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Otter Creek Basin Water Quality Management Plan

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Otter Creek Basin Water Quality Management Plan Otter Creek Basin Water Quality Management Plan May 31, 2012 The Otter Creek Basin - Water Quality Management Plan was prepared in accordance with 10 VSA § 1253(d), the Vermont Water Quality Standards, the Federal Clean Water Act and 40 CFR 130.6. Approved: _________________________________ _____________________ David Mears, Commissioner Date Department of Environmental Conservation _________________________________ _____________________ Deborah Markowitz, Secretary Date Agency of Natural Resources The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources is an equal opportunity agency and offers all persons the benefits of participating in each of its programs and competing in all areas of employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual preference, or other non-merit factors. This document is available upon request in large print, braille or audiocassette. VT Relay Service for the Hearing Impaired 1-800-253-0191 TDD>Voice - 1-800-253-0195 Voice>TDD Cover photo of Otter Creek entering Lake Champlain after Tropical Storm Irene courtesy of Bill Howland, Lake Champlain Basin Program Otter Creek Basin Plan Page 2 Table of Contents Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................... 2 Otter Creek Basin Plan Executive Summary .......................................................................................... 5 The Importance of Basin Planning in the Face of Tropical Storm Irene ........................................ 6 Chapter 1-- Otter Creek Basin Planning Overview ................................................................................ 7 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 7 Natural Resource Planning on a Watershed Scale.............................................................................. 7 Importance of Partnerships in the Basin Planning Process ................................................................ 8 Specific Partners in the Basin Planning Process ................................................................................ 9 Addison County River Watch Collaborative (ACRWC) ............................................................. 10 Upper Otter Creek Watershed Council (UOCWC) ...................................................................... 10 UOCWC Water Quality Monitoring ....................................................................................... 10 The Importance of Basin Planning in the Face of Flooding ......................................................... 11 Chapter 2 -- Identifying and Resolving Water Quality Concerns ........................................................ 15 General Water Quality Issues in the Basin ....................................................................................... 15 Stream Geomorphic Assessments ................................................................................................ 16 Lower Otter Creek Water Quality and Aquatic Habitat ................................................................... 17 Surface water quality .................................................................................................................... 17 Stream Geomorphic Assessments ................................................................................................ 18 Lakes and Ponds ........................................................................................................................... 18 Upper Otter Creek Water Quality and Aquatic Habitat ................................................................... 19 Surface water quality .................................................................................................................... 19 Stream Geomorphic Assessments ................................................................................................ 19 Lakes and Ponds ........................................................................................................................... 20 Vermont Lakes Scorecard ....................................................................................................... 20 Water quality issues throughout the Otter Creek Basin ................................................................... 21 Pathogenic bacteria as measured using E. coli as an indicator ..................................................... 21 Vermont Statewide Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Bacteria-Impaired Waters ..... 21 Agricultural Runoff ...................................................................................................................... 22 Phosphorus Loading ..................................................................................................................... 22 River Corridor Management ......................................................................................................... 23 Developed Land Runoff ............................................................................................................... 24 Transportation infrastructure ................................................................................................... 24 Back Road Runoff ................................................................................................................... 24 Stormwater Runoff .................................................................................................................. 25 Developed Land ...................................................................................................................... 25 Lack of Riparian Buffers .............................................................................................................. 26 Water Quality Protection in the Otter Creek Watershed .................................................................. 28 Otter Creek Basin Plan Page 3 Protection of Headwaters ............................................................................................................. 28 Protection of Wetlands ................................................................................................................. 28 Floodplain Protection ................................................................................................................... 29 Establishing local (municipal) goals and objectives to protect water quality............................... 31 Use of Surface Waters in the Otter Creek Watershed ...................................................................... 31 The Need for Enhanced Public Access......................................................................................... 31 Otter Creek Basin Redevelopment Project - Vergennes............................................................... 32 Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife Access Areas ............................................................ 32 The Green Mountain National Forest ........................................................................................... 33 Chapter 3 -- Strategies to Address Priority Waters (Restoration and Protection) ................................ 34 Identifying and Restoring Impaired Waters in the Otter Creek Basin .......................................... 36 Specific Strategies to Restore Impaired Waters ........................................................................... 36 E. coli Bacteria ........................................................................................................................ 37 Middlebury River (E. coli) ...................................................................................................... 38 Little Otter Creek (E. coli – Agricultural sources) .................................................................. 39 Stormwater .............................................................................................................................. 39 Acid deposition in the Green Mountain National Forest ......................................................... 44 Specific Concerns and Associated Geographic Areas in the Otter Creek .................................... 44 Baker Brook (E. coli and nutrient enrichment) ....................................................................... 45 East Creek (low dissolved oxygen levels and hydro-modification) ........................................ 45 New Haven River (river instability – geomorphological assessment) .................................... 45 Strategies for Stressed Waters and Waters in Need of Further Assessment ................................. 46 Stormwater (Waters affected include lower Clarendon River and lower Tenney Brooks ) .... 47 Clarendon River (urban runoff, agricultural runoff) ............................................................... 47 Morphological Instability ........................................................................................................ 49 Agricultural runoff (waters effected include the Clarendon River, Dead Creek, Lewis Creek, Lemon Fair, New Haven River, Otter Creek) ......................................................................... 52 Classification Strategies for Waters in Need of Greater Protection ............................................. 54 Existing Uses ........................................................................................................................... 54 Exceptional Uses and Values of Basin Rivers and Streams ...................................................
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