James River Watershed Management Plan

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Overview

The James River is one of Southwest Missouri’s most historic and iconic rivers. Long before Table Rock Lake and Lake Taneycomo were dammed, the James River flowed 150 miles from its headwaters in Webster County to Table Rock Lake, supporting farms, wildlife, and the people living there. Early settlers relied on its many springs and spring-fed creeks to power grist mills and sustain communities. By the 1920s, the river’s clear water, bluffs, and shoals made it a popular destination for float trips and fishing across the Midwest.

Throughout this history, though, the James River has faced water quality challenges. Large algal blooms in the late 1990s raised concerns about excess nutrient pollution, and a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan was placed on the James River to limit pollution and restore water quality for recreation and aquatic life. The excess pollutants come primarily from agriculture—nearly half of the land in the watershed is used for farming, especially for cattle and poultry operations.

The James River Watershed Management Plan [link: what is a watershed management plan? page under blog], accepted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in March 2021, builds on these earlier efforts. This plan was developed collaboratively with our local communities to provide a roadmap for reducing nutrient and sediment runoff, protecting aquatic life, and safeguarding recreation on the James River and ensuring it continues to flow for many more years to come.

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance G19- NPS-03 to Missouri State University. H2Ozarks, formerly Ozarks Water Watch, was a subaward recipient.

At a Glance:

Plan Completed: March 2021
Stakeholders Engaged: 64
Subwatersheds Assessed: 43 HUC-12 subwatersheds
Miles of Land: 1,455 square miles
Pollutants of Concern: Sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus
Sources of Concern: Runoff from agriculture and urban areas, failing septic systems, streambank erosion, and other sources (detailed in the full plan)

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Priority Areas

Although watershed planning must be holistic, we also strive to find the most efficient and impactful strategies available. Some smaller areas, or subwatersheds, experience unique issues that contribute more pollutants than other areas. In the James River Watershed, 9 subwatersheds ranked highest for restoration activities based on water quality impairments, resource concerns, and nutrient and sediment loading. By finding and focusing on these high contributing areas, we can target our efforts where they will have the most impact.

Lake Springfield – James River Stabilize and restore streambanks to reduce erosion, sediment, and nutrient yields
Terrell Creek – managed grazing systems, alternative watering systems, restricted stream access for cattle and protected and enhanced riparian areas along the upper part of Terrell Creek.
Ward Branch – James River – pre- and post-construction sediment and erosion control, and the applications of measures designed to reduce TN, TP, PAHs and bacteria in runoff.
Spout Spring Hollow-Finley Creek – Implement urban stormwater management practices to reduce sediment, total nitrogen, total phosphorus
Middle Crane Creek – Implement agricultural BMPs to reduce total nitrogen, protect its trout fishery, and prevent macroinvertebrate loss,
Headwaters Flat Creek – Implement agricultural BMPs like cattle management and poultry litter management, and streambank stabilization to reduce total nitrogen, total phosphorus

Key Strategies

Agricultural Management Practices – Planting vegetative buffers along streams and fields, managing rotational grazing, fencing livestock out of streams, designing alternative watering systems, exporting or managing litter spread on fields, and using crop rotations, cover crops, and no-till measures on soil.
Urban and Suburban Management Practices – Building stormwater detention basins, extended detention basins, retention basins, vegetated buffers, green spaces, rain gardens, green roofs, and biofilters. This slows down runoff, allows water to infiltrate into soil, and filters it through vegetation to remove sediment and other pollutants.
Construction Site Management Practices – Constructing silt fences, silt socks, gravel construction entrances, sediment basins, and seeding or hydro-seeding and mulching exposed soils to reduce erosion of exposed soil.
System Outreach & Upgrades – Reduce pathogen loads through community education, encouraging tank pump-outs, and replacing failed systems.
Streambank Restoration – Use natural structures to protect eroding banks.
Water Quality Monitoring – Track nutrient, sediment, and pathogen levels to evaluate progress.

Watershed Management Plan

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James River WMP

Nutrient Trading Program from the James River Basin Partnership

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James River Total Maximum Daily Load (TDML)