Whats wrong with the What s wrong with the What s wrong with the - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

What’s wrong with the What s wrong with the What s wrong with the What’s wrong with the streams in Charlottesville? streams in Charlottesville? A Water Quality Study for A Water Quality Study for A Water Quality Study for Schenks A Water Quality Study for Schenks Schenks Branch, Schenks Branch Branch Branch, Meadow Creek, Lodge Creek and Meadow Creek, Lodge Creek and Moore’s Creek Moore’s Creek Tara Sieber VA Dept. of Environmental Quality p Q y January 6, 2011

Why are we here? Why are we here? Why are we here? Why are we here? � What’s wrong with � What s wrong with What’s wrong with What s wrong with Charlottesville’s Charlottesville’s Streams? Streams? Streams? Streams? � What’s being done? What’s being done? � What can you do? Wh Wh What can you do? d ? d ? � How does this impact How does this impact the Chesapeake Bay? the Chesapeake Bay? � Exhibits Exhibits

Lodge Creek

What’s wrong with What’s wrong with Charlottesville’s streams? Charlottesville’s streams? � Meadow Creek � Meadow Creek Meadow Creek Meadow Creek and Moore’s and Moore’s Creek have too Creek have too Creek have too Creek have too much bacteria much bacteria � Do not meet � Do not meet Do not meet Do not meet water quality water quality standards = standards = standards = standards = “impaired impaired”

What has been done? What has been done? What has been done? What has been done? Source: Rivanna River Bacteria TMDL � Meadow Creek was Meadow Creek was included in the included in the included in the included in the Rivanna Rivanna River River Bacteria water Bacteria water Bacteria water Bacteria water quality study quality study (TMDL) completed (TMDL) completed (TMDL) completed (TMDL) completed in 2008 in 2008- -2009 2009

What has been done? What has been done? What has been done? What has been done? � Moore’s Creek had a water quality Moore’s Creek had a water quality study/TMDL for bacteria completed in 2002 study/TMDL for bacteria completed in 2002 � Implementation Plan completed in 2005 Implementation Plan completed in 2005 p p p p S Source: Moore’s r M r ’ Creek Bacteria TMDL

What’s wrong with What’s wrong with Charlottesville’s streams? Charlottesville’s streams? � Biological monitoring reveals Biological monitoring reveals g g g g these streams do not support these streams do not support healthy and diverse aquatic healthy and diverse aquatic community community community community � Biologists look at the Benthic Biologists look at the Benthic Macroinvertebrates = BUGS Macroinvertebrates = BUGS � Numbers and types collected Numbers and types collected are compared to a healthy are compared to a healthy reference condition reference condition reference condition reference condition � Stream given a Stream Stream given a Stream Condition Index (SCI) score Condition Index (SCI) score ( ( ) ) SCI of <60 = Aquatic Life SCI of <60 = Aquatic Life (Benthic) Impairment (Benthic) Impairment

Lodge Creek

Why Do We Care About Why Do We Care About “B “B “Bugs”? “Bugs”? ”? ”? � Important food source for fish Important food source for fish p � Important in cycling nutrients Important in cycling nutrients � G � Good indicators of pollutants and G Good indicators of pollutants and d i di d i di t t f p ll t f p ll t t t d d overall stream health overall stream health U h Unhealthy U h Unhealthy lth lth H Healthy Healthy H l h l h

What are the scores for What are the scores for Charlottesville’s streams? Charlottesville’s streams? 100 100 90 80 70 2 ‐ MSC000.60 Healthy Moore’s Creek (MSC) nia SCI 60 2 ‐ XRC001.15 Lodge Creek (XRC) Unhealthy 50 Meadow Creek (MWC) Meadow Creek (MWC) 2 ‐ MWC000.60 2 MWC000.60 Virgi Schenks Branch (SNK) 40 2 ‐ SNK000.88 30 2 ‐ XSN000.08 Unnamed Trib (XSN) 2 XSN000 18 2 ‐ XSN000.18 20 20 10 0 Jan ‐ 04 Jan ‐ 05 Jan ‐ 06 Jan ‐ 07 Jan ‐ 08 Jan ‐ 09 Jan ‐ 10 Graph Source: VT-BSE 2011

