Water Quality Division

WQ Priority Watershed Projects

Spavinaw / Beaty Creek Watershed Implementation Project 2003-2008

Due to the success of the nearby Beaty Creek watershed project, there was tremendous landowner interest in the Spavinaw Creek Project. Popular BMPs selected by cooperators included wells, watering facilities, cross fencing, and waste storage buildings.

Background
The Spavinaw Creek Watershed comprises 200 square miles located in the poultry and cattle producing area of northeastern Oklahoma. It is a subwatershed of the Lake Eucha Watershed. The cities of Tulsa and Jay, Oklahoma depend on Lake Eucha to supply approximately 400,000 people with drinking water and high quality recreational areas.

Water Quality Problems
Excess nutrients and riparian degradation have been identified as the main causes of water quality impairment in the watershed. Lake Spavinaw is listed on the 2002 303(d) List of Impaired Waters as impaired by phosphorous and dissolved oxygen.

Purpose of Project
The project initiated a watershed scale effort, aimed at landowners, to reduce nonpoint source loading to Spavinaw Creek from private land by helping landowners implement best management practices that reduced polluted runoff flowing from land into into the creeks.

Partners

U.S. Environ. Protection Agency
Office of the Secretary of the Environ.
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture/NRCS
Delaware Co. Conservation District
Delaware Co. Cooperative Extension

OK Dept. of Wildlife
OK Dept. of Ag., Food and Forestry
OSU Cooperative Extension Service
OSU Agricultural Experiment Station
OK Water Resources Board

Benton Co., AR Conservation District
Washington Co. Conservation District
Arkansas Cooperative Extension
City of Tulsa
Kansas Public School, Tulsa

See the Spavinaw / Beaty Creek Project factsheet (pdf) for more details

Last Modified on 10/22/2009