a water development (Soil
Conservation Society of America, 1982).
Berth—A low earthfill constructed in the path of
flowing water to divert its direction, or constructed
. to act as a counterweight beside the road fill to
reduce the risk of foundation failure.
Best Management Practice (BMP)—A practice or
combination of practices that are determined to be
the most effective and practicable means of
controlling point and nonpoint pollutants at levels
compatible with environmental quality goals (Soil
Conservation Society of America, 1982).
Channelization and channel modification—
Engineering activities or techniques undertaken to
change stream and river channels for certain
reasons, including flood control, navigation, and
drainage improvement. Also called channel
modifications, these activities include straightening,
widening, deepening, relocating and clearing or
snagging operations that generally result in more
uniform channel cross sections.
Chlorophyll-a—A blue-green chlorophyll or
magnesium chlorine pigment, found in all higher
plants and algae. Chlorophyll plays an important
role in photosynthesis.
Composting—A controlled process of degrading
organic matter by microorganisms (Soil
Conservation Society of America, 1982).
Constructed wetland—Engineered systems •
designed to simulate natural wetlands to exploit the
water purification functional value for human use
and benefits. Constructed wetlands consist of former
upland environments that have been modified to
create poorly drained soils and wetlands flora and
fauna for the primary purpose of contaminant or
pollutant removal from wastewater or runoff.
Crop rotation—The growing of different crops in
recurring succession on the same land (Soil
Conservation Society of America, 1982).
Dissolved oxygen—The concentration of free
molecular oxygen in the water column. Although
oxygen makes up about 90 percent of water, it's
concentration in water is higher near the surface and
declines to almost nil at the lowest depths. Its
absence causes fish kills and the condition known as
hypoxia, or dead water.
Effluent—Solid, liquid; or gaseous wastes that enter
the environment as a by-product of human activities
. (Soil Conservation Society of America, 1982).
Erosion—Wearing away of the land surface by ' •
running water, glaciers, wind, and waves.
Estuary—The part of the river that is affected by .
tides. The region near a river mouth in-which the
fresh water in the river mixes with the salt water of
the sea. '
Eutrophication—The alteration of lake ecology
through excessive nutrient input characterized by
excessive growth of aquatic plants and algae and low'
levels of dissolved oxygen.
Fecal coliform bacteria—Bacteria normally found
in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals;
these bacteria are normally harmless to humans, but
are used as indicators of the presence of sewage that
may contain harmful bacteria and viruses.
GIS—see Geographic Information Systems
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)—A
computer system used to store, analyze, and present
geographical information, such as topography,
ecosystem types, vegetation, land uses, and political
and transportation systems, among others. A single
map can be displayed on the computer screen with
additional maps added as overlays to facilitate
comparisons.
Geotextile—A product used as a soil reinforcement
agent or filter medium. Made of synthetic fibers
manufactured in a woven or loose nonwoven manner
to form a blanket-like product.
Groundwater—Underground water supplies stored
in aquifers; the source of groundwater is rain which
soaks into the ground and flows down until it is
collected at a point where the ground is not
permeable.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
209
-------
Habitat—The place where a biological species
naturally lives or grows.
Herbaceous—A vascular plant that does not
develop woody tissue (Soil Conservatioa Society of
America. 1982).
Holding pond—A reservoir, pit, or pond, usually
made of earth, used to retain polluted runoff water
for disposal on land (Soil Conservation Society of
America. 1982).
Hybrid—A plant resulting from a cross between
parents of different species, subspecies, or cultivar
(Soil Conservation Society of America, 1982).
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)—A pest
population management system that uses cultural
practices to anticipate and prevent pests from
reaching damaging levels. IPM uses all suitable
tactics including natural enemies, pest-resistant
plants, cultural management, and pesticides, leading
to an economically sound and environmentally safe
agriculture.
Irrigation—Application of water to lands for
agricultural purposes (Soil Conservation Society of
America, 1982). .
Karst—A type of topography characterized by closed
depressions, sinkholes, underground caverns, and
solution channels (Soil Conservation Society of
America. 1982).
Lagoon—A reservoir or pond built to contain water
and animal wastes until they can be decomposed
either by aerobic or anaerobic action (Soil
Conservation Society of America, 1982).
Leachate—Liquids that have percolated through a
soil and that contain substances in solution or
suspension (Soil Conservation Society of America,
1982).
Leaching—The removal from the soil in solution of
the more soluble materials by percolating waters
(Soil Conservation Society of America, 1982).
Load—The quantity (i.e., mass) of a material that
enters a waterbody over a given time interval (Soil
Conservation Society of America, 1982).
Manure—the fecal and urinary defecations of
livestock and poultry (Soil Conservation Society of
America, 1982).
Nitrate—Any salt or ester of nitric acid or any
compound that contains the NOs- group. A fertilizer
consisting of sodium or potassium nitrate. More
generally, a water soluble form of nitrogen.
Nonpolnt source pollution—water pollution that
comes from many diffuse sources rather than from a
specific point, such as an outfall pipe; often the
unintended result of human activities.
Nutrients—Elements, or compounds, essential as
raw materials for organism growth and development,
such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (Soil
Conservation Society of America, 1982).:
Permeability—The quality of a soil horizon that
enables water or air to move through it; may be
limited by the presence of one nearly impermeable
horizon even though the others are permeable (Soil
Conservation Society of America, 1982).
Pesticide—Any chemical agent used for control of
plant or animal pests.
Phosphorus—A widely occurring nonmetallic
element used in matches, pesticides, fertilizers, and
other products; one of the primary nutrients,
phosphorus is involved in nearly all processes of,
metabolism.
Point source pollution—water pollution that comes
from a specific definable source.
