NONPOINT SOIREE SICCESS STOIY
Controlling Contaminant Sources and Restricting Livestock Access to the Riparian
Corridor Improves Water Quality and Aquatic Habitat in Kitchen Creek
I H
I IprOVea
Waste from agricultural production and the presence of
|ivestock in riparian areas degraded water quality in Kitchen
Creek. As a result, the stream was placed on the 2006 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d)
list as impaired for fecal coliform. The West Virginia Conservation Agency (WVCA) developed
and implemented a watershed-based plan to address the problem through practices such as
limiting livestock access to the stream and constructing waste storage facilities. Water quality
has generally improved in response to this restoration work; bacteria levels have decreased and
habitat conditions have improved.
Problem
Kitchen Creek is in the Gap Mills area of Monroe
County in southeastern West Virginia. It flows along
the northeast foot of Peters Mountain from the conti-
nental divide, and travels southwest to Second Creek.
Second Creek flows northwest to the Greenbrier
River. Kitchen Creek is a 5.5-mile-long stream that
flows into Second Creek at Gap Mills (Figure 1). The
Kitchen Creek watershed consists mostly of grass-
land pasture used for beef cattle and dairy operations.
West Virginia's fecal coliform (FC) bacteria standard
states that water samples are not to exceed 200 colo-
nies (col) per 100 milliliters (ml) as a monthly mean,
based on at least five samples per month. In addition,
no more than 10 percent of all samples taken during
the month may exceed 400 col/100 ml. Data col-
lected in 2004 and 2005 failed these criteria, causing
Kitchen Creek (segment WVKNG-23-G) to be placed
on the 2006 CWA section 303(d) list for FC bacteria.
A total maximum daily load (TMDL) was developed for
the Greenbrier River in 2008, which included Kitchen
Creek and Second Creek. The TMDL analysis revealed
that the use of the stream for agricultural purposes
was the root of the bacteria contamination. At one
time there were three dairies and two large beef feed-
lot with very little, if any, waste storage, and much of
that waste was able to enter the stream (Figure 2).
Other farms in the area allowed unrestricted grazing of
beef cattle along the riparian areas, while also over-
applying liquid and solid manure, poultry litter, and
fertilizer to pasture and cropland. In addition, the karst
geology of the area might have led to a slow release of
bacteria into the stream from underground sources.
Legend
• BrookTrout Habitat Development
• Alternative Livestock Water Source
• Waste Storage Facilities
Kitchen Creek
Buffer
Agricultural Area
Figure 1. Kitchen Creek watershed and BMP locations.
Project Highlights
The key best management practices (BMPs) imple-
mented to address the FC bacteria contamination
included installing alternative water systems, limiting
livestock access to the riparian area, and build-
ing waste storage facilities. The majority of these
practices were implemented from 2009 to 2014 as
part of the Second Creek watershed-based plan (see
Figure 1 for BMP implementation locations).
The 11 alternative watering systems were vital to
restricting livestock access to the riparian pasture.
These systems provided cleaner and fresher water
for livestock while grazing, and also allowed farmers
to implement rotational grazing systems to decrease
bacteria-laden runoff. Some of the alternative water
sources also used renewable energy such as wind
and solar power for pumping.
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Fecal Coliform Levels (Counts Per Year) Over the
Course of the Kitchen Creek CWA Section 319 Project
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Figure 2. Before project implementation, this section
of stream flowed through the middle of a beef feedlot.
Figure 3. FC bacteria levels in Kitchen Creek generally declined
after 2009, thanks to project implementation.
More than 100 acres of riparian area and more
than 6 miles of stream were developed into buffers
once the alternative water sources were in place.
These riparian areas are mostly grass buffers;
farmers allow livestock to graze on a limited basis
in accordance with a rotational grazing plan that is
designed to meet or exceed the U.S. Department
of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) standards for riparian grazing.
Allowing livestock to graze the buffers facilitates the
plants' ability to uptake nutrients. These buffers and
grazing management plans have reduced the overall
time livestock can access the stream from 5 percent
to 0.12 percent.
Finally, three waste storage facilities were construct-
ed or repaired to stop the direct flow of manure to the
stream. The nutrients from these waste storage facili-
ties were then used in nutrient management plans
for additional forage production, further reducing the
need for riparian pasture and improving water quality.
Results
FC bacteria levels have dramatically decreased as
a result of the restoration work in Kitchen Creek
(Figure 3). Unexplained spikes in bacteria levels
shown in recent monitoring data might be linked to
above-average precipitation and legacy sources of
livestock waste in the karst system that will take a
significant amount of time to flush out completely.
WVCA will conduct further sampling along Kitchen
Creek to confirm that FC levels continue to improve
as a result of better land management.
Wildlife habitat has also improved due to the restora-
tion work. A fish population evaluation conducted
one year after brook trout reintroduction to the
stream in 2013 showed that the trout population
reestablished itself. In addition, the fish surveys indi-
cated a change in the primary nongame fish popula-
tion from dace to sculpin, an indicator of high-quality
water. Terrestrial species, including river otters, bald
eagles, golden eagles, golden winged warblers and
bobwhite quail, were also spotted in the area after
Kitchen Creek water quality began improving (even
though the creek does not yet meet state standards).
Partners and Funding
Many project partners were involved in the Kitchen
Creek improvement project. WVCA was the primary
lead for this project, while the Greenbrier Valley
Conservation District served as the local funds
holder. NRCS provided engineering and plant materi-
als support. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's
White Sulfur Springs National Fish Hatchery and
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program provided sup-
port for implementing BMPs and establishing brook
trout. Trout Unlimited was closely involved with fence
construction on most of the projects.
Federal funding ($556,560 total) was provided by
the CWA section 319 program. State funds included
$120,811 from the WVCA; additional state funds were
provided in the form of staff time and resources.
Participating farmers and landowners contributed over
$100,000 of their personal funds, time, labor and other
resources to assure this project's success.
ufiy
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA841-F-15-001HHH
December 2015
For additional information contact:
Dennis A. Burns, CPESC
West Virginia Conservation Agency
304-645-6172 ext. 109
dburns@wvca.us
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