11/1/2013

1

Watershed Plan Implementationin Oklahoma:What We Do

andWhat We’ve Learned

Shanon Phillips

Director, Water Quality Division

Oklahoma Conservation Commission

What is the purpose of a Watershed Plan?

Solving Water Quality Problems by:

•Prioritizing Areas of Focus (Elements B & C)•Identifying Partners and Assemble Resources (Element D)•Identifying Causes and Sources (Element A and H)•Assemble Resources (Element D)•Implement Practices (Elements B, C, F)•Education (Element E)•Evaluate Your Success (Element G & I)•Remain Flexible

11/1/2013

2

1) Prioritize Areas of Focus

OK Focuses on Priority Watersheds

• Prioritized on:– % impaired

– Causes and sources of impairments

– Public water supply

– Endangered species

– Etc.

39

100 112 60151112

155

100119 5377 46 53 13915144 119

88 112 11911211941

12784

101511123 5377139

127 71100

112151

15147 127

30

84 77 33

107

1269

46135 36

5

6538

77

127139

12

84 22 7713953 127

6577100

10053

53 33 3392100

13911984

53100

60

2412748

146 477

139 100 186928 14665

53 5814 2690

903010 36 4677122 71127

6541 144

10013213954

10077132 2012741 90 17144

100135 17 6065 151

20

100

3626 3

15188 15530

846

23

77

1265 1

72658 753

53100

20

112

13244

N

EW

S

2006 Draft UWA(based on 2004 303(d) List)

UWA Priority Ranking1 - 2526 - 5051 - 7576 - 100101 - 156

Lakes

11/1/2013

3

2) Identify Problem(s) and Sources

303(d)App. C – Why are they impaired?- ID Problems and

Sources

11/1/2013

4

Using R Software to define causes (stressors) linked to poor stream

condition• R is Open Source (Free) Software – scripts

provided by EPA

• Extent Estimates give the percent of stream length in “Good,” “Fair,” or “Poor” condition

• Relative Risk assesses the relative importance of multiple stressors (Which stressors should be the major focus for remediation, restoration or protection?)

• Attributable Risk estimates the percent of improvement (if it were possible to completely address a stressor)

ID Sources

• Identify the most likely activities causing the problem

• Select AREAS of your watershed most likely to be contributing– Use a watershed

model

– Windshield/foot surveys

11/1/2013

5

3) Identify and Convince Partners

Oklahoma Program Partners

• Work through Conservation Districts and with local NRCS– Hire Local Project Staff

• Assembled a Local Watershed Advisory Group– Recommends Practices and Cost-Share Rates

to be Offered

11/1/2013

6

4. Draft the Watershed Plan

5). Implement Practices

11/1/2013

7

Implement Practices- Be Flexible

• Typically implement NRCS standard practices• However, sometimes choose NEWpractices or alter existing

practices to meetneeds in your watershed.

Choose Practices- Be Flexible

11/1/2013

8

Use Cost-Share Rates to Help Prioritize

• Higher rates (90% or higher) for practices that should have the most impact

• Lower rates for things producers want anyway (cross fencing, etc.)

6. Education

11/1/2013

9

Demonstration Farm

7) Evaluate Your Success

11/1/2013

10

Monitor to Show Success

• Photodocumentation: Take Before and After photographs to document improvement in a site.

• Evaluate

Water Quality

Monitor to Show Success

11/1/2013

11

• EPA method 841-F-93-009 developed by J. Spooner and J.C. Clausen from North Carolina State University and University of Connecticut.

Paired Watershed Monitoring

• Demonstrates that change in WQ are the result of management changes in the watershed rather than due to changes in climate

• Collects ENOUGH data to be scientifically valid

11/1/2013

12

Implement Multi-Faceted Monitoring Program

Change in Total Phosphorus Load• Paired watershed analysis allows

estimation of the effect of BMPs while controlling for environmental variability

• Results include:– 24.5% reduction in TP load in Honey

Creek (1.5 years of data)

– 30% reduction in TP load in Flint Creek of the illinois River (2 years post-impl. data)

– 37% reduction in TP load in Spavinawand Beaty Creeks (8 years post-impl. data)

• Every time we’ve used this method, we’ve been able to detect positive water quality impacts from our BMPs

11/1/2013

13

8) Remain Flexible

Oklahoma Successes- WQ• In EPA’s 2009 - 2012 Grants Reporting and

Tracking System Summary Report, OK was in the top 5 states in the nation at estimated nitrogen and phosphorus load reductions.

0

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

AK

AL

AR

AZ

CA

CO CT

DC

DE FL

GA HI

IA ID IL IN KS

KY

LA MA

MD

ME MI

MN

MO

MS

MT

NC

ND

NE

NH NJ

NM NV

NY

OH

OK

PA RI

SC

SD

TN TX

UT

VA

VT

WA WI

WV

WY

An

nu

al L

oad

Red

uct

ion

Est

imat

e

Axis Title

FY 11 CWA 319 Program Load Reductions

Nitrogen (lbs/yr) Phosphorus (lbs/yr) Sediment (tons/yr)

11/1/2013

14

Oklahoma Successes - WQ• Only three states in the country have more

nonpoint source success stories (www.epa.gov/nps/success/)

Oklahoma Successes- cont.• New and continued sources

of funding-– EPA funding

– USDA CREP programs

– Private funding from rural electric cooperatives, Ag groups, etc.

– EPA CW SRF funds

– State funding for monitoring network

• New Partners-– Tribes

– State agencies

– Etc.

11/1/2013

15

Lessons Learned• ALWAYS remember that WQ

improvement is the ultimate goal, but there is more than one way to get there and you might not have the only map

• Set REALISTIC milestones• Successful solutions are not “Set-

it-and-Forget-it”• Holler about your successes

because people will have already heard about your failures

# 1 Lesson Learned

• Don’t Scrimp on Your Water Quality Monitoring Budget

11/1/2013

16

Questions????

• Shanon Phillips- Oklahoma Conservation Commission Water Quality Division Director

• Shanon.phillips@conservation.ok.gov

• 405-522-4728