|
Bonne Femme Creek Watershed - Water Quality Restoration Project
Bonne Femme Watershed encompasses an area of 59,702 acres in Southern Boone County. The watershed has several Outstanding State Resource streams combined with sensitive karst areas that are vulnerable to water quality degradation. The area is close to the rapidly growing cities of Columbia and Ashland. Population growth over the last ten years has increased at a rate of 40%, and high growth rates are anticipated over the next few decades. Losing stream are common in the watershed. Surface stream water, originating from the glacial upland areas, infiltrates directly into cave streams as exemplified by the streams in Devil's Icebox and Hunter's Caves. Therefore, surface land-use and management practices have a direct impact on the water quality of the cave streams and their unique ecology. Streams within the watershed have also been shown to have fecal coliform levels in excess of current whole body contact standards. Without proper education and planning, development in the watershed will degrade the water quality of streams n the watershed. This project will build upon the planning foundation developed under previous AgNPS SALT and 319 projects.
Project Description
During the first phase, the Southern Boone County Karst Team will update the watershed management plan by collecting data from previous 319 and salt projects, reviewing the data, and adding current water quality data. Additionally, a sub-watershed sensitivity analysis will be included in the watershed management plan. This data will be used during the second phase of the project to focus efforts on septic demonstrations, and conservation development BMP's. The first phase will also include education and outreach. Some of these efforts include website development, photo journals, newsletters and news releases, as well as presentations to local organizations, schools, and planning boards. To accomplish these objectives, the commission plans to hire a full-time urban conservationist, and form steering, policy and advisory committees.
Objectives
1. To reduce watershed degradation from future urbanization by providing technical and financial assistance to developers, builders, and property owners to encourage adoption of BMPs, through public meetings and training seminars.
2. To provide elected officials with scientifically based land-use policies through the formation of policy and citizen advisory committees.
3. To conduct monitoring of current watershed water quality conditions at 10 sites within the watershed and monitor the pollution reducing impacts of installed BMPs.
4. To provide access to stream monitoring data, research results and project information to watershed residents by the use of newsletters, website, and presentations.
Products
? Update of WQMP
? Watershed Sensitivity Analysis
? QAPP
? Website
? GIS
? Watershed Database
? Handouts
? Powerpoint Presentations
? Photo Journal
? Press Releases
? Newsletters
? Cave Mapping and restoration
? Watershed Forum
? Dye Tracing Study
? Quarterly and Final Reports
Project Sponsor
Boone County Commission
Cooperating Agencies
MDNR, MDC, USDA - ARS, DHSS, UMC, Boone County Soil and Water conservation District, Boone County Planning, and Building Inspection, and the City of Columbia Planning and Zoning Department.
Contact
Bill Florea
Boone County Commission
801 E Walnut
Columbia, MO 65201-7730
573-886-4330
|
