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Blanchard River Watershed TMDL Report

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Blanchard River Watershed TMDL Report State of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency July 2009 Blanchard River Watershed TMDL Report What are the essential facts? Ohio EPA studied the Blanchard River watershed and found water quality problems at all of the locations measured. The watershed can make progress towards restoration with practical, economical actions. Improving the streams depends on the participation of the watershed’s residents. What is the significance of this report? The Blanchard River Watershed TMDL Report is a tool that will include local ideas from the endorsed watershed action plan to help improve and maintain water quality and habitat in the watershed. What is a watershed? A watershed is the land area from which surface runoff drains into a specific body of water. Where is the Blanchard River and types of fish and aquatic collected in 2005 and 2006 to watershed? insects in the water. An abundance support a computer model that of fish and insects that tolerate evaluates where the pollution The Blanchard River water- pollution indicates an unhealthy comes from and where pollution shed is located in portions of Allen, stream, while a large number that reductions are needed. Hancock, Hardin, Putnam and are sensitive to pollution indicates Wyandot counties in northwest a healthy stream. The conditions of the water- Ohio. It is a sub-watershed of the shed were compared with state Maumee River Basin that flows In 2005, Ohio EPA scientists water quality goals to determine into the western Lake Erie basin collected comprehensive which stream segments are and drains 771 square miles. biological, chemical and physical impaired, and how much needs to data in the Blanchard River water- be done to restore good stream An estimated 91,266 citizens shed (see map). Additional water habitat and water quality. A report live in the Blanchard River water- chemistry and bacteria data were was published in July 2007 that shed, with the most rapid growth in Hancock County, especially in the suburban Findlay area. Both the City of Findlay and Village of Ottawa pump drinking water from the river. Overall, the land use in the Blanchard River watershed is 81 percent row crop, 10 percent developed urban/residential, 6 percent forest, 3 percent pasture and grasslands and less than 1 percent open water/wetlands. How does Ohio EPA measure water quality? Ohio is one of the few states that measures the health of its streams by examining the number Blanchard River at Riverbend Recreation Area, Hancock County (photo courtesy of Tim Powell, 2006) Division of Surface Water, 50 West Town Street, Suite 700, Columbus, Ohio 43215 (614) 644-2001 www.epa.ohio.gov Blanchard River Watershed TMDL Report provides detailed information regarding the results of the study, including data from the biological surveys, water and sediment chemistry, habitat conditions and bacteria concentrations in the water. What is the condition of the Blanchard River watershed? Ohio EPA surveyed 116 sites to assess the overall water quality in this 771-square-mile watershed. The Blanchard River itself generally showed good quality, however only about 40 percent of the tributary streams met the water quality goals needed to support healthy aquatic communities. The primary reason for low quality is high algae production caused by excess nutrients running off agricultural fields. Low temperatures are stressful for Eagle Creek (030), which levels of dissolved oxygen and fine aquatic wildlife. includes the City of Findlay, is sediment in the streams have a impaired by nutrients from direct impact on aquatic The Outlet/Lye Creek (020) is upstream sources, altered flow at organisms. Habitat and flow impaired by excess nutrients, dams and lack of stream shading. alterations from surface and habitat and flow alteration and high These sources contribute to lower subsurface drainage practices are bacteria. Agricultural fertilizer, dissolved oxygen and high water other reasons for low water quality. pesticides and failing home temperature of the Blanchard River There is a human health concern sewage systems have overloaded in Findlay. The removal of the in most streams because of high streams with nitrates and Liberty Street dam in 2007 fecal coliform bacteria levels phosphorus. Excess nutrients and increased oxygen levels and coming from poorly functioning herbicides such as atrazine and eliminated temperature problems. home septic systems and manure. metolachlor detected in Findlay’s drinking water are attributed to Excessive phosphorus and The following is a summary of nonpoint source agricultural runoff. nitrates have been observed in water quality impairments found in Bacteria levels are high down- Eagle Creek and the Blanchard each