1998 CCSWCD Royal River Water Quality Management Plan
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" . ROYAL RIV£~ WATERSHED: A W1AT£R QUALITY .'l ·MANA6£M£NT PLAN 1 I I J \ ] ( J J J J j J Cumberland County SWCD Project Staff & Report Production Forrest Bell, Project Manager Alison Kisch, Conservation Technician Linda Johnson, Research Assistant ACKNOW'LED6.MENTS The Royal River Watershed Project and this report would not have been possible without the assistance of many individuals, groups and agencies. We would like to recognize and thank the following contributors: Royal River Watershed Advisory Committee Charlie Chandler, resident, New Gloucester Bill Ecyleshymer, resident, Yarmouth Judith Ecyleshymer, resident, Yarmouth Dottie Laber, public relations advisor, Orono Edwin Springer, resident, Brunswick Ted Teidemann, resident, North Yarmouth Royal River Watershed Technical Advisory Committee and Report Review Team Deb Aja, Maine DEP Susan Beede, US EPA John Boland, ME Inland Fish & Wildlife Lenny Brooks, New Gloucester David Chiapetta, USDA NRCS Ross Cudlitz, CCSWCD Chris Curtis, Yarmouth Water District Cliff Curtis, Maine DOT Lee Doggett, Maine DEP Betty Farley, CCSWCD Melissa Gormley Florence Grosvenor, Maine DEP Katherine Groves, Casco Bay Est. Project Sherry Hanson, Casco Bay Est. Proj. Phoebe Hardesty, Andy Valley SWCD Mary Holman, Friends of Royal River Bob Houston, North Yarmouth resident John Jemison, UMaine Coop. Exten. Don Kale, Maine DEP Steve Linnell, Greater Portland COG Greg & Lisa Taylor Lord, Americorps Janet Mclaughlin, Town of Yarmouth Wayne Munroe, USDA NRCS Steve Ranney, City of Auburn Diane Switzer, US EPA Leon Tsomides, Maine DEP Peter Wagner, UMaine Coop. Extension Lois Winter, US Fish & Wildlife Serv. Don Witherill, Maine DEP Diane Yorke, US Forest Service Project sponsors/partners and their roles • Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District (CCSWCD) is the main sponsor of the Royal River Watershed 104(b)(3) Planning Project. The CCSWCD is responsible for carrying out the objectives of the grant and completing the Royal River Watershed Management Plan. • United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) is the provider of funds for the Royal River Watershed 104(b)(3) Planning Project and is responsible for overseeing the timely and effective completion of the project. • United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) is a close partner of the CCSWCD and provided guidance, technical assistance, and coordination assistance for the watershed project. The USDA NRCS initiated a PL 83-566 Small Watershed Planning Project in the Royal River Watershed. • Casco Bay Estuary Project (CBEP) provided guidance, Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, technical assistance, and coordination assistance for the watershed project. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction ...................................................................................... 1 II. Watershed Description ....................................................................... .. 2 III. Water Quality Issues in the Watershed ..................................................... 9 IV. Site Specific Water Quality Problems and Solutions .................................. .. 14 v. General Recommendations for Addressing Water Quality Issues .................. .. 22 VI. Glossary of Terms ............................................................................. .. 26 VII. Bibliography ................................................................................... .. 31 VIII. Appendices A. Results from Freeport Public Meeting - 1994. ...... ... .... .. ......... .... .. .... .. .. ...... .. 33 B. Chronology of Events and Structure of the Royal River Project ..... .. .. .... .. ....... 35 C. 1997 State of Maine Fish Consumption Advisories........................................ 38 D. Water Quality Concerns of the Municipalities in the Watershed......................... 40 E. Department of Marine Resources 1995 Sanitary Survey for R.R. Estuary............. 47 F. Royal River 1995-96 Dredging Project Summary............................................ 51 G. Existing, Ongoing, and Previous Water Quality Efforts in Watershed................. 52 H. McKin Site Summary and Information on TCE..... .... .... .... ...... .. .... .. .... .. .. .. .. .. 60 I. Hazardous Substance Emergency Response Plan........................................... 63 J. State of Maine 1996 Water Quality Assessment Summary ................................. 64 Listing of Maps, Tables, and Figures Location M 1 Royal River Watershed Base Map.............................................................. 1-2 M 2 Royal River within the Casco Bay Watershed ................................................ 