Total Maximum Daily Loads for the Tuscarawas River
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State of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Division of Surface Water Total Maximum Daily Loads for the Tuscarawas River Watershed Tuscarawas River upstream of Dover Dam, Tuscarawas County Final Report July 27, 2009 Ted Strickland, Governor Chris Korleski, Director Tuscarawas River Watershed TMDLs CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 The Clean Water Act Requirement to Address Impaired Waters ................................. 1 1.2 Public Involvement ........................................................................................................ 2 2.0 Overview of the TMDL Study ............................................................................................ 3 2.1 Project Delineation ........................................................................................................ 3 2.2 Background of the Watershed and River System ......................................................... 6 2.2.1 Land Use and Population within the Watershed ................................................. 8 2.2.2 Geology and Ecoregions of the Watershed ........................................................ 9 2.3 Description of the Assessment Units .......................................................................... 10 2.3.1 Tuscarawas River Headwaters to below Wolf Creek (05040001 010) ............. 10 2.3.2 Chippewa Creek (05040001 020) ..................................................................... 12 2.3.3 Tuscarawas River: below Wolf Creek to below Sippo Creek, excluding Chippewa Creek (05040001 030) ..................................................................... 14 2.3.4 Tuscarawas River: below Sippo Creek to above Sugar Creek (05040001 090) ................................................................................................ 14 2.3.5 Tuscarawas River: below Sugar Creek to above Stillwater Creek (05040001 130) ................................................................................................ 16 2.3.6 Tuscarawas River: below Stillwater Creek to above Evans Creek (05040001 180) ................................................................................................ 17 2.3.7 Tuscarawas River: above Evans Creek to Muskingum River (05040001 190) ................................................................................................ 18 2.4 Water Quality Standards and Designated Uses ......................................................... 19 2.5 Identification of the Causes and Sources of Water Quality Impairment ...................... 20 2.5.1 Nutrient Enrichment .......................................................................................... 21 2.5.2 Habitat Alteration and Sediment ....................................................................... 21 2.5.3 Organic Enrichment and Dissolved Oxygen ..................................................... 21 2.5.4 Pathogens ........................................................................................................ 22 3.0 Water Quality Targets and TMDL Development ............................................................ 35 3.1 Factors Causing Impairment and Water Quality Targets Used for TMDL Development ............................................................................................................... 35 3.1.1 Nutrient Enrichment .......................................................................................... 35 3.1.2 Habitat Alteration and Sedimentation ............................................................... 36 3.1.3 Organic Enrichment/Dissolved Oxygen ............................................................ 39 3.1.4 Pathogens ........................................................................................................ 40 3.2 Impairments Addressed through this TMDL ............................................................... 40 3.2.1 Tuscarawas River (headwaters to below Wolf Ck) - 010 .................................. 41 3.2.2 Chippewa Creek – 020 ..................................................................................... 43 3.2.3 Tuscarawas R. (below Wolf Ck to below Sippo Ck) [w/o Chip Ck] - 030 .......... 46 3.2.4 Tuscarawas River (below Sippo Ck to above Sugar Ck) – 090 ........................ 48 3.2.5 Tuscarawas River (below Sugar Ck to above Stillwater Ck) -130 .................... 49 3.2.6 Tuscarawas River (below Stillwater Ck to above Evans Ck) – 180 .................. 51 3.2.7 Tuscarawas River (above Evans Ck to Muskingum R) – 190 .......................... 53 4.0 TMDL Development ......................................................................................................... 55 4.1 Methods of TMDL Development ................................................................................. 55 4.1.1 Watershed Hydrology (GWLF) ......................................................................... 55 i Tuscarawas River Watershed TMDL 4.1.2 Nutrient Enrichment .......................................................................................... 59 4.1.3 Habitat Alteration and Sedimentation ............................................................... 62 4.1.4 Organic Enrichment/Dissolved Oxygen ............................................................ 63 4.1.5 Pathogens ........................................................................................................ 69 4.1.6 Other Water Quality Considerations ................................................................. 73 4.2 Critical Condition and Seasonality .............................................................................. 74 4.2.1 Nutrients ........................................................................................................... 74 4.2.2 Habitat and Sediment ....................................................................................... 74 4.2.3 Organic Enrichment/Dissolved Oxygen ............................................................ 74 4.2.4 Pathogens ........................................................................................................ 74 4.3 Margin of Safety .......................................................................................................... 75 4.3.1 Nutrients ........................................................................................................... 75 4.3.2 Habitat and Sediment ....................................................................................... 76 4.3.3 Organic Enrichment/Dissolved Oxygen ............................................................ 76 4.3.4 Pathogens ........................................................................................................ 76 4.4 Future Growth ............................................................................................................. 76 5.0 Watershed Analysis, Loading Capacity, and Allocations ............................................ 78 5.1 Tuscarawas River (Headwaters to below Wolf Ck) – 010........................................... 79 5.1.1 Watershed Nutrients and Pathogens ................................................................ 79 5.1.2 Habitat and Sediment ....................................................................................... 87 5.1.3 Organic Enrichment/Dissolved Oxygen ............................................................ 90 5.2 Chippewa Creek – 020 ............................................................................................... 92 5.2.1 Watershed Nutrients and Pathogens ................................................................ 92 5.2.2 Habitat and Sediment ..................................................................................... 104 5.3 Tuscarawas River (below Wolf Creek to below Sippo Creek) [Excluding Chippewa Creek] – 030 ........................................................................... 111 5.3.1 Watershed Nutrients and Pathogens .............................................................. 111 5.3.2 Habitat and Sediment ..................................................................................... 122 5.3.3 Organic Enrichment/Dissolved Oxygen .......................................................... 126 5.4 Tuscarawas River (below Sippo Creek to above Sugar Creek) [Excluding Sandy Creek and Conotton Creek]– 090 ................................................ 129 5.4.1 Watershed Nutrients and Pathogens .............................................................. 129 5.4.2 Habitat and Sediment ..................................................................................... 134 5.4.3 Organic Enrichment/Dissolved Oxygen .......................................................... 136 5.5 Tuscarawas River (below Sugar Ck to above Stillwater Ck) – 130 ........................... 138 5.5.1 Watershed Pathogens .................................................................................... 138 5.5.2 Habitat and Sediment ..................................................................................... 143 5.6 Tuscarawas River (below Stillwater Ck to above Evans Ck) – 180 .......................... 146 5.6.1 Watershed Nutrients and Pathogens .............................................................. 146 5.6.2 Habitat and Sediment ..................................................................................... 150 5.7 Tuscarawas River (above Evans Ck to Muskingum R) – 190 ..................................