NONPOINT SOURCE SUCCESS STORY
Renovation of Big Springs Community Lake Restores Beneficial Use
Waterbody Improved
Complaints by local residents about excessive accumulation of woody
debris led the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ)
to list Big Springs Community Lake for aesthetic use impairment in the Nebraska 2012 Water Quality
Integrated Report. The pond also had a historic accumulation of sediment that precluded a viable fishery.
A community planning effort resulted in renovation of the pond to remove the sediment and debris and
make other changes to the pond. Conditions improved, and NDEQ removed Big Springs Community Lake
from the Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list in 2014.
Problem
Big Springs Community Lake is a 1-acre pond in the
community of Big Springs in southwest Nebraska's
Deuel County. The pond was the centerpiece of a small
community park adjacent to South Platte High School
in Big Springs. Age and historic management practices
in the watershed took a toll on the pond since its
construction in 1927. Sediment accumulated from
shoreline erosion left the pond with shallow, stagnant
water and steep banks.
Other sources of sediment to the pond included
historical agricultural management practices and ero-
sion within the parkland immediately surrounding the
pond. Row crop production was once prominent in the
watershed, but most of the land has been converted
back to grassland for forage or pasture production
or enrolled in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Conservation Reserve Program. The pond also had
an excessive accumulation of woody debris and had
developed a significant leak (Figure 1). It no longer
supported a fishery nor provided an appealing place
for recreation and community activities.
The NDEQ listed the pond (waterbody ID SP1-L0095)
for aesthetic use impairment in the Nebraska 2012
Water Quality Integrated Report. Current sediment
inputs from the watershed were considered fully con-
trolled. Other sources of impairment to the pond, such
as woody debris, were considered natural. Restoration
of the aesthetic use benefit required removal of the
accumulated sediment and woody debris.
Figure 1. Big Springs Community Lake, before renovation.
Project Highlights
The community of Big Springs requested assistance
from the NDEQ's Community Lakes Enhancement and
Restoration (CLEAR) program to restore the com-
munity pond. CLEAR Team members from NDEQ,
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and University
of Nebraska Extension visited the site and helped the
community develop a renovation plan and a funding
package. Restoration of the pond was completed in
2010-2011. Woody debris was removed; 2,500 cubic
yards of sediment was excavated; the shoreline was
reshaped, armored and re-vegetated; a pond liner was
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Figure 2. Community partners remove woody debris from the
lake area.
installed to reduce leakage; and habitat structures
were installed to enhance the fishery (Figure 2). The
depth of the pond was increased from a maximum
of 5 feet to an average depth of greater than 10 feet
over 25 percent of the surface area, which will allow
the pond to sustain a warm water fishery year-round
(Figure 3). Grading and stabilizing the shoreline
improved ease and safety of access and provided
protection from shoreline erosion. To complete the
project, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
restocked the pond with bluegill, largemouth bass
and channel catfish of catchable size. The community
installed picnic tables and other amenities to attract
park users. The adjacent school developed activities to
enhance outdoor classroom experiences for students.
Results
Today the pond is again a destination for community
activities and recreation. The renovation project
removed 2,169 tons of sediment, 1,800 pounds of
phosphorus and 1,041 pounds of nitrogen from the
pond. Outdoor classroom activities bring students
from the adjacent school to learn about water quality
and other natural resources issues. The pond sup-
ports a vigorous fishery with water clarity exceeding
3 feet. Inspection of the pond in 2015 confirmed that
restoration had removed the aesthetic impairment. Bij
Springs Community Lake was removed from the 2014
CWA section 303(d) list of impaired waters.
Figure 3. Big Springs Community Lake, after community
partners completed renovation.
Partners and Funding
The Big Springs Community Lake restoration project
was accomplished under NDEQ's CLEAR program,
a partnership of the NDEQ (Section 319 Program),
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and the
University of Nebraska Extension. CLEAR team
members provided technical assistance for planning
and developing the project. The Panhandle Resource
Conservation and Development District assisted by
coordinating partners and promoting the project. The
community of Big Springs and South Platte High School
developed facilities and activities to enhance visitation
and use of the park and pond.
Total cost for removing woody debris and sedi-
ment, reshaping and re-vegetating the shoreline,
and installing the pond liner and habitat structures
was $215,771. These costs were shared by NDEQ
Section 319 ($53,000), Nebraska Environmental Trust
($123,810) and the City of Big Springs ($38,961).
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission provided and
delivered fish for restocking.
yss
Ill
o
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA841-F-16-001F
April 2016
For additional information contact:
Elbert Traylor
Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality
402-471-2585
Elbert.Traylor@nebraska.gov
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