Section 319
NONPOINT SOURCE PROGRAM SUCCESS STORY
Cooperative Watershed Management Improves Dissolved Oxygen Levels
in Fall River
A/ t h H I H Nonpoint source pollution from grazingland affected water quality in
VVaterDOay imprOVea theupperFa|| River watershed, prompting the Kansas Department of
Health and Environment (KDHE) to add the river to the state's 1998 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d)
list of impaired waters for low levels of dissolved oxygen (DO). In cooperation with the local Kansas
Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (KS WRAPS) Upper Fall River Project, project partners in
Greenwood County implemented several agricultural best management practices (BMPs) throughout the
watershed. River monitoring data collected between 2000 and 2011 show that waterbodies in the upper
Fall River watershed now meet the DO criteria required to protect the aquatic life support designated
use. As a result, KDHE removed one segment (composed of nearly 144 miles of streams) in the upper
Fall River watershed from the 2010 list of impaired waters for the DO impairment.
Problem
The headwaters of Fall River (East and West
branches) originate in the upper northwest corner
of Greenwood County in southeastern Kansas. The
river flows southeast, draining numerous tributar-
ies before merging with the Verdigris River near
the city of Neodesha (Figure 1). In addition to the
waterbody's aquatic life support designated use,
KDHE has designated the East and West branches
of Fall River as "Exceptional State Waters," defined
as any surface waters or surface water segments
of remarkable quality or of significant ecological or
recreational value. The state affords such waters
the highest level of water quality protection.
Grazingland or grassland is the predominant land
use in the Fall River watershed, covering 93 percent
of the drainage area. The grazing density in the
watershed, 30 to 45 animals units per square mile,
is considered "medium."
According to the state's standard, the concentration
of DO in surface waters must not fall below 5.0 mil-
ligrams per liter (mg/L). Water quality monitoring
data collected throughout the 1990s showed
that DO levels in a 143.52-mile-long segment of
Fall River exceeded the criteria set to protect the
waterbody's aquatic life designated use. As a result,
KDHE added this segment of Fall River to the state's
1998 CWA section 303(d) list of impaired waters for
DO. KDHE also listed the segment as impaired for
fecal coliform (FC) bacteria. This impaired segment
of Fall River lies above the Fall River Reservoir and
drains approximately 334 square miles within the
Flint Hills ecoregion.
Fall River Watershed
1
Impaired for
Dissolved
Oxygen
City
County
Fa 11 River
Watershed
Figure 1. The Fall River watershed is in southeast Kansas.
KDHE completed total daily maximum loads
(TMDLs) for DO and FC bacteria (approved by EPA
in 2002). Primary contributing factors for the low
DO levels included excess nutrients in the water
(leading to possible algae blooms), lack of riparian
area shading, shallow water and lack of stream flow.
The TMDLs found that small, unpermitted livestock
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operations and rural homesteads and farmsteads
along the river were suspected nonpoint sources of
the FC bacteria and DO impairment.
Project Highlights
In October 2002, KDHE provided CWA section
319 funds to Kansas State University to conduct a
monitoring study to better assess potential sources
of FC bacteria and other nonpoint source pollutants.
During the project, University staff identified several
manure stockpiles in close proximity to waterways
at the Eureka Downs Horse Racetrack. Local agen-
cies worked with the racetrack owner to move the
manure stockpiles to an off-site composting site.
Since 2003, the Greenwood County Conservation
District, United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS), and Upper Fall River WRAPS have worked
with local landowners to implement agricultural
BMPs throughout the watershed, many of which
have been aimed at managing livestock, a nonpoint
source contributor to Fall River's DO and FC bacte-
ria impairments. The BMPs
have included implementing
2,122 acres of prescribed
grazing and 1,174 acres of
pest management; repair-
ing/restoring 14 agricul-
tural ponds, which serve
as alternative watering
sources for livestock; and
installing 13,537 linear feet
of livestock fencing, seven
water supply units and
5,681 linear feet of pipeline
to facilitate alternative
livestock watering systems
(Figure 2).
Figure 2. Local landowners
implemented agricultural BMPs such
as developing prescribed grazing
plans and installing livestock fences.
Results
Between 1990 and 1999, KDHE collected 54 water
quality samples at a monitoring station on Fall River.
Four of the samples showed DO levels at or below
the state's DO water quality standard of 5 mg/L. In
contrast, all 67 samples collected between 2000
and 2011 met the state's water quality standards.
To account for any potential impact of Fall River's
flow rate on DO concentrations, KDHE calculated
the long-term median flow between 1970 and 2011.
KDHE then calculated the proportion of median flow
occurring for each month in which a DO sample
was taken (Figure 3). Despite reduced flow during
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A1990-1999 A2000-2005 02006-2011 WQS
Figure 3. Dissolved oxygen levels on Fall River between 1990
and 2011, relative to flow condition.
recent DO sampling conducted between 2006 and
2011, water quality (as measured by DO concentra-
tions) improved relative to similar flow conditions in
the 1990-1999 sampling period.
As a result of restoration efforts, total phosphorus
and total suspended solids concentrations have
also declined throughout the watershed, indicat-
ing water quality improvement. Although project
partners have worked to reduce bacteria loading,
Fall River remains listed as impaired for FC bacteria.
Partners and Funding
The success of this project can be attributed to a
number of local, state and federal partners, includ-
ing Greenwood County Conservation District;
Greenwood County NRCS office; Kansas Water
Office; Flint Hills Resource Conservation and
Development Council; Kansas Forest Service;
Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division
of Conservation; Kansas State University;
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7;
Kansas Rural Center; Kansas Alliance for Wetlands
and Streams; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
The project was supported by CWA section
319 funds, specifically a 2003 Upper Fall River
WRAPS Development grant ($34,950), a 2004
Upper Fall River WRAPS Assessment and Planning
grant ($49,850) and two Upper Fall River WRAPS
Implementation grants in 2006 and 2007 (totaling
$119,200). Additional support was provided by the
Kansas Department of Agriculture's Division of
Conservation, USDA NRCS and local landowners.
<
3J
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA841-F-12-001H
April 2012
For additional information contact:
Ann D'Alfonso
Environmental Scientist
Kansas Bureau of Water
785-296-3015 • AD'Alfonso@kdheks.gov
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