Number 69 January 1995 ISSN 1062-9149
In 1989, the Kansas Pesticide Law was amended to authorize the Secretary of the Board of Agriculture to establish pesticide management areas (PMAs). In 1991, the Secretary initiated a process to determine if a PMA should be established. The Board of Agriculture created a PMA in the Delaware River Basin of northeastern Kansas in 1992 and, in doing so, made Kansas the first state in the nation to designate a PMA designed to address surface water quality.
The PMA, which was implemented in July of 1992, has as its principal focus the protection of waters of the basin from contamination by atrazine and other soil-applied herbicides. In addition to management and conservation practices and user educational components, the PMA program calls for development of strong water quality monitoring and best management practice (BMP) testing programs, as well as enforcement and evaluation. The PMA plan identifies mandatory and voluntary management practices designed to lower concentrations of atrazine. The purpose of the PMA plan is to bring the amount of atrazine to below the MCL.
The plan prohibits any use of atrazine within 500 feet of public surface water supplies; bans the application, mixing, or loading of the chemical within 100 feet of public drinking water supply wells or within 50 feet of all wells (unless an impervious mixing/loading pad is in place); and forbids use of atrazine on non-cropland lands, such as railroad and highway right-of-ways. The plan includes suggested application practices, and encourages the use of alternative weed control practices, stream buffer zones, and vegetative buffer strips.
In July, 1992, 11 water quality monitoring stations were installed in the basin and Perry Reservoir. Monitoring in the lower river reaches and Perry Reservoir area is conducted by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, while sampling in the upper reaches and tributaries is performed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). During periods of high stream flow, water samples are automatically collected several times per day. At low flow, samples are collected about weekly. Analysis of atrazine concentrations is handled by personnel at the USGS laboratories in Lawrence, Kansas.
Attention is also being focused on reducing atrazine concentration spikes in the tributaries to Perry Reservoir. The 1993 average of the highest readings at the 10 monitoring stations of streams flowing into the reservoir was 37.9 ppb. If there were quarterly or monthly sampling of these tributaries, and even one of the samples occurred during such a spike, the average concentrations for the year would exceed 3 ppb.
Atrazine concentrations at the field edge and basin tributaries typically change both seasonally and with storm events. Highest inflows occur during the first two to four hours of a storm runoff event and immediately following chemical application to the farm field. Consequently, seasonal atrazine concentrations are highest in the spring (April, May, June). Lowest seasonal atrazine levels are found during the winter and early spring. Any measure that serves to: 1) reduce total pesticide applied, 2) hold or delay movement of the chemical contaminated water from the field, or 3) provide natural filtration will assist in reducing atrazine levels in the adjacent creek drainages.
It is hoped that the concentration spikes during the application periods will be lowered as more producers adopt BMPs for atrazine, switch to alternative weed control measures, and complete installation of grassed waterways and other land treatment steps.
An intensive widespread educational program has been instituted to promote integrated pest management and weed control alternatives to atrazine.
A research program geared toward examining ways to control atrazine losses and developing weed management alternatives is being implemented.
Monitoring of both land treatment and water quality is necessary to document the effectiveness of nonpoint source pollution controls in restoring water quality. The Section 319 National Monitoring Program, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is designed to support watershed projects throughout the country that meet a minimum set of project planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation requirements. The requirements are designed to lead to successful documentation of project effectiveness with respect to water quality protection or improvement. The National Monitoring Program projects comprise a small subset of nonpoint source control projects funded under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act Amendments of 1987. The following article continues a series describing these projects.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Otter Creek (Wisconsin)
Section 319 National Monitoring Program Project
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Project Synopsis
The Otter Creek Project covers 11 square miles in east central Wisconsin. Land use is primarily agriculture (mainly dairies and cropland) (72%) and forests (13%). Project area topography is predominantly level. The soils are clay loams or silty clay loams that have poor infiltration and poor percolation but high fertility.
