Rush Creek Headwaters Subwatersheds Assessment

Seven lakes and four streams in the Elm Creek watershed are impaired by excess nutrients, bacteria, low oxygen, and unhealthy biotic communities. Modeling completed for the Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy identified areas that contribute high loads of sediment and nutrients to the streams and lakes in the watershed, however, the scale of that modeling was not sufficient to pinpoint to the field level where BMPs would be most effective. The Rush Creek Headwaters Subwatershed Assessment will evaluate four high pollutant loading catchments. The proposed subwatershed assessment will undertake much finer-scaled modeling using the Prioritized Targeted and Measurable (PTM) App and additional analyses to develop a prioritized map and list of potential projects and practices and their cost/benefit so load reduction actions and proactive outreach can begin immediately.