\ Section 319
SEW NONPOINT SOURCF PROGRAM SOCGESS STORY
Implementing Agricultural Best Management Practices Reduces Siltation
Waterbody Improved P°°rly managed livestock Pasture grazing and other
agricultural activities around Cove Creek led to erosion and
increases in sediment and siltation in the creek. In 2002 the Tennessee Department of
Environment and Conservation (TDEC) added a 29.7-mile segment of Cove Creek to the
state's Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters because of siltation
and habitat alteration. Landowners implemented agricultural best management practices
(BMPs) to control erosion. Water quality improved, prompting TDEC to remove Cove Creek
from Tennessee's list of impaired waters in 2008.
Problem
Northeast Tennessee's Cove Creek flows for almost
30 miles through Greene County, beginning near the
mountainous Cherokee National Forest and empty-
ing into the Nolichucky River. The upper watershed
is mostly forested, while the lower watershed is
largely agricultural. TDEC conducted habitat sur-
veys in 2000 that showed that Cove Creek did not
support its designated use of fish and aquatic life
because of siltation. TDEC added the entire length
of Cove Creek (29.7 miles) to the state's 2002 CWA
section 303(d) list of impaired waters.
TDEC completed a total maximum daily load
(TMDL) study on Cove Creek for siltation and
habitat alteration; the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency approved the TMDL in early 2008. The
TMDL identifies poorly managed livestock grazing/
pasture areas as the primary source of the creek's
siltation and consequent loss of biological integrity.
Project Highlights
Local landowners installed agricultural BMPs in
the Cove Creek watershed using grants from both
the CWA section 319 program and Tennessee's
Agricultural Resources Conservation Fund (ARCF).
In 2007 landowners used section 319 funds to install
6,300 feet of fence (Figure 1), two pumping plants
(facilities that transfer water to livestock watering
areas), four alternative watering facilities (Figure 2),
3,100 feet of pipeline, and 0.2 acre of heavy-use
area protection. Protecting heavy-use areas involves
stabilizing land areas that are frequently used
by people, animals or vehicles. For instance, the
Figure 1. Landowners built fences to exclude livestock
and establish a riparian zone along Cove Creek.
Figure 2. This recycled earth mover tire serves as
part of an alternative watering facility for livestock.
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practice is applied in streams where cattle or farm
equipment frequently cross, around cattle watering
or feeding facilities or in cattle feedlots or walk-
ways. In 2008 landowners used money from the
ARCF to build an alternative access road and install
more fencing to exclude livestock from Cove Creek.
Farmers in the area also participated in Tennessee's
voluntary cost share program and installed other
BMPs that helped to control erosion and sediment.
The locations and types of BMPs implemented in
the Cove Creek watershed are shown in Figure 3.
Results
Implementing BMPs successfully reduced erosion
and siltation and improved water quality. In 2003
the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) performed
a biological reconnaissance (biorecon) survey on
Cove Creek. A biorecon survey is a tool used to
evaluate stream impairment as determined by spe-
cies richness measures, emphasizing the presence
or absence of indicator organisms without regard
to relative abundance. The biorecon survey score
is used as a measure of compliance with water
quality standards for the beneficial use of fish and
aquatic life. The principal metrics used are the total
macroinvertebrate families (or genera); the number
of families (or genera) of mayflies, stoneflies, and
caddisflies (collectively referred to as EPT—short
for the order names Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and
Trichoptera); and the number of pollution-intolerant
families (or genera) found in a stream. The biorecon
survey is scored on a scale from 1 to 15—a score of
less than 5 is regarded as very poor, while a score
of more than 10 is considered good. In the 2003
TVA biorecon survey, Cove Creek received a perfect
score of 15.
Furthermore, in 2005 TDEC established a Semi-
Quantitative Single Habitat Assessment (SQSH)
station on Cove Creek. The SQSH is similar to a
biorecon survey but is scored differently. The 2005
SQSH documented 8 EPT genera with 28 total
genera, and an overall habitat score of 153 out
of 200, which is considered excellent. The Cove
Creek SQSH scored 36 out of 42 on the Tennessee
Macroinvertebrate Index—a very good score. The
multiple results showed that water quality had
improved, prompting TDEC to remove the 29.7-mile
segment of Cove Creek from Tennessee's list of
impaired waters in 2008.
BMPs along Cove Creek,
TN06010108009 -1000, in Greene County, Tennessee
Legend
A BMPs along Cove Creek
CD Lakes
—^ Cove Creek
Streams
QD Cove Creek Watershed )
Q 1 Tennessee Counties
ID Practice
1 Fence
2 Pumping Plant
3 Watering Facility
4 Pipeline
5 Access Road
6 Fence
7 Watering Facility
8 Fence
9 Heavy Use Area
10 Pipeline
11 Pumping Plant
Size of Project
4900 feet
1 pumping plant
2waterers
1700 feet
300 feet
1,275 feet
2 waterere
1400 feet
0.2 acres
1400 feet
1 pumping plant
TO Daft at Agriculture, 7/1V08
0 0.5
I I I I
2 Miles
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Figure 3. This map shows the location and types of BMPs
installed in the Cove Creek watershed.
Partners and Funding
Projects in Cove Creek received funding from the
CWA section 319 program ($15,276 plus additional
matching funds of $5,093) and the Tennessee ARCF
($5,397 plus matching funds of $952). Farmers also
participated in Tennessee's voluntary cost share
program. Key partners include the Greene County
Soil Conservation District (for helping to design and
implement BMPs) and local landowners (for contrib-
uting the majority of the in-kind match for BMPs).
I
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA841-F-09-0010
July 2009
For additional information contact:
Sam Marshall
Tennessee Department of Agriculture
615-837-5306 • Sam.Marshall@tn.gov
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