Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention

Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Program:

Clean Water Act §319

Key Staff: Ryan Dunbeck, Nonpoint Source Program Coordinator, Kylie Wilson, Water Resources Specialist; Mary James, Water Resources Technician IV; and Richard Guzman, Water Resources Technician I.

Goals & Objectives:

The goal of the Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution Prevention Program is to reduce NPS pollution on the Nez Perce Reservation, restore and maintain degraded systems/habitats, preserve natural ecosystems, and educate and assist landowners and the general public on implementing best management practices (BMPs).

The NPT Water Resources Division has implemented numerous projects to decrease or prevent NPS. To date, the program has fenced over 100 miles of stream, planted several hundred miles of riparian vegetation, assisted landowners in no-till farming practices, replaced or repaired roads and culverts that were negatively impacting water quality, helped to install off-site watering structures for livestock, and engineered and constructed large-scale stream re-meandering projects.

To see previous completed §319 projects, check out our StoryMap!

46 tall black plastic pots with elderberry stems stacked next to each other in rows of 5x3 with an extra one on the left. There are sitting on a shelf in a greenhouse.
March 2025 - The crew went out and got clippings of a wild elderberry tree to create clones that will be used in our restoration projects. The clippings were placed into these pots with care and attention to help promote growth and they are in our greenhouse working on sprouting roots. We look forward to seeing their progress and sharing with you all.
A week after planting we are starting to see little buds. This is great news; however, we don't want too much foliage quite yet because this means not as much energy is being put into growing roots.
April 2025 - The elderberries are still looking good! We continue to check in on them frequently and water them as needed. We have our fingers crossed that the roots are growing big and strong!
The March 2025 quarterly newsletter. Nez Perce Reservation Surface and Groundwater Pollutant Reduction Project The §319 program was awarded $1,960,754 for a five-year grant by EPA through the Columbia River Basin Restoration Funding Assistance Program. In 2024, the Water Resources Division (WRD) began targeted water quality sampling for pesticide analytes in Reservation waterways and project planning. Broadly, this project aims to eliminate or reduce pollution and improve water quality in the Columbia River Basin by implementing best management practices (BMPs) such as vegetated filter strips and edge-of-field plantings to reduce downstream transport of pesticides and sediment, ultimately enhancing the health of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. This project also proposes to undertake research at the Reservation scale within the Clearwater River watershed to: 1) determine which pesticides are used and the crop types they are applied to; 2) identify the parcels where these crops are grown and whether they are tribally or privately owned; 3) investigate whether specific analytes adhere to soil particles or leach directly into groundwater; 4) evaluate how the pesticide levels found in the Clearwater River watershed compare with aquatic life criteria globally, not just those set by Idaho and the EPA; 5) conduct outreach and education for tribal members, tribal leadership, and private land owners to promote the adoption of appropriate conservation practices. CWA §319 Lapwai Creek and Spring Creek Wetland Restoration Project The §319 program was awarded a $125,000 competitive grant for FY25 funded by EPA, which focuses on riparian and wetland restoration on Lapwai and Spring creeks. Implementation efforts for this project include repairing and replacing cattle exclusion fencing, installing offsite water structures, installing beaver dam analogues (BDAs) and large woody debris (LWD), riparian planting, backfilling wetland drainage trenches, and grading dikes. These efforts, conducted within Reservation boundaries, seek to increase habitat diversity, reduce nutrient and bacterial concentrations, lower stream temperatures, and raise the local water table in waterways to benefit all organisms. The proposed project addresses nonpoint source issues within the watershed by planting vegetation that will absorb nutrients produced by non-irrigated crop production and grazing related sources. In addition, the project will prevent further degradation of stream channels and wetlands caused by riparian livestock grazing, reduce channel incision by restricting livestock access to the stream corridor, and enhance wetland function by restoring historical surface and subsurface waterflow. There are two images present. One of Cottonwood Creek on a sunny day under the canopy of the trees and there are large boulders in the water. The second image is of a male employee turned away from the camera working on a beaver dam analog installation. This image is displays 6 posts in a row with sticks that are being weaved between to replicate a beaver dam.

