Blackwater Creek Watershed Assessment

1. Blackwater Creek Watershed Assessment

2. Teams  Physical Team - Derek Pinheiro, Libby Kircher, Marley Connor, Rich Fletcher Chemical Team - Albert Leavell, Naomi Tice Macroinvertebrate Team - Ryan Beale, R.J. McNally, Jake Kappes Fish Team - Nels Erickson, Ben Tumolo, Nate Curtis Writing Team - Emilee Herbert, Jan Rodes, Beth Dzula

3. Project Purpose • To provide the City of Lynchburg with an up-to-date report on the water quality of the Blackwater Creek Watershed • Determine land-use impacts on water quality on various sampling sites throughout the watershed • Propose practical restoration methods (best management practices)

4. Blackwater Creek Watershed

5. Upper Ivy Creek WatershedRichard Chaffin Farm Sampling Site

6. Middle Ivy Creek WatershedHooper Road Sampling Site

7. Lower Ivy Creek WatershedPeaks View Park Sampling Site

8. Lower Blackwater WatershedHollins Mill Sampling Site

9. Burton WatershedRock Castle Creek Sampling Site

10. Dreaming WatershedDreaming Creek Sampling Site

11. Tomahawk WatershedTomahawk Creek Sampling Site

12. Stream Channelization • EPA definition: “any activity that moves, straightens, shortens, cuts off, diverts, or fills a stream channel, whether natural or previously altered. Such activities include the widening, narrowing, straightening, or lining of a stream channel that alters the amount and speed of the water flowing through the channel” • Reduces ability to slow floods and absorb damage • Changes flood heights and frequency • Alters habitat types • Causes changes in plant and animal communities

13. Riparian Zone • Areas that surround water bodies in the watershed and are composed of moist to saturated soils, water-loving plant species and their associated ecosystems • Connects the waters edge with dry land • Shade and cool stream • Stabilize banks • Collect sediment • Provide nutrients to macros • Create pools • Filter and purify water • Prevents floods • Lessens turbidity

14. Sedimentation • The blocking of an aquatic system by the deposition of sediment • Chokes reservoirs • Raises river beds • Alters habitat composition • Blocks light from entering system

15. Eutrophication • Ecosystem response to the addition of artificial or natural substances such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to an aquatic system • Reduces biodiversity • Kills off certain organisms • Reduces visibility and mobility functions due to biotic overgrowth • Reduces dissolved oxygen content • Can completely alter ecosystem

16. Impervious Surfaces • Roads, parking lots, rooftops, and other hard surfaces characteristic of urban areas that prevent rainwater from infiltrating into the ground, delivering it instead as stormwater to rivers, lakes and estuaries • Causes higher maximum flows and lower minimum flows • Degrades habitats • Carries sediment and pollution to waterways • Raises water temperature • Decreases biodiversity

17. Physical Data TEAM members: • Rich Fletcher, Libby Kircher, Derek Pinheiro, Marley Connor The measurements taken by the Physical group examine the effects on the stream by surrounding land use. Physical and visual monitoring and assessment was used to determine stream quality and condition.

18. Physical Materials • Garmin GPS • Self Level Laser • Meter stick • Tape measure • Stream assessment form

19. Methods • Set up self level laser on stream bank • Stretch tape measure across stream to measure width (meters) • Attach indicator to meter stick • Place meter stick at meter or half meter intervals, aligning until beeping from indicator is consistent • Record measurements on stream assessment form • Use GPS to record location from starting point and to end of stream reach

20. Ivy Creek at Peaks View Park RCI= 0.8 Observation: Soil deposits and over-widened bank

21. Black Water Creek at Hollins Mill Dam RCI=1.45 Observation= exposed tree routes, low sedimentation upstream

22. Ivy Creek at Chaffin Farm RCI= 1.12 Observation= good overhead vegetation, small vegetation in stream bank

23. Ivy Creek at Hooper Road RCI= 1.09 Observation= high sedimentation in downstream reach. High amounts of woody debris

24. Tomahawk Creek RCI= 0.74 Observation= open water, high tree canopy, lots of shade and leafy debris

25. Dreaming Creek RCI= .85 Observation= undercutting in banks, high bed load

26. Rock Castle Creek RCI= .61 Observation= severe vertical incision at width, zero overhead tree cover, severe impervious pavement around area

27. RCI Over Time

28. Physical Analysis Conclusions • Land use has a significant effect on water quality of streams in the area. • The use of riparian buffers can dramatically reduce the potential for stream degradation. • Being proactive about stream health is superior to being reactive. • Prevention > mitigation

29. Water Quality Standards • pH: 6-9 • Temperature: Maximum 32° • Nitrate: 10 ppm (standard for drinking water) • Phosphate: 0.1 ppm • E. coli- Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recommended guidelines of 235 E. coli organisms per 100 milliliters

30. Phosphate (ppm) at selected sites from 2004-2012

31. Nitrate (ppm) at selected sites from 2004-2012

32. pH levels from 2004-2012 in at selected sites

33. Conductivity (µS/cm) at Chaffin and Peaks View from 2004-2012

34. E. Coli for all sites in 2012

35. Chemical Analysis Conclusions • Streams with high conductivity levels may be the result of large amounts of runoff flowing into the stream. Large amounts of runoff typically carry sediment that causes conductivity to rise. • Peaks view Park has seen an increase in phosphorous through out years studied. • Other indicators: D.O, pH, Temp, Phosphate, and Nitrate, did not have any noticeable trends between streams or years that would indicate significant difference between the streams and their past or current condition.

36. Cited Sources • http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/wqslibrary/upload/vawqs.pdf • http://www.epa.gov/caddis/ssr_urb_wsq2.html

37. Macroinvertebrate Collection: Tools Hess Net Kick Screen

38. Indices • EPT – Measure of indicator species: Ephemeroptera (Mayflies), Plecoptera (Stoneflies), Trichoptera (Caddisflies). These three families are sensitive to pollutants. • PMA- Percent Model Affinity, compares sampled stream to an unpolluted ideal stream, highly variable depending on biodiversity. • FBI- Family Biotic Index, Based on each species tolerance to pollution a number is assigned to show stream pollution. A lower number is more pristine.

39. Chaffin Farm

40. Hooper Road

41. Hollins Mill

42. Peaks View Park

43. Dreaming Creek

44. Rock Castle

45. Tomahawk

46. 2012 Analysis (Macros) Overall • The Chaffin Farm site has the healthiest water quality, being located in a rural area • The Rock Castle Creek had the worst water quality, being located in a urban area • The trend that is presented shows how urbanization decreases water quality

47. 2012 Fish Team • Nathan, Curtis, Nels Erickson, Ben Tumolo, Dr. Shahady, and the Physical Team

48. Materials • Waders • Smith-Root LR-24 Electrofisher Backpack • Nets • Buckets • Fish ID Book • Pencil • Paper

49. Methods • Turn backpack on • Start time • Begin collecting samples • ID Fish and release them back into stream • Enter data into spreadsheet • Compile IBI Scores • Analyze data

50. Ranking according to Fish Populations • Hollins Mill • Chaffin Farm • Hooper Road • Rock Castle Creek • Dreaming Creek • Tomahawk Creek • Ivy Creek