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County Impact Statements - Washington County
Ballard Creek Water Quality Project Focuses on Phosphorus Management
Officials from Arkansas and Oklahoma have agreed to work together to reduce
the total phosphorus load in the Illinois River by 40%. Most of this load comes
from non-point sources such as agriculture. The Ballard Creek watershed is one
of thirty seven sub-basins of the Illinois River. Ballard Creek was identified
as having one of the highest phosphorus loads of all creeks flowing into the
Illinois.
The goal of the Ballard Creek project is to reduce the phosphorus loading in
Ballard Creek through good farm management practices. Project activities have
been directed by a steering committee made up of local farmers, a representative
from Farm Credit Services and a local quorum court member.
Public meetings have included presentations on Oklahoma’s water quality
efforts, the phosphorus index and how it relates to Arkansas farmers, army worm
control, low cost litter storage, possible alternative uses of litter in the
future, and the Arkansas feedout program. Meetings have also been used to
explain the reason for phosphorus management on the farm.
A field day on one of the farms in the watershed included proper herbicide
selection and application to protect water quality, broiler litter use as it
relates to weed problems, pasture weed control, the phosphorus mining
demonstration plots, and using hay baled as silage to increase the forage
removal from a field.
Field day features rye and wheat baled as silage to increase the
production of a field and phosphorus removal.
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Impacts
- 77% of respondents of an informal survey stated they knew more about
phosphorus now than two years ago.
- 77% of respondents of the same survey claimed they had changed something
on their farm to reduce the nutrients which are washed away during a rain.
- 41 producers attended the Spring 2001 field day.
- 313 have attended public meetings in Lincoln during the project.
- Project efforts have created a stronger working relationship with
Oklahoma’s Cooperative Extension Service.
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