NPS Background Information:

Nonpoint source pollution (NPS) is the leading cause of water quality problems in the United States and originates from many different sources including precipitation, runoff, atmospheric deposition, drainage, seepage, and hydrologic modifications. As water moves over and/or through the ground, it picks up, carries, and deposits pollutants into our lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and groundwater. These pollutants can include:
  • Bacteria and excess nutrients from livestock, pet waste, leaking septic systems, and agriculture;
  • Sediment from improperly managed construction sites, agriculture, livestock operations, timber harvest, and stream channelization;
  • Temperature resulting from lack of shade and hydrologic alteration;
  • Oil, grease, and toxic chemicals from urban runoff and energy production;
  • Salt from irrigation practices and acid drainage from abandoned mines; and
  • Atmospheric deposition and hydro-modification.

Best Management Practices:

Best management practices, or BMPs, refer to measures taken to reduce or prevent NPS pollution. Applications of BMPs include all facets of landuse and can include one or a combination of more than one BMP. For example, a few of the BMPs that can be used to reduce NPS pollution from agricultural practices include no-till farming, cover crops, riparian fencing, and offsite water to keep cattle out of the streams, and riparian planting and/or riparian buffers. These help to decrease nutrient and sediment NPS pollution, stabilize the stream banks, and decrease water temperature by providing shade to the stream.

Please click to learn more:

NonPoint Source Pollution Reduction Projects:

You can navigate to a location with more information about any of the watersheds by clicking on its’ area

Watersheds Not Listed On Map

Beaver Basics

Information utilized from http://animal.discovery.com/mammals/beaver/
The beaver, the second-largest rodent in the world, is well-known for its wide, flat tail, used for slapping the surface of the water to warn other beavers of approaching danger. Trees provide a beaver’s favorite winter food — bark and leaves. In summer other vegetation, especially aquatic plants, make up their diet.

The American Beaver

The American beaver can be found throughout North America, except for the most northern parts of Alaska. Like other beavers, its feet are webbed for better swimming. The ears and nose snap shut when the animal dives underwater, and the eyes have a third transparent eyelid that helps the beaver to see below the surface of the water. Its dense, yellowish-black, black, or reddish-brown fur retains body heat even in the coldest water. A secretive and nocturnal creature, it is awkward on land and thus vulnerable to predators.

Mounds, Burrows, and Lodges

Four to eight family members make up colonies and territories are marked with scent mounds —piles of mud that the beaver’s scent with glandular secretions. Beavers sometimes reside in a burrow at the water’s edge, but more often can be found setting up house in a dome-shaped lodge, built with branches and trees cut down with its large incisors.

Beaver Basics

Information utilized from http://animal.discovery.com/mammals/beaver/
The beaver, the second-largest rodent in the world, is well-known for its wide, flat tail, used for slapping the surface of the water to warn other beavers of approaching danger. Trees provide a beaver’s favorite winter food — bark and leaves. In summer other vegetation, especially aquatic plants, make up their diet.

The American Beaver

The American beaver can be found throughout North America, except for the most northern parts of Alaska. Like other beavers, its feet are webbed for better swimming. The ears and nose snap shut when the animal dives underwater, and the eyes have a third transparent eyelid that helps the beaver to see below the surface of the water. Its dense, yellowish-black, black, or reddish-brown fur retains body heat even in the coldest water. A secretive and nocturnal creature, it is awkward on land and thus vulnerable to predators.

Mounds, Burrows, and Lodges

Four to eight family members make up colonies and territories are marked with scent mounds —piles of mud that the beaver’s scent with glandular secretions. Beavers sometimes reside in a burrow at the water’s edge, but more often can be found setting up house in a dome-shaped lodge, built with branches and trees cut down with its large incisors.

Past environmental reports

Since 1855

To manage, protect, develop, and restore the Nez Perce Tribe’s surface and groundwater resources and watershed environments in the treaty-reserved homelands for the benefit, health, culture, and welfare of the tribal public.

Since 1855

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