Otter Creek has a warmwater forage fishery (non-sport fish such as chubs, dace, and sticklebacks). The fish community is degraded by poor habitat, in particular, lack of cover, disturbed streambanks, and the absence of pools. Silt and sediment deposits in the streambed have also reduced habitat quality.
Otter Creek is further degraded by total phosphorus and fecal coliform export from dairy barnyards, pastures, cropland, and alfalfa fields. Levels of fecal coliform often exceed the state standard of 400 counts/100 ml. Runoff from dairy operations is causing organic enrichment, severe degradation, and eutrophication of Otter Creek.
Recreational uses of the creek are limited by degraded fisheries and highly eutrophic and organically enriched stream waters.
Otter Creek delivers high concentrations of total phosphorus and fecal coliform to the Sheboygan River. These pollutants then travel to the near shore waters of Lake Michigan, which serves as a water supply and supports recreational fisheries.
Land treatment consists of cropland erosion control, streambank stabilization, nutrient and pesticide management, and barnyard management practices.
Land treatment is being monitored using an ARC/INFO geographic information system and will be updated annually. Specific pollutant source inventory methods are used to evaluate current conditions and land treatment implementation. Inventory methods include a procedure for evaluating upland sediment sources, streambank erosion, barnyard runoff, and runoff from the land application of animal waste. The status of conservation contracts and extent of land treatment implementation will be evaluated at the field and farmstead levels.
State grants are being provided to cover the cost of land treatment technical assistance and information and educational support.
Agencies cooperating in the project include the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, Sheboygan County Land Conservation Committees, and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Project Time Frame
Spring 1994 through spring 2001
Pre-Project Water Quality
Streambed sediments originating from eroding streambanks and over-grazed dairy pastures are reducing the numbers of forage fish and the potential for the stream to support a forage fishery comprised of intolerant species. Recent biological monitoring shows that water quality conditions in Otter Creek are producing tolerant- to very-tolerant forage fish. (Tolerance is the ability of a species to tolerate or survive environmental degradation and severe environmental conditions. Tolerant species of fish persist under degraded conditions). The stream fisheries rating, based on the Index of Biotic Integrity (Lyons, 1992), is very poor to fair.
The fisheries habitat evaluation (Simonson, et al. 1994) for Otter Creek is fair to good. Deposits of sediment in pools have been found to be over one foot deep. Embeddedness, a measure of substrate quality, measures between 25 and 100 percent. Highly embedded streambeds, as found in pastured areas, are detrimental to macroinvertebrates and fish. Macroinvertebrate monitoring and analysis (Hilsenhoff, 1987) resulted in water quality ratings of fair to good, with better ratings in headwaters and poorer ratings near the watershed outlet.
Project Water Quality Objectives
Land treatment design is based on the pollutant type and the source of the pollutant. Upland soils will be treated with cropland erosion control practices (grassed waterways, reduced tillage) to reduce sediment loss. Streambanks will be stabilized and cattle access limited by fencing. Barnyard structural practices will be installed, and nutrient management practices will be used for improvements in manure spreading operations. Barnyard management will also emphasize barnyard runoff management and manure storage facilities.
Critical area criteria are designed to reduce phosphorus and sediment loading to project area streams. Five of the six dairy operations in the project area were classified as critical; two of the five critical dairy operations spread enough manure so that their cropland was classified as critical. Critical areas also include steeply sloped fields, land in flood plains, and areas with depth to bedrock less than 24 inches. Streambank critical areas are the 6,200 feet of streambank trampled by cattle.
Water Quality Monitoring Design
Monitoring will be conducted in two control watersheds and at three fixed station water quality monitoring sites in the Otter Creek watershed. Water quality monitoring designs for the latter include multiple paired, above and below, and single outlet (before and after) monitoring.
Fisheries monitoring includes sampling fish species richness and composition, trophic and reproductive function, and individual abundance and condition. Fisheries data are summarized and interpreted based on the Index of Biotic Integrity (Lyons, 1992). Macroinvertebrate monitoring criteria include macroinvertebrate species or genera and numbers. Macroinvertebrate data are summarized and interpreted using the Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (Hilsenhoff , 1987). Habitat variables include riparian buffer width, bank erosion, pool area, stream width-to-depth ratio, riffle-to-riffle or bend-to-bend rating, percent fine sediments, and cover for fish. Habitat information is rated using the fish habitat rating system established for Wisconsin streams by Simonson et al. (1994).
