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Concord Creek Habitat Benefits from Farming Best Management Practices
Wgterbody Improved Concord Creek, in the Harpeth River Headwaters watershed
in Rutherford County, Tennessee, was added to Tennessee's
2002 Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) list after agricultural activities contributed to habitat
degradation. The Harpeth Conservancy, supported by three CWA section 319 grants, along with
Tennessee's Agricultural Resources Conservation Fund (ARCF), assisted landowners with habitat
protection and agricultural practices in the Harpeth River Headwaters watershed. By 2020, Concord
Creek's habitat had improved, and a 13.65-mile segment of the creek was no longer listed as
impaired on Tennessee's 2020 List of Impaired and Threatened Waters.
Problem
Concord Creek (TN05130204018 - 0200) is within the
Harpeth River Headwaters watershed (051302040101)
in Rutherford County, Tennessee (Figure 1). The desig-
nated uses for Concord Creek include fish and aquatic
life, recreation, livestock watering and wildlife, and
irrigation. Land use within the watershed is primarily
agriculture (approximately 51 percent), including spe-
cialty crops (such as sod farming) and pasture grazing.
Techniques such as farming to the waters' edge and
allowing livestock free access to streams and rivers
contributed to sedimentation and riparian habitat loss.
Concord Creek was first listed on Tennessee's 2002
CWA section 303(d) list for habitat alterations,
siltation, and organic enrichment from agriculture and
the removal of riparian vegetation. In 2004, Concord
Creek remained listed for habitat loss and siltation
due to pasture grazing and specialty row crop farming
(specifically sod farming). The Tennessee Department
of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) conducted a
habitat survey in 2002, in which Concord Creek scored
poorly at 97 (target score > 112.)
A totai maximum daily load (TMDL.) for the Harpeth
River (including Concord Creek) for siltation and
habitat alteration, developed by TDEC and others, was
approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
on May 10, 2002. The plan estimated that a decrease
of 37.3 percent of the siltation load would be required
to achieve the TMDL.
Figure 1. Concord Creek is in centra! Tennessee.
Story Highlights
In fiscai years 2003, 2005, and 2014, the Harpeth
Conservancy (previously known as the Harpeth River
Watershed Association) was awarded CWA section 319
grants for the implementation of best management
practices (BMPs) in the Harpeth River Headwaters
(including Concord Creek). With the assistance of
the CWA section 319 grants, a total of 37 agricultural
and habitat protection BMPs were installed in the
Harpeth River Headwaters watershed, including
livestock exclusion fencing, stream crossings, heavy
use areas, watering facilities, streambank stabilization,
Harpeth River
Headwaters
Watershed
Q Watershed Boundary
I — Streams
| Delisted Portion of Concord Creek
~ Section 319 BMPs
« ARCFBMPs
rpeth River "

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Practice
Cover crop
Fence
The Harpeth Conservancy was awarded three CWA
section 319 grants for protection and restoration
efforts in the Harpeth River, of which
$119,648 was invested in BMPs in the
Harpeth River Headwaters watershed
(including Concord Creek). Partners
that assisted the Harpeth Conservancy
included the Center for Watershed
Protection, U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS), the
Tennessee Valley Authority, U.S.
Geological Survey and Rutherford
County Soil Conservation District
(SCD). Tennessee's ARCF program has
contributed $88,494 for the imple-
mentation of agricultural BMPs in the
Harpeth River Headwaters watershed.
Rutherford County SCD and USDA
NRCS partnered with TDA to assist with
practice design and installation.
Figure 2. Alternative watering facility and heavy use
area installed near Concord Creek.
Table 1. BMPs installed within the Harpeth River Headwaters watershed.
name
Riparian forest buffer
Forage and biomass planting
Pipeline
Pumping plant
Heavy use area
Stream crossing
Streambank protection
Channel stabilization
Watering facility
Units installed
CWA 319 funds
6 (6,540 ft)
1 (1,808 ft)
4 (375 ft)
1 (300 ft)
34 ac
10 (11,877 ft)
14 (11,260 ft)
Total units
installed
34 ac
16 (18,417 ft)
15 (13,068 ft)
4 (375 ft)
1 (300 ft)
Watering well
and riparian forest buffers (Figure 2). Tennessee
Department of Agriculture's (TDA) state-based ARCF
incentives program assisted with the implementation
of 77 additional agricultural BMPs in the Harpeth River
Headwaters watershed, including fencing, heavy use
areas, livestock pipelines, and forage and biomass
plantings (Table 1).
During the 2018 sampling cycle, TDEC returned
to Concord Creek to perform a Tennessee
Macroinvertebrate Index (TMI) survey and a habitat
evaluation. The TMI score was 36 (target score > 32),
and the habitat score had improved from 97 (in 2002)
to 141. Tennessee has narrative criteria for siitation;
therefore, once the habitat and macroinvertebrate
communities meets state standards, It is accepted
that the water quality has sufficiently improved.
Concord Creek was removed from Tennessee's 2020
List of Threatened and impaired waters for siitation
and habitat alterations. Concord Creek is now fully
supporting for ail designated uses.
Partners and Funding
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA 841-F-20-0Q1O
September 2020
For additional information contact:
Sam Marshall
Tennessee Department of Agriculture
615-837-5306 • sam.marshall@tn.gov

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