Mud Creek Urban Nonpoint Source Demonstration

Northwest Arkansas is the seventh fastest developing area in the nation. The conversion of rolling pastureland into paved city streets, parking lots, and buildings within this rapidly urbanizing region is reducing infiltration and intensifying stormwater runoff. In the city of Fayetteville alone, the population increased from 42,099 to 58,163 between 1990 and 1999, moving the city across the population threshold which will require the Phase II Stormwater Permit process. Approximately half of Fayetteville is included in the Illinois River Watershed, which has been identified as the third highest priority watershed in need of restoration in the state of Arkansas. Mud Creek, an urban tributary to the Illinois River, receives half of the treated effluent from the Fayetteville municipal wastewater treatment plant in addition to capturing residential and commercial runoff in Northeast Fayetteville. Pollutants including sediment, nutrients, bacteria and chemicals can be channeled off residential lawns, parking lots, and construction sites, through stormdrains, and into area water resources. For these reasons, the Mud Creek sub-basin of the Illinois River was the focus of an EPA 319(h) grant-funded project focusing on urban NPS prevention education. The Mud Creek Project was the first of it’s kind in Arkansas to target urban audiences, promoting their role and responsibility in improving and protecting the water quality in an urbanizing watershed

Continuation of Illinois River Water Quality Monitoring of Moores Creek

In Northwest Arkansas, nutrients transported by surface water are a major concern. These nutrients are implicated in causing water quality impairment of lakes in Northwest Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. The nutrients of concern are nitrogen and phosphorus. Nitrogen and phosphorus stimulate algae production in water bodies and can cause objectionable water quality. Problems associated with algae growth are aesthetic impairment, objectionable taste and odor of potable water, interference with recreation activities, and fish kills in some hyper-eutrophic cases. The sources of these nutrients are primarily from land application of confined animal wastes as soil amendments to pastures. In 1990, the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Cooperative Extension Service (CES) and U. S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) initiated a program in the Muddy Fork watershed of the Illinois River. This program focused on implementing best management practices (BMP) in the watershed that would reduce nutrient losses from pastures. Education, technical assistance, and cost sharing was the approach used by these agencies to encourage BMP implementation. The predominant BMPs implemented were nutrient management, pasture and hay-land management, waste utilization, dead poultry compo sting, and waste storage structures. In 1991, the Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission (ASWCC) and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sponsored a monitoring project in the Lincoln Lake Basin. The Lincoln Lake Basin, part of the Muddy Fork watershed, received appreciable BMP implementation by the CES and NRCS. The objective of this monitoring project was to demonstrate the effectiveness of the implemented BMPs in reducing nutrient transport from the pastures in this intensively managed area. Nutrient transport by Moores Creek and Beatty Branch, the two streams that feed Lincoln Lake, was monitored from September 1991 until April 1994 (Edwards et al., 1996 and 1997). During storm flow conditions, significant decreases in mean concentrations and mass transport of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), ammonia-nitrogen (NH3- N), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were observed in this watershed and attributed to BMP implementation. There were no decreases in total phosphorus (TP) or total suspended solids (TSS). Likewise, during base flow conditions, significant decreases of NH3-N, TKN, and COD were observed. After the end of this initial monitoring project, the stream monitoring continued on a limited basis in the Lincoln Lake basin. This report will compare the results of continued monitoring to the findings of the first project. This supplemental monitoring was conducted from 1 January 1995 until 30 September 1997

Completion Report: Arkansas State Pesticides in Ground Water Monitoring Project

Executive Summary. The Arkansas State Plant Board (ASPB) has completed a monitoring project in Ashley County, Arkansas. Twenty-nine samples from 23 wells were analyzed for 10 pesticides commonly used in Ashley County. The only detection was Metolachlor, at 0. 71 ug/L, in one well. When the well was subsequently resampled no pesticides were detected. Fifteen of the wells were also tested for nitrate. In one of the wells nitrate was measured at 10.3 mg/L. The other wells were all below 0.05 mg/L. Extensive quality assurance (QA) data collected during the project indicate that 94% of the pesticide data meet all EPA requirements for useable data. Though technically suspect, the remaining 6%--due to redundant quality control measures--are considered acceptable