Chemical monitoring variables include total and dissolved phosphorus, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, ammonia, nitrate and nitrite, turbidity, total suspended solids, and dissolved oxygen. Fecal coliform bacteria are also being monitored. Grab sampling and event monitoring are being used to document water quality. The schedule for chemical grab sampling and biological and habitat monitoring varies by station and by year. Chemical grab sampling occurred at a time characterized as midsummer-fall for 1990 and 1994 and during spring-midsummer in 1991. Future plans are for spring-midsummer monitoring in 1995 and 1999 and monitoring midsummer-fall for 1998. Fisheries, macroinvertebrate, and habitat monitoring is scheduled for midsummer in 1990, 1994, and 1998, and spring of 1991, 1995, and 1999.
Biological and habitat sampling are being conducted annually on Otter Creek and at one site in each of the control watersheds. One of the sampling sites on Otter Creek is also an outlet station that serves as the site for the single station before and after monitoring site. There are two mainstem sites above and below a critical area dairy.
Explanatory variables being measured are stream discharge and precipitation.
Water Quality Data Management and Analysis
All water quality data will be entered into the Wisconsin DNR data management system, WATSTORE (the U.S. Geological Survey national data base), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Nonpoint Source Management System software (NPSMS), and STORET.
Information, Education, and Publicity
Information and education (I&E) activities for this watershed project will be targeted to key audiences and potential users of the information. Activities will include developing a watershed folder for producers whose land is located in the critical area, fact sheets, tours of animal waste facilities, workshops, meetings, and youth activities. Combining public and private efforts into an effective educational approach will be an important emphasis of the I&E strategy.
For Further Information Contact
Administration:
Roger Bannerman, Nonpoint Source Section or
Michael Miller, Surface Water Standards and Monitoring Section
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
101 South Webster St. , Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707
Tel: (608) 266-9278 (Bannerman); (608) 267-2753 (Miller)
Fax: (608) 267-2800
Land Treatment:
Patrick Miles
Sheboygan County Land Conservation Department
650 Forest Ave., Sheboygan Falls, WI 53805
Tel: (414) 459-4360; Fax: (414) 459-2942
Water Quality:
Dave Graczyk
Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey
6417 Normandy Lane, Madison, WI 53719
Tel: (608) 276-3833; Fax: (608) 276-3817
Information and Education:
Andy Yenscha
University of Wisconsin - Extension
1304 S. 70th St., Suite 228, West Allis, WI 53214
Tel: (414) 475-2877
References
Hilsenhoff, W.L. 1982. Using a Biotic Index to Evaluate Water Quality in Streams. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Technical Bulletin No. 132, Madison Wisconsin. 22p.
Hilsenhoff, W.L. 1987. An improved Biotic Index of organic stream pollution. The Great Lakes Entomologist. p. 31-39.
Lyons, J. 1992. Using the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) to Measure the Environmental Quality of Warmwater Streams in Wisconsin. US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station, General Technical Report NC-149. 51p.
Simonson, T.D., J. Lyons, and P.D. Kanehl. 1994 . Guidelines for Evaluating Fish Habitat in Wisconsin Streams. US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station, General Technical Report NC-164. 36p.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. 1993. Otter Creek Evaluation Monitoring Project. Bureau of Water Resources Management, Nonpoint Sources and Land Management Section, Madison, Wisconsin. 27p.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. 1993. Nonpoint Source Control Plan for the Sheboygan River Priority Watershed Project. Bureau of Water Resources Management, Nonpoint Sources and Land Management Section, Madison, Wisconsin. 227p.
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Judith A. Gale, Editor
Water Quality Extension Specialist
North Carolina State University Water Quality Group
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Fax: 919-515-7448
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