Lake Taneycomo Watershed Management Plan Summary - PUB3084

The Lake Taneycomo watershed is part of the Upper White River Basin, which feeds into the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. Located in Christian, Stone and Taney counties in southwestern Missouri, the Lake Taneycomo watershed drains 336 square miles. The Lake Tanycomo-White River 10-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC10) watershed (HUC #1101000301) is further divided into 10 smaller HUC12 subwatersheds: Upper Bull Creek, Woods Fork, Middle Bull Creek, Bear Creek, Roark Creek, Lower Bull Creek, Coon Creek, Sliver Creek, Fall Creek and Turkey Creek.

The watershed is primarily forested (70%), with agriculture (17%) and urban areas (12%) composing most of the remaining area. Urban areas are mainly distributed in the southern subwatersheds (Coon Creek, Fall Creek, Lower Bull Creek, Roark Creek, Silver Creek, and Turkey Creek) and are located closer to the Lake Taneycomo water body. The northern most subwatersheds have the most pastureland, covering more than 20% of the area in Bear Creek, Upper Bull Creek, and Woods Fork. The Lake Taneycomo watershed contains seven communities: Branson, Saddlebrooke, Merriam Woods, Bull Creek Village, Kirbyville, Rockaway Beach and Hollister. Additionally, Branson West is partially within the watershed. These eight communities have a combined population near 22,000 according to 2021 American Community Survey estimates.

Lake Taneycomo is a 2,119-acre reservoir, formed when Ozark Beach Dam, the first hydroelectric dam in Missouri, was built south of Forsyth (in Taney County) to impound the White River in 1913. Lake Taneycomo is one of four reservoirs on the White River: Beaver, Table Rock, Taneycomo and Bull Shoals lakes. In addition to providing power, Lake Taneycomo now has several other designated uses, including serving as a primary drinking water source for the city of Branson and as a cold-water fishery. The lake is widely considered one of the best trophy-trout lakes in mid-America.

Water Quality Issues 

Two waterbodies within the Lake Taneycomo watershed are considered impaired, or not meeting water quality standards: Woods Fork and Lake Taneycomo. Woods Fork was first listed on the state’s 303(d) list as impaired in 2014 for protection of warm water aquatic life, with the pollutant listed as fishes/ bioassessments. The pollutant and its source are unknown, however, the pollutant is tied to the water and not the surrounding sediment or organisms. 

The water quality condition addressed in the 2010 Lake Taneycomo Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) is low dissolved oxygen. All classified waters of the state must provide suitable conditions for aquatic life, including both the physical habitat and the quality of the water. If concentrations of dissolved oxygen drop too low, fish and other organisms begin to suffer and die. In this particular case, Table Rock Dam has been identified as the source of the low dissolved oxygen impairment, due to the release of hypolimnetic waters from Table Rock Lake. However, the TMDL also states that nutrient and organic matter from nonpoint source pollution originating in the surrounding watersheds could also be contributing to low dissolved oxygen concentrations. Increased population growth and land use development within the Lake Taneycomo watershed have been identified as potential sources of nutrient and oxygen-consuming substance loads from urban stormwater runoff.

Watershed Management Plan

In June 2024, the Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute (OEWRI) and H₂Ozarks developed the Lake Taneycomo Nine Element Nonpoint Source Watershed Management Plan. The plan is intended to provide the means necessary for implementing best management practices (BMPs) to meet and protect water quality standards. This plan provides stakeholders, local organizations and governmental agencies with a step-by-step guide for reducing nonpoint source pollutants within the watershed to meet state and federal standards. Nonpoint source pollution concerns are related to urban expansion, agricultural practices and increased stormwater runoff leading to streambank erosion throughout the watershed.

• Lake Taneycomo Nine Element Nonpoint Source Watershed Management Plan, June 14, 2024

The plan focuses on nonpoint source pollution in contrast to point source pollution. All point sources of pollution require a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit, which monitors the quantities and types of pollutants from the point source. Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) permits are another way in which point sources are regulated. MS4 is a system of roads, drainageways, basins, and ditches designed to transport stormwater. The city of Branson is the only community within the watershed with an MS4 permit. Urban/ developed areas not regulated by MS4 permits are considered nonpoint sources.

As the Lake Taneycomo watershed changes over time, nonpoint source pollutant sources may change. Additionally, water quality standards and regulations may also change. Therefore, this plan is intended to be a living document, with updates and amendments added, as necessary.

Project Goals

The goal of the Lake Taneycomo watershed plan are to:

• Identify areas of poor water quality within the Lake Taneycomo watershed and potential nonpoint pollutant sources.
• Present viable solutions to remediate the water quality impairments.
• Provide an implementation plan for remediating impaired waters, protecting at risk areas and preserving areas meeting water quality standards.

The objectives of the Lake Taneycomo Watershed Plan are to:

• Model nonpoint source pollutants using EPA’s Spreadsheet Tool for Estimating Pollutant Loads (STEPL) from HUC-12 watershed areas, target effective Best Management Practices (BMPs), and estimate nonpoint source load reductions from BMP implementation.
• Monitor water quality through sampling and geomorphic assessments.
• Assess stream bank and lake shoreline sedimentation and erosion through field and geographic information system (GIS) assessments.
• Implement two demonstration projects to educate and inform the public on nonpoint source pollutants and ways they can be reduced.
• Encourage stakeholder input and public involvement through meetings, surveys and public outreach.

BMP implementation goals are to treat 441 acres of pastureland, 331 acres of urban area, and 125 feet of eroding streambanks per year. Over the 20-year life span of this watershed management plan, total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations in runoff are expected to on average decrease by 10% and 8% respectively. 

Best Management Practices

Several pastureland, urban area and streambank BMPs were identified and modeled to reduce nonpoint source loads within the Lake Taneycomo watershed. These BMPs focus on reducing runoff and therefore pollutants and sediment to streams and Lake Taneycomo.

• Access Control
• Alternative Water
• Heavy Use Protection
• Forage and Biomass Planting
• Prescribed Grazing
• Extended Wet Retention
• Dry Detention
• Porous Pavement
• Streambank stabilization