The Sheridan Lake 319 Watershed Project involves the implementation of a TMDL study that was completed in the same watershed. This section of the project will take on the first of six phases. In this phase a 10 year plan will be developed to address stormwater runoff, livestock use and septic failures. See the article (below) that was featured in the Rapid City Journal!
County moves ahead on Spring Creek cleanup
Steve Miller, Rapid City Journal staff | Posted: Tuesday, April 6, 2010 3:54 pm |
A project to clean up fecal material in Spring Creek upstream from Sheridan Lake took another step forward Tuesday when the Pennington County Commission hired a Rapid City firm to manage the project.
The commission voted to pay RESPEC Engineering, Environmental and Information Technology $325,111 to manage the project, including producing plans, monitoring water quality and arranging for analysis of samples.
Fecal pollution that has exceeded state standards off and on for more than 10 years in the area comes from livestock, wildlife and human sources, according to a study completed in 2008 by the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The two-year project will develop voluntary measures that include inspecting and improving septic systems, fencing livestock out of the creek and preventing erosion and runoff along its banks.
The measures are a response to contamination, including fecal coliform, found in upper Spring Creek dating back to 1998. That year, the department declared the 31 miles of Spring Creek between the headwaters and Sheridan Lake to be contaminated and recommended people stay out of the water because of high levels of fecal coliform bacteria.
The most recent sampling data indicates that upper Spring Creek still has too much fecal coliform for swimming, but is OK for limited recreation such as fishing, according to Pete Jahraus, the department’s funding coordinator for projects that deal with such pollution sources. Other department staff members have noted that swimming would probably be difficult, because most of Spring Creek above Sheridan Lake is ankle deep.
The department conducted an in-depth study from 2002-2003 of contaminants in Spring Creek from the inlet above Sheridan Lake to the headwaters in the high country southwest of Hill City. It has continued monitoring the stream at a station near the inlet at Sheridan Lake, according to Aaron Larson, environmental program scientist with the department.
Larson said at least 10 percent of the samples tested in 2008 had fecal coliform levels exceeding levels for swimming.
The study found that 63.5 percent of bacterial contaminants originated from livestock and other ag land uses, 13.7 percent came from urban runoff and 14.8 percent came from other human sources, including failing septic and leaking sanitary sewer systems.
Some rural residents, such as George Ferebee of Deerfield, who have opposed inspection of septic systems, said they are skeptical of the link between septic systems and contamination. Ferebee and others have questioned the methods used by the department and other agencies to measure contaminants as well as the studies’ conclusions.
Some opponents said some of the contamination could have come from Hill City’s leaky sewer lagoons.
The department has said in the past that Hill City’s leaky sewer lagoons contributed to pollution in Spring Creek. But the city completed a new sewer system 2-1/2 years ago, and its discharge into the creek more than meets state standards, city officials said.
RESPEC said it hopes to launch the cleanup project soon.
The goal is to reduce the amount of fecal coliform enough to bring Spring Creek into compliance with state standards, according to Rich Hanson, environmental senior scientist with the department.
Jared K. Oswald, water resources engineer with RESPEC, said the project would develop voluntary projects with cost-sharing. Homeowners, for example, who want to upgrade their septic systems would pay 25 percent of the cost, with the rest coming from project funds. There is $54,583 available for a septic system pilot project.
Other voluntary efforts would help ranchers better protect the stream from livestock manure. The project has $83,000 available for such efforts.
There also is $100,000 to reduce contamination from stormwater runoff.
Officials also plan to conduct public outreach and education, including nine public meetings, at a cost of $90,000.
Cost of the two-year project is $629,176, with $324,000 coming from a grant awarded by the state Board of Water and Natural resources.
The remainder is coming from a variety of cash and in-kind contributions from local governments, including:
- Pennington County: $17,050 for 2010 and $12,561 for 2011.
- City of Rapid City: $30,000 for monitoring.
- West Dakota Water Development District: $10,000.
- City of Hill City: $10,000 in 2010 and $10,000 in 2011.
- Black Hills Resource Conservation & Development: $1,500.
Other co-sponsors include: Pennington County Conservation District, U.S. Forest Service, South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Department, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service.
The commission awarded the contract to RESPEC without competitive bidding. State law allows sole-source contracts for certain kinds of professional services, according to Brittney Molitor, water protection coordinator in the county Planning Department. RESPEC manages a similar watershed management project in Belle Fourche.