NRES/NRCM Senior 2011 Capstone Course

http://www.coolmore.com/farm.php?country=america

Natural Resources Conservation and Management

Mary Arthur

NRES/NRCM Senior 2011 Capstone Course

http://www.coolmore.com/farm.php?country=america

Inner Bluegrass Region Karst topography

Limestone bedrock

Features: rolling hills, caves, disappearing streams, sinkholes

Fertile soils

Equine industry

Palisades

http://ookaboo.com/o/pictures/picture/12590891/R

egions_of_Kentucky_with_the_Western_Coa

Land Use Agriculture

Pasture/hay

Cultivated crops

Developed

Impervious Surface

Forest

Vegetative cover

http://www.horsemanmagazine.com/2009/02/top-5-horse-farms-in-america/

Calumet Farm, Lexington, KY

Water Quality Issues

303d listing

Cost

Consent Decree

No established reference

watershed

Casey Muncy

lexingtonky.gov

Lexington Smoke Testing of Sanity System

Hickman Creek Watershed

Selected Watersheds Raven Run

Hickman Creek

Camden Creek

Jessamine Creek

Dry Run

South Elkhorn

Data Collection

Water Quality Sampling

USDA Visual Analysis

Leaf Litter Bags

Biotic Index

GIS Analysis

Sandy Fisher/

Nathan Strange

Water Quality Sampling

Leaf Litter Bags

Expectations

1. Precipitation and results

2. Water quality and land use

3. Differences in water quality

1. Precipitation and Results

1. Precipitation and Results

Supported By Literature: Land Cover Along an Urban-

Rural Gradient: Implications for Water Quality (Wear et al., 1998)

The Importance of Imperviousness (Center for Watershed Protection, 1994)

State of the Great Lakes 2009 Ground Surface Hardening (Purdue University, 2010)

Current Research: Brian Lee Ph.D.

2. Water Quality and Land Use

2. Water Quality and Land Use

2. Water Quality and Land Use

Watershed Ranking System

Goal: Encompass all water quality parameters assessed for each watershed and achieve a quantitative total.

Heather Jordan

Morgan Barnes

Morgan Barnes

Water Quality Sampling

E. Coli Plate

Dry Run Watershed

Water Quality

Standard

Avg. High Flow

Fecal Coliform

(cfu/100mL)

<400 PCR*

Avg. Nitrate

(mg/L) <0.5 AH**

Impervious

Surface (%)

0-5 Good

5-10 Fair

>10 Poor

Parameters of Concern

*PCR: Primary Contact Recreation

**AH: Aquatic Habitat

Watershed Ranking Results 1. Raven Run

2. Hickman Creek

3. Camden Creek

4. Jessamine Creek

5. Dry Run

6. South Elkhorn

Nathan Strange

Raven Run Watershed

Raven Run Watershed • Location:

SE Fayette County

• Total Acreage:

~2,500

• Miles of Streams:

10.16

Group Members:

S. Henschel, C. Clark, J. Henderson,

N. Strange, & J. Durbin

Land Cover

• Pasture/Hay: 60%

• Total Forest: 37%

• Developed: 2%

• Impervious Cover: 0.2%

Parameters of Concern

Water Quality

Standard

Raven

Run Hickman Camden Jessamine Dry Run

South

Elkhorn

Avg. High Flow

Fecal Coliform

(cfu/100mL)

<400 PCR* 104.7 286.5 396.8 419.7 3061.2 11203.8

Avg. Nitrate

(mg/L) <0.5 AH** 1.7 10 10.9 9.7 1.5 4

Impervious

Surface (%)

0-5 Good

5-10 Fair

>10 Poor

0.2 0.9 3.3 2.9 8.5 12.9

*PCR: Primary Contact Recreation

**AH: Aquatic Habitat

Data-Based Results map

Recommendations Education

Raven Run Nature Sanctuary Conduct watershed

assessment

Macroinvertebrate assessment

Incorporate water quality education into current programs

Nathan Strange

Nathan Strange

Hickman Creek Watershed

Insert aerial imagery map with stream overlay

Location:

SE Jessamine County

Total Acreage:

~23,760

Miles of Streams: 78.25

Group Members:

