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Protecting and Restoring the North Canadian River, Oklahoma City's
Water Supply, Through Voluntary Conservation Programs
Waterbody Improved ^'S'1 bacteria concentrations resulted in the impairment of the
North Canadian River and placement on Oklahoma's Clean Water
Act (CWA) section 303(d) list of impaired waters in 2006. Pollution from grazing, hay production and
cropland areas contributed to this impairment. Implementing conservation practice systems (CPs)
to promote improved grazing and cropland management decreased bacteria levels in the creek. As
a result, a segment of the North Canadian River was removed from Oklahoma's 2016 CWA section
303(d) list for Escherichia coli. Portions of the North Canadian River now partially support its primary
body contact (PBC) designated use.
Problem
The North Canadian River is a 441-mile stream flowing
from New Mexico and Texas before it flows into Lake
Eufaula in eastern Oklahoma. Poor management of
grazing and cropland contributed to listing a 105.34-
mile segment as impaired for E. coli in 2006 when
the geometric mean of samples collected during the
recreational season was 135 colony forming units/100
milliliters (CFU/100 fnL) (Figure 1). The PBC recreation
designated use is impaired if the geometric mean of
E. coli exceeds 126 CFU/100 mL. Oklahoma added this
North Canadian River segment (OK520530000010_10)
to the 2006 section 303(d) list for nonattainment of its
PBC designated beneficial use.
Land use in the 760-square-mile watershed of the
listed segment is approximately 41 percent row crop,
which is used almost exclusively for winter wheat
production. About 39 percent of the watershed is graz-
ing lands for cattle and hay production and 15 percent
is forested. Less than 5 percent of the watershed is
urban land. The river provides approximately half of
the drinking water for Oklahoma City. In addition, the
river hosts boating and swimming events.
Story Highlights
A total maximum daily load and watershed-based plan
were completed in 2008, but conservation districts
asked the Oklahoma Conservation Commission (OCC)
to work on water quality issues in the watershed in
2004. Landowners worked with the Blaine, Central
North Canadian, East Canadian and Dewey county
Figure 1. The North Canadian River is in central Oklahoma.
conservation districts, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS), USDA Farm Services Agency (FSA), and
OCC to implement CPs through NRCS's Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation
Security Program (CSP), Conservation Stewardship
Program (CStwP), general conservation technical
assistance program, and FSA's Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP). The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA's) CWA section 319 program provided
funding for CPs from 2007 to 2015. Oklahoma's Locally
Led Cost Share Program (LLCP) began funding prac-
tices in the watershed in 1998.
Canton Lake
Oklahoma City
Lake Overholser
Legend
— Streams
| Lakes
Delisted Segment Watershed
North Canadian River Watershed

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North Canadian River E. coli
maximum= 1178 24,192 24,192	3,530 3,530 1,500	370
Geomean= 135	208	130	84	42	28	16
Figure 2. E. coli concentrations decreased with improved
cropland and grazing land management in the watershed.
Through the installation of CPs, landowners improved
many acres of grazing lands, which reduced runoff of
bacteria and other pollutants. CPs installed between
2002 and 2017 include 49 water wells, 17 septic
systems, 18 watering facilities, 43 ponds, 20 grade
stabilization structures, 28 livestock pumping plants,
riparian area protection (586 ac), riparian fencing
(85,077 ft), cover crop (308 ac), livestock pipeline
(7,422 ft), conservation crop rotation (7,815 ac),
fence (71,214 ft), upland wildlife habitat management
(2,783 ac), grassed waterways (214 ac), integrated pest
management (23,857 ac), forage and biomass plant-
ing (6,548 ac), terraces (18,838 ft), contour farming
(205 ac), deep tillage (1,397 ac), nutrient management
(14,147 ac), rotation of supplement/feeding areas
(351 ac), prescribed grazing (14,427 ac), no-till (42,417
ac), no-till/strip-till (1,261 ac), range planting (256
ac), brush management (3,412 ac), convert cropland
to grass (1,345 ac), seasonal residue management
(875 ac), reduced tillage (6,914 ac), prescribed burning
(88 ac), conservation cover (659 ac), critical area plant-
ing (192 ac), diversion (6,441 ft) and grid soil sampling
for nutrient management (11,710 ac).
Partners also worked through the Blue Thumb
Education program to teach about problems and
potential solutions in the watershed. The OCC worked
with a producer in the watershed to establish a dem-
onstration farm where CPs were installed and where
Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension
scientists demonstrated cover crops and nutrient
management modified for the unique conditions of the
watershed. Workshops and field events focused on soil
health, water quality and improved management for
producers, downstream citizens and other audiences.
Results
The OCC and the Oklahoma Water Resources Board
documented decreased bacteria concentrations in the
North Canadian River. Monitoring data showed that
North Canadian River E. coli geomean concentrations
dropped below the criteria by the 2012 assessment;
however, much of these data were from a severe
drought period. Therefore, OCC waited until data from
a more normal period had been collected to recom-
mend delisting (Figure 2). The segment was removed
from the Oklahoma section 303(d) list for E. coli in
2016 after data from a wetter period confirmed that
the river met standards. This change results in partial
support of its PBC beneficial use.
In addition to water quality protection, CPs supported
through the program also sequestered 3,193 metric
tons carbon dioxide per year by reducing soil erosion
and building soil organic matter. These carbon credits
were purchased from cooperators by Western Farmers
Electric Cooperative to further support establishment
of water quality CPs.
Partners and Funding
The OCC contributed at least $1,306,198 in EPA sec-
tion 319 funds, matched by $2,412,643 from state
priority watershed funds and $335,916 from landown-
ers to install CPs and conduct education programs.
Approximately $240,000 additional section 319 dollars
supported OCC water quality monitoring in the water-
shed. NRCS contributed more than $470,000 through
EQIP. Additional funds were provided through NRCS
for CSP and CStwP and from FSA for CRP practices. In
addition, landowners funded many practices based
on recommendations through NRCS general techni-
cal assistance and conservation planning. Western
Farmers Electric Cooperative provided $50,000 to
cooperating producers to support practices that
sequestered carbon in soils. Finally, the Oklahoma
LLCP provided approximately $227,695, matched
by $308,091 from landowners. Local conservation
districts, Oklahoma's Association of Conservation
Districts, Oklahoma State University Cooperative
Extension, and others facilitated the restoration.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA 841-F-18-001MM
November 2018
For additional information contact:
Shanon Phillips
Oklahoma Conservation Commission
405-522-4728 • shanon.phillips@conservation.ok.gov

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