Rocky River Watershed
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ROCKY RIVE R WATE R SHED Subbasin HUC 03040105 WATER QUALITY OVERVIE W - PEE DEE RIVER BASIN PLAN Rocky River HUC 03040105 2008 YADKIN NC DWQ WATERSHE D AT A GLANCE This subbasin is located adjacent to the City of Charlotte where rapid development CO UNTIES along with limited stream waste assimilation capacity is having a major impact on water quality. Of the monitored waters, 29 percent are supporting and 65 percent Anson, Cabarrus, Iredell, are impaired. New impairments corresponded with an increase in number of sample Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanley, sites, indicating as more monitoring is done more water quality problems will likely Union be detected. The network of ambient monitoring sites in the Rocky River watershed MUNICIPALITIES indicate that turbidity and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) are notably higher Albemarle, Charlotte, in this area than in other parts of the Yadkin – Pee Dee River basin. Fecal coliform China Grove, Concord, bacteria, iron, and copper are also pollutants of concern in this watershed. Iron and Cornelius, Davidson, Gold copper occur naturally in the soils of this region and further investigation is needed Hill, Harrisburg, Huntersville, to determine the groundwater contribution of these metals to surface waters. Other Indian Trail, Kannapolis, possible sources include nonpoint source runoff from urban areas and waste land- Lake Park, Landis, Locust, application sites. Goose Creek is the home to the endangered Carolina Heelsplitter Marshville, Matthews, Mint Mussel which requires special land use management strategies to protect and restore Hill, Mooresville, Mount its habitat. Pleasant, New London, Norwood, Oakboro, GENERAL DESCRIPTI O N Peachland, Richfield, The Rocky River is the largest tributary of the Yadkin - Pee Dee River and flows Stallings, Stanfield, Wingate for almost 100 miles from its headwaters near Mooresville in Iredell County to PER M ITTE D FACILITIES its confluence with the Pee Dee River. Coddle Creek is a major tributary in the northwestern part of the watershed, while Irish Buffalo Creek, Goose Creek, and NPDES WWTP: Crooked Creek drain central portion of the watershed. Major 8 Minor 45 This region contains many rapidly growing urban areas including Mooresville, NPDES Nondischarge: 24 Concord, Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, eastern Mecklenburg County, Concord, NPDES Stormwater: and Kannapolis. Pressure from urban expansion is rapidly shifting agricultural land General 141 towards residential and commercial uses. Stream degradation due to impacts from Individual 9 this shift is the greatest threat to water quality in the area. Phase II 10 Animal Operations: 75 Going downstream, stream type shifts from those characterized by sandy substrates STREA M SU mm ARY and generally consistent summer flow regimes to those characterized by low summer Total Streams:.......1,158.3mi flows, extensive bedrock formations, and the prevalence of boulder and cobble Total Monitored:.......605.8mi substrate. These are considered Carolina Slate Belt streams and are found primarily Total Supporting:......175.3mi in eastern Cabarrus and Union Counties. Total Impaired:........392.9mi Total Not Rated:.......37.6 mi Big Bear, Long, Richardson, and Lanes Creeks form the major tributaries in the Total No Data:........552.5 mi southeastern portion of the Rocky River watershed. These are all considered Slate Belt Streams. The Albemarle WWTP and the Town of Oakboro’s WWTP both discharge to Long Creek. The Towns of Marshville, Wingate, and Monroe (along the US 74 corridor) are the large urban areas area. The Monroe WWTP is a major discharge to Richardson Creek. Land use in this area is mostly comprised of hay fields and pasture, although there are large numbers of swine and poultry operations. Moreover, numerous confined animal operations (CAFOs) are found in the Richardson and Lanes Creeks catchments. Many of these operations land apply their manure or litter. The effect of long-term land application programs on water quality is unknown. 