1-2 T 1 Percentage of Land, by Town, in Royal River Watershed ................................. 2 F 2-1 U.S. Census Population Figures for Watershed.............................................. 6 F 2-2 Population Increase 1970-90...................................................................... 6 F 2-3 Projected Increase in Housing Units 1990-2000.... .... .. .... .. .......... ..... ..... .... .. .. 7 M 3 Monitoring Site Locations - Friends of the Royal River.................................... 11-12 M 4 Monitoring Site Locations - Maine Department of Environmental Protection ......... 11-12 M 5 Surface Water Quality Problem Sites ........................................................... 14-15 M 6 Threats to Ground·water in Watershed......................................................... 20-21 I. INTRODUCTION In February of 1994, the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) held a public forum to identify the environmental concerns of Royal River Watershed residents and to form a consensus of watershed resource issues. Later these problems, concerns, and issues were reviewed and prioritized by the project sponsors and technical advisors. The results of this meeting (See Appendix A for a complete listing) initiated a planning project for the Royal River Watershed. The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) received and approved a request from the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District to sponsor a Public Law 83-566 Small Watershed Project in this region. In addition, a Clean Water Act 104(b)(3) grant was issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) to aid in the assessment of the Royal River Watershed and to develop this water quality management report. During the next two years (1995-96), the Royal River Watershed Planning Project was launched with the help of several individuals, groups, and agencies. The project was overseen by two groups - a technical steering team and a watershed advisory committee. (Appendix B gives a detailed breakdown of the structure of the project). These two groups donated much of their time to assessing the watershed and assisting the project sponsor - the Cumberland County SWCD - to provide outreach and education to the citizens of the watershed. A mission statement was developed to help guide the project. MISSIONSTATEMENT The mission of the Royal River Watershed Project is to develop a long-term water quality management plan to protect and enhance the river anditswatershed so thatfuture generations can benefit from the full potential of the natural resources. · In the winter of 1996, it became evident that the PL 83-566 process was not going to be advantageous for the Royal River Watershed. Federal funding under the program was drastically cut, and the project committees decided to focus efforts on completing the Royal River Water Quality Management Plan. While goals of the project were streamlined to fit with the objectives of this water quality management plan, the mission of the groups and agencies remains the same. The Royal River Water Quality Management Plan is designed for the residents of the watershed so that they can work together to improve, restore, and protect surface waters and groundwater in the Royal River Watershed. In addition to assessing and describing the present state of water quality in the Royal River Watershed, this management plan offers suggestions on how to provide long and short term protection of surface waters and groundwater. In particular, the plan recommends ways to restore and enhance indigenous and resident fisheries and other aquatic life in the surface waters of the watershed, and increase opportunities for human enjoyment of surface waters through water quality protection and improvements. Note: The Royal River Water Quality Management Plan includes technical terms that many people may be unfamiliar with. Some of these terms are included in a Glossary, which begins on page 31. 1 l l \ J. l } USGS Roads USGS Streams USGS Rivers ' J Town Boundary ·•· I Data Soi.cee: 0 2 3 4 Miles Maine~ ol GIS Stale House Stallon #125 Aug1111ta, ME 04333 0 2 3 4 5 6 Kilometers ' 1 Scale 1 :187 ,000 SEP-11-1997 hxl/go1mwoMroyal/royal3.aml \ \ J l } t J 1 0 2 3 4 Milas Data So1JCe8: Malrtfil Ollloe of GIS 0 2 3 4 5 6 Kilometers State Houae Stallon #125 Aug..,ta, ME 04333 Scala 1:187,000 SEP-10-1997 ibd.'gormvlor1</r""'1ro)'812.nml J } II. WATERSHED DESCRIPTION General Description l~ The Royal River Watershed, which is drained by the Royal River, Chandler Brook and their tributaries, is one of five major watersheds that constitute the larger Casco Bay Watershed in southern Maine. The Royal River enters the tidal waters of Casco Bay in the town of Yarmouth. t The 150 square mile watershed is located in the towns of Auburn, Durham, and Poland in Androscoggin