West Fork of the White River

Washington County Conservation District

2898 Point Circle #2

Fayetteville, AR 72704

To contact us:

Phone: (479)442-4160 ext. 3

Fax: (479)444-8726

E-mail: casey.dunigan@ar.nacdnet.net

Introduction

The WFWR watershed, located in Northwest Arkansas, is a major tributary of Beaver Lake, which is the primary drinking water source in Northwest Arkansas. As defined by Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality’s (ADEQ) Regulation 2, the WFWR is designated for propagation of fish and wildlife, primary and secondary contact recreation, and domestic, agricultural and industrial water supplies.

The aquatic life use was assessed as not supported in 33.4 miles of the WFWR, because of high turbidity levels and excessive silt loads (ADEQ, 2002) and was placed on the State of Arkansas’s 303 (d) list of impaired streams in 1998. Stream bank erosion and soil erosion along the river are potentially the greatest causes of sediment into the WFWR and contributors of high turbidity values in the watershed. This stream also has a reduced fish assemblage, and Brown et al. (2003) recommended corrective actions including replanting of riparian vegetation including trees and shrubs.

Project Goals

This project will consist of two main components: (1) developing nutrient management plans, and (2) sharing the costs of installing the more expensive BMPs. Other components include educating the public about the project through fact sheets, newspaper articles, and public meetings and also developing a BMP demonstration site for alternative water facilities. The WCCD in cooperation with Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC) will share the costs of implementing BMPs in the priority watersheds (i.e., Group I) of the WFWR.

The WFWR project receives funding from the EPA through ANRC and will last through September 2010.

Nutrient Management Plans (NMP’s)

The Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District provides NMP’s to promote water quality improvement by enabling landowners to make informed land management decisions. The WFWR is in the state’s Nutrient Surplus Area. The NMP allows landowners to be in compliance with new poultry litter and fertilizer application laws.

The NMP contains poultry litter and commercial fertilizer application recommendations that are based on the Arkansas Phosphorus Index, aerial maps, buffer maps, soil maps, topographic maps, and other recommendations.

The Arkansas Phosphorus Index is an assessment of the vulnerability of the land to lose phosphorus in rainfall runoff; it accounts for the following factors:

Cost Share of Best Management Practices (BMPs)

Cost sharing is an important component in this project, as the costs of implementing land management practices is a deterrent to many landowners and managers.

This conservation program shares the cost of Best Management Practice (BMP) implementation with landowners at the rate of 40% of costs with a maximum payment of $7,500.

Cost shared management practices may include:

· Fencing

· Watering Sources

· Filter Strips

· Riparian Forest Buffers

· Riparian Herbaceous Cover

A demonstration site will be set up with some of these practices on the property of a willing landowner. Demonstration field days will be held that will be open to landowners, University students, government agencies, and other interested parties.

Non cost shared BMPs will include waste management, waste utilization, and nutrient management.

Implementing Best Management Practices in the West Fork of the White River (WFWR), Washington County, Arkansas

The WFWR Watershed.

Measures of Success and Performance

Success of this project will be shown by participation of landowners in the first priority reach who develop nutrient management plans (our goal is 25 plans), the installation of the BMP demonstration site, and our educational outreach both at the demonstration site and public meetings, and through papers and fact sheets that will be made available to the public.

References

ADEQ. 2002. Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report. Agency Report Prepared pursuant to Section 305(b) and 303(d) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Agency Report.

Brown, Arthur, Andrea Radwell, and Robin Reese. 2003. Bioassessment of the West Fork of the White River, Northwest, Arkansas. Publication No. MSC-307. Arkansas Water Resources Center, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.