The Nature Conservancy in Kentucky - Obion Creek/Bayou de Chien

Obion Creek/Bayou de Chien

Obion Creek
© Tom Barnes/University of Kentucky

The Obion Creek/Bayou de Chien project area is delimited by the watersheds of both Obion Creek and Bayou de Chien in western Kentucky. These two watersheds drain over 350,000 acres of predominately agricultural land from western Graves County, southern Carlisle County, and most of Hickman and Fulton Counties. The two waterways join in Fulton County and flow for approximately 2 miles before draining directly into the Mississippi River. Roughly 90% of the project area lies within the Upper East Gulf Coastal Plain ecoregion, while the remaining 10% is in the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain.

Threats

Excessive sediment load from the lack of Best Management Practices (BMP’s) on numerous agricultural fields is likely one of the largest threats to water quality and aquatic wildlife habitat. In addition, the lack of suitable riparian (or other) buffers on both the main stem and tributaries of the creeks not only decreases water quality from increased sediment and pesticide load, but also increases water temperature and decreases the amount of continuous corridors for wildlife use. The numerous poultry and hog farms located throughout the watershed may send excessive nutrients into the system, resulting in hypoxic conditions (low oxygen content) in certain areas. Water samples from Bayou de Chien at KY 307 and US 51 reveal elevated fecal coliform levels. The origin remains speculation due to the difficulty and expense associated with appropriate tests.

Plants

Over 70 state listed plant species are of concern including:

Aesculus pavia - Red Buckeye

Armoracia lacustris - Lakecress

Berchemia scandens - Supple-jack

Bolboschoenus fluviatilis - River Bulrush

Carex crebriflora - Coastal Plain Sedge

Carex decomposita - Epiphytic Sedge

Carex gigantea - Large Sedge

Chelone obliqua var. speciosa - Rose Turtlehead

Clematis crispa - Blue Jasmine Leather-flower

Cabomba caroliniana - Carolina Fanwort

Didiplis diandra - Water-purslane

Dryopteris carthusiana - Spinulose Wood Fern

Echinodorus berteroi - Burhead

Eryngium integrifolium - Blue-flower Coyote-thistle

Gleditsia aquatica - Water Locust

Hedeoma hispidum - Rough Pennyroyal

Heteranthera limosa - Blue Mud-plantain

Heterotheca subaxillaris var. latifolia - Broad-leaf Golden-aster

Iris fulva - Copper Iris

Limnobium spongia - American Frog's-bit

Melanthera nivea - Snow Squarestem

Myriophyllum heterophyllum - Broadleaf Water-milfoil

Nemophila aphylla - Small-flower Baby-blue-eyes

Oldenlandia uniflora - Clustered Bluets

Paspalum boscianum - Bull Paspalum

Phacelia ranunculacea - Blue Scorpion-weed

Polymnia laevigata - Tennessee Leafcup

Pontederia cordata - Pickerel-weed

Ptilimnium capillaceum - Mock Bishop's-weed

Ptilimnium nuttallii - Nuttall's Mock Bishop's-weed

Sagittaria platyphylla - Delta Arrowhead

Sedum telephiodes - Allegheny Stonecrop

Trepocarpus aethusae - Trepocarpus

Utricularia macrorhiza - Greater Bladderwort

Zizaniopsis miliacea - Southern Wild Rice

Animals

Species of concern in the focus area are primarily those that are state and/or federally listed. Currently, there are five species that are federally listed as Endangered [E] or Threatened [T] within the focus area; the Indiana Bat Myotis sodalis[E], Relict Darter Etheostoma chienense[E], Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus[E], Interior Least Tern Sterna antillarum athalassos[E], and the Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus[T].

Our Conservation Strategy

Conservation targets within the two watersheds include rare and declining species, as well as wetland and bottomland hardwood habitats.

What the Conservancy has done/is doing

The Nature Conservancy is working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, KY Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, KY Division of Forestry and US Fish & Wildlife Service to urge landowners to enroll land into conservation programs that help reduce sedimentation and benefit at risk species.