Section 319
NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM SUCCESS STORY
Best Management Practices Control Urban Nonpoint Source Pollution
Peninsula was included
\A/at<2> hr>iH I n r>> oH Whetstone Brook in Michigan's Upper
vvaierooay i mprovea on the 303(d) |jst jn 1998 and 2QQQ for periodic fjsh ki||s
Nonpoint source pollution control projects in the watershed have led to increased habitat, res-
toration of the macroinvertebrate communities within the brook, and elimination of fish kills. In
2002 Michigan removed Whetstone Brook from its list of impaired waters.
Problem
Whetstone Brook flows through Marquette
County into Marquette Harbor on Lake Superior,
in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Poor water qual-
ity caused fish kills in the early 1990s, which led
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
(MIDEQ) to add a 1.7-mile segment of Whetstone
Brook to its 303(d) list in 1998. MIDEQ attributed
the problems to sediment, litter, oil, and flash flood-
prone hydrologic conditions caused by uncontrolled
storm water runoff from parking lots, roads, and
inadequately protected upland construction sites.
Project Highlights
In the mid-1990s, the Marquette Conservation
District (District) undertook a project that examined
the Whetstone Brook watershed, established a
watershed plan, and demonstrated best manage-
ment practices (BMPs) for nonpoint source pollution
management at two sites. The District installed
600 linear feet of streambank stabilization, 500 feet
of a diversion outlet, 5,000 square feet of critical
area stabilization, 6 acres of filter strip restoration,
and a storm water detention basin. The District also
conducted education efforts to highlight the brook
and to reduce polluted runoff.
Results
The BMPs eliminated the cause(s) of the fish
kills; the last fish kill occurred in 1994. Biological
monitoring conducted in 1991 (pre-implementa-
tion)and again in 2001 (post-implementation)
confirmed that the project was effective. MIDEQ
Table 1. Biological data collected downstream of
the Whetstone Brook project area before and after
installation of BMPs
Year
1991
2001
Macroinvertebrate
taxa
10
16
EPT
taxa*
2
4
Score
-4
-2
Score Range
-9 to +9
Acceptable
Acceptable
EPT= mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies—three orders
of pollution-sensitive aquatic insects that are common in
the benthic macroinvertebrate community.
uses a macroinvertebrate community scoring
procedure to assess water quality. Possible
scores range from -9 to +9; a score of less than
-4 is considered unacceptable. The total num-
ber of macroinvertebrate taxa and the number
of pollution-sensitive macroinvertebrate taxa
(mayflies, caddisflies and stoneflies) increased
after BMP implementation (Table 1). The MIDEQ
macroinvertebrate score in Whetstone Brook
improved slightly, from -4 in 1991 to -2 in 2001.
MIDEQ removed Whetstone Brook from the
303(d)listin 2002.
Partners and Funding
MIDEQ provided the Marquette Conservation
District with $101,861 in section 319 funds in
1993 and $197,910 in section 319 funds in 1994.
The District used these funds for both the pre-
implementation planning and implementation of
BMPs in this watershed.
. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
) Office of Water
i!Sff Washington, DC
EPA841-F-07-001CC
November 2007
For additional information contact:
Joe Rathbun, MIDEQ Water Bureau
517-373-8868
rathbunj@michigan.gov
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