Morgan and Little Creeks Local Watershed Plan

1. Morgan and Little Creeks Local Watershed Plan Totten Center, NC Botanical Garden 3 November 2004 Chapel Hill, NC http://www.nceep.net

2. Drivers for Local Watershed Planning

3. Cape Fear 02 Mitigation Need • Based on current estimates • 27,055 linear feet of stream • 5 acres of non-riverine wetlands • Estimate combines DOT and In-Lieu Fee program needs • Time period for mitigation need is 2005-2006

4. What DOT Impacts Are Being Mitigated

5. Selection of Morgan and Little Creeks • Screening Cataloging Units • Interagency Team Process • Identifying Targeted Local Watersheds • Selecting Local Watersheds for Stakeholder Planning Process • Problems (303(d) listed streams, water supply) • Assets (headwaters streams, development threats) • Local Interest (towns, county, citizen stream groups) • Data and other Resources (university, government)

6. Study Area - Subwatersheds • Morgan Creek • Orange County • Chapel Hill • Carrboro • Chatham County • Little Creek • (Bolin & Booker Creeks) • Orange County • Chapel Hill • Carrboro • Durham

7. 4 Key Ingredientsof a successful Local Watershed Plan Local Stakeholders & Resource Professionals Technical Assessment: Consultant Services Watershed Water Quality Monitoring Local Partners to assist with local involvement & implementation

8. Participantsin Planning Process • Orange County, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham • UNC at Chapel Hill • OWASA • Triangle Land Conservancy • Morgan Creek Valley Alliance • Friends of Bolin Creek • NC Wildlife Commission • US Fish and Wildlife Service • US Natural Resources Conservation Service • Triangle J Council of Governments

9. Improve and Protect Watershed Functions • Accomplishing this goal involves addressing: • eutrophication in Lakes • in-stream water quality conditions • modification of floodplain hydrology • headwater stream stability & sediment loading • aquatic and terrestrial wildlife habitat

10. Functioning Floodplain & Riparian Zone Toms Creek behind Willow Creek Shopping Center

11. Non-Functioning Floodplain & Riparian Zone Smith Level Road

12. Functioning Aquatic Habitat Bolin Creek Tributary at Adams Tract

13. Non-Functioning Aquatic Habitat Booker Creek Below Willow Drive

14. Three Phases of Assessment Preliminary Findings Detailed Assessment Targeting of Management

15. Preliminary Findings • Erosion and Sediment in Streams • Impaired Water Quality/Toxicity • Degraded Aquatic and Terrestrial Habitat • Jordan Lake Nutrient Loads & TMDL

16. Potential Sources • Urbanization • Imperviousness • Disturbed buffer • Floodplain encroachment • Leaking sewer/septic • Agriculture • Disturbed cover • Livestock access

17. Detailed Technical Assessment Potential Sources, Stressors and Strategies

18. Quantify Magnitude of Impacts • Predicted impact from various stressors using: • Empirical Models • GIS Analyses • Statistical Analyses • Predicted Nitrogen and Phosphorus loads to Jordan Lake • Modeled other stressors, including: • Sediment Loading • Stream Erosion and Instability • Imperviousness • Buffer disturbance

19. Total Nitrogen Exerted Loads – Full Buildout Scenario

20. Priorities by Combined Function

21. Targeting of Management Specific Watershed Recommendations

22. Potential Strategies • Stream restoration • Stormwater management • Best Management Practice retrofits • Conservation of undeveloped land • Low density/low impact development • Further monitoring and analysis

23. Stream Restoration Hillandale Golf Course, Durham

24. Stormwater Management University Mall

25. Conservation of Undeveloped Land Morgan Creek at Andrews Road

26. Residential Scale Low Impact Design

27. Restoration Opportunities

28. Preservation Sites:Upper Bolin Creek (BL1-BL3)

29. Summary of Opportunities • 11 Stream Restoration Projects • 28,250 linear feet of restored stream • BMP Sites Identified • Treat 600 acres of priority subwatersheds • 137 Priority Preservation Parcels • Over 600 acres of high quality riparian habitat targeted for preservation efforts

30. Stream Restoration Cost-Effectiveness Estimates

31. Value of Project Development Investment through Watershed Planning • 28,250 linear feet of stream • $205 per foot • $5,790,000 worth of potential stream mitigation identified by plan • $456,000 spent on screening, plan, and stakeholder facilitation • Cost is 8% of value of opportunities (budget for planning was 10%)

32. Next Steps Implementation

33. EEP Implementation • Stream Restoration & Enhancement • Chapel Creek – stream restoration • Mason Farm – floodplain restoration • Best Management Practices (BMPs) • Best if in conjunction with restoration • Preservation • Easements required for all projects • Acquisition or donation

34. Chapel Creek Stream Restoration Project • Agreements between NCEEP and UNC to implement restoration at abandoned golf course link • Runoff from development of UNC campus • Stream is incised and entrenched, has little buffer, and is destabilized with active erosion • Restoration Design Objectives: • Construct new channel • Alleviate erosion • Improve aquatic habitat • Reconnect stream to accessible floodplain

35. Chapel Creek Estimates • Stream Length 1,100 feet • Restoration Length 1,300 feet • Estimated Cost/foot $205 • Estimated Total cost $266,500 • Sediment Reduction 83.2 tons/year • Cost/Ton (initial) $3,200 • Cost/Ton (20 years) $160

36. Chapel Creek Site

37. Bridge at Chapel Creek

38. Contact Information Deborah Amaral, Ph.D., NC EEP 919-715-3466 deborah.amaral@ncmail.net Bonnie Duncan, NC EEP 919-715-5315 bonnie.duncan@ncmail.net Jason C. Doll, Stantec, Inc. 919-851-6866 jdoll@stantec.com

39. Download Information • http://www.nceep.net/services/lwps/Morgan_Creek/morgan.htm • Morgan and Little Creeks Local Watershed Plan Summary (coming soon!) • Preliminary Findings Report • Detailed Technical Assessment • Report • Water Quality Monitoring Addendum (coming soon!) • Targeting of Management Report