Feature Article

Best Management Practices for Water Quality

There are over 736 million acres of forest land in the United States. The single largest holder of forested land is the US Forest Service. Many other forest lands are administered by state and county governments or owned by private citizens and corporations.

These lands provide water, fish and wildlife habitat, esthetic value, and recreational opportunities. Production of high-quality water is a major benefit of forest lands; about two-thirds of the Nation's runoff comes from forest areas. These lands also provide a source of timber for harvesting. To properly manage these lands for multiple uses, best management practices for timber harvesting have been established. Best Management Practices or BMPs are generally developed by the States and are designed to help landowners, foresters, loggers, and others protect water quality during all stages of forestry. This includes preharvest planning, streamside and wetland area management, road construction and maintenance, timber harvesting, revegetation, and chemical management.

In 1972, in response to growing public concern about serious and widespread water pollution, Congress passed the Clean Water Act to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters. Under the Act, State and federal agencies cooperate to control pollution by setting water quality standards and providing for control of pollution at its source. The Act is mainly administered by EPA, with many of the provisions delegated to the States and Tribes for implementation. The Act makes it unlawful to discharge a pollutant from a point source into waters without a permit from EPA or an authorized State or Tribe. Nonpoint pollution sources are addressed by the States and Tribes through area-wide management planning processes and voluntary incentive-based programs; some states have regulatory programs that may address nonpoint source pollution. Because nonpoint source pollution causes approximately 60% water quality impairments, Congress amended the Clean Water Act in 1987 to establish the Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Program under Section 319. The program provides States and Tribes with grants to implement controls described in their approved nonpoint source pollution management programs.

Traditional end-of-pipe pollution control methods are not appropriate for controlling the type of nonpoint source pollution that may come from timber harvest. For example, forestry activities are dispersed over large areas and affected by natural variables such as weather, channel morphology, or geology and soil characteristics of the watershed, making it difficult to separate the impacts of timber harvest from these natural variables. As an alternative, the concept of land management as a control tool emerged. This concept relies upon the use of best management practices, or BMPs. Conscientious use of BMPs includes monitoring to determine if the BMPs are being properly implemented and are achieving the desired effect. Achievement of water quality goals may require modifications in the BMPs originally selected for the forestry activities.

In Wisconsin, over 12,600 rivers and streams flow more than 84,000 miles through forests, wetlands, and grasslands. In addition to the Great Lakes of Michigan and Superior, Wisconsin has more than 15,000 inland lakes covering nearly 1 million acres. Wetlands cover an additional 5 million acres of the State, with forests covering 16 million acres.

Protecting Wisconsin’s forests and water resources is crucial to the state’s economy. Wisconsin’s timber industry employs over 65,000 people and contributes over $20 billion to our state’s economy every year. Forests not only contribute directly to Wisconsin’s economy, but also indirectly protect water quality and water-based economies. Sport fishing alone generates $2.7 billion in business and provides $200 million in tax revenue for local and state government.

Forests play an important role in the water cycle, contributing to the high quality of water found in Wisconsin’s lakes, streams, and wetlands. The term “water quality” broadly encompasses the chemical, physical, and biological properties of water in lakes, streams, and wetlands. Chemical properties of water include pH, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and the presence of chemical pollutants. Physical properties include turbidity and temperature. The characteristics and natural processes of waterbodies are also important aspects of water quality. These include stable channels, the transport of nutrients, the volume and speed of water, streambed and lakebed materials, and leaves, sticks, and logs that naturally fall into the water.

Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Water Quality are intended to provide simple and cost-effective methods for protecting water quality in lakes, streams, and wetlands – including important ecological and waterbody characteristics – before, during, and after forest management activities. Forestry BMPs are designed to protect:

• General water quality, by minimizing inputs of polluted runoff,

• Water temperature, by ensuring an adequate and appropriate amount of shade along shorelines and streambanks,

• Nutrient balances, by providing necessary inputs of organic material and nutrients that serve as the basis of aquatic food chains,

• Habitat diversity, by making certain there is an adequate source of large woody debris for aquatic systems, and

• Hydrologic processes, by limiting disturbances to water flow patterns.

Maintaining water quality can be a complex process, but Forestry BMPs for Water Quality provide practical ways to achieve this goal. Most BMPs in this manual address water quality concerns by providing methods to keep sediment out of lakes, streams, and wetlands and to preserve the physical integrity and natural processes of water resources. If these issues are addressed, then most other aspects of water quality will also be protected.

If Forestry BMPs are not followed, water quality has the potential to be impacted in several ways, including:

• Reduced ability for soil to absorb water. This can occur when the forest floor is rutted, compacted, or otherwise damaged by equipment.

• Increased potential for soil erosion. The likelihood of soil being carried away by runoff increases when bare soil is exposed.

• Diverted water flows. Roads and skid trails can intercept water flowing over or through the soil. If the natural flow pattern is altered, wetlands or other water resources may be denied the water that they depend on.

Concentrated water flows. Roads, skid trails, landings, and drainage structures can collect runoff and funnel it, increasing the speed of runoff, eroding soil, and creating gullies.

• Increased water flows. Harvesting a significant percentage of the trees in a watershed can increase the amount of water running off the land, since fewer trees are left to uptake water. Higher water flows can increase the potential for streambank erosion and may lead to flooding.

• Reduced cover next to water resources. Harvesting adjacent to streams can open the tree canopy and cause more light to reach the water surface. This may cause water temperatures to rise. Harvesting next to lakes and streams can also remove the natural source of woody debris for aquatic habitat and can eliminate the leaf litter that is an important food source for many aquatic insects.

The good news is that BMPs are used correctly over 90% of the time in Wisconsin across all landowner categories. Since 1995, nearly 600 timber sales have been monitored in Wisconsin to document how often people are using BMPs, as well as to determine how well the BMPs work. BMP monitoring has also shown that when BMPs are used, water quality is protected over 99% of the time. On the other hand, if BMPs are not used, water quality impacts have been observed nearly 70% of the time.

As mentioned above, regardless of landowner category – private, industrial, county, state, or federal ownership – BMPs are being used, and water quality is being protected. This success is due in great part to the commitment of forestry professionals – foresters and loggers – across the state. In addition, informed landowners play a crucial role in this partnership. Nearly 60% of Wisconsin’s 16 million acres of forestland are owned by private individuals and families. Responsible management of Wisconsin’s forests will not only ensure a sustainable supply of wood products, but will also provide many other benefits, including clean water.