OKLAHOMA: CITY OF TULSA City of Tulsa's Comprehensive Watershed Management Approach Background The City of Tulsa established a stakeholder-based comprehensive Watershed Management Team that implemented a regionally coordinated approach and reduced water quality degradation from poultry farms in Arkansas and Oklahoma for a surface water source that supplies drinking water to over 400,000 residents. The Tulsa Metropolitan Utility Authority (TMUA) supplies water to over 400,000 residents in the City of Tulsa and in 17 other cities and 11 rural water districts. Nearly twenty percent of Oklahoma's citizens rely on Tulsa's drinking water. Tulsa draws approximately 50 MGD from the Lake Oologah system and roughly 60 MGD from the Eucha/Spavinaw double reservoir system. The Eucha/ Spavinaw watershed straddles Oklahoma and Arkansas in the Ozark and Central Plains ecoregions of the Ozark Plateau. A Clean Water Act Section 314 Diagnostic And Feasibility Study (Phase I Clean Lakes Study) on Lake Eucha indicated the watershed was experiencing unprecedented growth of poultry production, and that the dramatic increase in poultry litter application to pastures in the watershed was the most likely sources of excess nutrients feeding into Lake Eucha (a later study also confirmed this for downstream Spavinaw Lake) resulting in eutrophication. Both lakes are listed as Nutrient Limited Watersheds (NLW) due to excessive nutrient loading. A second follow-up study equivalent to the required impairment study for NLWs determined that both lakes are impaired for dissolved oxygen (due to excessive algal growth). Both lakes are currently listed as Category Five (impaired beneficial uses requiring development of a TMDL) on Oklahoma's Integrated Water Quality Assessment Report. Since the early 1990's, excessive algal growth has resulted in a steady decline in drinking water quality from the Eucha/Spavinaw system (Tulsa has documented recent avoidance of using both lakes during heavy algae blooms). Priority Contamination Threat The priority contamination threat is nutrient loading from poultry farms. Local Involvement and Developing the Protection Plan In an effort to reduce nutrient loads and protect water quality, in 1997, the TMUA established a stakeholder-based comprehensive Watershed Management Team to develop a regionally coordinated approach to addressing water quality degradation in the Eucha/Spavinaw Watershed. Participants were drawn from both Arkansas and Oklahoma and included poultry growers, poultry litter haulers and applicators, representatives of poultry companies, concerned citizens, non-profit organizations, the Indian Nations Council of Governments, as well as State (Arkansas and Oklahoma) and Federal agencies. Office of Water (4606M) 816F10038 January 2010 ------- Three technical working groups were established to focus on technical issues and build a sound scientific and economic basis for water quality protection efforts. The Monitoring, Assessment, and Evaluation Working Group was led by the Indian Nations Council of Governments and focused on water-quality sampling and monitoring within the watershed. The Nutrient Management Working Group, led by the Foundation for Organic Resources Management, Inc. FORM), focused on improved nutrient management on farms within the watershed. The Nutrient Export and Marketing Working Group led by FORM focused on watershed-scale export and marketing of poultry litter. The Watershed Management Team and the three working groups were very active and over the course of four years made significant advances in characterizing the nature and causes of the water quality impairments in the watershed and in identifying potential mitigation strategies. Major accomplishments included the development of an interactive GIS (available to the public), five scientific studies, Quality Assurance Project Plan (reviewed by Region VI EPA and determined to be consistent with systems funded as EPA water quality projects), a poultry litter export hotline, a common data reference library, and the development of Oklahoma's first Watershed Restoration Action Strategy (WRAS). The Oklahoma Conservation Commission developed several projects that have installed best management practices (BMP) to minimize non-point source pollution in the watershed. Many of the 15 goals established by the WRAS were met, including: 1. Establish a Watershed Management Team and technical Work Groups to support all water quality and nutrient management activities. 2. Establish Quality Assurance Goals for all Tulsa funded research, and require that all Tulsa funded data collection projects develop a peer reviewed and approved QAPP for all project activities. 3. Establish a Project Management Database to be used by Tulsa for project management, scheduling, planning, funding and reporting of all watershed activities. 4. Improve raw water treatment methods to control Taste and Odor problems at Mohawk TP by researching and establishing state of the art treatment and control practices. 