Source: HASKELL INDIAN NATIONS UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
STREAMBANK INVENTORY, HABITAT ASSESSMENT, AND STREAMBANK STABILIZATION ON TRIBAL LANDS IN KANSAS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
SERD GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0214437
Grant No.
2008-38424-19081
Cumulative Award Amt.
$150,000.00
Proposal No.
2008-02529
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2008
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2010
Grant Year
2008
Program Code
[ZY]- Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program
Recipient Organization
HASKELL INDIAN NATIONS UNIVERSITY
155 INDIAN AVE.
LAWRENCE,KS 66046
Performing Department
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Non Technical Summary
Sediment is one of the principle pollutants of surface waters of the United States. Efforts by U.S. Department of Agriculture to quantify and control sediment erosion have historically focused on fields and upland areas. There is a growing body of evidence in agricultural areas of the mid-continent that the main source of sediments in surface waters has shifted from fields and uplands to edge of field gullies and channels. Historically, sediment eroded from fields and uplands was deposited in valley bottoms, filling channels and accumulating on floodplain surfaces, causing severe drainage problems. To convey floodwaters and to alleviate flooding problems, channels throughout the mid continent were dredged and straightened, resulting in destabilization of entire river systems, severe bank erosion and dramatic increases in erosion rates. Today, channel erosion processes are still active and can account for up to 85% of the suspended-sediment load in streams, much of this from streambank failures. While community-based programs for water quality and habitat assessment have proliferated in recent years (for example, the CSREES Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring project), few programs of this nature have been established on tribal lands. As a result, little is known about the overall state of surface water habitat and streambank degradation on tribal lands. Streambank erosion causes the loss of arable, residential, and industrial acreage and impacts roads, bridges and other structures. One of the most costly results of high sediment loads in streams and rivers is silting of downstream reservoirs and degradation of water quality. Most Federal reservoirs in Kansas are filling with sediment at an accelerated rate and are experiencing algae problems due to excess nutrient loading. It is believed that a large percentage of this sediment and nutrients can be attributed to accelerated streambank erosion in streams above these reservoirs. This project will use the latest in GPS and mapping technology and stream assessment software in the conduct of an assessment of all of the perennial streams within the boundaries of the PBPN reservation. This includes much of Big Soldier Creek (which originates north of the reservation and continues south of the Reservation to join the Kansas River near Topeka) and all of the Soldier Creek tributaries within the Reservation boundaries. This project will fully involve tribal members and/or employees in the assessment of habitat and stability of streambanks within the Reservation. The proposal reflects a fundamental concern about surface water quality and the stabilization and restoration of vital streambanks. Indirectly, the proposal's contribution is to create greater public awareness and education concerning protection of riparian zones. The proposed project has a capacity building component that will enable the PBPN and other tribes to undertake a program of streambank stabilization on their own lands.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90360993020100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education;
Goals / Objectives
Currently, the full extent of streambank erosion, either as number of miles of unstable streambank, percentage of streambanks that are unstable, total contribution of eroding streambanks to stream sediment loads, or acres of arable land lost to erosion on tribal lands is unknown. This study attempts to determine the extent of the problem for the flashy Soldier Creek watershed, within the boundaries of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation reservation. Grant activities will also raise awareness about the importance of this problem to tribal lands and tribal water quality. By providing training and guidance, Kansas tribes will hopefully increase streambank stabilization and restoration projects on their lands. The purpose of this project is two-fold: 1) to carry out a thorough assessment of streambank stability and stream habitat in all of the perennial streams of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation (PBPN) Reservation; and 2) to enhance tribal capacity to implement a program of streambank stabilization through hands-on training and regulatory guidance. The project focuses on training students and tribal employees on techniques for stream assessment, streambank stability assessment, and the design and installation of streambank revetments. As part of our goal of involving the broader Native community, this training will be open to members of all the tribes of Kansas. Data from the stream assessments will be used to produce maps delineating reaches of unstable streambanks in all of the perennial streams within the PBPN lands. Estimates of erosion soil losses will be calculated. A guide to Federal and State regulations concerning stream revetment projects will be produced. A site within PBPN lands will be stabilized.
Project Methods
The proposed project consists of two phases: Phase 1 Train tribal members/employees, Haskell students, and KSU students on how to conduct habitat assessments, how to identify eroding streambanks, and how to identify which stream reaches would benefit from streambank stabilization and restoration efforts. With funds provided by this grant, GPS units and GIS software especially designed for the conduct of watershed assessments will be used in the training and assessment work. After training, tribal employees will conduct assessments of the streams and wadeable rivers on the PBPN reservation with the assistance of Haskell and/or KSU student-workers with a focus on existing conservation practices, cut streambanks, and land use. Phase 2 The Watershed Institute will conduct 1 (one) demonstration project of streambank stabilization techniques using natural materials. As part of the demonstration project, Haskell students, K-State students, and tribal employees/members will be trained on these techniques. Tribal employees/members of the three other tribes in Kansas (Iowa, Sac & Fox, and Kickapoo) will also be invited to participate in the installation/training. The project partners will create and publish a guide to rules and regulations of Federal and State (KS) government regulations and permits. The guide will be a guide for the tribes and landowners on the requirements for performing streambank stabilization projects from a regulatory standpoint. Haskell and KSU research staff will work together to collate and analyze the stream assessments conducted in Phase 1 to produce an inventory of habitat assessment and streambank conditions within the PBPN reservation. Using data on rates of erosion and nitrogen and phosphorus content of the streambank soils collected in the current project, and through earlier work by KSU, the PBPN, and others, if available, the amounts of sediment and nutrients contributed to the Kansas River by eroding streambanks within the PBPN reservation boundaries will be calculated. An estimate of the reduction of sediments and nutrients that can be achieved through an aggressive program of streambank stabilization on PBPN lands will likewise be calculated. The inventory and accompanying maps will be made available to the PBPN and to others through the CRIS system.

