Water Quality Impairments: What do they mean?

1. Water Quality Impairments: What do they mean? Mike Adam Senior Biologist madam@lakecountyil.gov 847-377-8002

2. Clean Water Act (CWA) • Federal legislation • 1948 - called the Federal Water Pollution Control Act • 1972, 1977 – updated and now called the Clean Water Act • Regulating discharges of pollutant and regulating standards for surface waters Cuyahoga River, OH

3. Clean Water Act (CWA) • CWA made it unlawful to discharge any pollutant from a point source into navigable waters, unless a permit was obtained. • NPDES permit – National Pollution Discharge Elimination System • Point Sources – Pipes from sewage treatment plants, industrial, etc. • Non-point – Runoff from other sources: wildlife, lawns, stormwater • Enforcement falls to the States (IL EPA)

4. Clean Water Act (CWA) • Requires States to report to US EPA every two years • Sections 303(d), 305(b), and 314 • 303(d) - THE LIST • 305(b) – THE REPORT • 314 - Section on lakes • States need to: • Assess waters • Identify pollutants and sources • Develop Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) calculations for each pollutant • Consider an Implementation Plan • If waters do not meet the “designated use requirements” they are placed on the 303(d) list

5. Water Quality Impairment • “Designated Uses” • Aesthetic Quality • Aquatic Life • Fish Consumption • Indigenous (native) Aquatic Life • Primary Contact (swimming – beaches) • Secondary Contact (i.e., canoeing, fishing, etc) • Public and Food Processing Water Supply

6. Water Quality Impairment • “Designated Uses” • Aesthetic Quality & Aquatic Life • Total Suspended Solids • Total Phosphorus • Low Dissolved Oxygen • Algae/Fish kills/other non-pollutants • Fish Consumption – Mercury/PCBs • Indigenous (native) Aquatic Life – Exotic, non-native species • Primary Contact (Swimming – Beaches) – E.coli or Fecal coliform bacteria • Secondary Contact (i.e., canoeing, fishing, etc.) – NA in Lake Co. • Public and Food Processing Water Supply – NA in Lake Co.

7. Water Quality Impairment • One value that exceeds the standard….you’re on THE LIST

8. Fox Chain O’Lakes Channel Catherine • 13 lakes • Glacial Lakes • Grass Lake – Riparian marsh • 13 unique lakes Marie Bluff Grass Spring Dunn’s Petite Nippersink Fox Pistakee Redhead Matthews

9. Watershed • 1300 sq. miles (930,000 acr.) • 938 sq-miles Wisconsin • 362 sq-miles in Illinois • Lake & McHenry counties • Main tributaries include: • Fox River* • Nippersink Creek • Sequoit Creek • Squaw Creek • Trevor Creek Fox River Trevor Creek Nippersink Creek Sequoit Creek Squaw Creek

10. Land Use Wetlands Agriculture Residential

11. Total Suspended Solids • Solid materials suspended in water column • High concentrations can lower water quality • Absorb light, increases temperature • Decrease ability of water to hold DO • Make it difficult for aquatic plants • Make it difficult for aquatic life (fish eggs, macro-invertebrates, fish gills, etc.)

12. Suspended Solids • Non-volatile (sediment) • Fox River Watershed 100,000 cu-yds. • Failing sea walls or eroding shorelines • Carp • Boat propeller • Volatile – organic • Plankton • Algae • Plant material • Macro invertebrates

13. Total Suspended Solids 20% TSS Impairment 27% 177% 21% 14% 18% 50% 14% 17% 79% TSS (mg/L) 45%

14. Total Phosphorus • Primary nutrient for plant and algal growth • Too much TP increases eutrophication • Sources : External and Internal • Human and animal waste • Soil erosion • Detergents • Sewage treatment plants • Septic systems • Runoff • Re-suspension of sediments (carp, boat) (internal) • Lake mixing (internal)

15. Total Phosphorus 45% 29% 57% 19% 20% 12% 14% 21% 22% 78% 101% TP (mg/L)

16. Dissolved Oxygen • DO ≤ 5 mg/L can cause stress for aquatic life. • Low DO usually a result of excess nutrients. • Bluff Lake considered impaired for DO (DO ≤ 5 mg/L at 1 ft. below surface). • Stormwater from the precipitation events carry oxygen-demanding substances.

17. Beaches • 13 licensed beaches • 2014: Three beaches exceeded 235 E.coli/100 ml • Highwood (channel between Petite & Spring) – 16 times • Stanton Bay (Fox Lake) – 1 time • Vacation Village (Dunns) – 1 time

18. Narrative Standard Example of blue-green algae on Dunns Lake 2014 • Offensive Conditions • “Waters of the State shall be free from sludge or bottom deposits, floating debris, visible oil, odor, plant or algal growth, color or turbidity of other than natural origin.”  • 35 Ill. Adm. Code 302.203

19. Secchi Depth 127% 140% 70% 14% 33% 20% 5% 26% 18% 39% 54% Secchi Depth (ft.)

20. Pistakee Lake Impairments • Fish Consumption (pregnant women, children < 15 yrs old) • Mercury (statewide, all predatory fish, 1 meal/week) • PCBs (entire Chain) – Catfish and Carp • Aesthetic Quality • Total Phosphorus • Total Suspended Solids

21. Fish Consumption Advisory Channel Catfish Less than 18"Unlimited Consumption - or -18" to 26"1 meal/week- or -larger than 26"1 meal/monthContaminant - PCBs Carp Larger than 17" 1 meal/week Contaminant - PCBs

22. What is a TMDL? Total Maximum Daily Load • “TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards and support designated uses.” • Stages • Stage 1: Watershed Characterization/Data Analysis • Stage 2: Data Collection (if needed) • Stage 3: Model Calibration/Implementation

23. What is a TMDL? • TMDL = WLA + LA + MOS [+ RC] • Wasteload allocation--point sources/ NPDES • Load allocation--nonpoint sources • Stormwater runoff/Erosion • Margin of safety • Optional reserve capacity for point sources

24. Then What? • IEPA can request special conditions be met in an NPDES permit • POTWs • Municipalities (MS4s) • Monitoring, Projects, etc. • Alternative to TMDL implementation: Watershed Workgroups • Fox River Workgroup • Des Plaines River Watershed Workgroup

25. How do we get off THE LIST? • Removal from the 303(d) list • New data • New model • Approval or establishment by USEPA of a TMDL since the last Section 303(d) list

26. Perspective • Isthisallbad? • Consider: • Almosteverylake in Lake County islistedfor at leastoneparameter • TP, TSS, E. coli, DO • Remember, it only takes one sample • Is there anything positive? • Potential grant funding (319 funds)

27. Invasive Species • Eurasian Water Milfoil • Curly Leaf Pondweed • Common Carp • Zebra Mussels • Gizzard Shad (native)

28. Lake Management • The 3 Legged Stool Lake Management Watershed Management Ecosystem Structure Internal Loading

29. Moving Forward • Watershed Planning • Lake Management Plan • Aquatic Plant Management Plan • Lakes with aquatic vegetation have better water clarity(quality) than those with no or little vegetation present.