Extended Water Quality Monitoring of the Lincoln Lake Watershed

For seven years, the Lincoln Lake (Moores Creek and Beatty Branch) watershed was monitored for improvements in water quality resulting from agricultural best management practices (BMP) implemented to reduce nutrient transport. During the first three years of monitoring (1991 to 1994), nitrogen transport declined significantly (Edwards et al., 1994, 1996, and 1997) under both base and storm flow conditions. This decline in nitrogen transport was again observed in the three-year period following 1994 (Vendrell et al. 1998). This monitoring effort has demonstrated that water quality bas improved in the Lincoln Lake watershed. However, since the nitrogen transport continued to decline and there was some indication that phosphorus may begin to decline, monitoring was extended for another year (1998)

Monitoring Cavefish Populations and Environmental Quality in Cave Springs Cave, Arkansas

Cave Springs Cave, Benton County, Arkansas, was monitored from October 1997 to June 1998 to determine the chemical and physical environmental quality and the status of the population of threatened Ozark cavefish, Amblyopsis rosae. The majority of the chemical parameters measured were indicative of adequate environmental quality in the Cave Springs Cave ecosystem. However, several significant problems were revealed. A trend analysis of known water quality studies of this cave complex suggests that many organic and inorganic chemicals have increased in concentration in the last 14 years. This ecologically sensitive water body did not meet Arkansas water quality regulations for fecal coliform densities, and copper, selenium, and lead concentrations exceeded limits for exposure to aquatic life. The geometric mean total coliform count for base flows was 500 MPN/100ml, and during the March storm event, coliform densities exceeded 20,000 MPN/100ml. When compared to the national primary drinking water regulations, this spring water exceeds the maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for turbidity, nitrite, total coliforms, and Escherichia coli, and approaches the MCL’s for copper and zinc. During the March storm event, Escherichia coli densities exceeded 5,000 MPN/100ml. During the June storm event, nitrite levels reached 2 mg/L, twice the MCL for national drinking water standards. Nitrite toxicity is known to cause severe anemia in fishes and damage their tissues. One semi-volatile organic, Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), was found in significant concentration (500 ug/kg) in resident crayfish tissue. DEHP is known to bioaccumulate in fish tissue, and cause reproductive damage and reduced fertility in fish. A visual survey was performed on January 25, 1998, and 106 cavefish were sighted. This survey indicated a 30% decline in the Cave Springs Cave population. A comparison of base-flow sampling results at two different locations -- upstream and downstream of bat rookeries -- indicates that the majority of coliform bacteria are not attributed to bat guano. These findings suggest that bacteria are being imported into the cave stream from the recharge zone. The high nitrite, total coliform, and E. coli counts suggest that septic system leakage or the land application of animal waste is involved. Continued water quality monitoring and surveys of the Ozark cavefish population are recommended. Future monitoring should focus on storm events and parameters that measure pollutants originating from the recharge zone and their effect on the cave ecosystem. As well, investigation into the nature of the pollutants from the recharge zone is suggested

Ground Water Monitoring Project for Arkansas, Phase III

This report is composed of two parts. The first part is an interpretation of the pesticide and nitrate data collected in Woodruff County based on samples collected during 1994. Because there is an indication that there were hydrological differences between 1994 and 1995, and because most of the pesticide data is from 1994, this interpretive portion is restricted to 1994 data. Six wells initially sampled in 1994 that contained pesticides had continuing contamination in re-sampling in 1994 and 1995. Part II lists a seventh well in Woodruff County that contained pesticides in February and May of 199