watershed assessment unit stream of the unsewered village of River, especially during high flows. (watershed code provided for Houcktown. Load reductions are needed from each). both agricultural and urban runoff Three dams in this watershed during spring and fall. The City of The headwaters area (010) alter the natural flow of the river. Findlay and parts of the adjoining had many small streams impacted Lack of shade on channelized townships are designated for by a combination of agricultural streams and slow water behind Phase 2 storm water permit practices and inadequate waste- these dams lowers the dissolved coverage, and have begun to water treatment from Forest and oxygen and increases water develop storm water pollution Dunkirk, and from Wharton and temperature as the river flows into prevention plans. Patterson, which are unsewered. Findlay. The Riverside Park dam Overgrowth of algae was caused should be modified to alleviate Ottawa Creek (040) is by elevated nutrients and direct these problems. This could impaired by habitat and flow sunlight from the lack of tree cover. potentially be studied by the Army alteration and nutrients. Most Excess algae and high water Corps of Engineers during the tributary streams have been flood damage risk assessment. extensively modified for agri- 2 Blanchard River Watershed TMDL Report cultural drainage. Routine ditch clean-outs and removal of stream What are the three most important “fixes” in the watershed? bank vegetation make it hard for Eliminate pervasive bacteria problems pollutants to be treated by natural o Reduce home sewage treatment system failures processes in these small streams. o Ensure proper manure handling and management at Unrestricted cattle access in livestock operations Ottawa Creek contributes to bacteria, nutrients and erosion of stream banks. Improve erosion and sediment control in all areas o Establish and protect riparian buffers and filter strips on all Riley Creek (050), which streams and ditches includes the villages of Bluffton o Use cover crops in non-growing season on farm fields and Pandora, is impaired by o Practice conservation tillage nutrients, habitat/flow alteration o Adopt ditch maintenance that minimizes removal of and siltation. Several lowhead vegetation along the banks and allows for floodplain dams near Pandora impede the development natural flow in Riley Creek, and cattle access leads to erosion, Reduce the amount of nutrients getting into streams nutrient and bacteria problems. Lower Little Riley Creek has o Use nutrient management techniques on cropland including multiple point source discharges nitrogen and phosphorus testing indices that degrade water quality and o Introduce flow control structures in subsurface drainage contribute to high bacteria. Lack of systems to limit tile flow in non-growing season water in headwater streams, o Create or restore wetlands in low lying areas to store and especially in summer, makes it clean polluted runoff difficult to support good aquatic life communities. Ottawa. The formation of reducing pollutants, including trihalomethanes, a byproduct of pathogens, phosphorus and Cranberry Creek (060) has disinfection for drinking water, is a sediment. Ohio EPA can address poor habitat along most of the human health concern. some of the problems in the tributary streams which have been Additionally, several pesticides Blanchard watershed through extensively modified and put under have been detected in the finished regulatory actions, such as permits county maintenance for agricultural water. for wastewater and storm water drainage. A flood abatement dischargers. Other actions, such project removed the trees and How will water quality get as committing to enhancing and reconstructed the channel from better? protecting riparian areas, proper Rockport to the mouth of fertilizer management and reduced Cranberry Creek in 2005. This The Blanchard River home sewage system failures, will sub-watershed had the highest watershed is included on Ohio’s be up to local residents. level of bacteria impairment and list of impaired waters. Under the high organic loads from Clean Water Act, a cleanup plan is What actions are needed to inadequately treated wastewater. required for each impaired improve water quality? watershed. This cleanup plan, The Blanchard River is known as a total maximum daily Because there are many meeting water quality standards as load (TMDL) report, calculates the reasons why streams in the it flows west from Gilboa to join the maximum amount of pollutants a Blanchard River and its tributaries Auglaize River in Dupont. water body can receive and still fail to meet water quality goals, However, excessive nutrient inputs meet standards (goals). The several actions are required to from each sub-watershed and TMDL report specifies how much improve the current
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