Monitoring Stations Monitoring Stations Map Source: VT-BSE 2011

What is being done? What is being done? What is being done? What is being done? � A TMDL is formally known as A TMDL is formally known as A TMDL is formally known as A TMDL is formally known as a a T Total otal M Maximum aximum D Daily aily L Load oad – or the amount of pollution or the amount of pollution p that a stream can receive but that a stream can receive but still maintain water quality still maintain water quality standards standards d d d d � A pollution “diet” or “budget” A pollution “diet” or “budget” to account for all sources of to acco nt for all so rces of to account for all sources of to acco nt for all so rces of pollution to a stream pollution to a stream � Recommends reductions from Recommends reductions from Recommends reductions from Recommends reductions from the sources to meet the limit the sources to meet the limit

The TMDL Process The TMDL Process T otal T otal Virginia’s process to improve streams M aximum D aily • Identifies sources of pollution y • Calculates amounts from each Implementation L oad source Plan • Estimates necessary pollutant reductions reductions Monitoring Study • Identifies permit controls or best management practices t ti I Implementation l i needed to make necessary pollutant Polluted reductions Cl Clean Water quality standards met Water quality standards not met

Study Step #1: Study Step #1: What is affecting the bugs? What is affecting the bugs? � Perform a “Stressor Identification Analysis” � Perform a Stressor Identification Analysis Perform a “Stressor Identification Analysis” Perform a Stressor Identification Analysis � Look at all possible stressors using a weight Look at all possible stressors using a weight- -of of- - evidence approach evidence approach evidence approach evidence approach � Historical and recently collected data Historical and recently collected data � Bug community, habitat, water quality, sediment, etc. B Bug community, habitat, water quality, sediment, etc. B i i h bi h bi li li di di Possible Most probable Non stressors Non-stressors stressors stressors

Non Non Non Stressors Non-Stressors Stressors Stressors � Ammonia � Ammonia Ammonia Ammonia � Metals Metals � pH pH H � Temperature Temperature � Total Dissolved Total Dissolved Solids/Conductivity Solids/Conductivity / / y y

Possible Stressors Possible Stressors Possible Stressors Possible Stressors � Hydrologic � Hydrologic Hydrologic Hydrologic Modifications Modifications (Moore s Creek) (Moore s Creek) (Moore’s Creek) (Moore’s Creek) � Nutrients Nutrients � Organic Matter O O Organic Matter i M i M � PAHs PAHs � Toxics Toxics

Most Probable Stressors Most Probable Stressors Most Probable Stressors Most Probable Stressors (Preliminary Results – Analysis continuing) M Moore's ' L d Lodge M Meadow d Schenks S h k Most Probable Stressor Creek Creek Creek Branch Hydrologic modification X X X Sediment X X X X

Why do we care about Why do we care about Hydrologic Modification? Hydrologic Modification? � Habitat Changes impact aquatic life � Habitat Changes impact aquatic life Habitat Changes impact aquatic life Habitat Changes impact aquatic life � Channel Alteration eliminates stream’s natural Channel Alteration eliminates stream’s natural ability to absorb and recover from impacts (large ability to absorb and recover from impacts (large ability to absorb and recover from impacts (large ability to absorb and recover from impacts (large storms, sewer overflows, pollutants, etc.) storms, sewer overflows, pollutants, etc.) Source: Flickr

What is the evidence for What is the evidence for H d Hydrologic Modification? Hydrologic Modification? H d l l i M difi i M difi i i ? ? � High percentage � High percentage High percentage High percentage of impervious of impervious surfaces surfaces surfaces surfaces � Lodge Creek: Lodge Creek: � 30 7% 30 7% 30.7% 30.7% � Meadow Creek: Meadow Creek: � 31.9% 31 9% 31.9% 31 9% � Schenks Branch: Schenks Branch: � 36 2% 36 2% 36.2% 36.2% Map Source: VT-BSE 2011

What is the evidence for What is the evidence for Hydrologic Modification? Hydrologic Modification? � Channelized stream � Channelized stream Channelized stream Channelized stream segments ( segments (Schenks Schenks Branch Branch) � Sewer system Sewer system www.raleighnc.gov overflows (Lodge overflows (Lodge overflows (Lodge overflows (Lodge Creek) Creek)

Why do we care about Sediment? Why do we care about Sediment? Why do we care about Sediment? Why do we care about Sediment? � A healthy “bug” community requires a clean stream A healthy “bug” community requires a clean stream bottom with lots of space between rocks and gravels bottom with lots of space between rocks and gravels bottom with lots of space between rocks and gravels bottom with lots of space between rocks and gravels Healthy Stream Bottom Excess Sediment

What is the evidence for Sediment? What is the evidence for Sediment? What is the evidence for Sediment? What is the evidence for Sediment? Channel Erosion Fine sediment on bottom of streams