Completion Report: Pesticide and Nitrate Monitoring Results for Craighead, Mississippi, and Poinsett Counties, Arkansas: Phase II

Because of the concern for potential contamination of ground water by agricultural chemicals, 38 wells drilled in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer in Mississippi County and the eastern parts of Craighead and Poinsett Counties, Arkansas were analyzed for pesticides and nitrate. The pesticide, fluometuron, was detected in one sample at a concentration of 0.5 mg/L. Bentazon was detected in three samples at concentrations of 2.5, 0.3, and 0.3 mg/L. The occurrences of the pesticides appear to represent isolated incidents rather than a widespread aquifer contamination. All detections were below health and safety standards. Nitrate is present in several wells at concentrations above 0.15 mg/L, one of which exceeded the EPA established maximum contaminant level for drinking water of 10 milligrams per liter as nitrogen. Except for two wells nitrate and iron are not present together at concentrations above 0.15 mg!L. This is probably due to microbially mediated reactions. Nitrate concentrations above 0.15 mg/L is only present in wells that are less than 60 feet deep and near permeable soils. Iron is present in wells that are not near permeable soils or wells that are greater than 40 feet deep, and may exceed 1 mg/L in some cases

Upper White River BMP Implementation Project (NPS Final Report)

The project objective was to monitor agricultural best management practices implemented to minimize sediment, nutrient, and bacterial impact on water quality of the Upper White River watershed. The project targeted the primary agricultural causes of non-point source nutrient and bacterial pollution in three sub-basins of the White River in the Beaver Lake Watershed. Areas with high animal densities targeted high source areas. High source areas were treated with best management practices (BMP) in an effort to reduce the impact to the White River and Beaver Lake. The predominant BMP implemented was waste management, a component of the farm nutrient management plan

Water quality in Georgia’s private drinking water wells

The University of Georgia’s Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories (AESL) conduct a water-testing program for private drinking water wells. In a review of over 27,000 tests done during the ten years from 1993 through 2004, the most common problems were low pH (data not shown), and high levels of manganese and iron. Approximately 15 and 18% of the household wells tested had iron and manganese levels above the EPA’s secondary drinking water standards of 0.3 and 0.05 ppm, respectively. As primarily a consequence of pipe and fixture corrosion caused by low pH, alkalinity, and ionic strength waters, 4 and 6% of the samples had copper and lead levels above 1.3 ppm and 15 ppb, the EPA maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for copper and lead, respectively. Four percent of the samples tested had nitrate-N levels above the EPA’s MCL of 10 ppm. High nitrate levels appear more often in shallow groundwater and may be a result of poor wellhead protection. Bacterial tests on 1413 well water samples submitted from 2002 to 2004 indicated about 41 and 7% of the wells had positive detections for total coliform bacteria and E. coli, respectively.Sponsored by: Georgia Environmental Protection Division U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Water Science Center U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Water Resources Institute The University of Georgia, Water Resources Facult

Effect of BMP Implementation on Storm Flow Quality of Two Northwestern Arkansas Streams

The effectiveness of management practices in improving quality of runoff from agricultural land areas has been reported based primarily on results from plot- and field-scale studies. There is limited information available on watershed scales, particularly when the dominant agricultural land use is pasture. The objective of this study was to determine whether a program of Best Management Practice (BMP) implementation in the Lincoln Lake watershed of northwestern Arkansas was effective in reducing storm stream flow concentrations and mass transport of nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), ortho-phosphorus (PO4-P), total phosphorus (TP), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total suspended solids (TSS). Storm flow quality of the two main tributaries to Lincoln Lake was monitored from September 1991 to April 1994. Significant decreases (from 23 to 75% per year) in both concentrations and mass transport of NO3-N, NH3-N, TKN, and COD occurred concurrently with BMP implementation. The decreases in nitrogen and COD concentrations and mass transport are attributed to BMP implementation, and the BMP most responsible for these decreases is most likely nutrient management