S. Fisher, S. Sosa, I. Becker, A. York,

& Matt Reed

Sandy Fischer

Land Cover Agriculture: 53.7%

Total Forest: 35.5%

Developed: 6.6%

Impervious Cover: 0.2%

Parameters of Concern

Water Quality

Standard

Raven

Run Hickman Camden Jessamine Dry Run

South

Elkhorn

Avg. High Flow

Fecal Coliform

(cfu/100mL)

<400 PCR* 104.7 286.5 396.8 419.7 3061.2 11203.8

Avg. Nitrate

(mg/L) <0.5 AH** 1.7 10 10.9 9.7 1.5 4

Impervious

Surface (%)

0-5 Good

5-10 Fair

>10 Poor

0.2 0.9 3.3 2.9 8.5 12.9

*PCR: Primary Contact Recreation

**AH: Aquatic Habitat

Data-Based Results

Data-Based Results

Data-Based Results

Recommendations

Implement agricultural best management practices (BMPs) where not already practiced

Create a Hickman Creek Watershed Council Sandy Fisher

Sandy Fischer

Camden Creek Watershed

Location:

~15 miles from Lexington, near Versailles, KY

Total Acreage:

~4000

Miles of Streams:

~19

Group Members:

K. Van Hauter, D. McCamish, C.

Muncy, A. Ross, & E. Schulte

Land Cover Pasture: 68%

Cultivated Crops: 12 %

Impervious Cover: 3.3%

Casey Muncy

Parameters of Concern

Water Quality

Standard

Raven

Run Hickman Camden Jessamine Dry Run

South

Elkhorn

Avg. High Flow

Fecal Coliform

(cfu/100mL)

<400 PCR* 104.7 286.5 396.8 419.7 3061.2 11203.8

Avg. Nitrate

(mg/L) <0.5 AH** 1.7 10 10.9 9.7 1.5 4

Impervious

Surface (%)

0-5 Good

5-10 Fair

>10 Poor

0.2 0.9 3.3 2.9 8.5 12.9

*PCR: Primary Contact Recreation

**AH: Aquatic Habitat

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

1 2 3 4 5 6

mg/

L

Camden Creek High Flow Sample Sites

PO4-P Concentrations

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 2

mg/

L

Cave Sample Site

Cave PO4

Data-Based

Results

Casey Muncy Casey Muncy

Cave System

Recommendations 1. Control pastured livestock

creek access

2. Implement or enhance riparian woodlands in high priority areas

3. Use UK’s North Farm as an example

4. Form watershed alliance between major farms

Casey Muncy

Casey Muncy

Location:

Southwest Jessamine County

Total Acreage:

~ 7,500

Miles of Streams:

21

Group Members

Kristi Meier, Kris Gorton, Jackie Lackberg,

Heather Jordan, & John Grider

Jessamine Creek Watershed

Land Cover Agriculture: 50%

Total Forested: 34%

Developed: 13%

Impervious Cover: 2.87%

Parameters of Concern

Water Quality

Standard

Raven

Run Hickman Camden Jessamine Dry Run

South

Elkhorn

Avg. High Flow

Fecal Coliform

(cfu/100mL)

<400 PCR* 104.7 286.5 396.8 419.7 3061.2 11203.8

Avg. Nitrate

(mg/L) <0.5 AH** 1.7 10 10.9 9.7 1.5 4

Impervious

Surface (%)

0-5 Good

5-10 Fair

>10 Poor

0.2 0.9 3.3 2.9 8.5 12.9

*PCR: Primary Contact Recreation

**AH: Aquatic Habitat

Sampling Results

Sampling Results

Recommendations Involve Jessamine County

judicial system

Outreach with farmers

Locate pollutant sources from Wilmore Tributary

Work with Asbury University and Wilmore Elementary

Heather Jordan

Dry Run Watershed

• Location:

Central Scott County

• Total Acreage:

~8,552

• Miles of Streams:

~29

Group Members:

M. Barnes, W. Jones, D. Caskey,

P. Johnson, & D. Stevens

Land Cover • Pasture/Hay: 59%

• Developed: 21%

• Total Forest: 13%

• Cultivated Crops : 4%

• Impervious Cover: 8.5%

Morgan Barnes

Derek Caskey

Parameters of Concern

Water Quality

Standard

Raven

Run Hickman Camden Jessamine Dry Run

South

Elkhorn

Avg. High Flow

Fecal Coliform

(cfu/100mL)

