Section 319
NONPOINT SOORGE PROGRAM SOGGEGG GTORY
Installation of Best Management Practices Results in Significant Fish
Community Improvements in Medicine Lodge River
Waterbodv Improved Medicine Lod9e River is located in an area of n'9h wheat
and cattle production. An assessment of the river's fish
community in 2002 revealed a poor condition, resulting in placement on Oklahoma's 2008
Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters for biological impairment.
Implementation of best management practices (BMPs) to promote better quality pastures
and cropland decreased pollutant runoff into the river and allowed significant improvement
in the fish community. As a result, Oklahoma removed the 14-mile-long Medicine Lodge
River from the state's 2012 CWA section 303(d) list for biological impairment. Medicine
Lodge River now fully attains its fish and wildlife propagation (FWP) designated use.
Problem
Medicine Lodge River is in Alfalfa and Woods coun-
ties in northwest Oklahoma (Figure 1). Poor grazing
land and cropland management likely contributed
to excess sedimentation and nutrient runoff in the
47,614-acre watershed, which negatively impacted
the life in the river. A 2002 fish assessment pro-
duced an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) score of
17 for Medicine Lodge River. Waterbodies in this
ecoregion of the state are considered not support-
ing the FWP designated use if an IBI score is less
than 19. On the basis of these assessment results,
Oklahoma added a 13.5-mile segment of Medicine
Lodge River (OK621010030010 _ 00) to the 2008
and subsequent CWA section 303(d) lists, for
biological impairment of fishes.
Project Highlights
Landowners implemented BMPs with assistance
from the local U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP),
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Wildlife
Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP), and general
technical assistance program. From 2004 to 2006,
landowners implemented 855 acres of conserva-
tion crop rotations, no-till/strip-till farming methods,
and cover crops. In contrast to traditional tillage,
these "conservation tillage" methods retain soil
moisture and reduce soil erosion by decreasing the
amount of soil exposed to wind and rain. Further
Monitoring Site
Medicine Lodge Watershed
Figure 1. The Medicine Lodge River is in northwest Oklahoma.
reducing erosion potential on cropland, landown-
ers installed 16 acres of grassed waterways and
two grade stabilization structures and planted
vegetation on 18 critical area acres. To improve
the condition of grazing lands, prescribed grazing
was implemented on 28 acres, with construction
of five ponds, installation of 13 water supplies, and
supplemental planting on 42 acres of pasture and
159 acres of range. Nutrient management of 301
acres improved cropland and grazing land condition.
Access control was implemented on 258 acres and
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upland wildlife habitat management was improved
on 569 acres in the watershed.
BMP implementation has expanded and is con-
tinuing in the watershed. From 2007 to 2012, over
8,000 acres of conservation tillage, cover crops,
and crop rotations occurred. Additional planting in
critical areas, pastures, and rangeland; installation
of grassed waterways, terraces, grade stabilization
structures, and 41 ponds; and approximately 3,000
acres of prescribed grazing and nutrient manage-
ment has contributed to further improvement in the
condition of the watershed.
Results
The Oklahoma Conservation Commission's (OCC's)
Rotating Basin Monitoring Program, a statewide
nonpoint source ambient monitoring program,
documented improved water quality in the
Medicine Lodge River due to landowner imple-
mentation of BMPs. Dissolved oxygen saturation
was significantly increased during the monitoring
periods of 2002-2003 to 2007-2008, and phospho-
rus concentrations were significantly reduced. The
biological assessment based on the 2002 fish col-
lection produced an IBI score of 17, with only nine
total species observed. Assessment of the 2007
collection resulted in a score of 27, with 18 species
collected in the 400-meter reach sample (Figure 2).
Hence, Medicine Lodge River was removed from
Oklahoma's 2012 CWA section 303(d) list for fish
impairment and is now in full attainment of the fish
and wildlife propagation designated use (Figure 3).
Partners and Funding
The OCC's Rotating Basin Monitoring Program is
supported 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
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.
Figure 2. The suckermouth minnow is a pollutant-
intolerant species once again present in the
Medicine Lodge River.
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Medicine Lodge River
Fully Supporting
Undetermined
^^ Not Supporting
I I
2002 2007
Year
Figure 3. Fish assessment data collected in 2007
indicated that the Medicine Lodge River now
fully supports its fish and wildlife propagation
designated use.
NRCS spent approximately $1,714,762 for imple-
mentation of BMPs in the watershed from 2003
to 2006. Implementation is continuing, with
$4,721,858 in BMPs installed from 2007 to 2012
through EQIP, CSP, WHIP, and NRCS general
technical assistance funds. Landowners provided
a significant percentage of funding toward BMP
implementation through these programs as well.
UJ
O
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA841-F-14-001T
April 2014
For additional information contact:
Shanon Phillips
Oklahoma Conservation Commission
405-522-4500 • shanon.phillips@conservation.ok.gov
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