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ent Practices and Education Improves Stoner Cr
Implementing Management Practices and Education Improves Stoner Creek
Waterbodv I moroved A 12,8~mi'e se§ment of Stoner Creek (river miles 17.3-30.1) was
assessed and added to the 2010 Clean Water Act (CWA) section
303(d) list/Integrated Report as impaired for primary contact recreation (PCR) due to elevated
Escherichia coli bacteria. An investigation of land use and demographics determined the source of the
impairment to be nonpoint sources such as animal feeding operations, livestock grazing, unrestricted
cattle access to the stream, and municipal point source discharges. Following implementation of
various agricultural best management practices (BMPs), monitoring conducted in 2013 showed that
bacteria levels in stream miles 23.5-30.1 had declined, leading to a delisting in the 2016 Integrated
Report to Congress.
Problem
Stoner Creek is in central Kentucky, arid is a major
tributary of the South Fork Licking River in Bourbon
and Clark counties. Stoner Creek flows through both
the inner and outer Bluegrass regions. There are four
subwatersheds within the 128,227-acre Stoner Creek
watershed: Kennedy Creek-Stoner Creek, Harrods
Creek-Stoner Creek, Donaldson Creek-Stoner Creek, and
the Headwaters of Stoner Creek (Figure 1). The delisted
segment is in the 112-acre Harrods Creek-Stoner Creek
watershed (HUC 051001020203) (Figure 1).
Kentucky's water quality standard (WQ5) for meeting the
use of PCR has two parts: the E. coli concentration as a
geometric mean based on at least five samples collected
during a 30-day period during PCR season must not
exceed 130 colonies (col) per 100 milliliters (mL); addi-
tionally, E. coli concentrations cannot exceed 240 col/100
mL in 20 percent or more of all samples taken during the
30-day period.
Monitoring for a proposed total maximum daily load
(TMDL) in 2009 demonstrated the segment was not
meeting the WQ.S for PCR due to E. coli bacteria levels.
Samples collected in spring 2009 exceeded 240 col/100
mL in 60 percent of samples, and the geometric mean
was 335 col/100 mL. Although no TMDL has been
completed for this section of the creek, the segment was
placed on the 2010 CWA section 303(d) list as partially
supporting the PCR use. The sources of the impairments
were listed as nonpoint sources (animal feeding opera-
tions, livestock grazing, unrestricted cattle access) and
municipal point source discharges.
Figure 1. Stoner Creek is in central Kentucky.
Story Highlights
The 112-acre watershed containing the delisted segment
(Hancock Creek-Stoner Creek) has not seen extensive BMP
implementation. However, high interest in agricultural
BMPs (Figure 2), riparian zone improvements, and septic
Creek
Creek-
Kennedy Creek-Stoner
Creek
Harrods Creek-Stoner
Creek
Pretty Run-Strodes
Creek
Green Creek
Johnson
Strodes Creek
Hancock
Strodes Creek
Legend
	Fully Supporting PCR
Partially Supporting PCR
	Not Supporting PCR
County Boundary
HUC 12 Boundary
Strodes Creek
Stoner Creek
NRCS Practices Installed 2009-2013
COUNT
•	1 -10
•	10-17
•	18-19
0 20-24
•	319(h) Program BMPs Installed 2009-2013
•	DOC Practices Installed 2009-2013
Donaldson Creek-
Stoner Creek
Headwaters of Stoner
Creek

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Figure 2. Stakeholders implemented agricultural BMPs
that reduced pollution from livestock.
Stoner Creek: 2013 Data
-j- Surface Water Standard for PCR
£ 120
3 ioo
;r 90
¦ Site 1 Site 2 ¦ Site 3 ¦ Site 4
l-igure 3. Geometric mean of t. coh levels in Stoner Creek
remained below WQS (05/2013-09/2013).
improvements in the surrounding connected watersheds
have resulted in the Installation of a variety of BMPs
upstream of the impaired area. The Strodes Creek
watershed and the Hancock Creek watershed, both
upstream of Stoner Creek, have had BMPs targeted
through an implemented watershed plan (the Hancock
Creek Watershed Plan) using available funding from
the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and
state cost share dollars through the Kentucky Division
of Conservation (DOC). NRCS installed 112 agricultural
BMPs in the headwaters of Stoner Creek, including com-
prehensive nutrient management planning, cover crops,
critical area planting, heavy use protected areas, and
riparian forest buffers. In the Strodes Creek watershed,
NRCS funded 90 BMPs in 2009-2013, including critical
area planting, grassed waterways, heavy use protected
areas and watering facilities (see Figure 1). The Kentucky
^tD	y.s. Environmental Protection Agency
0**	Office of Water
\	Washington, DC
,EPA 841-F-20-001C
pRol^	January 2020
DOC also engaged with stakeholders in both Stoner and
Strodes creeks to fund a rotational grazing system and
several heavy use feeding areas.
CWA section 319(h) grant funding has been used in the
upper sections of the Strodes Creek watershed and,
to a limited extent, in Stoner Creek. In 2010-2013,
the Hancock Creek Watershed Improvement Initiative
worked in the Hancock Creek region installing riparian
buffer zones, tree plantings, rain garden installations
and one septic replacement. The project improved the
public's knowledge of watershed issues and increased
public involvement in watershed plan implementation.
Results
Water quality improved due to bacteria loading
reduction achieved largely through implementation of
agricultural BMPs that limited access of livestock to the
streams, prevented erosion and slowed stormwater
runoff. Water quality results collected in 2013 by the
Kentucky Division of Water (DOW) in collaboration with
the Friends of Stoner Creek showed that the 12-mile
segment was fully supporting of the PCR designated
use, with a geometric mean below the standard of 130
col/100 mL (Figure 3). As a result, DOW removed it from
the impaired waters list in the 2016 Integrated Report.
Partners and Funding
Key partners in the watershed effort Include the
NRCS, the Kentucky DOC, the Friends of Stoner Creek,
the Strodes Creek Conservancy, and local producers
and farmers. The NRCS was the driving agency in the
implementation of agricultural BMPs, using funding
and technical resources from the NRCS Environmental
Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Technical
Assistance Program. The Friends of Stoner Creek
facilitated the monitoring data collection and community
involvement to quantify changes in the water quality.
DOC facilitated agricultural BMP installation through use
of state cost share dollars.
The CWA section 319(h) grant that supported imple-
mentation of the watershed plan in the Hancock Creek
watershed totaled $218,570, The DOW's Nonpoint
Source and Basin Team Section provided technical
assistance throughout implementation of these projects
and coordinated with the NRCS and DOC to best direct
funding in the basin and surrounding regions.
For additional information contact:
Dale Booth
Division of Water
502-782-6895 • dale.booth@ky.gov

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