|
|
Big Wateree Creek Watershed (Total Maximum Daily Load—TMDL) Implement
| Name | Mark J. Talbert | | Situation | Increasingly, improving water quality in permanent streams is becoming a state and national issue. Dubious farming practices and grazing methods have been blamed as contributors to nonpoint source pollutants. Fecal coliform and turbidity have been identified by DHEC as major contributors to water quality degradation in this watershed. The question is where, what and why is that phenomenon occurring. For many years, under the
umbrella of the USDA/EPA 319 grant many water sheds across S.C. have been available for federal funding to help answer these questions. Historically, our greatest concentration of big cattle herds has been in this watershed drainage area. As of October 2004, the Big Wateree Creek Watershed became available for study and grant proposals. | | Response | Consequently, I worked in collaboration with NRCS- Soil&Water Conservation District, Part-Time Extension Agent Rusty Thomson, the Fairfield County Cattlemen’s Association and Research Planning, Inc. and local farmers to prepare, plan and write a 319 grant proposal for the Big Wateree Creek Watershed to provide funds for to assist farmers with the use of Best Management Practices in the grazing of cattle along this water
shed. | | Impact | As a result of designing this grant proposal, Fairfield County Farmers were allotted up to $175,000 in grant monies to pay for construction costs. The Fairfield County Extension Service has been awarded $4,000 for travel and $12,000 for supplies, printing, phone, mail, educational materials and programs. The team will conduct a three-year study of the impact of cattle grazing near the creek and hope to publish its findings at that time. |
Last update7/3/2008
This website is maintained by Michelle Holmes.
|
