Water Quality Control Program (WQCP) Projects
The WQCP works on a variety of different projects on the Reservation to support monitoring and improvement of water quality including non-point source pollution assessments, manure management, invasive plant removal, and BMI sampling of the creeks. You can find more information and pictures of these projects below.
Non-Point Source (NPS) Pollution Projects
NPS Assessments
The WQCP completes a yearly non-point source pollution assessment of both forks of the Bishop Creek, within the reservation. Non-point source pollution is contamination to a waterbody that comes from various sources and is often deposited into the creeks, wetlands, and groundwater by runoff from rain or flooding from irrigation. This assessment allows the WQCP to scope out possible sources of pollution to look out for when observing and analyzing bacteria results. It also allows our program to plan projects such as cattle exclusion fencing, vegetated filter placing, trash and litter removal, etc.
Manure Management
Animal and livestock manure carries bacteria and pathogens and is high in nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous, which are harmful to our waterways when introduced. After heavy rain or irrigation, these nutrients are carried by manure runoff directly into the wetlands and streams, contributing to the non-point source pollution affecting the Reservation. Manure management is the process of capturing, storing, treating, and utilizing animal manure in an environmentally stable way. It helps maintain the water quality and overall health of the environment. There are many ways to manage manure like on-pasture management, composting, and stockpiling (for personal use or removal). The Water Quality Control Program has been implementing these best management practices for years and aims to keep our creeks, streams, and wetlands healthy for generations to come.
Manure BEFORE spreading.
Spreading of manure.
Manure AFTER spreading.
Other Projects
Invasive Plant Management
The California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) defines invasive plants as “plants that are not native to an environment, and once introduced, they establish, quickly reproduce and spread, and cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health.” They can increase fire fuel loads, reduce habitat for wildlife, crowd out crops and rangeland forage, and even be toxic to livestock. The best management is early detection and rapid response. The removal of invasives allows for native plants, wildlife, and the natural ecosystem to thrive. The Water Quality Control Program has been conducting mitigation processes across several areas on the Reservation for years. You can read more about our efforts to remove invasive plants from the Reservation here.
Before and after pictures of invasive plant removal at SW3, one of the WQCP’s monitoring sites.
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
BMI Sampling
Every year, during the Fall, the WQCP and volunteers from surrounding tribal environmental staff, collectively known as the stream team, complete a collection of Benthic Macroinvertebrate (BMI) sampling from four surface water sites on the reservation. Sampling for BMI gives an indication of the biological condition of a waterbody. Along with collecting the samples, the team takes repeatable measures of the creek’s physical/habitat conditions at up to eleven transects for each site. Measures include observations of stream bank conditions, wetted width and bank full dimensions, discharge measurements, substrate measurements, coble embeddedness, canopy cover, human influence, etc. This annual monitoring activity gives the WQCP a scope at the physical, chemical, and biological conditions and quality of the Bishop Creek within the reservation.
