Deerfield River & Lower Connecticut River Tactical Basin Plan
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the next opportunity Deerfield River & Lower Connecticut River Tactical Basin Plan Green River, Guilford May 2020 Tactical Basin Plan was prepared in accordance with 10 VSA § 1253(d), the Vermont Water Quality Standards1, the Federal Clean Water Act and 40 CFR 130.6, and the Vermont Surface Water Management Strategy. i Table of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 1 What is a Tactical Basin Plan ................................................................................................. 3 A. Vermont’s Clean Water Acts .............................................................................................. 4 B. Vermont Water Quality Standards ..................................................................................... 5 C. Assessment Methodology .................................................................................................. 6 Climate Change in Vermont ................................................................................................... 8 Chapter 1 Basin Description and Condition ................................................................... 11 Current Land Use ................................................................................................................. 11 Condition of Rivers .............................................................................................................. 14 Condition of Lakes and Ponds .............................................................................................. 16 Condition of Wetlands ......................................................................................................... 19 Condition of Fisheries .......................................................................................................... 22 Chapter 2 Priority Surface Waters for Protection ........................................................... 26 Reclassification of Waters.................................................................................................... 29 Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW) Designation ............................................................... 30 Class 1 Wetlands Designation .............................................................................................. 31 Identification of Existing Uses .............................................................................................. 32 Chapter 3 Priority Areas for Surface Water Restoration ................................................. 34 A. Impaired Waters and Priority Surface Waters .................................................................. 34 B. Basin Specific Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) ......................................................... 38 C. Targeted Waters for Restoration...................................................................................... 45 Chapter 4 Strategies to Address Pollution by Land Use Sector ........................................ 49 A. Agriculture ..................................................................................................................... 50 ii B. Developed Lands -- Stormwater ....................................................................................... 58 C. Developed Lands -- Roads ................................................................................................ 60 D. Wastewater .................................................................................................................... 67 E. Natural Resources Restoration ......................................................................................... 72 Chapter 5 Plan Implementation ..................................................................................... 86 Monitoring Priorities Table .................................................................................................. 91 Acronyms …… ................................................................................................................... 102 Glossary…………… ............................................................................................................... 105 Appendices…… .................................................................................................................. 109 Appendix A. 2014 Report Card ........................................................................................... 110 Appendix B. Existing Uses in Basin 12 ................................................................................. 131 Appendix C. Dams in Basin 12 ............................................................................................ 134 Appendix D. Fisheries Assessment of Basin 12 .................................................................... 137 Appendix E. Municipal Protectiveness Matrix ..................................................................... 183 Appendix F. Partnering Organizations ................................................................................ 184 Appendix G. Responsiveness Summary .............................................................................. 185 List of Figures Figure 1. Deerfield River & Lower Connecticut River Tributaries……….……..………..vii Figure 2. Steps in the Tactical Basin Planning Process………………………….…..……….3 Figure 3. Volunteer Monitoring………………………………..………………….…..……….8 Figure 4. Land Cover………………………………..………………….…..………………….12 Figure 5. Conserved Lands………………………………..…………...………….…..………13 Figure 6. Macroinvertebrate Biological Conditions…………………………….…..………14 Figure 7. Fish Community Biological Conditions………………………………..…………15 iii Figure 8. Use Conditions of Assessed Rivers and Streams……………….………………..16 Figure 9. Lake Score Card Conditions………………………………..………………….…..17 Figure 10. Use Conditions of Assessed Lakes………………………..………….….……….18 Figure 11. Condition of Assessed Wetlands………………………...…..………….….……21 Figure 12. Protection Priorities……………………..………………………………...….……28 Figure 13. Use Support of Assessed Rivers……………………..………….……….….……35 Figure 14. Remediation Priorities Map……………………..………….….…………………36 Figure 15. Remediation Priorities List……………………..………….….…………………..37 Figure 16. Frequency of Hypoxia in Long Island Sound……………………..……………40 Figure 17. Nitrogen Loading to Long Island Sound by State …………..………….….….41 Figure 18. Nitrogen Loading to Long Island Sound from VT by Source ………………..41 Figure 19. Nitrogen Loading to Long Island Sound from Basin 12 by Source ..…...…....42 Figure 20. Agricultural Land Cover……………………..………….….…………………….51 Figure 21. Acreage of NRCS and VAAFM Practices Implemented by Year……………..55 Figure 22. State & Federal Agricultural Funding Since 2004………………………………57 Figure 23. Hydrologically Connected Road Segments……………………..………………61 Figure 24. MRGP Implementation Timeline……………………..………….….…………...61 Figure 25. Active Channel Width……………………..………….……………………..……62 Figure 26. High Risk Road Segments……………………..………….….…………………...63 Figure 27. Geomorphic Conditions of Assessed Waters……………………..…………….73 Figure 28. Windham County Harvest Summary……………………..……………….……79 Figure 29. Emergency Relief and Assistance Fund Cost Share……………………...…….84 List of Tables Table 1. Acid and Mercury Impaired Lakes……………………..………….….……………18 Table 2. Criteria for Water Classes……………………..………….….……………………...26 Table 3. Reclassification Proposed for A(1) Aquatic Biota……………………..……….….29 Table 4. Reclassification Proposed for B(1) Aquatic Biota & Fishery………………….….29 Table 5. Proposed ORW Designation……………………..………….….……………….…..31 iv Table 6. Wetlands to Assess……………………..………….….……………………………...32 Table 7. TMDLs ……………………..………….….…………………………………………..39 Table 8. Restoration Priorities……………………..………….….…………………………...46 Table 9. Hydroelectric Facilities……………………..………….….…………………………47 Table 10. Distribution of Farm Operations by HUC12 Watershed……………………..…52 Table 11. Road Erosion Inventory Assessment ……………………..………….….………..64 Table 12. Better Roads Grant Funding……………………..………….….………………….65 Table 13. Municipal Wastewater Discharge Permits……………………..………….……..68 Table 14. Stream Geomorphic Assessments Completed……………………..…………….73 Table 15. Dam Status……………………..………….….……………………………………..74 Table 16. Summary of Implementation Actions……………………..………….….……….86 Table 17. Basin Priorities for Monitoring and Assessment……………………..………….93 v Basin 12 Towns Brattleboro Marlboro Sunderland* Dover Readsboro Vernon Dummerston* Searsburg Wardsboro* Glastenbury Somerset Whitingham Guilford Stamford* Wilmington Halifax Stratton Woodford Towns in Major Sub-watersheds Deerfield Watershed Green River Brattleboro Deerfield River Guilford Dover Halifax Glastenbury Marlboro Readsboro Wilmington Searsburg Somerset North River Stamford Halifax Stratton Marlboro Sunderland Whitingham Wardsboro Wilmington Whitingham Wilmington Woodford Connecticut River Watershed Connecticut River Fall River Brattleboro Guilford Dummerston Vernon Vernon Broad Brook Whetstone Brook Brattleboro Brattleboro Guilford Dummerston Vernon Marlboro * - towns with small areas in the Basin vi Figure 1. vii viii Executive Summary The Deerfield Tactical Basin Plan (TBP) provides an assessment of watershed condition and identifies current and future strategies to protect high quality waters and restore impaired water resources based on the approaches set forward in the Vermont Surface Water Management Strategy (VSWMS). The five chapters in this plan provide a framework for understanding Basin 12, including its unique characteristics and water quality issues, and where and how to carry out priority