5. Reduce non-point source nutrient loadings to Eucha / Spavinaw watershed and lakes by supporting and implementing appropriate nutrient management strategies and Public Outreach initiatives. 6. Coordinate with the appropriate authorities in Arkansas to develop a preliminary TMDL for nutrients for the Eucha / Spavinaw watershed based upon results from current water quality studies, and recommend future TMDL strategies after completion of the preliminary TMDL. 7. Work with the appropriate authorities in Arkansas to encourage the modification of municipal NPDES permit allocations, as necessary, for nutrients. 8. Conduct intensive studies of Spavinaw Creek and its tributaries and Lakes Eucha, Spavinaw and Yahola to address nutrient related water quality problems. Focus efforts Office of Water (4606M) 816F10038 January 2010 ------- to identify and quantify different sources of nutrients and sub-basins as potential nutrient sources, quantify nutrient loadings to the lakes, assess impacts on lake water quality and algae production, and set lake nutrient target values for proper watershed management to improve lake water quality. 9. Support collection of soils and land use data for use with water quality assessments and development of Animal Waste and Nutrient Management Plans. 10. Create a common database for all water quality data and other information, provide backup to all databases, and link all data geospatially into a GIS system. 11. Establish a water quality Trend Monitoring Program after completion of intensive studies. 12. Develop a Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan or other similar watershed planning tool (e.g. WRAS) to establish water quality improvement goals, schedules, activities, milestones, outputs, funding and resource options, participants, and education goals. 13. Implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) and other Point Source and Non- Point Source control strategies to control nutrients in the lakes and watershed. 14. Support litter export and nutrient management activities in the watershed, including development of market-based litter uses as a value-added product, creation of effective litter availability hotlines and other communication venues, cultivate commercial enterprises that use litter as a raw material, support delays in poultry house clean-outs to protect water quality, support development of water quality based Animal Waste Management Plans, investigate options for controlling nutrient levels in litter (e.g. by increasing use of phytase and alumand reductions in phosphorus in feed), support incentive payments through EQIP programs, and support other programs as they become viable. 15. Develop and support Public Outreach and Education programs in the watershed to promote implementation of nutrient management strategies and awareness of water quality issues. Numerous intensive studies were completed to address nutrient-related water quality problems by quantifying nutrient loadings, assessing impacts on water quality and algae production, and setting nutrient target values for proper watershed management. Management Measures Given the resistance to implementation of certain key recommendations of the WRAS by entities contributing to the nutrient (phosphorus) loading in the Eucha/Spavinaw Watershed, the City of Tulsa concluded that the cooperative approach initially taken was failing, and as a result felt that legal action was necessary. Supported with the Phase II Clean Lakes study, the City of Tulsa filed a lawsuit against six poultry companies and the City of Decatur, Arkansas in December 2001. The lawsuit was settled out of court in 2003 for the development of a joint phosphorus index between Arkansas and Oklahoma Office of Water (4606M) 816F10038 January 2010 ------- to control nonpoint sources; a moratorium on land application of chicken litter until the development and implementation of the phosphorus index; and, established point source phosphorous limits. In 2004, the District Judge issued a phosphorous order approving a phosphorous index allowing land application of litter at levels significantly lower than historical trends for both point and non-point sources. Conditions of the settlement include; (1) appointment of a Special master to implement the settlement agreement; (2) hiring and training of four Watershed Management Team members to assist poultry growers in developing Nutrient Management Plans; (3) development of a new Risk Based Phosphorus Index (PI) by Oklahoma State University and University of Arkansas staff; (4) creation of a non-profit organization to identify potential assistance and solutions in reducing litter application; and, (5) a phosphorous limit and compliance schedule in the City of Decatur's POTW NPDES Permit. Since the establishment of the Watershed Management Team in 2003 numerous ongoing projects, programs, and activities have been launched by a variety of governmental, academic, and non-profit organizations. These projects, programs, and activities are designed for implementation of BMPs, watershed monitoring, education and outreach, watershed assessment and computer modeling studies. Funding for these projects, programs, and activities has been obtained through a variety of sources, including USEPA Clean Water Act Section 319 grants, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the States of Oklahoma and Arkansas, the City of Tulsa, the poultry industry, and others. Results for the Eucha/Spav watershed including the Watershed Restoration Stratecy (WRAS) and Beaty and Spavinaw Creek Watershed Implementation 319 Project are identified below: Watershed Restoration Action Strategy (WRAS) 1. Established a Watershed Management Team and technical Work Groups made up of stakeholders. 