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SURFACE WATER QUALITY CHARACTERIZATION OF THE JAMES RIVER BASIN
The James River is located in southwest Missouri and drains 987 square miles including five counties to Table Rock Lake. Several urban areas are located in this watershed including Springfield and fast-growing Nixa and Branson areas. Surface water quality problems in the James River have been documented since 19651. The current concern is the loadings of nutrients, especially phosphorus, from sewage treatment plants and the runoff of phosphorus and nitrogen from urban and agricultural nonpoint sources. Also, Table Rock Lake is showing stress resulting from eutrophication, particularly near the James River arm. There are extensive data documenting the decline in clarity and increase of chlorophyll (algae) in this lake2.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The department proposes water quality and flow data collection in the James River basin to estimate loads of nitrogen and phosphorus. These data will also be used in a watershed model to allocate loads of nutrients from point and nonpoint sources.
The department will enter into a contract with the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division (USGS) to accomplish the objectives of this study. USGS has expertise in the proposed outcome of this study that will provide the department with high quality defensible data that will be used in the TMDL decision-making process.
The contract with USGS involves five selected sites in the James River Basin to address gaps in overlapping flow and water quality data. This contract runs from May 15,2001 to May 14, 2002. A table of parameters to be collected and analyzed may be found in the USGS proposal. Because the James River TMDL looks at each major tributary separately to assess its contribution to the James, three new stream flow gages need to be installed at the following tributaries.
1. There are no data for Finley Creek, so a gage will be installed at Riverdale in order to identify the potential pollutant loading coming from this tributary and target implementation measures and resources to areas of concern.
2. There was a stream gage at Boaz on the James, operating between 1972 and 1980. Data from this gage were used to model the Boaz sub-basin of the TMDL, but they are dated and considered inaccurate for today's conditions. Therefore, a new stream gage will be installed at Boaz.
3. A gage is also needed on Wilson Creek at Brookline for the same reasons just cited for Boaz. Additionally, although this site is only 3.5 miles upstream from a USGS gage above the Battlefield, a large spring that receives discharge from the Springfield wastewater treatment plant empties into the creek between the gages. The Brookline gage data will help define the WWTP contribution.
OBJECTIVES
1. Expand the water quality data collection network in the James River basin to better quantify sources and loadings of nutrients.
2. Augment the Phase I Continuous Monitoring Plan identified in this TMDL.
One of the objectives for this plan is to document changes in water quality and progress toward attaining water quality standards.
3. Recalculate the TMDL, if necessary, using a more sophisticated model or calculation.
4. Obtain data to help in development of TMDLs for Pearson and Wilson Creek. These creeks are listed as impaired by unknown toxicity from urban nonpoint sources.
PRODUCTS
1. Revised QAPP. Date: May 31, 2001
2. Two hard copies and an electronic version of data collected. Date: June 30, 2002
PROJECT SPONSOR
U.S GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
CONTACT
1400 Independence Road
Mailstop 100
Rolla, MO 65401
James H. Barks
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