Upper Tuscarawas River Water Action Plan
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NORTHEAST OHIO FOUR COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed Action Plan Final Report July 1999 The preparation of this report was financed through the Summit Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). The funding originated from the State’s Canal Lakes Watershed Management Program, which is part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Capital Improvements Budget. This report is submitted in fulfillment of Milestone 5, from NEFCO's Scope of Work, for the Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed Action Plan. The scope calls for NEFCO to update critical watershed components including land use, critical resources, and riparian corridor habitat. It also calls for NEFCO to develop a strategic action plan to address threats to water quality and provide recommendations which are most appropriate for the watershed. Table of Contents Page List of Tables ........................................................iv List of Figures ........................................................vi List of Appendices ................................................... vii Summary ........................................................... 1 Introduction .......................................................... 2 Study Area ..................................................... 2 Data Sources ................................................... 6 l. Land Use/Land Cover Summary ....................................................... 8 Introduction ...................................................... 8 Source Materials .................................................. 8 Discussion ..................................................... 12 Conclusion ..................................................... 13 ll. Potential Pollution Sources Summary ...................................................... 14 Introduction ..................................................... 14 Relevant Data ................................................... 15 Aquatic Life Use Designations ................................... 15 Fecal Coliform Testing ......................................... 15 Potential Point Source Pollution Inventory ............................. 17 Self Monitoring ............................................... 18 Pollutant Loads ............................................... 21 Potential Nonpoint Source Pollution Inventory .......................... 22 Unsewered Areas ............................................. 22 Abandoned Drinking Water Wells ................................. 25 Trucking Activity .............................................. 25 Petroleum Production Activity .................................... 26 Underground Storage Tanks ..................................... 30 Gasoline Use, Storage and Transportation .......................... 32 Agricultural Areas ............................................. 32 Construction Sites ............................................. 32 Impervious Areas ............................................. 35 Golf Courses ................................................. 36 Nurseries/Green Houses and Landscaping Operations ................ 36 Lawn and Garden/Household Maintenance ......................... 38 Fuel Oil Use ................................................. 38 Salt Storage and Seasonal Spreading of Salt ........................ 39 Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Use ............................. 40 ii Table of Contents (continued) Page Mining Activity ................................................ 40 Industrial Land Use Areas ....................................... 41 Landfills and Dumps ........................................... 44 Boating Activities .............................................. 47 Nutrients from Natural Sources ................................... 48 Conclusion ..................................................... 48 Pollution Potential Ratings ...................................... 50 Ranking of 24 Potential Pollution Sources .......................... 52 lll. Critical Resources Summary ...................................................... 57 Introduction ..................................................... 58 Characterization of Critical Resource Areas ............................ 58 a. High Quality Waters ......................................... 58 b. Headwaters ............................................... 62 c. Ground Water Resources ..................................... 63 d. Biologically Significant Wetlands ............................... 66 Inventory and Status of Unique Species and Features ................. 69 Conclusion ......................................................... 70 IV. Riparian Zone Analysis Summary .................................................... 71 Introduction .................................................. 71 Riparian Habitat Inventory and Evaluation .......................... 72 Source Materials .......................................... 72 Methodology ............................................. 73 Results ................................................. 74 Stream Gradient Riparian Corridor Description .................. 83 Conclusion .................................................. 86 V. Portage Lakes Task Force Summary .................................................... 88 Introduction .................................................. 88 Discussion ................................................... 88 Conclusion .................................................. 89 Vl. Watershed Action Plan Summary .................................................... 90 Introduction .................................................. 90 Discussion ................................................... 91 Recommendations for Future Work .............................. 119 References Used ................................................... 120 iii List of Tables Table Page 1 Land Use/Land Cover Data, by County, in the Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed ................................................... 10 2 Land Use/Land Cover Data, by Subwatershed, in the Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed ................................................... 11 3 Fecal Coliform Counts from Samples Taken on July 28, 1998 in the Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed ..................................... 16 4 Distribution and Design Flow, by Subwatershed, for Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plants ............................................... 18 5 Final Effluent Self-Monitoring Requirements .......................... 19 6 Influent Self-Monitoring Requirements ............................... 20 7 Upstream/Downstream Self-Monitoring Requirements .................. 20 8 Oil/Gas Drilling Activity in the Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed ........ 26 9 Active Construction Sites in the Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed ...... 34 10 Total Number of Acres Under Construction in the Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed .................................................... 35 11 Nurseries/Green Houses and Landscaping Operations in the Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed ..................................... 37 12 Salt Storage Sites Within the Watershed ............................. 39 13 Active Industrial Operations in the Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed .... 41 14 Sites in the Watershed on the Master Sites List (MSL) .................. 43 15 Active/Inactive Landfills and Dumps in the Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed .................................................... 45 16 Pollution Potential Ratings for each Subwatershed of the Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed ............................................... 51 17 Correlation of Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed Potential Pollution Sources to the Ohio Comparative Risk Project’s (OCRP’s) Ranked Threats ........ 53 18 Weighting Factors and Ranking Scores for each Identified Potential Pollution Source in the Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed ..................... 54 19 Ranking of 24 Potential Pollution Sources to the Watershed and Pollution Potential Ratings for each Subwatershed ............................ 55 20 Publicly-Owned Lakes/Reservoirs/Ponds Greater than 5 Acres ........... 60 iv List of Tables (continued) Page 21 Sample Riparian Habitat Data Entry from the Riparian Inventory .......... 74 22 Frequency of Habitat Scores Along the Tuscarawas River and Other Streams ...................................................... 75 23 Percentage of Low, Moderate and High Quality Riparian Habitat .......... 75 24 Estimates of Acreage for Forest, Swamp, and Old Field Habitat Along Segments of Tuscarawas River and Other Streams .................... 76 25 Average Stream Gradient and Percent of Slope ....................... 84 26 Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed Action Plan ...................... 93 27 Stream Segments Identified for Riparian Zone Protection or Restoration Activities in the Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed .................. 117 28 Areas Identified for Increasing or Protecting Wetlands in the Upper Tuscarawas Riverver Watershed .................................. 118 v List of Figures Figure Page 1 Study Area, Upper Tuscarawas River Watershed and Subwatersheds ..... 3 2 Drainage of the Portage Lakes Area ................................ 4 3 Government Jurisdictions ........................................ 7 4 Land Use/Land Cover ........................................... 9 5 Sewered Areas and Central Water Facilities ......................... 23 6 Oil and Gas Drilling Activity ...................................... 27 7 Oil and Gas Pipelines .........................................