Progress 09/01/08 to 08/31/10

Outputs
Introduction This study proposed to identify the miles of eroding streambank in the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation lands and build the capacity of Tribal governments to stabilize those streambanks. The study estimated the quantity of sediments and nutrients originating from streambank erosion on PBPN lands and estimated the quantity that could be eliminated from the watershed by an aggressive program of streambank stabilization. Objectives 1. Train Haskell students, K-State students, and PBPN employees in how to perform stream assessments using GPS units and specialized software, how to identify eroding streambanks, and how to distinguish those streambanks that lend themselves to these erosion control and restoration measures from those that do not. 2. Send Haskell and K-State student summer interns to partner with PBPN employees in undertaking the assessments of PBPN waterways. 3. Choose a site to carry out the streambank stabilization and restoration demonstration project. 4. Hold the streambank stabilization and restoration demonstration project. Employees of the other tribes in Kansas (Kickapoo, Iowa, and Sac & Fox) will also be invited to participate. 5. Provide guidance and information to develop streambank stabilization projects through the publication of a guide on how to negotiate the web of Federal and State regulations. 6. Create a database of PBPN waterways, focusing on reaches of eroded streambank. 7. Estimate the quantity of sediments and accompanying nutrients that are added to PBPN waters through streambank erosion. 8. Estimate the quantity of sediments and accompanying nutrients that might be prevented from entering PBPN waters through a progressive program of streambank stabilization. 9. Create easy-to-understand maps of unstable streambanks on PBPN lands to illustrate the significance of the streambank erosion problem and the headway that could be made to ameliorate this problem. We have completed, or are very near completion, on all of the objectives. The inventory of stream reaches bounded by tribally held lands within reservation boundaries was conducted by teams comprised of senior project personnel and students from Haskell, KSU, and the PBPN (Obj. 1 and 2). The data has been mapped using ESRI GIS software (Obj. 6 and 9). The maps will be presented to the PBPN Lands Department at our next meeting. Additional analysis, including mapping of historic water chemistry data with streambank conditions, is in progress (Obj. 7 and 8). The streambank stabilization demonstration project was located at a site on James Creek, where erosion was compromising the safety of a private residence (Obj. 3). The streambank was stabilized with rock and plantings. Rock weirs were installed upstream to redirect and slow high velocity flows. The project was conducted as part of a workshop (August 2010). PBPN tribal employees and members, other Native tribes, and the community at large attended (Obj. 4).The final form of the guidance on state and federal regulations for streambank stabilization practices is under discussion with EPA (Obj. 5). We expect publication shortly. PRODUCTS: 1. A guide to help tribes in Kansas negotiate the web of Federal and State regulations regarding streams and streambank projects. 2. A stabilized site in the Soldier Creek watershed, within PBPN boundaries, as a result of the demonstration project. The site was along James Creek, at the back of a private residence (owned by a tribal member), whose home was threatened by the eroding streambank. 3. A set of maps outlining erosion, adjacent landuse, and other parameters of interest along tribally owned stretches of stream within the Soldier Creek watershed. OUTCOMES: Grant activities raised awareness about the importance of streambank erosion to tribal lands and tribal water quality. This project increased awareness that streambank stabilization and restoration can be accomplished without employing hard surface engineering technology. Within the cultural context, the streambank stabilization demonstration project was conducted to train Tribal members and landowners concerning the most cost effective and efficiently applied technology for streambank stabilization and restoration, along with the current research design. The partnership between Land Grant institutions (1862 and 1994) enhanced by this project will provide research support for Tribal activities, thereby strengthening the linkages between them and the Indian communities, and between the institutions. In addition to the stabilization of one site during the course of this project, data was collected to quantify the effects of erosion reduction through streambank stabilization. The ultimate outcome should be informed decision-making and implementation of policies that improve conditions in the Soldier Creek watershed. One of the prime motivations will be a visible improvement of water quality and the tangible reduction in the loss of productive riparian soil. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: 1. A streambank stabilization and restoration demonstration project and workshop was conducted for students, tribal, and other community members along James Creek . The workshop had 40 attendees from the tribe and surrounding communities. 2. Detailed maps of streambank, land use, and habitat conditions within the boundaries of the PBPN reservation will be made available to the PBPN and to other interested parties through the KSU Extension system. 3. Publication of a guide to current federal and state regulations regarding streambank projects for use by tribes in Kansas. This guide will also be made available through KSU Extension system. 4. Submission of findings to an appropriate peer-reviewed journal for use by other professionals interested in watersheds or tribal issues. FUTURE INITIATIVES: There are no future initiatives for this project at this time.

