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Show-Me Clean Streams
The Bonne Femme and Little Bonne Femme creeks, along with their tributaries, in southern Boone County are the major focus of this project. These tributaries include Bass Creek, Turkey Creek, Fox Hollow Branch, Smith Branch, Devil's Icebox Branch, Gans Creek, Clear Creek, and Mayhen Creek. The geographic area comprises 92.4 square miles. Major land uses include row cropping, livestock grazing, residential development, and recreation. Multiple agencies and private citizens have jurisdiction over streams and adjacent lands in the watersheds, but the majority of stream segments are owned by private landowners.
Major threats to stream and water quality include the collapse of stream banks; deforestation of riparian areas; microbial contamination from on-site sewage systems; sediments, nutrients and pesticides in storm water runoff from residential, commercial, and industrial sites; animal wastes in storm water runoff from pastures; and sediments, nutrients, and pesticides in storm water runoff from row crops.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Residents of the Bonne Femme and Little Bonne Femme watersheds in Boone County have formed a partnership to identify local water quality problems and to develop community-based strategies to reduce non-point source water pollution. This project will focus on stream restoration and prevention of urban non-point sources. Activities will increase watershed resident awareness and coordinate volunteer and agency resources for stream restoration and demonstration of urban best management practices. This agreement is for the first two years' funding of a four-year project.
The project will involve the following:
1. Coordinate Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring. Volunteer water quality monitors are currently sampling or plan to begin sampling at eight sites within the project watersheds. This project will coordinate and standardize on-going water quality monitoring and incorporate new monitoring components to assess fecal coliform, E. coli, phosphates, and suspended solids. During the late fall and winter, water quality monitoring will be conducted on at least a quarterly basis . During the spring, summer, and early fall, all sites will be monitored on a monthly basis. Volunteer water quality monitors will also begin monitoring for physical changes (e.g. stream bank collapse, sedimentation) in selected segments of stream channels in the project watersheds. This monitoring will be conducted on a monthly basis. Training will be provided to volunteers for recognizing physical changes in the stream channels. Problems will be communicated to the local landowner with information and suggestions on strategies for solving the problems. Monitoring will also be conducted below stream restoration sites to detect water quality improvements following stream stabilization and riparian area planting. The results from volunteer water quality monitoring will be used to guide program development as well as evaluate the overall project.
2. Work with the Watershed Steering Committee. A Watershed Steering Committee has been formed with representatives from several of the major stakeholder groups in the project watersheds, and it will be expanded to include 25 stakeholders with an interest in the watersheds.
3. Coordinate watershed planning efforts with the SALT AGNPS project. Watershed residents have already indicated that urban, as well as agricultural, sources of water pollution should be addressed in the Bonne Femme and Little Bonne Femme watershed projects. This project will focus on incorporating urban concerns into the watershed planning and implementation process.
4. Publish and distribute a bi-annual newsletter to watershed residents throughout the project. The newsletter will include information on recent water quality monitoring results, current or imminent threats to water quality, education opportunities for youth and other watershed residents, volunteer stream presentation activities planned for the next six months, best management practice demonstrations in the watersheds, technical guidance for implementing best management practices, and other water quality issues that will be selected by watershed residents. The newsletter will also feature watershed residents who have successfully adopted best management practices and provide space for letters or opinion pieces from local residents.
5. Prepare brief articles and news releases to be submitted to local newspapers and other newsletters that are distributed to watershed residents. Articles and news releases will focus on events such as the impact of heavy spring rains on on-site sewage lagoons; features on residents who have adopted best management practices; and announcements of educational presentations, watershed appreciation events, and volunteer stream preservation activities.
6. Coordinate the implementation of ten water quality presentations per year that are designed for adults and youth at all school levels. The presentations will integrate conservation and economic concerns in a fashion that will inform the public as well as outline positive opportunities for protecting the environment. Multi-media presentations will include color slides of natural areas and agricultural lands in the project watersheds, videos of stream preservation activities, brochures describing best management practices, and demonstrations of water quality monitoring techniques.
