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TMDL Development Upper Kanawha River Watershed

TMDL Development Upper Kanawha River Watershed. August 18, 2011. WV DEP Dave Montali. Agenda. Background information on Water Quality Standards, impaired waters and TMDLs Overview of WVDEP’s TMDL process Discussion of local impaired waters and the timelines for two TMDL Projects

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TMDL Development Upper Kanawha River Watershed

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  1. TMDL Development Upper Kanawha River Watershed August 18, 2011 WV DEP Dave Montali

  2. Agenda • Background information on Water Quality Standards, impaired waters and TMDLs • Overview of WVDEP’s TMDL process • Discussion of local impaired waters and the timelines for two TMDL Projects • Overview of Pre-TMDL Monitoring Plans Discussion – Free form questions and answers

  3. What’s a TMDL? • “Total Maximum Daily Load” – How much pollutant a stream can receive and remain healthy • TMDL development is required by Clean Water Act for all impaired streams • TMDL is a pollution budget – prescribes reduction of pollutants that result in the restoration of an impaired stream

  4. What’s an impaired stream? • Stream that doesn’t meet water quality standards • West Virginia Water Quality Standards are codified at 47 CSR 2 • Standards include designated uses for WV waters and water quality criteria to protect those uses • Criteria can be numeric or narrative • Impaired streams (streams that are not meeting criteria) are on the 303(d) List

  5. Criteria Examples • Aquatic Life Protection • Total Iron • 1.5 mg/l as a 4- day average concentration (warmwater fisheries) • 0.5 mg/l as a 4 day average concentration (troutwaters) • Not to be exceeded more than once every 3 years

  6. Numeric Criteria Examples • Human Health Protection • Fecal Coliform bacteria (Water Contact) • 200 counts/100ml as a monthly geometric mean • no more than 10% of samples in a month can exceed 400 counts/100ml

  7. Narrative Criteria Example • Biological Impairment • Conditions Not Allowable in State Waters • (47 CSR 2-3.2i) “.....no significant adverse impact to the chemical, physical, hydrologic or biological components of aquatic ecosystems shall be allowed.” • Benthic macroinvertebrate assessment • West Virginia Stream Condition Index (WVSCI)

  8. WVSCI • Standardized method for assessing benthic macroinvertebrates • WVSCI stream scores are normalized to 0 - 100 range • Streams scoring less than the 60.6 threshold value are labeled as “impaired” and placed on the 303(d) list • “Biologically Impaired” streams are evaluated for source/s of impairment during the TMDL development process (Stressor Identification Process)

  9. Upper Kanawha Impairments • Biological Integrity • Aluminum • Manganese • Selenium • Chloride • Fecal Coliform • pH • Iron

  10. Upper Kanawha TMDL Projects • “A3” TMDLs • Standard Process • Third effort in Hydrologic Group A • TMDLs to be completed December 2014 • Ionic Stress TMDLs • Special project addressing legacy biological impairments • Stressor Identification in 2004 TMDL project identified ionic stress as significant • TMDLs to be completed Summer 2012

  11. A3 TMDLs

  12. WVDEP TMDL Process • Stream Selection • Pre-TMDL monitoring, source identification and characterization • Contract to model water quality and hydrology • Allocation • Report development • Finalization

  13. Process Highlights • Synchronized with WV Watershed Management Framework • 48 month process (Stream selection – EPA approval) • Multiple opportunities for public outreach/stakeholder input • New Pre-TMDL water quality monitoring • Source identification and characterization

  14. Watershed Management Framework • 32 watersheds (8-digit HUC) • 5 Hydrologic Groups (A – E) • Geographical way to organize water resource management – Within DEP, watershed assessment, NPDES Permit reissuance and nonpoint source project funding synchronized • WVDEP TMDL development synchronized

  15. TMDL Development Stream Selection Process • Each year DEP plans TMDL projects in specific watershed(s) based upon Hydrologic Group • TMDL projects beginning in 2011 in HGA • HGA candidate watersheds = Cheat, Shenandoah Jefferson, Shenandoah Hardy, South Branch Potomac, Upper Kanawha, Upper Ohio North and Youghiogheny • Plans public noticed/comments accepted (March 17 – April 15, 2010)

  16. A3 303(d) Listed Impairments

  17. A3 TMDL Timeline • Stream selection completed Spring 2011 • Monitoring plan developed Spring 2011 • Public Outreach (TMDL 101) - Tonight • Monitoring and Source Tracking 7/11 – 6/12 • Modeling/ Report Development – Fall 2012 – Summer 2014 • Public Outreach (Status Update) Winter 2013 • Public Outreach (PN/PC on Draft TMDLs) – Summer 2014 • EPA review and approval by December 31, 2014

  18. Pre-TMDL Monitoring Plan Goal – to generate robust/ recent data to: • Make accurate impairment assessments • Calibrate watershed models • Quantify the impacts of significant pollutant sources

  19. Pre-TMDL Monitoring Plan • Many sampling sites – monthly chemistry, one habitat and biological assessment, flow monitoring • Pre-TMDL monitoring may identify additional impairments • The project will attempt to develop TMDLs for all identified impairments • Map available on DEP website and GIS shapefile available upon request

  20. Source Tracking Efforts • Abandoned Mine Lands • Limits of POTW collection systems • AFOs, Livestock counts • Riparian zone condition • Unmapped road density • Qualitative assessment of sediment sources • Active NPDES Point Source Info

  21. Ionic Stress Project 303(d) Listings

  22. Pre-TMDL Monitoring Plan • See handouts – detailed map on DEP webpage • Impairments/potential impairments being evaluated: • Biological Integrity • Dissolved Aluminum, Total Manganese, pH • Total Selenium • 301 sites on 244 streams • GIS coverage available upon request

  23. Pre-TMDL Monitoring Plan • Monitoring period = July 11 – June 12 • Sampling frequency • Benthic macroinvertebrates - during index period (Apr – Oct) • Habitat evaluations (RBP) • 1/Month for water chemistry parameters • pH, D.O., Specific Conductance, Temp. • Sampling will include flow measurement at select locations

  24. Stakeholder Input • General comments regarding plan’s adequacy in addressing goals • Does the plan provide for monitoring of particularly bad or good streams that you know about? • Does the plan provide monitoring sufficient to characterize significant pollutant sources? • Do you have water quality data to contribute?

  25. WVDEP Contact Information • Contact: Steve Young – Stephen.A.Young@wv.gov • Tele: (304) 926-0499 Ext 1042; • FAX: (304) 926-0496 • 601 57th Street SE, Charleston WV 25304 • www.wvdep.org • Select Water and Waste Home • On left select Watershed Management, click on “ Total Maximum Daily Load”

  26. Questions???

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