Brooks Tramell

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Nutrient Load Reductions and Streambank
Stabilization in Oklahomas Peacheater Creek
Watershed Successful Implementation of
Agricultural BMPs

• Brooks Tramell
• Oklahoma Conservation Commission
• Water Quality Programs

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A Tale of Struggles and Successes with
Implementation and Monitoring
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Peacheater/Tyner Watersheds
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Water Quality Problems

• Problems- Causes of Water Quality Impairments
• Nutrients- Phosphorus
• Fecal Bacteria
• Sediment/Gravel
• Potential Sources of Pollutants
• Agriculture
• Septic Systems

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OCC Programs to Address Problems

• Funded by EPA Clean Water Act Section 319
• Programs included
• Assessment
• Education
• Planning
• Implementation

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Project Overview

• Worked through Conservation Districts and with
  local NRCS
• Adair and Cherokee County Conservation Districts
• Hired Local Project Staff
• Targeted Practices towards most significant
  sources

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319 Implementation Funding

• Peacheater/Tyner Implementation Funding
• State/Federal Funds- 159,779.90
• Landowner Funds- 41,549.77
• Total Funding- 201,329.67

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Practices Offered

• Riparian Area Management- 90
• Buffer/Filter Strip Establishment- 80
• Streambank Stabilization- 80
• Composters/Animal Waste Storage Facilities- 50
• Pasture Establishment / Management- 75

• Proper Waste Utilization- .06, .08, .15 per
  pound to use litter on farm, elsewhere in
  watershed, or outside of watershed
• Heavy Use Areas- 80
• Rural Waste Systems- 80

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Practices Implemented
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Implementation in the Peacheater Creek Watershed
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Monitoring

• Water Quality
• Physical
• Biological

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Sampling Regimen- Water Chemistry

• Weekly Grabs Feb. June, monthly grabs July
  January
• Hi-flow samples collected with automated samplers

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Site Monitoring Constraints
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• EPA method 841-F-93-009 developed by J. Spooner
  and J.C. Clausen from North Carolina State
  University and University of Connecticut.

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Change in Total P Load
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Peacheater TP Loading Regressions
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Additional Significant Improvements

• Peacheater Creek
• Significant decreases in Average Annual TN
  Loading (59)

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Additional Efforts to Implement BMPs Targeting
Water Quality

• NRCS Local Emphasis Areas- EQIP
• State Poultry Litter Regulations
• Priority Watershed Implementation

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Physical and Biological Monitoring
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Physical Habitat Monitoring

• In-stream Habitat
• Bank Erosion

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In-stream Habitat

• Habitat variability low during base flow
  conditions
• Habitat variability high within short reaches
  between high flow events but overall parameters
  such as wetted width/depth ratios, substrate
  size, cover, etc. remained near mean values

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Erosion Measures and Nutrient Loading
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Site Monitoring Constraints
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Erosion Measurement Results
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Erosion Measurement Results
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Nutrient loading was calculated using an actual
measured soil density constant, bank erosion
volume, and bank soil nutrient concentration.
where NL nutrient load from bank SD
soil density constant EV erosion
volume N nutrient concentration
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Loading From Erosion

• Nutrient concentrations were higher at three
  sites during post-implementation
• Overall nutrient loading from bank erosion
  decreased
• More sites were initially monitored than the
  results indicate. Most sites were not continually
  monitored due to lost bench-marks.

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Bank Nutrient Loading
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What Have We Learned

• Producers are willing to cooperate
• The Conservation District/OCC partnership is an
  effective one
• Practices are working- documented phosphorus load
  reductions
• Funding limits the number of practices that can
• be installed
• More practices need to be installed to meet
  downstream water quality goals
• WQ Monitoring is worth the effort

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Solutions to NPS WQ Problems

• Require Local Commitment
• Documentation of Progress/Success
• Limited by Funding and Degree of
• Local Cooperation

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Acknowledgements

• Shanon Phillips, Greg Kloxin, Stacey Day, Ben
  Berry, OCC WQ
• Otis Bennett, OCC WQ
• EPA Region 6
• NCSU