7. Coordinate ten watershed appreciation events per year for watershed residents. The volunteer-led events will include cave explorations, interpretative hikes along streams in the Three Creeks State Conservation Area and Rock Bridge Memorial sate Park, student field trips to karst areas and streams in the watersheds, and tours of demonstration sites where land owners have adopted best management practices.
8. Coordinate a five-hour watershed appreciation festival to be held on a Friday in the spring of each year, for fourth, fifth, and sixth grade youth.
9. Present annual water quality protection awards to five watershed residents who contribute the most to water quality protection. Awards will be presented to a farmer, home owner, watershed resident involved in increasing public awareness of water quality, stream preservation volunteer, and a student who has provided leadership for other students.
10. Recruit volunteers to assist in stream cleanups, stream bank stabilization, and riparian area planting. Watershed awareness information will be provided to volunteers at all stream preservation events. Project staff will carefully monitor the volunteer stream preservation activities.
11. Coordinate six volunteer stream cleanups each year. Project staff will identify the stream segments most in need of attention and secure permission from local landowners for cleanup activities. Project staff will ensure proper disposal of trash to be removed from streams.
12. Coordinate stream bank stabilization projects on privately owned lands. Project staff will seek close cooperation between land owners who volunteer to participate and staff from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Volunteers will be recruited to assist in the placement of trees and other tasks. Riparian area planting will accompany all stream bank stabilization projects and also occur in areas where riparian areas are degraded, but stream banks remain intact. Wherever possible, riparian area planting will be combined with fencing and alternative watering sources that will exclude livestock from riparian areas.
13. Work with the Watershed Steering Committee to identify critical areas and best management practices for promotion in the Bonne Femme and Little Bonne Femme watersheds. Technical assistance will be provided by a SALT AGNPS staff person for adoption of agricultural best managements practices. Section 319 funds will be used to fund a part-time staff person who will be subcontracted to the Boone County Soil and Water Conservation District to provide technical assistance for adoption of urban best management practices. Staff supported by the 319 project will work directly with watershed residents and make referrals to assist with on-site sewage system modifications and other urban best management practices.
14. Coordinate demonstrations of best management practices. Construction of demonstation sites will be 75% supported by 319 funds. Watershed residents will be required to provide 25% of the costs.
15. Prepare invoices, quarterly progress reports and financial reports and submit as required to the MDNR.
16. Prepare and submit an interim two-year project report to the MDNR.
OBJECTIVES
1. To improve water quality by:
a. Reduction of mean annual fecal coliform concentrations in stream water to 80% or less of baseline levels at all regular water quality monitoring sites
b. Improvement of mean annual invertebrate species diversity index by 1.5 or more points from baseline levels at all water monitoring sites
2. To protect Endangered Species through the development of self-sustaining Topeka Shiner populations in Bonne Femme, Turkey, and Bass Creeks.
3. To ensure the adoption of the following best management practices in the watersheds:
a. Storm water sediment, nutrient and chemical best management practices in 20% of new and existing residential, commercial, and industrial developments
b. Alternative on-site sewage systems for 12 homes
c. Maintenance schedules for on-site sewage systems by 24 homeowners
d. Nutrient management and integrated pest management strategies by 20% of residential, commercial, and industrial developments.
4. To restore streams and riparian areas by:
a. Stabilization of 900 linear feet of stream bank per year
b. Planting of 4,500 feet of buffer strips in riparian areas
5. To bring about long-term protection of the Bonne Femme and Little Bonne Femme Watersheds by working with the Boone County Commission to obtain formal recognition of special environmental status for the two watersheds in the Boone County Long-Range Plan.
PRODUCTS
The project hopes to accomplish improvements in water quality, recovery of Topeka Shiner populations, adoption of best management practices, progress on stream restoration, and formal recognition of special environmental status for the Bonne Femme and Little Bonne Femme watersheds.
PROJECT SPONSOR
Bonne Femme Watershed Partnership
COOPERATING AGENCIES
Missouri Department of Conservation
SALT AGNPS
Boone County Soil and Water Conservation
CONTACT
Show-Me Clean Streams
9642 S. Route N
Columbia, MO 65203
James R. Davis 573-657-6108
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