1 NC DWQ YADKIN - PEE DEE RIVER BASIN PLAN Rocky River HUC 03040105 2008 2 F I G URE Yadkin - Pee D%2)"¡[¢àee)"à River Basin *# ¡[)"à *# ¡¢*# 5-1. Rocky River and Lynch)"àes River Watersheds *# )"à )"à *# #0)"à )"à ¡[ # )"à * #0 )"à )"à 8-D#igit HUC 03040105 and 03040202 )"à "à 0 ")à )"à ) )"à)"à)"à ¡[)"à R *# # XY#0)"à")à )"à *IREDELL ROWAN O *# CKY R ¡[)"à #0 D ##0%2 o Kanapolis u * )"à t c c I *# h k r )"à C y i *# s # * o %2 "à ¡[")à¡¢ B ) h # l 0 R %2 R d i u v B NC-49 e W ")à r u ffalo IVER ff a Cr *##0 a t e )"à e e #0 lo ")¡[à k Clarke #0 *# C r #0 #0 C )"à re C #0 L )"àr ek e re )"à o *# W e "à k e n ¡[) ¡[ g *# )"à *# C k *# )"à o # C XY d * )"à r d e *# *# ATERSHE MECK. e *# le )"à k C Concord )"à ¡[ )"à )"à *# r )"à ¡¢ Malla e e Albemarle ¡¢ rd )"à¡¢ ¡¢ k ¡¢ )"à¡[ C ¡[ B ¡[ r CABARRUS e #0 ¡[")à¡¢ ig #0 e k )"à STANLY )"à )"à )"¡[à¡¢ ¡¢ B )"à ¡¢ XYXY ¡[)"à e ¡[ XY a )"¡[à D Charlotte )"à¡¢ XY )"à¡¢ r )"à )"à XY ")à "à ¡¢ )"à C ) )"à )"à ¡[ r HUC k e ek ¡[ ee e *# ¡¢ re *# )"à r Stony k )"à#0 C *# #C Run ck #0 d*#y0 ¡[)"à Legend )"à ")à )"àa Ree )"à #0 )"à B *##*# )"à #0 * )"à )"à #0 Locust *# )"à *# ¡¢ 03040105 Monitoring Stations #0 #0 #0 8 *#)"à )"à#0 3 I 1 *# s - *# l ¡[)"à a # *# * C ¡[ n N Fish *# d *# *# # *# )"à *# *# ¡¢ * C %2)"à¡¢ ¡¢ r *# ¡¢ ¡[ ¡[)"à *# *# e *#")à Ambient # e )"à # * k )"à *#¡¢ #0*¡¢ ¡[ )"à ¡¢ )"à Ro *# Benthos *# *# )"à ck )"à ¡¢ y Rive r ¡[ NPDES Non Discharge Permits %2 k )"à XY #0 ee )"à )"à )"à M"àin)"tàHill #0 r ¡¢ *# )*#)"à C ¡[)"à )"à %2 )"¡¢à ")à¡¢ e ¡¢ ¡[ Major *# *#)"¡¢à s ¡¢ *#)"à )"àGo o *# *# )"à N *# ")à k # . rk Cr e N 0 Minor F o )"oào r")eà C *# *# # ¡[¡¢ k C -7 * ed¡[)"¡¢à k 4 e 2 XY re N NPDES Discharger Permits ¡[)"à C C S - k 2 ¡[ . d Unionville k e e 1 k F r C 8 "à e o )"à r k ) ¡[ e o o )"à¡¢ r ¡[)"à e XY Major )"à UNION C r C )"à¡¢ n s *# #0 *# o e Minor # s m ¡[ * d a %2 )"à¡¢ r J a h Aquatic Life Rating ¡[ ")à ic ¡[ R Impaired )"à¡¢ XY US-74 %2 Monroe )"à No Data ¡[ )"àà ¡[ reek XY)"¡[à¡¢ ¡[ m C ¡[ da Not Rated er # Be av 0 )"à #0 Supporting ¡¢ ")¡[à Primary Roads #0 )"à )"à )"à ¡[ Municipality Boundary )"à #0 )"à ® County Boundary ¡[)"à 8-Digit HUC Boundary 0 3 6 12 DWQ Planning Section ¡[ Basinwide Planning Unit Miles July, 2008 CURRENT STATUS AN D SIGNIFICANT ISSUES Impaired streams are those streams not meeting their associated water quality standards in more than 10 percent of the samples taken within the assessment period (January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2006) and impacted streams are those not meeting water quality standards in 7 to 9 percent of the samples. The Use Support report provides information on how and why water quality ratings are determined and DWQ’s “Redbook” describes in detail water quality standards for each waterbody classification. For a general discussion of water quality parameters, potential issues, and rules please see “Supplemental Guide to North Carolina’s Basinwide Planning: Support Document for Basinwide Water Quality Plans” Figure 5-1. shows monitoring station locations and impaired streams for the Rocky River subbasin. Appendix A provides descriptions of all monitored waterbodies in the subbasin. Appendix B. provides a summary of each ambient data monitoring station. - PEE DEE RIVER BASIN PLAN Rocky River HUC 03040105 2008 YADKIN NC DWQ Appendix C provides summaries of biological and fish assessment monitoring sites. General Biological Health Thirteen benthic and twenty-one fish sites were sampled as part of the five-year basinwide sampling program. Additionally, several special studies were conducted during the assessment period including TMDL stressor studies of McKee and Coddle Creeks, a detailed assessment of benthic communities in the upper Rocky River watershed, and a survey to assess urban fish populations. Of the sites that were sampled in both 2001 and 2006, over thirty percent declined in bioclassification while just twenty percent showed an improvement. Further, the total number of samples increased by 41 percent and corresponded to a 37 percent increase in the number of impaired sites. This suggests that as further investigations are performed, more water quality problems are uncovered. (Figure 5-2) FI G URE 5-2. BI O L og ICAL HEALTH SU mm ARY Biological Community 2001 Biological Community Ratings 2006 Biological Community Ratings Population Shifts: 2001 - 2006 n = 24 n = 34 Supporting 20% Supporting Impaired 66% Impaired 32% 75% 25% 34% Improved No Change Declined 48% Wetlands Restoration Program Rocky River Study In response to existing impacts from agricultural land uses and anticipated residential growth, the Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP, formerly the Wetlands Restoration Program) targeted the Rocky River Watershed for water quality and habitat quality improvements. DWQ sampled twenty stream sites in southern Iredell County, southern Rowan County, eastern Mecklenburg County, and most of western Cabarrus County in July 2003 to help EEP prioritize streams for restoration. Nearly all of the streams sampled in the Rocky River drainage had highly impervious catchments as a result of their proximity to urban and suburban areas of Charlotte. This highly impervious environment is reflected by the fact that 12 of 14 sites in the Rocky River catchment received Fair bioclassifications, while only 2 out of 6 sites in the less developed Coddle Creek catchment received bioclassifications of Fair or worse.