Development of a Kentucky Nutrient Strategy Paulette Akers Kentucky Division of Water Frankfort, KY

1. Development of a Kentucky Nutrient Strategy Paulette AkersKentucky Division of WaterFrankfort, KY KWWOA Annual Conference April 2014

2. Why Nutrient Reduction? • Eutrophication resulting in: • Stream Impairments • 2800 stream miles in Kentucky • Harmful algal bloom (HABs) advisories • Summer 2013: 5 USACE-owned reservoirs, 4 other Kentucky reservoirs • Hypoxic zone in Gulf of Mexico • Nutrients and sediment top causes for stream impairments in Kentucky • Mississippi River Basin concerns.

3. Recommended Elements of a State Framework for Managing Nutrient Pollution (Stoner Memo) • Prioritize Watersheds • Establish Watershed Load Reduction Goals • Ensure effectiveness of Point Source Permits • Agricultural Areas • Storm Water Runoff and On-site (Septic) Systems • Accountability and Verification Measures • Annual Reporting of Implementation Activities and Biannual Reporting of Load Reductions and Environmental Impacts • Develop Work Plan and Schedule for Numeric Criteria Development

4. Kentucky Nutrient Strategy Goals • Build on and consolidate existing tools and efforts under one overarching strategy • Capitalize on existing relationships • Identify knowledge and resource gaps • Implement efforts to address gaps and needs • Identify areas in need of improvement or additional effort • Develop a comprehensive document that guides reduction of nutrient loading and develop watershed-specific efforts to address nutrient management.

5. Nutrient Reduction Strategy Overview • Divided into 2 chapters – • Background information (setting the stage) • Implementation • Sections are arranged to correspond with sections in the Stoner memo • Strategy

6. Chapter 1 – Setting the Stage 1) Background\Introduction\Define the Problem 2) Identify sources in Kentucky – a. KPDES outfalls • Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) • Industrial Discharges • Power Plants • Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) • Stormwater Construction • Industrial Stormwater • Privately Owned WWTPs

7. Chapter 1 – Setting the Stage b. NPS • Atmospheric deposition • Urban non-MS4 • Lawn maintenance (including golf courses) • Failing septic tanks • Crop agriculture • Livestock and pasture agriculture • Legacy in-stream sediments and associated nutrients

8. Chapter 1 – Setting the Stage 3) Kentucky Stakeholders: a. Introduction b. Center of Excellence c. Land Grant universities • Kentucky State University • University of Kentucky

9. Chapter 1 – Setting the Stage 4) Current and Other Methods of Addressing Nutrients a. Discharge limits b. Planning process c. Priority points for funding d. Agriculture Water Quality Act e. Education

10. Chapter 1 – Setting the Stage f. Policy • Update of Kentucky Nonpoint Source Management Plan to meet current standards • Nutrient limits in point source permits • Revision of 401KAR10:031, Section 1, Nutrient Narrative Criteria with revision to definition of “eutrophication” in 401KAR10:001 effective 5/31/13 • Development of Nutrient Target methodology • Agriculture Water Quality Plan and compliance

11. Chapter 1 – Setting the Stage g. Partnerships • Participation on Hypoxia Task Force • Lower Mississippi Basin River Conservation Committee • Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) • Division of Conservation • US Geological Survey (USGS) • Agriculture Water Quality Authority • Kentucky Agriculture Science Monitoring Committee (KASMC) • Governor’s Office of Agriculture Policy • ORSANCO

12. Chapter 2 - Implementation 4) Assess and Prioritize Watersheds a. Monitoring b. Prioritization - Identify watersheds that are most likely to contribute to nitrogen and phosphorus loading (HUC 8 with HUC 12 targeted within) • Update of Kentucky Watershed Management Framework • Recovery Potential Tool • SPARROW model c. Identify categorical sources in those

13. Chapter 2 - Implementation 5) Develop Source-Specific Strategies for Nutrient Reduction a. Some tools and approaches apply statewide and others are specific to targeted watersheds or watersheds with nutrient impaired reaches. b. Kentucky Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits • Municipal and industrial WWTP • Privately owned package plants • Regionalization • Kentucky No Discharge Operation Permits • MS4/Urban

14. Chapter 2 - Implementation c. Agriculture • Agriculture Water Quality Authority (AWQA) and Agriculture Water Quality Plans (AWQP) including nutrient management plans • Stakeholder involvement (landowners, farmers, academia) • Nutrient Management Plan technical and financial assistance • Watershed-specific Best Management Practices for funding

15. Chapter 2 - Implementation d. Other NPS • On-site\septic systems and other stormwater • Forestry • Legacy e. Trading f. Education • NRCS • Land Grant Universities, Extension offices • Conservation Districts • Demonstration projects

16. Chapter 2 - Implementation 6) Document and Verify Progress • Document Baselines • Success Monitoring • Reporting • EPA strategic reporting measures • Annual reporting of progress

17. Chapter 2 - Implementation 7) Public Outreach and Stakeholder Involvement • Stakeholder meetings • Media campaign

18. Logistics • Timeline goals • Feedback Paulette.Akers@ky.gov • Website for materials: http://water.ky.gov/Pages/NutrientStrategy.aspx