June 17, 2009

Hello STIR members,

Here is your latest edition of STIRRINGS, STIR's electronic newsletter

Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission meeting report

STIR President Kurt Robinson and STIR’s Gerald Hilsher successfully put the Northwest Arkansas Conservation Authority (NACA) sewer plant issue on the public's scope Tuesday evening at the OSRC meeting in Tahlequah.  Hilsher, OSRC chairman, said he has asked Oklahoma's Secretary of Environment what the State of Oklahoma intends to do if Arkansas approves a weak and less protective sewage discharge permit for NACA's facility.  NACA apparently intends to begin operation with a phosphorus limit of one-mg/L, one-part per million, despite Oklahoma's and STIR's objections.  The NACA regional wastewater treatment plant will be a new discharger to an already impaired stream, Osage Creek, and to the Illinois River which is also impaired by phosphorus.  The U.S. EPA is driving the point-one limit for dischargers in the entire watershed in 2012.

Hilsher suggested that representatives of the state and NACA be invited to a Commission meeting to outline their positions.  "We deserve an explanation from NACA and the State," Hilsher said.  This might occur at the August 18 OSRC meeting or perhaps at a special meeting.  OSRC Administrator Ed Fite said the difference between point-one mg/L and one-mg/L phosphorus is approximately 30 lbs. of phosphorus per day.  Point-one mg/L is the limit the U.S. EPA, Oklahoma, and STIR seek for the new facility which will discharge some 4-million gallons of wastewater each day.  Although NACA has agreed to accept bids on installing the equipment needed to meet a limit of point-one mg/L, the authority appears to be holding out for the less protective limit in hopes it might be supported by a study sponsored by northwest Arkansas cities that discharge to Osage Creek.  President Robinson said the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality has warned that a permit with a phosphorus limit of one-mg/L will result in a 14-percent increase in the pollutant at the Oklahoma-Arkansas border.  Government and commercial interests in northwest Arkansas, including Arvest Bank in Rogers, Arkansas, are supporting the weaker permit and are critical of the EPA's efforts to limit phosphorus pollution through tighter standards.

STIR will follow this issue very closely because, as President Robinson told the OSRC, "this is a major event which may have the greatest impact on Illinois River water quality outside of the poultry lawsuit".  As you know, STIR has lodged objections to the proposed NACA plant at every step. 

The OSRC is hurting financially as are many state agencies.  Revenue is down by 18-percent and is $969,840 compared to $1.18 million last fiscal year.  The budget approved by the Commission Tuesday will witness the last of the funds donated by the poultry industry.  Sadly, in this fiscal year's budget, 42-percent of the Commission's operating budget ($409,998) is provided by the poultry industry, the biggest polluter of the watershed.  "We have cut and cut again," Hilsher said of the Commission's budget.  "Maybe we can restore (state appropriations) in the future.  Maybe there will be some funds from the damage award (from the poultry suit)," Hilsher said.  OSRC Administrator Ed Fite hastened to note that $75,000 is coming to the OSRC from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and that other funding has come through the Oklahoma Secretary of Environment.

Another very important event the OSRC meeting Tuesday was an obvious commitment by the Commission to return its attention to the Illinois River Management Plan.  Dr. Riley Needham of Bartlesville has been named to chair a committee that will suggest updates to the plan and will recommend specific projects the OSRC should tackle in order to meet the management plan's goals and objectives.  The Illinois River Watershed Partnership, a group in northwest Arkansas, is about to complete a management plan for the Arkansas portion of the watershed.  Their plan and the OSRC's management plan might possibly be coordinated in the future.  Dr. Needham said he personally has no objections to working across state lines to protect the watershed.

$86,600 of the OSRC’s remaining poultry industry "gift" will go to cooperative water quality sampling program with the U.S.G.S.  Bob Blazs of the U.S.G.S. said that 85 to 90-percent of the pollutant loading to the Illinois River watershed is caused by stormwater runoff and that it is critical that Oklahoma's water sampling continue to include storm events in addition to baseline sampling.  "We want to maintain event (storm events) sampling so that we can say whether the river is getting better or worse, Banzs said.  "We don't know if stream buffers are working yet because there is not enough data."  Blazs said a "layman’s" report on Illinois River water quality will be published soon by U.S.G.S.  The report has been delayed due to objections voiced by Arkansas over report "protocol".

Arkansas has discontinued samples specifically taken during storm events because, they say, the cost is too great.  Oklahoma and Arkansas yearly debate how samples of phosphorus should be taken and how the data should be viewed.  The failure of the Arkansas-Oklahoma federal compact commission to resolve this issue, among others, has been a great disappointment. Unfortunately, water quality sampling by U.S.G.S. does not include sampling for bacteria. STIR's Robinson urged bacteria be included in future agreements with the federal agency.  He also urged that Arkansas and Oklahoma  water sampling procedures be more closely coordinated.  The OSRC again is taking its own samples and, with the State Health Department, has established a system to warn the public in case of dangerous conditions due to warm, stagnant water and high water. 

Illinois River Association President L.D. Stephens reported to the Commission on outfitter activities.  He said there is growing concern about large truck traffic on Highway 10, a state scenic highway.  The OSRC will work with ODOT in an effort to reduce the risk from trucks that complete with slower traffic.  Stephens said that despite the rain, business is strong, especially on weekends.  He said there is a general opinion that visitors to the river are less rowdy and that there are less drunks this year than in the past.  He expressed his appreciation to OSRC Rangers for their efforts to protect the peace and the public.

The OSRC Ranger Department report cited an improving trend in violations of glass and Styrofoam containers on the river but alcohol related incidents are up so far this year.  There have been 50 arrests for alcohol violations.  It's believed that the biggest percentage of people causing problems on the river are intoxicated at some level according to the Ranger Dept. report.

Finally, we thought you might want to have the following information about Arkansas waters that are taken from the White River watershed and discharged into the Illinois River watershed in the form of treated sewage.  The Beaver Lake Water District serves northwest Arkansas with treated water.  Currently the district is delivering from 35-40 million gallons of water each day (MGD) and has the capacity to deliver up to 140 MGD.  About 6 MGD of the total goes back into the White River from Fayetteville’s original sewage treatment plant.  The remainder of water provided by the district is discharged to the Illinois River watershed in the form of sewage effluent.  Will Arkansas keep this water at home someday?  What impact will that have on the Illinois River?

Remember, now you can join or renew your STIR membership or contribute online at https://www.illinoisriver.org/Contact-Us/donations/default.aspx

Help protect the Illinois River and Tenkiller Lake…ask your friends/family to join STIR or give a gift membership.

Photographer Kim Baker’s beautiful photo of Barren Fork Creek at the Illinois River makes a terrific screen saver.  Check out her other photos on her Web page.

Upcoming events:

September 28th, scheduled start of the poultry lawsuit in federal court, Tulsa.