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 hasbeen reported based primarily on results from plot- and field-scale studies. There is limited information available onwatershed scales, particularly when the dominant agricultural land use is pasture. The objective of this study was todetermine whether a program of Best Management Practice (BMP) implementation in the Lincoln Lake watershed ofnorthwestern 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 toLincoln Lake was monitored from September 1991 to April 1994. Significant decreases (from 23 to 75% per year) in bothconcentrations 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 theBMP most responsible for these decreases is most likely nutrient management.