Q
A
NONPOINT SOURCE SUCCESS STURY
IndifcniK,
Watershed Elfort Restores Aquatic Communityln Flowers Creek
Waterbody Improved
Noripoint source pollution from agricultural sources caused increased
nutrient levels in Flowers Creek. As a result, the Indiana Department
of Environmental Management (IDEM) added this waterbody to its 2006 Clean Water Act (CWA) section
303(d) impaired waters list for nutrients, dissolved oxygen, and biological impairment. Implementing a
variety of best management practices (BMPs) in the watershed improved nutrient and dissolved oxygen
levels in Flowers Creek. As a result, Indiana is proposing to remove Flowers Creek from its 2018 CWA
section 303(d) list of impaired waters.
Problem
Flowers Creek is a 12.72-mi!e-long tributary of the
Eel River (HUC 05120104) in eastern Miami County
in north-centra! Indiana (Figure l).The Eel River,
which is well-known for its smallmouth bass fishery
is designated as an outstanding river for 63 river
miles. The Flowers Creek watershed is rural and highly
agricultural (92 percent row crops and grazing lands).
It contains four confined animal feeding operations
with a total of 600 dairy cows and 26,800 hogs. The
watershed is underlain with subsurface drainage tiles
that deliver percolated water to the streams after
precipitation events (Figure 2). Biological communities
in the streams are expected to be that typical of warm
water stream habitats.
Applicable water quality criteria include: (1) daily
average concentrations of dissolved oxygen must be
at least 5.0 milligrams per liter (mg/L), and may not fall
below 4.0 mg/L at any time; (2) nitrogen concentra-
tions may not exceed 10 mg/L; (3) total phosphorus
levels may not exceed 0.3 mg/L; (4) pl-l may not exceed
9.0 or be consistently at/close to the standard (i.e.,
in the range of 8.7- 9.0); and (5) algae may not be
deemed "excessive" based on field observations by
IDEM scientists. To be classified as impaired for nutri-
ents, a segment must fail to meet two or more of the
above criteria on the same date. In addition, biological
indices (index of biotic integrity [IBI] and macroinver-
tebrate IBI) scores must be at least 36 to meet aquatic
life use support requirements.
Monitoring conducted by IDEM in 2003 on Flowers
Creek showed eievated levels of total phosphorus and
ammonia in conjunction with low dissolved oxygen
and impaired biotic communities. On the basis of these
data, Flowers Creek assessment units [AUs] INB0461_
T1001 and INB0461_T1002 were listed as impaired for
nutrients, dissolved oxygen and biological 'impairments
in 2006. (Note: in 2012 these two AUs were combined
[AU INB0461_T1005] for assessment purposes.)
Project Highlights
Manchester University's Department of Environmental
Studies obtained a CWA section 319 grant in late 2008
to support the Middle Eel River Watershed Initiative,
which included developing a watershed management
Figure 1. Flowers Creek is in rural northern Indiana.
Legend
•	Monitoring Sites
•	Confined Feeding
—2006 303d Streams
Intermittent Stream
— Perennial Stream
CUHUC-12
CD County Boundary
Flowers Creek Watershed
HUC 051201040601

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Figure 2. Subsurface drainage tile in Wiison Rhodes Ditch,
part of Flowers Creek watershed.
plan for the Middle Eel River and its tributaries,
promoting and implementing a cost-share program
for BMPs, and conducting water quality monitoring
and public outreach. The university hired a watershed
coordinator and formed a steering committee to lead
development of the watershed management plan,
implementation efforts began after the watershed
management plan was completed in early 2011.
CWA section 319 funding was supplemented
with financial support from the Lake and River
Enhancement program within the Indiana Department
of Natural Resources' Division of Fish and Wildlife,
Clean Water Indiana, and the local soil and water
conservation district (SWCD). The Indiana State
Department of Agriculture (ISDA) also obtained a
CWA section 319 grant to hire three technicians to
help install BMPs in several watersheds, including
the Middle Eel River. U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) Farm Bill dollars were used as well. Manchester
University obtained a second CWA section 319 grant
to continue implementation throughout the Middle Eel
River watershed in early 2013.
Federal, state and local funding was used to install a
variety of BMPs, including 214.5 acres of conservation
tillage; 22,793.4 acres of cover crops; 96.9 acres of pest
management; nutrient management on 4,503 acres;
22.03 acres of grassed waterways; 0.3 acre of heavy
use area protection; 32.45 acres of filter strips; 10.7
acres of riparian buffers; 3,540 linear feet of livestock
exclusion; one animal mortality facility; one roof/
cover; 105.2 acres of forage/biomass planting; one
grade stabilization structure; 11.0 acres of hardwood
tree planting; and 12.20 acres of pollinator habitat.
Before Restoration After Restoration Before Restoration After Restoration
Timeframe
Figure 3. Water quality improved after watershed
restoration was conducted: dissolved oxygen levels
increased and nutrient concentrations decreased.
Results
IDEM resampled Flowers Creek in 2015 at two sites:
at both the original site midway up the stream reach
and at an additional site near the mouth of Flowers
Creek. (Biological communities were sampled only at
the mouth of the watershed.) Post-project sampling
showed that the biological communities had recovered
(fish went from IBI = 24 to IBI = 44; macroinvertebrates
maintained a passing score of mlBI = 44). Additionally,
the streams were no longer impaired for nutrients or
low dissolved oxygen (Figure 3). On the basis of these
data Indiana is proposing to remove Flowers Creek (AU
INB0461_T1005) from its impaired waters list in 2018.
Partners and Funding
Federal, state and local partners supported restora-
tion efforts. The USDA provided $968,585 through the
Conservation Reserve Program, Environmental Quality
Incentives Program and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives
Program. CWA section 319 funding was provided by
IDEM ($668,932.50) and ISDA ($430,250). Manchester
University provided $733,333 in local match funding.
Miami County SWCD provided $5,436.65 in cost share.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Lake and
River Enhancement program provided $22,102.50.
Lastly, ISDA and Miami County SWCD provided
$106,500 in state Clean Water Indiana funding.
* ^ '
35
%
\
% /
*1 PRO"^
2
0
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA 841-F-16-001HH
December 2016
For additional information contact:
Angie Brown
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
317-308-3206 • aborwn@idem.IN.gov
Joe Schmees
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
317-308-3194 • jschmees@idem.IN.gov

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