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NONPOINT SOURCE SUCCESS STORY
Missouri
Ecological Restoration Efforts Improve Water Quality in South Creek
Waterbody Improved
Urban and rural stormwater runoff contribute to water quality
impairments in South Creek, a tributary of Wilsons Creek. Various
biological studies conducted in 1989-2009 in the watershed showed low aquatic macroinvertebrate
populations and diversity due to unknown toxicity. Ecological restoration efforts conducted on a
1-mile segment of South Creek greatly improved aquatic life habitat and aquatic macroinvertebrate
populations inhabiting the stream. Work within the Wilsons Creek watershed, including in South
Creek, has focused on improving the riparian corridor, streambanks and instream habitat conditions.
Monitoring results showed the health of the aquatic macroinvertebrate populations improved, with
the greatest improvements occurring along the restored reach of South Creek.
Problem
The 10.5-square-mile South Creek subwatershed
drains a high-density urban area with approximately
25 percent impervious cover (Figure 1). It empties into
Wilsons Creek (Waterbody ID 2375), which flows west
and south and drains much of the city of Springfield
(population 165,000) in southwest Missouri. Wilsons
Creek joins the James River about 8 miles south of
Springfield and is one of the largest tributary streams
in the James River system.
In the 1970s, South Creek was a popular fishing loca-
tion. However, by the mid-1980s, the 1-mile stretch
between Campbell Avenue and Kansas Expressway
along Sunset Street was converted to a concrete
channel. Expanding urban development in Springfield
increased stormwater runoff Into South Creek, which
contributed to the water quality impairments in
Wilsons Creek and the James River.
Toxicity testing of waters by the National Park Service
in 1989 found toxicity in both Wilsons Creek and South
Creek, Sampling data showed that Wilsons Creek had
a low diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish
due to unknown toxicity; as a result, Missouri added
Wilsons Creek to the Clean Water Act section 303(d)
.ist of impaired waters list for unknown toxicity (1998),
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediment (2014)
and Escherichia coli (2006). The impaired designated
uses are for protection of warm water aquatic life and
whole body contact level B. Although South Creek
is not listed as impaired, its poor water quality has con-
tributed to problems downstream in Wilsons Creek.
Figure 1. South Creek is in the Wilsons Creek watershed.
Story Highlights
The one-miie stretch of South Creek was restored to
a natural condition by removing the concrete channel
and redesigning a meandering channel with pools,
riffles, rocks and logs typical of an Ozarks stream
(Figure 2). This stretch of South Creek is now a place
where native plants naturally filter storm water and
provide habitat for a variety of terrestrial and aquatic
animals. The project was implemented as part of the
Middle James River Watershed-Based Plan to improve
water quality and habitat for aquatic life and facilitate
in-stream pollution attenuation through natural
physical and biological processes. Specific project

HUC 110100020301
Project Area
I Hydrography I
South Creek
Tributary of Wilsons Creek
Green County, Missouri
Legend
South Creek

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accomplishments included removing 1.2
acres of concrete from the stream channel,
installing 14 hardwood log weirs and nine
Newbury weirs to create instream riffle and
pool habitats, installing low flow channels
that cut through the floor of reinforced
concrete boxes to allow for stormwater
infiltration, adding 115 tons of creek rock
and 65 boulders for aquatic habitat, creating
40 vegetated rain garden treatment areas
to capture and infiltrate stormwater runoff,
seeding 8 acres with a mix of 30 native plants
and 103 native trees along the 60-foot-wide
Before
Figure 2. South Creek before and after restoration efforts.
IS
ts
South Creek Restoration Project Macroinvertebrate Monitoring


Pre- Post-


Mayflies
3 20

Water Qualitv Ratine
Gilled Snails
0 2


Riffle beetles
6 34
	-

Crayfish
12 21


18-23 = Good
>23 = Excellent
Ongoing efforts within the Wilsons Creek watershed
focus on improving the aquatic life designated use by
reducing impacts from urban runoff and preserving
and restoring the riparian corridor, streambanks, and
instream habitats.
Results
Biological assessments of South Creek were con-
ducted before (2014-2015) and after (2017-2020)
stream restoration efforts were completed. Five
sites were monitored to document changes in the
aquatic macroinvertebrate community, including one
upstream, three along the restored project reach,
and one downstream. The results showed that the
health of the aquatic macroinvertebrate populations
improved from poor-fair to good-excellent, with the
greatest improvements occurring within the restored
reach. The improved ratings were due to increases
in diversity and richness of aquatic organisms after
restoration (Figure 3).
Water quality modeling estimated a 15 percent
load reduction for both total nitrogen and total
phosphorus, as well as a 29 percent load reduction
for sediment. These load reductions are incremental
steps towards reducing the frequency of algal blooms
in excess of 100 milligrams per square meter (mg/m2)
and meeting the nutrient target recommendations in
the James River total maximum daily load (0.075 mil-
ligrams per liter [mg/L] total phosphorus and 1.5 mg/L
total nitrogen) which apply to all classified streams that
drain into impaired segments of the James River.
Figure 3. Aquatic macroinvertebrate data collected
before and after the ecological restoration efforts.
Partners and Funding
Key project partners included the City of Springfield,
Olsson, James River Basin Partnership, Ozark
Greenways (OG), Missouri State University,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Missouri
Department of Natural Resources, and Missouri
Department of Conservation (MDC). The total cost
of the South Creek project was $1,298,427 and
consisted of the City's match of $533,283; $144
in-kind from OG and the $765,000 CWA section 319
grant. Specific costs for design and construction were
$144,638 and $1,088,010; respectively. The required
40% match of $514,795 was provided through the
14-cent Capital Improvements Sales Tax and the 2006
Springfield-Greene County Parks/Waterways Sales
Tax, in-kind staff time, and a $10,000 MDC Community
Conservation Grant.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA 841-F-20-0Q1HH
December 2020
For additional information contact:
Carrie Lamb
City of Springfield, Missouri
417-864-1996 • clamb@springfieldmo.gov
Trish Rieily
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
573-526-4662 • trish.rielly@dnr.mo.gov

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