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Section 319
NDNPHINT SDURGF PROGRAM SUCCESS STORY
North Fork Potomac Watershed Farmers Improve Water Quality
Waterbody Improved
The North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River is a
scenic trout stream in the headwaters of the Potomac River in
northeastern West Virginia. Water in the North Fork had high levels of fecal coliform bacteria, pri-
marily from agricultural runoff from beef and poultry farms. Over 85 percent of farmers in the water-
shed worked together to construct animal waste storage facilities, establish riparian buffers, and
implement a range of other best management practices (BMPs) at the farms. As a result, the stream
now meets its designated use and is no longer impaired by fecal coliform bacteria.
Problem
In the early 1990s signs of poor animal waste
management practices became evident in the
North Fork Potomac watershed. Algae blooms
appeared in streams, and high bacteria counts
were common. These changes corresponded
to a significant increase in the poultry industry.
Between 1993 and 1996 alone, the number of
poultry farms doubled. A U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conser-
vation Service (NRCS) study found that farmers
were improperly storing litter from chicken
houses and overapplying manure to fertilize
their soils. A test program by the U.S. Geo-
logical Survey (USGS) confirmed that several
streams were being polluted by fecal bacteria
and also found that the highest levels of pollu-
tion were in areas with the highest number of
feedlots and poultry houses. In 1996 several
streams of the South Branch watershed, includ-
ing the North Fork, were listed on West Vir-
ginia's 303(d) list for impairments due to fecal
coliform bacteria, and it was determined that a
36 percent reduction from agricultural land was
necessary in the North Fork watershed for the
stream to achieve water quality standards.
Before
An animal feedlotthat
allowed runoff of con-
taminants into the nearby
stream.
Project Highlights
Cleanup activities first began in the watershed
in 1993 when it became a part of the USDA
Water Quality Initiative to address water pollu-
tion from farms. Section 319 grants supported
the funding of Conservation Agency staff for
the Initiative, and NRCS supported a number
of projects in the watershed throughout the
1990s and in 1998 began working with the
After
A new animal
feedlot that is
covered and
has a con-
crete pad and
adequate buf-
fer has been
installed.
North Fork Watershed Association to develop
a watershed management plan that identified
practices to lessen damage from flooding and
improve water quality.
Since then, a range of BMPs have been estab-
lished to help control runoff from feedlots
and eliminate or reduce cattle access to the
streams. To keep cattle out of the streams,
farmers installed streambank fencing and devel-
oped alternative livestock watering facilities.
Farmers also constructed roofs over feeding
areas, as well as new animal waste storage
facilities to provide shelter and prevent runoff.
Other efforts focused on streambank restoration
through stabilizing critically eroding areas and
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planting vegetation along the stream banks.
In addition to supporting the implementation
of many of these activities, section 319 grants
funded a project coordinator for the West
Virginia Conservation Agency, who conducted
outreach activities and leveraged support from
partners, which was critical to the overall suc-
cess of the project.
Several other major initiatives in the watershed
also contributed significantly to nutrient reduc-
tions. One is a nutrient management initia-
tive funded by special USDA appropriations
between 1993 and 2001. As a result of techni-
cal support, including soil testing, litter/manure
analysis, and manure spreader calibration,
nutrient management plans were developed
for all poultry and most of the livestock farms
in the watershed, which have helped to prevent
over-application of manure and commercial
fertilizers to crop and pasture land.
Initiatives focusing on poultry litter are also con-
tributing to nutrient reductions in the watershed.
Several actions have focused on transporting
excess poultry litter either outside the region
or to other farms that could utilize the litter
as fertilizer to help prevent over-application.
A poultry litter composting project also dem-
onstrated how the production of high-quality,
value-added compost from poultry waste can
make it more valuable to outside markets.
Results
As a result of the combined efforts of the
agricultural community, with over 85 percent
of the farmers implementing BMPs, thousands
of tons of poultry litter and cow manure are
now being properly managed. Water quality
monitoring shows significant declines in fecal
coliform levels in the North Fork. As a result,
the stream now meets its designated use and
is no longer impaired by fecal coliform bacteria.
Partners and Funding
Twenty organizations worked together to
improve the water quality in the North Fork
Potomac watershed. In addition to individual
farmers and landowners, partners included
the North Fork Watershed Association;
Pilgrim's Pride/Wampler-Longacre Foods;
Potomac Headwaters Resource Conservation
and Development Council; Potomac Valley
Conservation District; Trout Unlimited;
USDA's NRCS and Farm Service Agency;
EPA; USGS; state agencies and departments
of Conservation, Agriculture, Highways,
Environmental Protection, and Forestry; West
Virginia Farm Bureau; West Virginia Poultry
Water Quality Advisory Committee; West
Virginia Poultry Association; West Virginia
University College of Agriculture and Forestry;
and West Virginia University Extension Service.
Almost $1 million in section 319 funding sup-
ported a range of best management practices,
as well as outreach and educational programs
in the watershed. USDA contributed almost
$550,000 to improve management practices,
with the state providing additional funds. Other
funding sources included a $250,000 appro-
priation from the West Virginia legislature to
support initial project activities; Clean Water
Act State Revolving Funds (as a source of low-
interest loans to finance BMPs); and $45,000
from the Governor's office and a $30,000 grant
from Wampler Foods to support the poultry
litter transfer program.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA841-F-05-004M
August 2005
For additional information contact:
Fred Suffian
USEPA, Regions
215-814-5753 • suffian.fred@epa.gov
Patrick Bowen
U.S. Department of Agriculture NRCS
304-457-4516,ext.105 • patrick.bowen@wv.usda.gov
Patricia Bradley
USEPA Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment
410-305-2744 • bradley.patricia@epa.gov
Carolyn Hefner
West Virginia Conservation Agency
304-558-2204 • chefner@wvca.us
Teresa Koon
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
304-558-3614 • tkoon@wvdep.org
John Wagoner
Potomac Valley Conservation District
304-822-5174 • http://www.wvca.us
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