Pollutant—Dredged spoil, solid waste, incinerator
residue, sewage, garbage, sewage sludge, munitions,
chemical wastes, biological materials, radioactive
materials, heat, wrecked or discarded equipment,
rock sand, cellar dirt, and industrial, municipal, and
agricultural waste discharged into water (Section
502(6) of the Clean Water Act as amended by the
Water Quality Act of 1987, Pub. L. 100-4)
Retrofit—The creation or modification of an urban
runoff management system in a previously
developed area. This may include wet ponds,
infiltration systems, wetland plantings, streambank
stabilization, and other. BMP techniques for
improving water quality and creating aquatic habitat.
Riparian area—Vegetated ecosystems along a
waterbody through which energy, materials, and
water pass. Riparian areas characteristically have a
high water table and are subject to periodic flooding
and influence from the adjacent waterbody.
' Runoff—That part of precipitation, snow melt, or
irrigation water that runs off the land into streams-or
other surface water. It can carry pollutants from the
air and land into the receiving waters.
Salinity—The concentration of dissolved solids or
salt in water.
Sediment—The product of erosion processes; the
solid material, both mineral and organic, that is in
suspension, is being transported, or has been moved
from its site of origin by air, water, gravity, or ice.
Sedimentation—The process or act of depositing
sediment.
Silvicultural system—A process, following accepted
principles, whereby the tree species constituting
forests are tended, harvested, and replaced.
210
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
-------
Storm drain—A system of gutters, pipes, or ditches.
used to carry stormwater from surrounding lands to
streams, lakes, or coastal waters.
Stormwater—Water that is generated by rainfall
. Surface water—All water whose surface is exposed
to the atmosphere. .
Suspended sediment—The very fine soil particles'
that remain in suspension in water for a
considerable period of time.
TMDL—see Total Maximum Daily Load
Tillage—The operation of implements through the
soil to prepare seedbeds and rootbeds, control
weeds and brush, aerate the soil, and cause faster
breakdown of organic matter and minerals to release
plant foods, . .
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)—This
program, established by Section 303{d) of the Clean
Water Act, provides for the protection of waters in
' areas where pollution control is not stringent
enough to achieve water quality standards. The
program authorizes states to assess water quality
and to allocate the total maximum allowable daily
load(s) of pollutant discharges.to those waters,
regardless of the pollutant's source. Future TMDLs
are expected to emphasize wet weather stormwater
discharges and nonpoiht source pollution problems.
Turbidity—A cloudy condition in water due to
suspended silt or organic matter.
Vegetated buffer—Strips of vegetation separating a
waterbody from a land use with potential to act as a
nonpoint pollution source; vegetated buffers (or
simply buffers) are variable in width and can range in
function from a vegetated filter strip to a wetland or
riparian area. .
Water quality—a term that reflects the condition of
water that has been affected by natural processes
and human activities; good water quality may mean
that it meets its designated uses, i.e., it is fishable
and swimmable.
Watershed—A drainage area or basin iti which all
land and water areas drain or flow toward a central
collector such as a stream, river, or lake at a lower
elevation.
Wetlands-r-Areas that are inundated or saturated by
surface or ground water at a frequency and duration
to support an, and that under normal circumstances
do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically
adapted for life in saturated soil conditions;
wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs,
and similar areas.
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME II
211
-------
-------
acid mine drainage 66-67, 116-118, 141-142
agriculture 26-27, 43-44, 55-56, 59-62, 68-72, 86-87,
90-91 ,96-101, 111-112, 128-129, 130, 146-148, J57,
165-170, 173-177,.
animal waste 7-8,45-47,93-94,182-183
burros 205
composting 96, 160-161, 180-181
constructed wetlands 64-66., 79-80, 84-85, 120
dairy waste 17-18, 43-44, 56-57, 68-70, 79-80, 90-91,
111-112, 165-166
erosion 73-75,77-78, 107-108, 157, 164-165,
175-177, 179-180,204
forestry 39-44, 75-76, 121-122, 124, 177-180,
190-192, 195-196, 199-200
grazing 24-25,97-99, 101-102, 107-108, 126-127,
164-165, 187-188, 203 . ' ' .
integrated crop management 59-60, 169-170
lake 37-38,48-50,61-62,91-92,94-95,104-107,
109-110,130,167-168,201-202
legislation 67, 124, 138-139, 193
manual 11-12,39-41
marina 113-114, 194
marsh restoration 35-36,143-144
minigrants 148-150
no-till farming 55-57, 107-108, 130
nutrients 7-8, 19-20, 30-32, 61-62, 73-74, 86-87,
90-95,97-102, 104-105, 109-110, 126-130, 154-156,
167-168, 173-174
range management see grazing
rice 70-72 . . ' •
riparian 24-25, 42-44, 48-54, 59-60, 55-76, 103,
106-107, 154-156, 164-165, 171-173, 177-178,
185-188,207-208
roads 195-196, 198
'sediment 23, 24-25, 30-32, 59-60, 73-75, 121-122,
128-130,154-156,177-180,
septics 64-65, 119-i 20, 144-145
shellfish bed 84-85, 113-114, 141-142, 134-135
soil remediation 204
stream restoration 23, 49-50, 58-59
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) 136-137,
173-174
total resource management 26-27, 99-100
trout 7-8, 24-25, 49-50, 58-59, 88-89, 106, 122-124,
185-187,198 • - .
urban 29-32,94-95, 109-110, 158-161, 206-
volunteers 8-10, 63, 131-132, 150-152, 184
watershed 13-16, 21-23, 33-34, 77-78, 81-83, 88-89,
122-126, 134-135', 139-140, 152-154, 190-192
wellhead protection 162-163
zoning 13-16, 142-143
•fr U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1997-615-649/90403
SECTION 319 SUCCESS STORIES: VOLUME (I
213
-------
-------
-------
------- |