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Section 319
NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM SUCCESS STORY
Implementing Best Management Practices Reduces Total Dissolved Solids
in Turkey Creek
I H
imprOVea
In 2000, Turkey Creek was added to the Louisiana's Clean Water Act
(CWA) section 303(d) Nst of impaired waters for not fully meeting its
designated use of fish and wildlife propagation (FWP) due to high concentrations of total dissolved
solids (IDS). Suspected sources of pollution were agriculture, natural conditions and unknown sources.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) helped
producers and landowners develop comprehensive resource management system (RMS) plans
intended to reduce pollutant loads within the Turkey Creek watershed, specifically targeting agricultural
fields. Monitoring data collected since best management practices (BMPs) were implemented in 2003
indicates water quality has improved; as a result, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
(LDEQ) removed the TDS impairment for subsegment 080906 in 2010.
Problem
Turkey Creek flows across the rich alluvial plain of
the Ouachita River Basin in northeastern Louisiana.
Turkey Creek, subsegment 080906, is approximate-
ly 19 miles long, and flows from Turkey Creek Cutoff
to Turkey Creek Lake, which is a recreational fishing
lake for bass, bream and crappie. This subsegment
has a total land mass of 35,211.5 acres (Figure 1).
The land use is predominantly agriculture
(66 percent), including pasture and hay production,
and wetlands (20 percent). The remaining 14 per-
cent of land use is either developed, shrubland,
forest, open water or barren land.
Ambient water quality data collected in 1999 indi-
cated Turkey Creek did not support its designated
use of FWP due to high concentrations of TDS
(Figure 2). The criterion forTDS is 500 milligrams
per liter; furthermore, no more than 30 percent of
the TDS samples collected on a monthly or near
monthly basis may exceed this criterion. TDS con-
centrations in Turkey Creek exceeded this maximum
allowable concentration 65 percent of the time in
1999. As a result, the segment was added to the
state's CWA section 303(d) list of impaired waters
in 2000. No TDS total maximum daily loads were
developed for this watershed.
Turkey Creek
Subsegment 080906 / Land Use Map
Figure 1. Turkey Creek is in northeastern Louisiana.
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Figure 2. Before partners implemented BMPs,
Turkey Creek carried high sediment loads during
summer months.
Project Highlights
Since 2003, NRCS has been assisting producers and
landowners with the development of comprehensive
RMS plans. These plans include sets of approved
conservation practices intended to address resource
concerns and improve water quality. Using NRCS'
ranking criteria and considering the distance from
treatment area to Turkey Creek, RMS plans were
prioritized for cost share and technical assistance.
RMS plans implemented in Turkey Creek subseg-
ments included various BMPs: conservation cover
(approximately 752 acres), cover crop (12 acres),
residue management (176 acres), critical area plant-
ing (44 acres), fencing (148,801 linear feet), grade
stabilization structures (27 units), prescribed grazing
(299 acres), nutrient management (267 acres), and
animal watering facilities (116 units).
NRCS partnered with the Louisiana Department of
Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) and the Northeast
Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) to
provide technical and cost share assistance for
implementing 43 BMPs through the Cooperative
Conservation Partnership Initiative. Additionally,
LDAF used $1.5 million in CWA section 319
incremental funds for BMP implementation and
assistance; the Wetland Reserve Program provided
$2,101,678 to support 1,388 acres of watershed
restoration. A watershed coordinator, represent-
ing LDEQ, currently works with stakeholders on
a watershed implementation plan in an effort to
reduce nonpoint source pollutants and further
improve water quality in Turkey Creek.
Turkey Creek TDS Annual Exceedance Rate
70%
01 60%
65%
50%
H 40%
30%
20%
10%
(n=ll)
1999
(n=12) (n=ll) (n=ll)
2005 2007/2008 2011/2012
Figure 3. Turkey Creek's annual percent exceedance rate
decreased after stakeholders implemented BMPs in 2003.
Results
Data collected by LDEQ after BMPs were imple-
mented indicate that water quality rapidly improved.
Monthly TDS concentration data show that the
exceedance rate decreased from 65 percent before
BMP implementation to 9 percent in 2011/2012 after
BMP implementation (Figure 3).
The improvement in water quality following BMP
implementation indicates the major source of TDS
impairment is agriculture. As a result of the BMPs,
TDS concentrations are meeting the standard cri-
terion and remain below the 30 percent maximum
exceedance rate. Consequently, the 2010 Integrated
Report delisted Turkey Creek for TDS. Through
collaborative efforts with LDEQ and its partners,
stakeholders will continue to use the BMPs on the
agricultural lands to maintain these water quality
improvements.
Partners and Funding
The partners involved in selecting, implement-
ing and monitoring for this subsegment included
local producers, NRCS, LDAF, Northeast SWCD,
LDEQ and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (USEPA). Funding for cost share was
provided through the USDA's Farm Bill Programs
and USEPA's CWA section 319 incremental funding
(approximately $4.6 million).
UJ
O
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA841-F-15-001CC
May 2015
For additional information contact:
Karen Vidrine
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
225-219-1208
Karen.Vidrine@la.gov
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