<400 PCR* 104.7 286.5 396.8 419.7 3061.2 11203.8

Avg. Nitrate

(mg/L) <0.5 AH** 1.7 10 10.9 9.7 1.5 4

Impervious

Surface (%)

0-5 Good

5-10 Fair

>10 Poor

0.2 0.9 3.3 2.9 8.5 12.9

*PCR: Primary Contact Recreation

**AH: Aquatic Habitat

Sampling Results

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

1 2 3 4

mg/

L

Site

Phosphate

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

1 2 3 4

Feca

l Co

li-fo

rm C

FU

Site

Fecal Coliform

Sampling Results Insert map or image here

Ex: land cover, aerial imagery WITH SAMPLE SITES INCLUDED

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1 2 3 4

um

oh

s/L

Site

Electrical Conductivity

Recommendations

Establish TMDLs

Implement BMPs

Continued education and outreach

Georgetown- Scott County Planning Commission

Scott County Board of Education

The creation of a future watershed plan for Dry Run

Scott County Conservation District

http://www.gscplanning.com/Fe

eSchedule_files/image001.gif

http://www.scott.k12.ky.us/userfi

les/2112/scslogo%281%29.jpg

http://blogs.995themountain.c

om/files/2011/06/toyota.jpg

South Elkhorn Watershed • Location:

SW Fayette County and N Jessamine County

• Total Acreage:

~16000

• Miles of Streams:

~ 45 miles

Group Members:

E. Bodkin, L. Derderian, J.

Reed, L. Russo, & J. Turner

Land Cover • Developed: ~42%

• Pasture/Hay: ~ 36%

• Total Forest: ~16%

• Impervious Cover: ~ 13%

Parameters of Concern

Water Quality

Standard

Raven

Run Hickman Camden Jessamine Dry Run

South

Elkhorn

Avg. High Flow

Fecal Coliform

(cfu/100mL)

<400 PCR* 104.7 286.5 396.8 419.7 3061.2 11203.8

Avg. Nitrate

(mg/L) <0.5 AH** 1.7 10 10.9 9.7 1.5 4

Impervious

Surface (%)

0-5 Good

5-10 Fair

>10 Poor

0.2 0.9 3.3 2.9 8.5 12.9

*PCR: Primary Contact Recreation

**AH: Aquatic Habitat

Urbanization and Copper

0

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.1

0.12

Shillito Brannon Clays Mill Ramsey's Dedman Versailles

(m

g/L)

Sampling location

Copper concentration at high flow in the South Elkhorn watershed

Fecal Coliform at High Flow

Leslie Russo

Logan Derderian

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Shillito Brannon Clays Mill Ramsey's Dedman Versailles

(cf

u/1

00

ml)

Sampling site

Fecal coliform levels at high flow in the South Elkhorn watershed

Shillito Park

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

(u

mo

hs/

L)

Electrical conductivity

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Shillito Brannon Clays Mill Ramsey's Dedman Versailles

(m

g/L)

Sulfate concentration

Red =

high

flow

Blue

= low

flow

Recommendations Increased progress by LFUCG to

make storm/sewer line and infrastructure improvements

Increased community involvement in organizations such as NUSEC

Increased education and public programs

Regional Outlook

Regional Recommendations

BMPs

Agriculture

Intercropping

Fencing

Nutrient management

Erosion control devices

Irrigation management

Developed

Rain gardens

Rain barrels

Pervious surface

Repair damaged sanitary and storm water systems

farmindustrynews.com

Fencing

profence.org Rain Barrel

urbancincy.com

Technical and Financial Assistance Kentucky Agriculture

Water Quality Act

Clean Water Act Amendment 319 (h)

Kentucky Watershed Watch

Bluegrass PRIDE

Kentucky Non-Point Pollution Control Program

Conservation Districts

Conclusions

Sandy Fisher

Hickman Creek Watershed

Thank you to those involved in the creation of this project!

UK Faculty and Staff

Stakeholders

The Cane Run Project

Third Rock Consulting

Questions Raven Run: Eleanor Sydney Henschel

Hickman Creek: Samuel Sosa

Camden Creek: Aaron Ross

Jessamine Creek: Kristi Meier

Dry Run: Andrew Stevens

South Elkhorn: Leslie Russo

Larry Grabau Thank you for your contribution to the NRCM/NRES

program.