9/23/2016
1
Mbish Mikttewiwen: Tribal Partnerships To
Improve The Watershed
EPA National Nonpoint Source Monitoring WorkshopAugust 23, 2016
Ma’Ko’Quah Abigail Jones, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Environmental/GIS TechnicianMasters of Environmental Law and Policy, Vermont Law School
Britini Bauer, Kickapoo Tribe In Kansas Water Quality Monitoring SpecialistB.S. Environmental Studies, University of Kansas
Overview
• PBPN Reservation– Geography– Watershed
• Land Ownership– Issues
• Navigating Partnership with Tribes– Communication
• Data Availability and Tribes• Intertribal Partnerships
– Projects
• Potawatomi Success
9/23/2016
2
Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation
• Located in Northeast Kansas– Jackson County
• Reservation is 122 square miles– Tribal landowners (tribe and individual allottees)– Non-tribal landowners
• Eastern half of reservation is Western Corn Belt Plains or Eastern Deciduous Forest
• Western half of reservation is Central Irregular Plains or Tall Grass Prairie– Flint Hills touches western part of Reservation
• Sits on 2 HUC 8 watersheds– Delaware watershed– Middle Kansas watershed
• Tribe currently owns and manages 34,236 acres of the 77,000 acres that exist within the PBPN Reservation boundaries (or approximately 41%).
Middle Kansas Watershed• Rural environment
– agricultural activities• Listed as impaired on 303(d) list
for: – Eutrophication, Biology, TSS
Atrazine, Bacteria, Arsenic• Contains Soldier Creek watershed
– Primary HUC 12 watershed that PBPN relies on for subsistence purposes
– Vulnerable to sedimentation, erosion and nutrient loading
9/23/2016
3
Tribal Lands and Land Ownership
• Tribal fee• Tribal trust• Allotment fee• Allotment trust• Land Buyback Program
– Multiple owners– Tribe may/may not be majority owner– Projects have to be permitted by owner
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
9/23/2016
4
Navigating Partnerships With Tribes
• Easement programs–Bureau of Indian Affairs–Land Management Department
•Water Quality•Grazing Lands Health
–Environmental Protection•CWA 319
–Wildlife habitat
•Wetlands–Permanent easement
•Tribal TMDLs–State vs Tribal “designated uses”
–Tribes use water differently than state
• Due to state/federal jurisdictional issues, data is not always available for tribal lands
• State agencies authorized to collect data on state lands, does not necessarily include tribal lands– States may need permission or relationship with particular tribe to collect
data on tribal lands
•EPA acts as liaison between states and tribes
• Data sharing with entities not always mutually beneficial (for tribes)
Data, Availability and Tribal Lands
9/23/2016
5
Intertribal Partnerships
• 4 federally-recognized tribes in Kansas–Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation–Kickapoo Tribe In Kansas–Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska–Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska
• All located in Northeast Kansas
• Each tribe has different environmental programs– Different levels of capacity– Different focus of programs, depending on culture and
community priorities
9/23/2016
6
Potawatomi Success
• Successful Cover Crop Pilot Project– In partnership with PBPN Land Management Department
• TEK Streambank Stabilization Project– In partnership with contractor and PBPN Land
Management Department• Partnership with KDHE identifying NPS Hot
Spots– Will further identify PBPN priority areas
• Partnership with Middle Kansas WRAPS– Funding cover crop projects within Middle-KS watershed
outside Reservation boundaries
I’gwien(thank you)
Ma’Ko’Quah Abigail JonesEnvironmental/GIS Technician
Prairie Band Potawatomi NationDivision of Planning and Environmental Protection
[email protected](785) 966-2946
9/23/2016
7
Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas Water Quality Program
Tribal Partnerships: Exchanging Knowledge
Determination of Watershed Issues: Delaware Watershed
Primary Pollutants:
● Sedimentation, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, E.coli, Pesticides
Goals:
● Improve and protect water quality
○ Create an inventory of potential projects that determine priority areas for BMPs.
9/23/2016
8
Determining Priority Areas for Streambank Stabilization
● Prioritize projects
dependent on most
tons of soil lost per
year.
Methodology: Developed by Kansas Water Office
2002 FSA Aerial
Image
2014 NAIP Aerial
ImageSediment lost during
12 years
Streambank
length was found
using a multiple
regression
formula by KWO.
Streambank area and
perimeter can be calculated
using the calculate geometry
feature.
9/23/2016
9
● Using LIDAR,
streambank height can
be determined in
meters.
● Volume was calculated
by multiplying
streambank length and
height.
● Found predominant soil
type in area to be able to
determine dry bulk
density of soil.
● Volume of polygon x dry
bulk density/2000 lbs.=
soil tons lost
○ Soil tons lost/12
years= Soil tons
lost per year
For more detailed information on the streambank erosion assessments visit Kansas Water Office website at:
http://www.kwo.org/Projects/Streambank-Erosion-Assessments.html
Britini BauerWater Quality Monitoring Specialist
Kickapoo Tribe in [email protected]
(785) 486-2601 ext. 7