2. Established Quality Assurance Goals to ensure legally defensible and scientific based data. Developed EPA approved Quality Assurance Project Plan. 3. Established a Project Management Database to include web based access to reports and water quality data. 4. Improved water treatment methods to control Taste and Odor problems to include installation of granular activated carbon filters, cupric sulfate injection during algal bloom events, aggressive early warning monitoring system for algae and taste and odor compounds. 5. Conducted numerous intensive studies of Eucha/Spavinaw Watershed to address nutrient related water quality problems by quantifying nutrient loadings, assess impacts on water quality and algae production, and set nutrient target values for proper watershed management. 6. Supported collection of soils and land use data for use with water quality assessments and development of Animal Waste and Nutrient Management Plans. Office of Water (4606M) 816F10038 January 2010 ------- 7. Created a common database for all water quality data and other information, provide backup to all databases, and link all data geospatially into a GIS system. 8. Established an ongoing water quality Trend Monitoring Program. 9. Developed a Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan. 10. Implemented Best Management Practices (BMPs) control strategies to control nutrients in the watershed. 11. Supported litter export and nutrient management activities in the watershed. 12. Developed and supported Public Outreach and Education programs in the watershed. Beaty and Spavinaw Creek Watershed Implementation 319 Project 1) implemented agricultural BMPs designed to reduce nutrient loading into Beaty and Spavinaw Creek through cost share programs 2) Best Management Practices addresses pollutants from the sources identified in the 303(d) list, the 305(b) Report, and pollutants identified in recent monitoring programs. In addition, a lawsuit between Oklahoma and Arkansas resulted in favorable outcomes for the watershed and water supply, including establishing a Phosphorus Index Team consisting of an equal number of representatives from Oklahoma State University and the University of Arkansas and developing a Risked Based P-lndex that will achieve the least amount of total phosphorus loading attainable from each application site to the water supply while still meeting the agronomic requirements for the growth of grasses, crops and other desirable plant life; Tulsa hiring a special Master to recruit, train and oversee a Watershed Monitoring Team (WMT); the WMT monitoring and/or gathering necessary data for each tract of poultry grower land; preparing Nutrient Management Plans (NMP), which shall include an assigned P-lndex number for each company poultry farm; a reduction in poultry litter application to one-third of historical application rates in the Eucha/Spavianw watershed; and reduced point source effluent phosphorus concentration to < 1 mg/L. Contingency Planning The City of Tulsa developed a plan to provide an emergency water supply from Lake Hudson during a serious water quality degradation event (taste and odor, algal toxins, etc.) in Lake Eucha and Spavinaw Lake. Lake Hudson is southwest of lakes Eucha and Spavinaw and is in the Grand Lake Watershed. From late 2000 through early 2001, a severe taste and odor episode occurred and Tulsa discontinued withdrawal from the Eucha/Spavinaw system and began drawing water from Lake Hudson for over two months. Office of Water (4606M) 816F10038 January 2010 ------- Measuring Program Effectiveness The City of Tulsa and the U.S. Geological Survey have an intensive ongoing reservoir and stream-monitoring program in the Eucha/Spavinaw watershed (18 monitoring sites), collecting weekly, monthly, and storm-event water quality data and continuous hydrologic data. The USGS will continue to calculate nutrient loads and yields in the watershed. The Oklahoma Conservation Commission will also continue to monitor the effectiveness of the BMP installations. For further information, contact: Roy W. Foster, Manager Quality Assurance Section City of Tulsa 707 S. Houston, Room 507 Tulsa, OK 74127 918-596-1344-office 918-596-2483-fax rfoster(5)ci.tulsa.ok.us Office of Water (4606M) 816F10038 January 2010 ------- |