Section 319
NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM SUCCESS STORY
Implementing Agricultural Best Management Practices Reduces Erosion
and Siltation
Waterbodv Improved Erosion from P°or|Y mana9ed livestock pasture grazing
areas and other agricultural activities around Slop Creek
caused increased levels of sediment and siltation in the creek. As a result, the Tennessee
Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) added a 1.7-mile segment of Slop
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 and restrict the cattle's access to the stream. Water
quality improved, prompting TDEC to remove Slop Creek from Tennessee's list of impaired
waters in 2008.
Problem
Slop Creek flows for 1.7 miles through an agricul-
tural area just south of Morristown, Tennessee, in
Hamblen County. Slop Creek is a tributary of Hale
Branch, which flows into Bent Creek, which in
turn empties into the Nolichucky River watershed.
Pasture grazing and unrestricted livestock access to
the stream altered the riparian (streamside) vegeta-
tive cover and increased siltation. Water quality
biologic assessment surveys in 2000 indicated that
Slop Creek did not support its designated use of
fish and aquatic life, prompting TDEC to add it to
Tennessee's CWA section 303(d) list of impaired
waters in 2002.
Project Highlights
Figure 1. Landowners installed filter strips along the
creek to capture sediment and reduce siltation.
Local landowners installed agricultural BMPs in
the Slop Creek watershed using grants from both
the CWA section 319 program and Tennessee's
Agricultural Resources Conservation Fund. From
2003 to 2007, landowners used section 319 funds
to install 200 feet of fencing that excludes cattle
from the creek, 0.5 acre of filter strip (Figure 1),
three alternative watering facilities, 1,300 feet of
pipeline to carry water to new alternative watering
facilities, 400 feet of water diversion, and 0.1 acre
of heavy-use area protection that stabilizes land
areas that people, animals or vehicles frequently
use (Figure 2). In 2007 landowners used Agricultural
Resources Conservation Fund grants to install
other BMPs including four alternative watering
Figure 2. Landowners installed heavy-use area
protection to stabilize the land and control erosion.
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BMPs surrounding Slop Creek, TN06010108042-0110
Hamblen County, Tennessee
Stream/Watershed location
Slop Creek BMPs
Slop Creek
Other Streams
BentCkWS-SlopCk
TN Dept of Agriculture Slop Creek extends for 1.7 miles from headwaters to mouth at
7/23/2010 Hale Branch. It was delisted for Pasture Grazing. Slop Creek is in
the Bent Creek watershed (060101080902) sub watershed of the
Nolichucky River Watershed (06010108).
Figure 3. This map shows the location and types of BMPs installed
in Slop Creek watershed.
facilities, 0.2 acre of heavy-use area protection, and
1,040 feet of pipeline. The locations and types of
BMPs implemented in the Slop Creek watershed
are shown in Figure 3.
Results
The new BMPs are helping to control erosion,
reduce siltation and restore biological integrity in
Slop Creek. In 2005 the TDEC established a Semi-
Quantitative Single Habitat Assessment (SQSH)
station at mile 0.1 at Slop Creek Road. SQSH 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 SQSH scored 36 out of 42 on the Tennessee
Macroinvertebrate Index—a very good score. The
habitat assessment also received a good score of
132 out of 200. On the basis of this information,
TDEC removed Slop Creek from the CWA section
303(d) list of impaired waters in 2008.
Partners and Funding
Slop Creek has benefited from $7,975 in CWA
section 319 funding (including additional match-
ing funds of $4,284). Tennessee's Agricultural
Resources Conservation Fund provided $4,904
(plus another $2,658 in matching funds). Key part-
ners were the Hamblen County Soil Conservation
District for BMP assistance and the landowners for
contributing the majority of the in-kind matching
funds.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA841-F-10-001T
September 2010
For additional information contact:
Sam Marshall
Tennessee Department of Agriculture
sam.marshall@tn.gov • 615-837-5306
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