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West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection

Learn about Total Maximum Daily Load, stream impairments, allocation strategies, and progress in the Rockymarsh Run Watershed Project. Includes data analysis, monitoring plans, modeling approaches, and upcoming steps.

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West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection

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  1. West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Rockymarsh Run Status Update March 9, 2016

  2. Agenda • “Introduction to TMDLs” recap • Overview of TMDL Project & Status • Overview of Allocation Strategies • 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 • Pollution Budget - prescribes reductions (where needed) of pollutants that result in the restoration of an impaired stream • TMDL development required by Clean Water Act for streams impaired by a pollutant

  4. TMDL = S WLA + S LA + MOS • S = “sum of” • WLA = “wasteloadallocations” • LA = “load allocations” • MOS = “margin of safety” • WLAs - pollutant loads from “point sources” • Discharge from point • Need NPDES permit • LAs - pollutant loads from “nonpoint sources” and background • Precipitation/runoff driven • No permit required

  5. What’s an impaired stream? • Stream that doesn’t meet water quality standards • West Virginia Water Quality Standards are codified in 47 CSR 2 • http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/Programs/wqs/Documents/Rule%20Approved%20Letter%20and%20Rule%20Itself%202014/WVDEP_WQS_2014Tri-Review_FinalRule47CSR2_June_2014.pdf • Standards include “Designated Uses“ for WV waters and “water quality criteria” to protect those uses • Criteria can be numeric or narrative • Impaired streams are enumerated on the 303(d) list

  6. West Virginia Section 303(d) List / Integrated Report

  7. Numeric Criteria • 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 exceed 400 counts/100ml • Rockymarsh Run violation rate (400 cts) • 9 of 68 (13%) – 7/13 – 6/14 (TMDL data) • 20 of 114 (17%) - 5/12 – 6/15 (Ag data)

  8. Pre-TMDL Monitoring Plan • Impairment/potential impairment sampling suites: • Sed/Fecal/Nutrient – Alkalinity, TSS, T. & Dis. Iron, fecal coliform; T. N, TKN, Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia, Phos. (T., Dis,. & Ortho), Mg, Ca. • Sed/Fecal/Nutrient/Bio – all the above plus aquatic bug collection for development of “Limestone Streams” Index • 5 sites on 3 streams • GIS coverage available upon request

  9. Rockymarsh Run Watershed 5 sample sites on 3 streams

  10. Rockymarsh Run Watershed MDAS model 5 Subwatersheds

  11. MDAS Model • Watershed Model • Runs dynamically on a 1-hour time step • Represents land use (hydrologic processes) and river processes • Can include nonpoint and point sources

  12. Modeling Approach • Segment watershed • Configure model to represent all sources • Calibrate model for hydrology (flow) and water quality • Fecal • Run MDAS for Baseline conditions (existing) • Run MDAS for TMDL scenario(s)

  13. Baseline Conditions

  14. Completed: Monitoring Source tracking Baseline Modeling Status Update Meeting Next Steps: Allocations Draft Document Public Meeting EPA Approval Rockymarsh Run WatershedProject Status

  15. Allocation Methodology • Universal Reduction of targeted sources • Straight pipes, Failing Septics, etc • Top-down approach • Headwater subwatersheds analyzed first • Allocation strategy dictates order and magnitude of reduction • If necessary, loads are reduced then routed to downstream subwatershed

  16. Allocation Methodology • WVDEP priorities: • Ensure criteria compliance at all sws outlets • Target the primary causative sources • Strategy in general • Critical conditions must be considered • Sometimes only one significant source in sws • Always some amount of professional judgement

  17. Fecal Coliform Sources • Point sources • MS4 area (Berkeley County) • Nonpoint source • Failing septic systems and/or straight pipe illicit discharges • Stormwater runoff from urban/residential lands • Stormwater runoff from agricultural lands

  18. Fecal Coliform Strategy • 100% reduction of all untreated sewage discharges (failing septics, straight pipes) as required by WV Bureau for Public Health regulations • Sensitivity analysis to address severity of agricultural vs. urban/residential impacts

  19. WVDEP TMDL Process (4 yrs) • Stream Selection - (4/2013) • Pre-TMDL monitoring, source identification and characterization - (7/2013 – 6/2014) • Contract to model water quality & hydrology – (11/2014) • Determine baseline condition and allocate pollutant loads • Draft Report development • Finalization and EPA approval

  20. Rockymarsh Run Watershed TMDL Path Forward • Allocate loads and wasteloads and develop draft report • Formal public comment period and public meeting on the draft TMDLs in Fall 2016 • Address comments, prepare final draft and submit to EPA for approval (final draft will include Response Summary)

  21. Contact Information • Comments should be submitted to Steve Young at Stephen.A.Young@wv.gov(10 meg limit for email) • Questions - contact Dave Montali, Jim Laine, Mike McDaniel • (304) 926-0499 • David.A.Montali@wv.gov, James.C.Laine@wv.gov, or Michael.L.McDaniel@wv.gov

  22. Discussion/Questions...

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