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Adding Riparian Buffers Decreases Pollutant Loading, Increases
Dissolved Oxygen, and Improves Habitat in Crowdabout Creek
Waterbody I m proved chan8'n8 land use—from forest cover to cropland, pastures and
residential development—contributed to increased siltation
and organic enrichment and a decrease in dissolved oxygen levels in Crowdabout Creek, In 1996,
Alabama placed the creek on the state's Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters
for failing to support its Propagation of Fish, Wildlife and Aquatic Life designated use because of
biological community and habitat impairment. Implementing agricultural best management practices
(BMPs) resulted in decreased siltation and nutrient runoff, increased dissolved oxygen, and improved
biological and in-stream aquatic habitat conditions, Crowdabout Creek was listed as attaining water
quality standards for nitrogen, phosphorus, sedimentation/siltation and CBOD for all uses in 2014.
Problem
The Crowdabout Creek subwatershed (HUC
06030002-1006) is in the Tennessee River Basin near
the town of Falkville in Morgan County, Alabama
(Figure 1). It is 15 miles long and comprises about
31,150 acres of the Flint Creek watershed. Agricultural
practices associated with crop production and animal
husbandry were identified as primary sources of
water quality impairments. Major sections of the
stream channel were historically straightened with
direct livestock access, streambank erosion, and very
small or no riparian buffers.
The Geological Survey of Alabama (GSA) collected
water quality data from 1995 to 1997. Of the 49
samples taken, 16 violated the dissolved oxygen
standard. In addition, biological assessments con-
ducted by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the
mid-1990s determined biological health ratings of
poor (macroinvertebrate) and poor/fair (fish). Water
chemistry data collected by the Alabama Department
of Environmental Management (ADEM) from 1992
to 1995 led to the placement of Crowdabout Creek
and other Flint Creek tributaries on the state's CWA
section 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1996. Total
maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for siltation, nutrients,
organic enrichment/low-dissolved oxygen (OE/DO),
and pathogens for the Flint Creek watershed were
approved to help ensure water quality standards are
attained in the Crowdabout Creek subwatershed.
Figure 1. Crowdabout Creek is in northern Alabama.
Project Highlights
The Flint Creek Watershed Conservancy District
(FC-WCD) developed a Crowdabout Creek Watershed
Management Plan (WMP). U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and ADEM provided CWA section
319(h) nonpolnt source grant funding to the FC-WCD
to facilitate implementation of watershed manage-
ment workplans from 2003 to 2007. The WMP includes
the recommendations found in the 2002 Siltation
TMDL and the 2003 OE/DO, Nutrient, and Pathogens
TMDLs. Project resources were leveraged In coopera-
tion with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the
Crowdabout Creek Watershed Map

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Morgan County Soil and Water Conservation District
(SWCD), agricultural producers, and private landown-
ers. Between December 2005 and March 2009, 1,372
acres of riparian forest buffers were planted in the
watershed. Additional management practices included
planting 132.4 acres of grassed waterways and nearly
90 acres of hardwood vegetation. Riparian buffers
were enrolled in the USDA Farm Service Agency's
(FSA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to enhance
long-term protection and maintenance. Other prac-
tices implemented included pasture planting, exclusion
fencing, cross-fencing, and stream crossings for cattle.
Table 1. Summary of GSA (1996) and ADEM (2009)
water quality data for Crowdabout Creek.
Results
In 2009, a comparison of water quality data collected
by GSA (in 1996) and by ADEM (in 2009) indicated
much improved dissolved oxygen levels as well as
reductions in turbidity, specific conductance, and
median concentrations of total dissolved solids, total
suspended solids, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate+nitrite
nitrogen, and carbonaceous biochemical oxygen
demand (CBOD5) (Table 1). By 2014, nitrogen, phos-
phorus, sedimentation/siltation, and CBOD were listed
as being attained for all uses as a result of the improve-
ments in the watershed.
In 2009 ADEM collected physical characteristic and
habitat assessment data. When compared to past
bioassesssments and with fully supporting ecoregion
reference sampling site information, Crowdabout
Creek showed reduced siItation and increases in sub-
strate organic matter and canopy cover. In addition,
instream habitat quality, sinuosity, bank and vegetative
stability, riparian buffer, and habitat assessment scores
all improved (Figure 2). The overall habitat assessment
rating improved from poor in 1996 to fair in 2009.

Parameter
Measure
GSA
(1996)a
ADEM
(2009)
Temperature (°C)
Maximum
25.0
24.3
Turbidity (NTU)
Maximum
130.0
71.4
Total Dissolved Solids (mg/L)
Median
187.0
140.0
Total Suspended Solids (mg/L)
Median
37.0
13.5
Specific Conductance (i|mhos)
Median
262.0
238.0
Stream Flow
Minimum
1.0
2.4
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)
Minimum
0.7
6.0
Ammonia Nitrogen (mg/L)
Median
0.12
0.003
Nitrate+Nitrite Nitrogen (mg/L)
Median
0.513
0.213
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L)
Median
0.74
1.134
CBOD-5 (mg/L)
Median
1.3
0.05
Total Phosphorus (mg/L)
Median
0.04
0.275
Notes: °C = degrees Celsius; NTU = nephelometric turbidity units; mg/L =
milligrams per liter
a GSA 1996 sampling site was approximately 0.6 stream miles upstream of
the ADEM sampling site (CRDM-1).
Monitoring in 2013 continued to show improving
trends in water quality as the new riparian forests and
other BMPs became more established. Calculations
using the Spreadsheet Tool for Estimating Pollutant
Loads (STEPL) model estimated that installed BMPs
reduced 3,035.1 pounds of nitrogen; 3,537.2 pounds of
phosphorous; arid 344.2 tons of sediment annually.
Partners and Funding
Figure 2. Riparian restoration efforts in Crowdabout
Creek have improved water quality and habitat.
Project cooperators included ADEM, the FC-WCD,
NRCS, FSA, Morgan County SWCD, Alabama
Cooperative Extension System, Morgan County
Commission, Tennessee Basin Clean Water
Partnership, Alabama Mountains Rivers and Valleys
Resource Conservation and Development Council, and
local agricultural producers and landowners. The proj-
ect was primarily funded by two CWA section 319(h)
grants from fiscal years 2002 and 2003, which pro-
vided $393,000 in federal funding. The Morgan County
SWCD, farmers, landowners, and volunteers provided
$291,533 in nonfederal project match. Total project
cost was $684,533. The 1,594.5 acres of riparian buf-
fers were entered into the CRP; these contracts extend
from 2005 until 2020 and are expected to provide
about $1.2 million in incentive and annual payments.
# Q
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*1 PR
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA 841-F-17-001Q
September 2017
For additional information contact:
Nonpoint Source Unit
Alabama Department of Environmental Management
334-260-4501 ~ npsmail@adem.state.al.us
Brad Bole
Flint Creek Watershed Conservancy District
256-773-6543 • Brad.Bole@al.nacdnet.net

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