Watershed Protection Plan Update 2008

1. Department of Conservation and RecreationDivision of Water Supply ProtectionOffice of Watershed Management Watershed Protection Plan Update 2008

2. Watershed Protection Plan Update 2008 • Background • System Basics • Current Regulatory Status • Guidance for developing WPP • Concepts for 2008 Plans • Methodology • Findings

3. 2 Agencies responsible for the system • Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation – dcr • Massachusetts Water Resources Authority – MWRA • Water is sold wholesale to 2.5 million people in 50 cities and towns • Unfiltered-Ozone and chloramine treatment

5. Filtration Avoidance Decision • State DEP has primacy • DEP conducts Annual Inspection • Annual letter saying “continue to meet waiver conditions” • Relatively few imposed conditions • Watershed protection plan has general programmatic dates • Periodic Update of Watershed Protection Plans • dcr WPPs “run out” in 2008

6. How do we develop a new/updated DCR Watershed Protection Program?

7. Plan Watershed Protection Plan for Quabbin Reservoir and Ware River Watersheds 1991(submitted and approved in 1991) Watershed Protection Plan for Wachusett Reservoir 1991(updated and submitted in 1993, approved in 1994) Guidance DEP DWS Policy 89-09 DEP guidance on the Preparation of a Watershed Resource Protection Plan (1989) Watershed Protection Plan History

8. Plan 1998 Wachusett Watershed Protection Plan Update 2000 Quabbin Update Guidance Program to Measure Success of Watershed Protection Efforts Conducted by Public Surface Water Supplies to Obtain and Maintain a Waiver from Filtration Requirements (1996) Watershed Protection Plan History

9. Plan 2003 Wachusett Update “Guidance” DEP SWAP 2002 Watershed Protection Plan History -

10. DCR has met all requirements for WPPs established by DEP • What guidance do we use to develop our new plan? • Literature review • We have experience of implementation, evaluation

11. SWTR – Minimum Requirements for Watershed Control Program • Assess the hydrology and land use characteristics of the watershed • Describe activities or characteristics of the watershed which may impact source water quality • Monitor and control these activities or characteristics.

12. 2008 WPP concepts • Budget, Annual Work Plans come from our Watershed Protection Plan • Much work has been done: • 3 plans for the Wachusett watershed • 2 plans for the Quabbin/Ware watershed And all the work to implement these plans

13. 2008 WPP concepts (cont.) • Strict WPP guidance (in previous iterations) duplicated of work already done in existing plans/report • Land Management Plans • Public Access Plans • Sanitary Surveys • Annual Water Quality Reports • Goal of 2008 updates is to integrate these plans/build on them • Review all existing plans

14. 2008 WPP concepts (cont). • One plan for entire system • Quabbin, Ware significant % of Metropolitan Supply • Define set of common goals across watersheds • Adapt for characteristics of Quabbin, Ware, Wachusett and Sudbury → allow for differences • Balance Protection “aggressiveness” with consumer confidence

15. 2008 WPP Methodology • SWTR – Minimum Requirements for Watershed Control Program • Define threats to Water Quality • Assess in Each Watershed • Develop Programs to address the Threats • Effort/resources proportional to threat

16. Define Threat→Assess→Control Programs • Develop List of Potential Sources of Contaminants • Based on previous assessments plus experience • Comprehensive • Clearly defined

17. Define Threat→Assess→Control Programs • Wildlife • Public Access and Recreation • Timber Harvesting • Wastewater • Roadways, Railways, and ROWs • Agriculture • Construction • Commercial, Industrial, Sites • Residential Sites • Solid Waste Facilities • Future Growth • Climate Change

18. Define Threat →Assess→Control Programs • Assess Risk to Water Supply • Ongoing assessment – been doing since 1991 and before • Assessment based on pollutants that could be associated with these sources • Method • Inventories (town records, GIS data layers, etc.) • Water Quality Sampling • Surveillance/field work

19. Define Threat →Assess→Control Programs

20. Define Threat →Assess →Control Programs • Land Procurement • $121 M since 1985 • Land Preservation • Watershed Protection Restrictions

21. Define Threat →Assess →Control Programs • Land Management • Forestry program • Invasive plants • Boundary marking/encroachment • Wildlife Management • Bird harassment • Aquatic Wildlife Management • Canada Goose • White-tailed deer • Moose

22. Define Threat →Assess →Control Programs • Public Access Management • Watershed Security • Infrastructure • 60 small dams • 419 miles of roads • 14 bridges • 65 buildings

23. Define Threat →Assess →Control Programs • Watershed Protection Act (1992) • Technical Assistance & Community Outreach • Interpretive Services • Visitors, schools, watershed residents

24. Define Threat →Assess →Control Programs • Water Quality Monitoring • Screen for problems • Measure effectiveness of watershed programs • Understand response of reservoir • Assess ecological health of reservoir and watershed • Environmental Quality Assessments (aka Sanitary Survey). • Comprehensive sub-watershed assessments • Field inspection, WQ data review, records review

25. Define Threat →Assess →Control Programs • Emergency Response • Assist local and state responders • Deploy response trailers • Staff training • ICS • Boom deployment • Mock spills

26. Define Threat →Assess →Control Programs • Multiple control programs for each threat • Effort of control program proportional to threat level • Comprehensive threat coverage allows flexibility; response to emerging issues

27. 2008 WPP findings • Water Supply is well protected • DCR has comprehensive watershed control programs in place • Land acquisition will continue, but at a slower pace than in the past. WPRs encouraged where possible • New technology (GIS, GPS, etc.) has many WPP applications; application may be challenging

28. 2008 WPP findings (cont.) • Development pace has slowed; but sites are more difficult to develop (increased pollutant potential) • On-site Wastewater is managed well with current regulations. Sewers now available in problem areas. • State and federal environmental regulations provide significant additional protection since the first WPPs were developed • Regulations are very complicated • Much/most responsibility is at local (volunteer) level

29. 2008 WPP findings (cont.) • New issues are challenging • Terrestrial Invasives • Oriental bittersweet, Japanese barberry, autumn olive, garlic mustard, Japanese stilt grass • Climate Change • PPCPs • ALB • New light on some old issues • Unexplained Bacteria “hits” → Pets

30. 2008 WPP findings (cont.) • Impact of protection measures can be difficult to demonstrate – Keeping the water clean • Payoff may be for future generations • Law of diminishing returns?

31. Watershed Protection Plan drives dcr Program Plann Watershed Protection Plan Update (2009 – 2013) ↓ Annual Work Plan ↓ Individual Tasks for DCR Staff

32. Questions?