Title:

G04-NPS-09 Little Sac Integrated Economic and Environmental Assessment

Sponsor:

University of Missouri - Columbia/Baffaut

Project Manager:

claire Buffaut
310 Jesse Hall
Columbia, MO 65211
573-882-1251

Project Period:

10/1/2003 - 3/31/2005

319 Grant Funds:

$121,144

Project Description:

Executive Summary: (Include a brief statement of the problem, description of the project, objectives, products and partners.)
Project description:

This project will conduct a holistic environmental assessment of the Little Sac River watershed that takes into account the factors that contribute to the degradation of the stream water quality in terms of nutrients and bacteria, and the economic feasibility of alternative management scenarios. The analysis will produce the information necessary to develop a bacteria Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Little Sac River watershed that accounts for both point and non-point source pollutant loadings and incorporates a margin of safety to meet the zero percent violation of the state water quality standard for fecal coliform for fresh waters. In addition it will provide the information necessary for a local steering committee to address the nutrient water quality problems and develop an environmentally and economically feasible watershed management plan.

Objectives:
1. Establish a steering committee for the Little Sac River watershed in cooperation with local organizations and state and federal agencies.
2. Analyze available data.
3. Develop a SWAT model of the Little Sac River watershed.
4. Provide a baseline assessment of the current management practices within the watershed.
5. Increase understanding of economic impacts of meeting water quality criteria.
6. Provide measures of environmental effectiveness of alternative management practices.
7. Present findings of modeled environmental and economic consequences of current and alternative land management practices at MDNR's Little Sac River public meetings.
8. Summarize in reports and presentations to stakeholders the information necessary to develop a long-range watershed management plan by identifying economically and environmentally acceptable strategies.

Products:
1. Detailed assessment of alternative management practices in the Little Sac River watershed.
2. A report assessing the attainability of proposed water quality criteria and the economic feasibility of management alternatives.
3. A report to MDNR to provide the necessary support documentation for the TMDL and help them writing the TMDL for approval by USEPA.
4. Facts sheets with model assessment of the effectiveness of water quality measures, their efficacy, and their cost.
5. Presentations at regional meetings and articles in technical and outreach publications.

Project Sponsor:
The Curators of the University of Missouri