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Little Sac Watershed Restoration Project
The Little Sac River watershed encompasses about 400 square miles of the 1970 square mile Sac River basin in southwest Missouri. There are two drinking water reservoirs and one 27-mile stream segment within this watershed on the state's final 303 (d) list. Nutrients and fecal coliform are pollutants responsible for the listing - nutrients for the two reservoirs and fecal coliform for the Little Sac River. Furthermore, the Sac River watershed is the #3 priority watershed in the recently completed "Unified Watershed Assessment." Concerns relate to nutrient enrichment, biological impairment, drinking water source protection, karst geology and large numbers of livestock in the basin. The entire Little Sac watershed is a public water supply source area containing two reservoirs, Fellows and McDaniel Lakes, plus Fulbright Spring and Stockton Lake, all utilized for municipal water supplies. The large intake on Stockton Lake is designed to serve the high growth areas of Springfield and Greene County for the next fifty years. From the drinking water source protection standpoint, the pollutants of greatest concern are nutrients and sediment. Therefore, these pollutants will be the priority targets for this restoration project.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Watershed Committee will provide overall coordination for the project by utilizing federal 319 funds and match funds to hire a Project Coordinator. City Utilities and the Watershed Committee will provide analytical support, the Missouri Department of Conservation and Soil and Water Conservation Districts will provide technical assistance and the Watershed Committee, Southwest Missouri State University, and Stream Teams will provide monitoring support.
Monitoring will occur in two phases. Through a 104 (b) cooperative proposal with the USGS, sources and types of fecal bacteria in the watershed will be evaluated and nutrient and sediment levels will be assessed, both at base flows and during storm events. Though this federally funded project will not be used as a cost-share, it will provide the nonpoint source project with a better focus for implementing a monitoring program. Complementing this generalized sampling program will be a focused, sub-watershed specific monitoring program conducted jointly by Southwest Missouri State University, City Utilities and the Watershed Committee. This program will look more closely at water quality in each of the six identified sub-watersheds as well as providing evaluation for restoration sites implemented during the project.
OBJECTIVES
Practices implemented through the project will focus on nutrient management in riparian zones and channel stabilization and will include planned grazing systems, pasture enhancement, alternative watering systems, livestock exclusion, bank stabilization, and relocation of feeding areas. Cost-share may be used to supplement and enhance existing programs such as EQIP and Streams for the Future. Restoration efforts will be directed toward those practices that will help to remove water bodies from the 303 (d) list. On-site wastewater and abandoned wells could be included if identified by guidance teams or focused monitoring as priority concerns.
PRODUCTS
Educational efforts implemented will support and complement monitoring and restoration components. For example, sub-watershed guidance team will help to define specific monitoring strategies and tailor outreach efforts to landowners. Surveys will be used to help discern landowner attitudes about cost-share. Field days and workshops will be conducted in each sub-watershed to support restoration efforts. A portion of the education/outreach activities will also focus on sediment and erosion control workshops for developers and contractors. A 'Developer of the Year Award' will be presented to those developers whom implement best management practices. These activities will be helpful in addressing the urban impacts of non-point source pollution in the Little Sac watershed.
Project period: October 1, 2000--September 30, 2005
SPONSORS
Watershed Committee of the Ozarks
COOPERATING AGENCIES
The primary partners in the Little Sac project will be the Watershed Committee, City Utilities of Springfield, Southwest Missouri State University, Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District, Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Missouri Department of Conservation. Other partners include Stream Teams in the watershed, Dade County SWCD, Cedar County SWCD, Ozark Greenways, Greene County Resource Management, County Health Departments, the Missouri Department of Health and the Stockton Lake Watershed Committee
CONTACT
Watershed Committee of the Ozarks
320 North Main
Springfield, MO 65806
Loring Bullard, Director
telephone: 417-866-1127
email: loring@watershedcommittee.org
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