Effectiveness of forestry related best management practices in the Trout Creek Watershed, Colorado

Abstract

In multiuse forests the majority of nonpoint source pollution is typically sediment. Best management practices (BMPs) are implemented to reduce or prevent this pollutant, however little research has been done to quantify the effectiveness of individual types of BMPs. The overall goal of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of three BMPs implemented to reduce sediment in Trout Creek: cattle fences, off-road vehicle signs, and road culverts. The effectiveness of the combined BMPs in the land use area was evaluated by comparing water quality and Wolman pebble counts with an upstream reference area. The reference area was selected based on soil type, vegetation type, elevation, and absence of cattle grazing and off-road vehicle use. Despite the difficulty of finding an exact reference area, the study results suggest that fences and culverts are effective, but signs are ineffective.