Section 319
NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM SUCCESS STORY
Cooperative Watershed Management Reduces Bacteria Levels in the
Cottonwood River
\A7atPrhnrliP9 ImnrnvpH Bacteria in runoff from cattle 9razin9 and stream
. Vdibi uuuib-o mi i ipi uw,u access contributed nonpoint source pollution to Kansas'
Cottonwood River, violating the state's water quality standard for bacteria. As a result, the
Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) added the Cottonwood River to its
Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1998 for bacteria. Agricultural
best management practices (BMPs) were implemented in the watershed, and water quality
monitoring data collected since 2003 show that the Cottonwood River now meets the state's
water quality standard for bacteria. As a result, KDHE has removed nine segments (128.11
stream miles) of the Cottonwood River from the state's 2010 (from SC627 to Neosho River) and
2012 (from Marion Reservoir to SC627) list of impaired waters for Escherich/a coli impairments.
Problem
The Cottonwood River is in the 1,085,373-acre
Lower Cottonwood watershed in east-central
Kansas, part of the Neosho River Basin. The
Cottonwood River originates in Marion County,
flowing east until merging with the Neosho River
and draining to John Redmond Reservoir (Figure 1).
Used for grazing cattle, the majority of the Lower
Cottonwood watershed is grassland, covering
68 percent of the land area. Much of the grassland is
stocked with summer stock calves from May to June.
Cropland is the second most prominent land use
(26 percent), with the remaining comprised of urban,
woodlands, water, and other uses. The Cottonwood
River is designated as a Primary Recreation Class
B water, indicating that the public has widespread
access to the stream for swimming and other activi-
ties involving full body immersion in the water.
Due to exceeding the state criterion for primary
contact recreation of 200 colony forming units
per 100 milliliters (CFU/100 ml) of fecal coliform
bacteria, the Cottonwood River was placed on the
state's CWA section 303(d) list of impaired waters
for bacteria in 1998. Specifically, nine segments
of the Cottonwood River were listed as impaired,
representing 128.11 stream miles from the Marion
Reservoir to the Neosho River. In 2003 the bacteria
standard changed from fecal coliform to £ coli
and the determination for violating state standards
Cottonwood River Watershed
Cottonwood River
128.11 Miles S.
Legend
^— Oelisted Stream Segments (9)
•, Monitoring Sites
Figure 1. The Cottonwood River is in east-central Kansas.
became five samples collected within 30 days
exceeding the geometric mean of 262 CFU/100 ml.
The Cottonwood River remained on the impaired
waters list for bacteria for segments near Elmdale,
Plymouth, and Emporia, Kansas. A total maximum
daily load (TMDL) for bacteria was developed and
approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) in 2002 to direct efforts to reduce the
bacteria impairments in the watershed. The TMDL for
the Cottonwood River indentified small, unpermitted
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livestock operations and rural residential areas along
the river as potential nonpoint sources of bacteria.
Project Highlights
Following approval of the TMDL by EPA in 2002, the
Marion, Chase, and Lyon county conservation dis-
tricts; the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS); local land-
owners; and the Cottonwood Watershed Restoration
and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) partners have
implemented agricultural and livestock BMPs
throughout the Lower Cottonwood River watershed.
The BMPs have included implementing 2,673 acres
of access control, 584 acres of critical area planting
to reduce runoff into the river, 5,147 feet of fence,
22 acres of filter strips, 16,772 feet of pipeline,
construction/repair of 13 ponds, 10,633 acres of
prescribed grazing, 285 acres of range planting, two
stream crossings, 27 alternative water systems,
198 acres of wetland enhancement and restoration,
one relocated livestock feedlot, 2.4 acres of vegetation
treatment areas, and repairs/replacements of 13 onsite
wastewater systems that were contributing bacteria to
the river.
Results
Between 2003 and 2013, three water quality
sampling stations on the Cottonwood River near
the cities of Elmdale, Plymouth, and Emporia were
routinely sampled. Water quality data obtained
through that sampling show that although episodes
of high bacteria were occasionally present, the
geometric mean did not violate the state's criterion
(Figure 2). Intensive sampling on the Cottonwood
River occurred four times during the primary
recreation season (April - October) in 2006 at
Emporia and in 2007 at Plymouth and Elmdale. In
2011 all three stations were sampled. None of the
resulting geometric means exceeded the criterion
of 262 CFU/100 ml. As a result, KDHE removed
a total of nine segments (128.11 stream miles) of
the Cottonwood River from Kansas's CWA section
303(d) list of impaired waters (Figure 3).
Partners and Funding
Success of the delisting and water quality improve-
ments can be attributed to several local, state, and
federal partners including the Cottonwood WRAPS;
Kansas State University (KSU); KSU Research
and Extension-Marion, Chase, and Lyon coun-
ties; Kansas Department of Agriculture's Division
of Conservation; the Marion, Chase, and Lyon
county conservation districts; Kansas Water Office;
bacteria (CFU/100 ml)
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Cottonwood River E. call Bacteria during Primary Season
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WQS=262CFU/100ml
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emporia plymouth elmdale -*~ em GM * plym GM • elm GM — WQS
Figure 2. Data show that the geometric mean of sampling
sites at Elmdale, Plymouth, and Emporia from 2003 to 2013
met water quality standards. (Open symbols represent
individual water quality samples; solid symbols represent the
geometric mean (GM) of those data points.)
Figure 3. Nine segments of the Cottonwood River were
removed from the state's list of impaired waters for bacteria.
EPA Region 7; NRCS; KDHE; and participating
landowners.
The Cottonwood WRAPS project was supported by
CWA section 319 funds ($24,792 for assessment/
planning and $101,600 for implementation) as well
as additional support from the Kansas Department
of Agriculture's Division of Conservation, NRCS, and
local landowners.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA841-F-14-001N
April 2014
For additional information contact:
Ann D'Alfonso
Kansas Bureau of Water
785-296-3015 • AD'Afonso@kdheks.gov
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