Biological and Water Quality Study of Mill Creek and Tributaries 2011
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Biological and Water Quality Study of Mill Creek and Tributaries 2011 Mill Creek downstream from Hopple Street MSD Agreement 15x11039 Project Number 10180900 MBI/2012‐6‐10 Mill Creek Bioassessment 2011 September 15, 2012 2011 Biological and Water Quality Study of Mill Creek and Tributaries Hamilton County, Ohio Technical Report MBI/2012‐6‐10 MSD Project Number 10180900 September 15, 2012 Prepared for: Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati 1081 Woodrow Street Cincinnati, OH 45204 Submitted by: Midwest Biodiversity Institute P.O. Box 21561 Columbus, Ohio 43221‐0561 Chris O. Yoder, Research Director [email protected] i MBI/2012‐6‐10 Mill Creek Bioassessment 2011 September 15, 2012 Table of Contents List of Tables ................................................................................................................................... iii List of Figures .................................................................................................................................. iv Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... vii Glossary of Terms ......................................................................................................................... viii List of Acronyms ........................................................................................................................... xvi FOREWORD .................................................................................................................................. xvii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................... 1 Scope and Purpose ...................................................................................................................... 2 Highlighted Findings .................................................................................................................... 2 General Conditions in the Mill Creek Watershed .................................................................... 2 Aquatic Life Use Attainment Status ......................................................................................... 3 Recreational Use Status ........................................................................................................... 4 Causes and Sources of Non‐attainment .................................................................................. 4 Trajectories in Key Indicators ..................................................................................................... 4 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................... 8 Mill Creek Watershed Aquatic Life Use Attainment Status ....................................................... 8 Aquatic Life Use Recommendations ........................................................................................ 8 Aquatic Life Use Attainment Status ....................................................................................... 15 Recreational Use Recommendations ..................................................................................... 15 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 26 Principles of Watershed Bioassessment .................................................................................. 26 MSDGC Watershed Bioassessment Scope and Purposes ........................................................ 27 2011 Mill Creek Watershed Assessment Scope and Purpose ................................................. 28 METHODS ..................................................................................................................................... 31 Watershed Assessment Design ................................................................................................. 31 Biological and Water Quality Surveys ................................................................................... 31 Monitoring Networks and Design ......................................................................................... 38 Measuring Incremental Changes ........................................................................................... 41 Biological Methods .................................................................................................................... 42 Fish Assemblage Methods ..................................................................................................... 42 Macroinvertebrate Assemblage Methods ............................................................................ 43 Area of Degradation and Attainment Values ....................................................................... 44 Primary Headwater Methods ................................................................................................ 45 Habitat Assessment ................................................................................................................... 45 Chemical/Physical Methods ..................................................................................................... 46 Water Column Chemical Quality ........................................................................................... 46 Sediment Chemical Quality .................................................................................................... 47 Determining Use Attainment Status ........................................................................................ 47 Aquatic Life ............................................................................................................................. 47 Recreation ............................................................................................................................... 49 Determining Use Attainability .................................................................................................. 50 Determining Causal Associations ............................................................................................. 56 ii MBI/2012‐6‐10 Mill Creek Bioassessment 2011 September 15, 2012 STUDY AREA DESCRIPTION .......................................................................................................... 59 General Setting .......................................................................................................................... 59 Subecoregion Characteristics .................................................................................................... 59 Description of Pollution Sources and Other Stressors ............................................................. 59 Point Sources .......................................................................................................................... 60 Wet Weather Sources ............................................................................................................ 61 Riparian and Stream Habitat .................................................................................................... 64 RESULTS and DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................ 65 Chemical/Physical Water Quality ............................................................................................. 65 Flow Regime ........................................................................................................................... 65 Water Column Chemistry ....................................................................................................... 65 Sediment Chemistry ............................................................................................................... 80 Stream Habitat .......................................................................................................................... 93 Biological Assemblages ........................................................................................................... 102 Fish Assemblage Results 2011 ............................................................................................... 102 Macroinvertebrate Assemblage Results 2011 ...................................................................... 107 Comparing 2011 to 1992 Results ......................................................................................... 109 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................ 114 APPENDIX A: Sampling Locations .............................................................................................. A‐1 APPENDIX B: Fish Assemblage Data 2011 ................................................................................. B‐1 APPENDIX C: Macroinvertebrate Assemblage Data 2011 ........................................................ C‐1 APPENDIX D: Primary Headwaters Data 2011 .......................................................................... D‐1 APPENDIX E: Habitat Data 2011 ................................................................................................. E‐1 List of Tables Table 1. Assessment of existing aquatic life use (ALU) designations in the 2011 Mill Creek study area. The respective biological assemblage and habitat assessment results are summarized along with the existing ALU. The recommended ALU is also listed and represents a change if different from the existing ALU. ....................................................................................................