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OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma's priority is developing a strong riparian policy that ties in
with its nonpoint source program. In some cases, improvements in riparian zones
will transfer into improvements in stream quality. In focusing more on urban
areas, Oklahoma is trying to educate urban dwellers about the impacts of their
actions on water quality.
BMPs Reduce Nutrients in Battle Branch Watershed
With more than 24,200 tons of poultry and dairy waste to be disposed of
yearly, it was no wonder that the Cherokee Hills Resource Conservation District
believed that improper waste management, especially poultry litter, was
contributing to nutrient loading in the Battle Branch watershed. The Battle
Branch/Flint Creek watershed, located in Delaware County, contains
approximately 36,000 acres. A variety of nutrient pollution sources have been
documented, including inadequate rural wastewater systems or disposal of other
domestic refuse, inadequate techniques for disposing of dead poultry or other
animals, livestock holding areas and lagoons from dairy operations, and
excessive application of poultry litter and other animal wastes to agricultural
pasture lands. Oklahoma used a $30,000 cooperative agreement with SCS, ASCS,
local landowners, and others and funded with an EPA grant (FY 1988 205[j][5]/
319[h]) to conduct a demonstration project in the Battle Branch watershed.
The project was divided into four major components:
- Installing structural or vegetative BMPs suited to landowner
cost-sharing;
- Providing technical and/or financial assistance to landowners for
developing and adopting animal waste plans;
- Conducting regular monitoring to document the effectiveness of BMPs in
improving water quality; and
- Using information about effective BMPs from the Battle Branch project in
other small watershed units within the Illinois River Basin.
The project strives to manage nutrient sources on-site by installing
appropriate BMPs. BMPs that use proper land application techniques and waste
handling methods were developed to reduce the amount of nutrients entering
Battle Branch and its tributaries. BMPs include conservation plans, waste
management plans, rural wastewater systems, poultry composters, riparian tree
planting, and waste storage structures. As of FY 1993, some 84 percent of
landowners in the watershed are - participating in the project.
Use of BMPs have significantly reduced nutrient concentrations. Nitrate
levels during runoff have decreased as much as 72 percent and total phosphorus
levels as much as 35 percent. If similar reductions were made in all creeks of
the Illinois River Basin, a - significant reduction in nutrient loading would
occur in the Illinois River.
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