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Biological and Water Quality Study of the Black River Basin, 2012 Ashland, Cuyahoga, Huron, Lorain, and Medina Counties, Ohio

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Biological and Water Quality Study of the Black River Basin, 2012 Ashland, Cuyahoga, Huron, Lorain, and Medina Counties, Ohio Biological and Water Quality Study of the Black River Basin, 2012 Ashland, Cuyahoga, Huron, Lorain, and Medina Counties, Ohio Black River at Elyria at Cascade Park (RM 14.95) Division of Surface Water Ecological Assessment Section October 2016 DSW/EAS 2016-08-05 Black River Basin 2012 October 26, 2016 Biological and Water Quality Study of the Black River Basin, 2012. Ashland, Cuyahoga, Huron, Lorain, and Medina Counties, Ohio Ohio EPA Technical Report DSW/EAS 2016-08-05 October 26, 2016 Prepared by State of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Division of Surface Water Lazarus Government Center 50 West Town Street, Suite 700 P.O. Box 1049 Columbus, Ohio 43216-1049 Ecological Assessment Section 4675 Homer Ohio Lane Groveport, Ohio 43125 Division of Surface Water Northeast District Office 2110 East Aurora Road Twinsburg, OH 44087 John R. Kasich, Governor Craig W. Butler, Director State of Ohio Ohio Environmental Protection Agency DSW/EAS 2016-08-05 Black River Basin 2012 October 26, 2016 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................... 1 BENEFICIAL USE RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................... 13 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................... 16 STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................................................. 17 NPDES PERMITTED FACILITIES ............................................................................................................................... 22 WATER CHEMISTRY .............................................................................................................................................. 33 RECREATION USE ................................................................................................................................................. 56 SEDIMENT ........................................................................................................................................................... 60 PHYSICAL HABITAT FOR AQUATIC LIFE ..................................................................................................................... 67 FISH COMMUNITY ................................................................................................................................................ 75 MACROINVERTEBRATE COMMUNITY ....................................................................................................................... 86 FISH TISSUE CONTAMINATION .............................................................................................................................. 102 LAKE SAMPLING ................................................................................................................................................. 109 PUBLIC DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES ...................................................................................................................... 114 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................................................................... 116 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................................... 117 List of Tables Table 1. Sampling locations for the Black River basin study area, 2012. ............................................................. 3 Table 2. Aquatic life use attainment status for stations sampled in the Black River basin based on data collected July-October 2012. The Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI), Modified Index of well-being (MIwb), and Invertebrate Community Index (ICI) are scores based on the performance of the biotic community. The Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) is a measure of the ability of the physical habitat to support a biotic community. All sites are located within the Erie-Ontario Lake Plain (EOLP) ecoregion. ........................... 8 Table 3. Waterbody use designation recommendations for the Black River basin. Designations based on the 1978 and 1985 water quality standards appear as asterisks (*). A plus sign (+) indicates a confirmation of an existing use and a triangle (Δ) denotes a new recommended use based on the findings of this report. Designated use based on justification other than the result of a biological field assessment performed by the Ohio EPA appears as an open circle (o). The Ohio EPA is re-assigning waterbodies currently listed as SRW in the use designation rules to the antidegradation tier GHQW, and these are shown on the table as asterisks (*) shaded in gray. .................................................................................................................................................... 15 Table 4. Effluent statistics for the Elyria WWTP. ................................................................................................ 23 Table 5. Effluent statistics for the French Creek WWTP. .................................................................................... 24 Table 6. Effluent statistics for the Grafton WWTP. ............................................................................................. 24 Table 7. Effluent statistics for the Lorain Black River WWTP. ............................................................................ 25 Table 8. Effluent statistics for the Oberlin Water Environment Protection Facility. .......................................... 26 Table 9. Effluent statistics for the Republic Steel – Lorain Plant. ....................................................................... 28 Table 10. Effluent statistics for the U.S. Steel Corporation – Lorain Tubular Operations. ................................. 30 Table 11. List of individual NPDES permitted facilities in the Black River watershed. ....................................... 31 i DSW/EAS 2016-08-05 Black River Basin 2012 October 26, 2016 Table 12. Exceedances of Ohio Water Quality Standards criteria (OAC 3745-1) for chemical/physical parameters measured in the Black River basin study area, 2012. Bacteria exceedances are presented in the Recreation Use Section. ...................................................................................................................................... 34 Table 13. Summary statistics for select nutrient water quality parameters sampled in the Black River basin, 2012. Highlighted values are above statewide nutrient targets for nitrate-nitrogen and total phosphorus (Ohio EPA 1999). ................................................................................................................................................. 35 Table 14. Chemistry results grouped by watershed size. Shaded values represent the highest average result for the three watershed size categories within the Black River basin study area, 2012. ................................... 40 Table 15. Summary results for time-distributed D.O. measurements for the East Branch Black River, including its upper East Fork and Willow Creek. Results based on June 26-28, 2012 sampling survey. Values highlighted in red-bold indicate either an exceedance of the WWH WQS criterion or an elevated D.O. range. For WWH, average and minimum D.O. criteria are 5.0 and 4.0 mg/L, respectively. D.O. ranges above 6 mg/L are considered elevated. ........................................................................................................................................... 43 Table 16. Summary results for time-distributed D.O. measurements for the East Branch Black River, including its upper East Fork and Willow Creek. Results based on July 24-26, 2012 sampling survey. Values highlighted in red-bold indicate either an exceedance of the WWH WQS criterion or an elevated D.O. range. For WWH, average and minimum D.O. criteria are 5.0 and 4.0 mg/L, respectively. D.O. ranges above 6 mg/L are considered elevated. ........................................................................................................................................... 44 Table 17. Summary results for time-distributed D.O. measurements for the West Branch Black River, including Wellington Creek, and the Black River mainstem. Results based on June 26-28, 2012 sampling survey. Values highlighted in red-bold indicate either an exceedance of the WWH WQS criterion or an elevated D.O. range. For WWH, average and minimum D.O. criteria are 5.0 and 4.0 mg/L, respectively. D.O. ranges above 6 mg/L are considered elevated. .................................................................................................. 46 Table 18. Summary results for time-distributed D.O. measurements for the West Branch Black River, including Wellington Creek, and the Black River mainstem. Results based on July 25-27, 2012 sampling survey. Values highlighted in red-bold indicate either an exceedance of the WWH WQS criterion or an elevated D.O. range. For WWH, average and minimum D.O. criteria are 5.0 and 4.0 mg/L, respectively. D.O. ranges above 6 mg/L are considered elevated. .................................................................................................. 47 Table 19. Summary results for time-distributed D.O. measurements for other monitored tributaries in the Black River watershed.
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