Southern Whitewater RiverWatershed TMDL

Stakeholder Meeting

October 29, 2013

Agenda

• Watershed Description

• Listing Information

• Monitoring Information

• Load Allocations

• TMDL Process

• Schedule

Watershed Description

Land Use

28.8%

50.6%

12.2%

5.1%

Listing Information

Historic Sampling

• Macroinvertebrates Study in 1994, 1997, 2004• Pesticide Study in 1997• Sediment Sampling in 2002• Fish Tissue Sampling in 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012• Fixed Station Data from 1991-2013• 2009 TMDL Sampling

– E. coli only

• Probabilistic Sampling 1997, 2002, 2007, 2014*

Other Sampling

• Duck Creek Watershed Diagnostic Study (2008)

• Salt Creek Watershed Diagnostic Study (2009)

Draft 2012 303(d) Listings

• Approximately 293 stream miles impaired:– 232 stream miles E. coli– 125 stream miles Dissolved Oxygen (DO)– 62 stream miles Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) in fish

tissue– 46 stream miles Total Mercury (Hg)– 0 stream miles Impaired Biotic Community (IBC)

Monitoring Information

Monitoring Overview• Monitoring will begin November 2013• 32 sites monitored during recreational season

– 7 monthly results• 11 sites monitored during the non-recreational season

– 12 monthly results• 1 IDEM fixed station will also be incorporated

– Monthly sampling• Open to comments on site selection in this project

– Have met with Franklin, Decatur and Dearborn County SWCDs and incorporated their thoughts

2013-14 Recreational Season Monitoring

• 33 sites sampled monthly for water chemistry• 11 sites sampled monthly for flow

– Flow collected at 9 sites– Sampling method

• Acoustic Doppler Profiler (ADP)• FlowTracker/Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV)

2013-14 Non-recreational Season Monitoring

• 11 sites sampled monthly– These are 11 of the original 32 sites– Sampled for 12 months– These are the 12-digit pour points

• This location provides the most information to be used for the 12-digit watershed

– 9 of these are the flow sites• Flow will continue to be sampled monthly at these sites

Water Quality Parameters(E. coli)

125 MPN/100 mL5 Sample

Geometric Mean Indiana Administrative Code (327 IAC 2-1-6)

235 MPN/100 mL Single Sample Maximum

•E. coli will be sampled monthly April 1-October 31 during the recreational season•In Spring of 2014 there will be 5 weekly samples collected to calculate a geometric mean

Water Quality Parameters(Biological)

Fish Community Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI)(Range of possible scores is 0-60)

Fully Supporting: IBI ≥ 36Not Supporting: IBI < 36

Based on IDEM scoring methodology

Benthic Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Index of Biotic Integrity (mIBI) (Range of possible scores is 12-60)

Fully Supporting: mIBI ≥ 36Not Supporting: mIBI< 36

Based on IDEM scoring methodology

Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI)(Range of possible scores is 0-100)

Excellent Habitat: QHEI ≥ 70Good Habitat: QHEI 55-69Fair Habitat: QHEI 43-54 Poor Habitat: QHEI 30-42

Very Poor Habitat: QHEI < 30

Based on Ohio EPA QHEI document

Water Quality Parameters (General Chemistry)

Total Solids No Regulatory Target

Total Suspended Solids (TSS) No value should exceed 30.0 mg/Lin an IBC impaired segment

IDEM Target value

Total Dissolved Solids No Regulatory Target

SulfateCriteria based on hardness and chloride

Indiana Administrative Code (327 IAC 2-1-6)

ChlorideCriteria based on hardness and sulfate

Indiana Administrative Code (327 IAC 2-1-6)

Hardness No Regulatory Target

Alkalinity No Regulatory Target

Water Quality Parameters (Nutrients)

Ammonia NitrogenCriteria based on temperature and pH

Indiana Administrative Code (327 IAC 2-1-6)

Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN)No value should exceed 0.591 mg/L

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) recommendation

Nitrate-N+ Nitrite-N No value should exceed 10 mg/L IDEM Target value

Total Phosphorus (TP) No value should exceed 0.30 mg/L IDEM Target value

Total Organic Carbon (TOC) No Regulatory Target

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) No Regulatory Target

Water Quality Parameters(Field Parameters)

pH No value should be < 6.0 or > 9.0Indiana Administrative Code (327 IAC 2-1-6)

DO No value should be < 4.0 mg/L or > 12.0 mg/L

Indiana Administrative Code (327 IAC 2-1-6) and IDEM Target value

% DO Saturation No Regulatory Target

Temperature Values vary monthlyIndiana Administrative Code (327 IAC 2-1-6)

Specific Conductance No Regulatory Target

Turbidity No Regulatory Target

Weather Conditions No Regulatory Target

Reassessment Schedule• Data collection completed:

– E. coli October 2014– Chemical parameters October 2014– Fish/Macroinvertebrate July 2014

• Data packet completed:– February 2015

• Reassessment meeting:– February 2015

TMDL Allocation Development

TMDL Allocations

• Clean Water Act requires that TMDL be allocated as follows:– TMDL = WLA + LA + MOS– Wasteload allocations (WLA) for “point sources”

(regulated under NPDES)– Load allocations (LA) for nonpoint sources and – MOS for margin of safety

Allocation Development

• Data used to develop allocation– Precipitation

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather station

– Flow• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Flow Gage

– Modeling Using IDEM Data• Load Duration Curve modeling• Recovery Potential

TMDL Process

What Is the TMDL Process?• Review 303(d) list and sampling data • Kickoff stakeholder meeting• Gather information• Conduct additional monitoring • Reassess waterbodies• Gather additional information and produce draft TMDL

report• Hold the draft TMDL stakeholder meeting• 30-day comment period• Revise draft TMDL and respond to comments on draft final

TMDL• Submit TMDL to U.S. EPA and receive final TMDL approval

IDEM Needs Your Help• We need information on:

– Water quality data– Possible pollution sources– Potential stakeholders– Studies, reports, documents– Projects that have improved water quality

Schedule

Southern Whitewater RiverWatershed TMDL Schedule

• Kickoff meeting: October 2013

• Monitoring begins: November 2013

• Monitoring ends: October 2014

• Draft TMDL Meeting: Summer 2015

• 30-day Comment Period: Summer 2015

• Final TMDL Report Submittal to U.S. EPA: Fall 2015

Southern Whitewater RiverWatershed TMDL Information

• Project Webpage: http://www.in.gov/idem/nps/2652.htm

• Location of Sampling Sites• Meeting Schedules• Project Workplan• Site Photos• Quarterly Data Results• Presentations

Contact InformationAli MeilsTMDL Project ManagerOffice of Water QualityIDEM100 N. Senate Ave.Indianapolis, IN 46204-2251

Phone: (317) 308-3204Fax: (317) 308-3219E-mail: ameils@idem.IN.gov

www.watersheds.IN.gov/2347.htm

Kathleen HaganWatershed SpecialistOffice of Water QualityIDEM100 N. Senate Ave.Indianapolis, IN 46204-2251

Phone: (317) 308-3197Fax: (317) 308-3219E-mail: khagan@idem.IN.gov