Section 319
NONPOINT SOORGE PROGRAM SOGGESS STORY
Installing Best Management Practices Improves Fish Community in
lonine Creek
Waterbodv Imoroved lonine Creekin Grady County runs thrOLJ9h an area of h'9h cattle-
^ ^ wheat, and hog production. An assessment of the creek's fish
community in 2004 revealed a poor biological condition, prompting Oklahoma to add the creek to
the state's Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters for biological impairment.
Implementation of best management practices (BMPs) to reduce runoff from grazing land and
cropland and to improve wildlife habitat decreased sediment and nutrient contributions to the
creek and provided better in-stream habitat. As a result, Oklahoma removed lonine Creek from
Oklahoma's 2012 CWA section 303(d) list for fishes bioassessment. lonine Creek now fully attains
its fish and wildlife propagation (FWP) designated use.
Problem
lonine Creek is a 6.5-mile-long stream in Grady
County in central Oklahoma, an area of high cattle,
wheat, and hog production. Poor grazing land and
cropland management likely contributed to excess
sedimentation and nutrient runoff in the 24,665-
acre watershed, and lack of natural riparian habitat
negatively impacted life in the stream. A 2004 fish
assessment produced an Index of Biotic Integrity
(IBI) score of 15 for lonine Creek. Waterbodies
in this ecoregion of the state are considered not
supporting the FWP designated use if an IBI score
is less than 19. On the basis of the assessment
results, Oklahoma added the entire length of lonine
Creek (OK310820010160 _ 00) to the 2008 and
subsequent CWA section 303(d) lists, for fishes
bioassessment.
Project Highlights
Landowners implemented BMPs with assistance
from Oklahoma's locally led cost-share program and
through the local U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP),
Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), Conservation
Stewardship Program (CSP), Wildlife Habitat
Incentive Program (WHIP), and general technical
assistance program. From 2005 to 2008, 92 acres
of mulch till implementation occurred in combina-
tion with conservation crop rotations. In contrast to
traditional tillage, these "conservation tillage" meth-
ods retain soil moisture and reduce soil erosion by
• Monitoring Site
I lonine Creek Watershed
Figure 1. lonine Creek is in central Oklahoma.
decreasing the amount of soil exposed to wind and
rain. Further reducing erosion potential on crop-
land and pastures, landowners installed 474 acres
of critical area planting and 158 acres of grassed
waterways and diversions. To improve the condition
of pasture and rangeland, 167 acres received nutri-
ent management plans, and 60 acres had heavy use
area improvements. Nine water control structures
were installed, along with one new pond to provide
-------
alternative water supplies to livestock while reduc-
ing erosion. Producers planted forage and grasses
on 252 acres and improved upland wildlife habitat
management on 132 acres. Through the WRP, 200
acres of wetland restoration and wetland wildlife
habitat management occurred.
In addition, the OCC's education program, Blue
Thumb, actively promoted nonpoint source pollution
reduction in the neighboring counties. Groundwater
screening and information sessions were held in
McClain and Cleveland counties; several volunteer
training events were also held. Volunteers in McClain
County submitted newspaper articles describing
monitoring results and suggesting ways to reduce
pollution. These activities provided vital education
of the residents of the watershed and likely helped
facilitate behavior changes. Active volunteer monitor-
ing and education is continuing in the area.
Results
The OCC's Rotating Basin Monitoring Program, a
statewide nonpoint source ambient monitoring pro-
gram, documented improved water quality in lonine
Creek due to landowners implementing BMPs.
Because of the implemented practices and the
accompanying education of landowners, the fish
community showed drastic improvement. The 2004
fish assessment produced an IBI score of 15, with
only 5 total species observed and 115 total individu-
als counted. The 2009 fish assessment resulted in
an IBI score of 23, with 10 species and 635 individu-
als collected in the 400-meter reach sample (Figure
2). Accordingly, lonine Creek was removed from
Oklahoma's 2012 CWA section 303(d) list for fishes
bioassessment and is now in full attainment of its
fish and wildlife propagation designated use.
Further implementation has occurred and is still
ongoing in the watershed. Since 2009, an addi-
tional 1,452 acres of conservation tillage has been
implemented, additional diversions and waterways
have been installed, and 75 acres of proper nutrient
management have been implemented. In addition,
300 acres of additional wetland habitat have been
restored and are now being managed.
Partners and Funding
The Rotating Basin Monitoring Program is sup-
ported by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
CWA section 319 funds at an average annual cost
of $1 million. Monitoring costs include personnel,
supplies, and lab analyses for 18 parameters from
Figure 2. The orangespotted sunfish is once again
present in lonine Creek.
lonine Creek
0
24
20
CD
18
16
14
Fully Supporting
Undetermined
Not Supporting
:
2004
i
2009
Year
Figure 3. Bioassessment data collected in 2009
show that lonine Creek now fully supports its fish
and wildlife propagation designated use.
samples collected every 5 weeks at about 100 sites.
In-stream habitat, fish, and macroinvertebrate sam-
ples are also collected. Approximately $600,000
in CWA section 319 funding supports statewide
education, outreach, and monitoring efforts through
the Blue Thumb program. The Oklahoma cost-share
program provided $5,468 in state funding for BMPs
in this watershed over the past decade through the
Grady County Conservation District, and landown-
ers contributed $4,846 through this program. The
NRCS spent approximately $841,540 for imple-
mentation of BMPs in Grady County from 2005 to
2008. Implementation is continuing, with over $2
million dollars in BMPs obligated from 2009 to 2012
through EQIP, CSP, and WHIP funds. Landowners
provided a significant percentage of funding toward
BMP implementation in these programs as well.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA841-F-14-001R
April 2014
For additional information contact:
Shanon Phillips
Oklahoma Conservation Commission
405-522-4500 • shanon.phillips@conservation.ok.gov
------- |