Section 319
NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM SUCCESS STORY
Agricultural BMPs Reduce the Impact of Cattle Grazing and Improve
Quality of Creeks Habitat
WatPrhndv Imnrnvpd ^ portion of Lick Creek located in Marshall and Rutherford
Counties was listed as impaired due to Escherichia coli
(E. coli) and habitat alterations on the 2004 303(d) list. Using section 319 and state funding,
the Marshall County Soil Conservation District installed Heavy Use Area (HUA) best man-
agement practices (BMPs), including exclusion fencing, animal waste lagoons, and planted
hay and pasture grasses along Lick Creek. These nonpoint source pollution control efforts
allowed this 8.8-mile segment of Lick Creek to be removed from the 2006 303(d) list for
habitat alterations.
Problem
Lick Creek is located within the Duck River
Watershed in Marshall and Rutherford
Counties, Ecoregion 71i. The source of the
pollutants was identified as livestock grazing in
pasturelands where cattle had direct access to
the stream, which resulted in the degradation
of habitat through the trampling of stream-
banks and the input of pathogens.
Lick Creek was listed in 2004 for not meeting
water quality standards for its designated ben-
eficial uses due to elevated E. coli values and
habitat alterations as a result of unrestricted
cattle access to the creek. Lick Creek Marshall
has multiple designated use classifications,
including fish and aquatic life, livestock water-
ing and wildlife, irrigation, and recreation. Lick
Creek Marshall was listed for not meeting
standards to fully support two of its four desig-
nated beneficial uses: fish and aquatic life, and
recreation.
Tennessee's water quality standards for
recreation state that the concentration of the
E. coli group in any individual sample shall
not exceed either (a) 487 cfu/100ml for lakes,
reservoirs, State Scenic Rivers, or Tier II or III
waterbodies or (b) 941 cfu/100ml for all other
waterbodies. Lick Creek Marshall falls into the
latter category.
E. coli and siltation total maximum daily loads
(TMDLs) were established in 2006 by the
Tennessee Department of the Environment and
Conservation (TDEC) for Lick Creek in Marshall
County.
Project Highlights
Funding from the Agricultural Resources
Conservation Fund (ARCF) was used to plant
25 acres of hay and pasture grasses along this
segment of Lick Creek and its tributary Plum
Branch, to filter pollutants, reduce erosion, and
stabilize the stream banks (Figure 1). In addi-
tion, exclusion fencing and an animal waste
lagoon were installed along the stream to
reduce the direct input of pathogens such as
E. coli.
-------
Results
The Tennessee Macroinvertebrate Community
Assessment is used to calculate the
Tennessee Stream Condition Index (TSCI),
which is a measure of biological health of an
aquatic system. The principal metrics used
are the total macroinvertebrate families (or
genera), the number of families (or genera)
of mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies (EPT),
and the number of pollution intolerant families
(or genera) found in a stream. This index is
used by the state to determine a waterbody's
compliance to state water quality standards
for the beneficial use of fish and aquatic life.
The TSCI was used to compare subregions and
determine a score, for a total possible score
of 42. Using EPA's rapid biological protocol
III sampling at station 1.8 (Mt. Vernon Road),
state biologists found six EPT species and a
total diversity of 23 different types of macro-
invertebrates. The TSCI score for the station
was 36, which is greater than the regional goal
of 32 and within the "very good" range. Since
biological integrity appears to be no longer
impaired, the stream was delisted for habitat
alteration and removed from the 2006 303(d)
list. However, this segment of Lick Creek
remains on the list for E.coli.
Partners and Funding
Lick Creek Marshall has benefited from
$536.40 provided through cost-share from
section 319 grant pool projects. In addition,
$1608.60 was provided from the State's ARCF.
Lick Creek in the Duck River Watershed
Marshall & Rutherford Counties
Williamson County
Marshall County
Assessment per TDEC
2004 303(d) List
Fully Supports
Not Supporting
Not Assessed
— Dry
September 2006
Siring Creek
BMPs installed 1999-2005
Duck River Watershed 060400020503
N
Rutherford County
Lick Creek,
TN06040002047-0300
Bedford County
Figure 1. Map of BMPs installed.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Off ice of Water
Washington, DC
EPA841-F-07-001U
September 2007
For additional information contact:
Sam Marshall, Tennessee Department of Agriculture
615-837-5306
Sa m. Marsha II ©state .tn. us
------- |