Obion Creek/Bayou du Chien

Obion Creek from Highway 51
Obion Creek
© Tom Barnes/University of Kentucky
 

Defined by an area fed by two distinct watersheds, the Conservancy’s Obion Creek/Bayou du Chien project drains more than 350,000 acres of predominately agricultural land located in western Kentucky. The extraordinary amount of drainage across such a vast area requires the Conservancy to focus on strategies aimed at protecting water quality as these streams eventually merge and enter the Mississippi River.

At the Obion Creek/Bayou du Chien conservation area, the Conservancy employs what is known in the conservation field as “Best Management Practices,” or BMPs, as a method of controlling water pollution. In a rural area like western Kentucky, this means working with farmers and other local land-owners to manage pests and animals, control erosion, buffer streams and engage in other sustainable practices that minimize harm to local waterways. Currently the lack of BMP’s on numerous agricultural fields in the area defined by the Obion Creek and Bayou du Chien watersheds represents one of the largest threats to water quality and aquatic wildlife habitat in western Kentucky.  

Size
The project area encompasses two watersheds encompassing approximately 350,000 acres. Within that landscape, the Conservancy focuses on four smaller blocks, each around 20,000-30,000 acres.

Location
Bayou du Chien flows west out of Graves County, draining southern Hickman and northern Fulton counties. Also originating in Graves County, Obion Creek flows over a mud bottom into Hickman and Carlisle counties, draining the south-central portion of the Jackson Purchase area in far western Kentucky. The two waterways join in Fulton County and flow for approximately 2 miles before draining directly into the Mississippi River.

What's At Stake
Wetland and bottomland hardwood habitats harboring more than 80 state listed plant species and five federally endangered or threatened animal species, including the Indiana Bat, Gray Bat, Relict Darter, Pallid Sturgeon and Interior Least Tern. 

Threats
Excessive sediment load from agricultural fields. Decreased water quality, increased water temperature and compromised wildlife corridors due to a lack of suitable buffers on both the main stems and tributaries of the creeks. Hypoxic conditions (low oxygen content) warranting additional research throughout the watershed. Potentially elevated fecal coliform levels at certain points along Bayou du Chien.

Milestones
The Ingram Barge Company made a financial commitment in 2009 to support conservation activities on lands located where Obion Creek and Bayou Du Chien flow into the Mississippi River in Fulton County, Kentucky.

Action
Working with local landowners to implement Best Management Practices on agricultural lands draining into the Obion Creek and Bayou du Chien watersheds. Urging landowners to enroll land into conservation programs that help reduce sedimentation and benefit at at-risk species. Working with the Ingram Barge Company to create a platform project with the potential to restore and reconnect bottomland hardwood forests and wetlands to the Mississippi River alluvial floodplain.

Partners
Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, Kentucky Division of Forestry, Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Ingram Barge Company and numerous local landowners.