Impacts
The project resulted in enhanced capacity for the PBPN, local landowners, students, and the other tribes in Kansas to: (1) conduct stream assessments, (2) recognize unstable reaches of streambank, (3)identify those reaches that can be stabilized through low-cost methods using natural materials, and (4) perform these types of streambank stabilizations without outside help. The tribes will be helped in this endeavor by the guide to federal and state regulations published as a result of this project (see above). The stabilization of streambank at the residence of one tribal member, resulting in the cessation of landloss and concomitant threat to that member's residence, not only provides immediate relief to that individual's family, but is a powerful testament to the efficacy of this type of low-cost, stream-friendly stabilization that will carry forward for years to come.

Publications

  • 1. Barden, C.J., L. Fisher, B. Chapin, and W. Boyer. 2010. Conducting a GPS-Enabled Rapid Stream Assessment. In Proc. Abstract Kansas Natural Resources Conference, Wichita, KS. p. 16.
  • 2. Barden, C.J., B. Welton, B. Chapin, and L. Fisher. 2009. Streambank Stabilization and Restoration Practices on the Potawatomi Reservation in Kansas. Presentation and Abstract, In Proc. CSREES National Water Conference, St. Louis, MO. URL: www.usawaterquality.org/conferences/2009/PDF/Wshed-oral/Barden09.pdf.
  • 3. Fisher, M., C. Barden, W. Boyer, B. Chapin. 2009. Bioassessment and GIS-Enabled Stream Assessment. Heartland Regional Water Quality Conference, Overland Park, KS. URL www.heartlandwq.iastate.edu/NR/rdonlyres/22B951AE-57DC-4482-80BC-E491 05AD053E/117069/fisher_bioassess.pdf


Progress 09/01/08 to 08/31/09

Outputs
Introduction: This study proposes to identify the miles of eroding streambank in the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation lands and build the capacity of Tribal governments to stabilize those streambanks. The study will estimate the quantity of sediments and nutrients originating from streambank erosion on PBPN lands and estimate the quantity that could be eliminated from the watershed by an aggressive program of streambank stabilization. Stabilization methods will take the form of rock or cedar tree revetments, supplemented with plantings of native plants and seeds. These stabilization methods could be easily adapted to many streambank situations. Objectives: 1. Train Haskell students, K-State students, and PBPN employees in how to perform stream assessments using GPS units and specialized software, how to identify eroding streambanks, and how to distinguish those streambanks that lend themselves to these erosion control and restoration measures from those that do not. 2. Send Haskell and K-State student summer interns to partner with PBPN employees in undertaking the assessments of PBPN waterways. 3. Choose a site to carry out the streambank stabilization and restoration demonstration project. 4. Hold the streambank stabilization and restoration demonstration project. Employees of the other three tribes in Kansas (Kickapoo, Iowa, and Sac & Fox) will also be invited to participate. 5. Provide guidance and information to develop streambank stabilization projects through the publication of a guide on how to negotiate the web of Federal and State regulations. 6. Create a database of PBPN waterways assessment, focusing on reaches of eroded streambank. 7. Estimate the quantity of sediments and accompanying nutrients that are added to PBPN waters through streambank erosion. 8. Estimate the quantity of sediments and accompanying nutrients that might be prevented from entering PBPN waters through a progressive program of streambank stabilization. 9. Create easy-to-understand maps of unstable streambanks on PBPN lands to illustrate the significance of the streambank erosion problem and the headway that could be made to ameliorate this problem. Progress: This annual report marks the halfway point for this grant. We have completed Objectives 1 and 2, which includes the inventory of stream reaches bounded by tribally held lands within reservation boundaries. The inventory was conducted by teams comprised of senior project personnel and students from Haskell, KSU, and the PBPN. The data has been mapped using ESRI GIS software (Objectives 6 and 9). Analysis of the data is in progress (Objectives 7 and 8). The site for the streambank stabilization demonstration has been narrowed down to a handful of sites (Objective 3). The date for the demonstration workshop has been tentatively set for November, which is when water levels have historically been low (Objective 4). Stream levels have been uncharacteristically high the past twelve months, so a firm date has not yet been set. Initial discussions have also been held regarding the guidebook to state and federal regulations for streambank stabilization practices (Objective 5). PRODUCTS: This project is in progress and no products are yet completed. OUTCOMES: This project is in progress and has no outcomes as yet. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Tribal members and non-tribal land owners within the reservation were informed that the stream assessments were taking place. Several individuals requested further information and took part in informal discussions on the conduct and purpose of the assessments. FUTURE INITIATIVES: This project is at the halfway point and future initiatives have not been determined.

Impacts
Impacts of this project will be determined at the end of the project.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period