Background
Second Creek in southeastern West Virginia is a tributary of the Greenbrier River, which has been listed as
impaired since 2008 due to high concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria. Bacteria source tracking conducted
by the West Virginia Conservation Agency (WVCA) determined that bacteria loads to local streams in the watershed
may come in equal thirds from the different livestock management systems used in the county (i.e., grazing,
confined livestock, and cropland where manure may be spread). The Second Creek Watershed Based Plan concluded
that significant bacteria loads could be reduced from grazing systems by restricting livestock from streams,
developing alternative water sources, and implementing practices to reduce stormwater from pastureland.
Since 2009, WVCA and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) staff have worked with more than 120 farmers to install practices
that reduce runoff of sediment, nutrients, and bacteria from livestock operations, achieving significant load reductions
for fecal coliform and other pollutants. Practices included fencing to restrict stream access, armored stream crossings
for livestock, heavy use area protection pads, vegetated riparian buffers, nutrient management plans, and prescribed
grazing strategies.
See Also