Delisting Guidance and Restoration Targets for Ohio Areas of Concern
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hio Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Delisting Guidance and Restoration Targets for Ohio Areas of Concern Ashtabula River Cuyahoga River Black River Maumee River Division of Surface Water Lake Erie Program Version 3.0 – December 2017 John Kasich, Governor, State of Ohio Craig W. Butler, Director, Ohio EPA ii This page intentionally left blank. i Table of Contents Table of Contents........................................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements....................................................................................................................................... ii Disclaimer...................................................................................................................................................... ii Summary of Updates in Version 3.0 ............................................................................................................. ii Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Purpose ..................................................................................................................................................... 4 How to Use this Document ....................................................................................................................... 4 The Path to Delisting: Recognizing Progress & Maintaining Momentum .................................................... 7 Tracking Restoration of Beneficial Uses.................................................................................................... 8 Locally Developed Beneficial Use Restoration Targets.............................................................................9 Interim Restoration Milestones ................................................................................................................ 9 Removing a BUI (Beneficial Use Impairment).........................................................................................10 Delisting a Subwatershed .......................................................................................................................11 Partial Restoration ..................................................................................................................................11 Designating an Area of Concern in Recovery..........................................................................................12 Delisting an Area of Concern ..................................................................................................................13 Restoration Targets for Beneficial Use Impairments..................................................................................15 BUI 1: Restrictions on Fish and Wildlife Consumption ...........................................................................17 BUI 2: Tainting of Fish and Wildlife Flavor ..............................................................................................20 BUI 3: Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations..............................................................................22 BUI 4: Fish Tumors or Other Deformities................................................................................................31 BUI 5: Bird or Animal Deformities or Reproductive Problems................................................................35 BUI 6: Degradation of Benthos ...............................................................................................................37 BUI 7: Restrictions on Navigational Dredging Activities .........................................................................43 BUI 8: Eutrophication or Undesirable Algae ...........................................................................................46 BUI 9: Restrictions on Drinking Water Consumption or Taste & Odor Problems...................................50 BUI 10: Beach Closings (Recreation Use) ................................................................................................52 BUI 11: Degradation of Aesthetics..........................................................................................................56 BUI 12: Added Costs to Agriculture or Industry......................................................................................59 BUI 13: Degradation of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Populations ..................................................61 BUI 14: Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat ................................................................................................63 Appendix A: Ohio Water Quality Standards (Ohio Administrative Code 3745-1) .....................................76 3745-1-01 Purpose and Applicability......................................................................................................76 3745-1-04 Criteria applicable to all waters.............................................................................................77 3745-1-07 Water Use Designations and Statewide Criteria ...................................................................78 3745-1-35 Aquatic Life and Wildlife Criteria...........................................................................................82 Appendix B: Ecoregional Biological Criteria ...............................................................................................84 Appendix C: HUCs in Ohio’s Areas of Concern...........................................................................................88 Maumee Area of Concern.......................................................................................................................88 Black River Area of Concern....................................................................................................................89 Cuyahoga River Area of Concern ............................................................................................................89 Ashtabula River Area of Concern ............................................................................................................89 Appendix D: Recreational Waters Water Quality Standards and Designated Waters ...............................90 Appendix E: Acronyms and Abbreviations..................................................................................................93 ii Acknowledgements This document was developed by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA), Division of Surface Water Lake Erie Program Staff. The original Ohio delisting document was developed in 2005 and has undergone several revisions. This report supersedes all previous versions. How to reference this document: Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, 2017. Delisting Guidance and Restoration Targets for Ohio Areas of Concern, Version 3. Disclaimer This document is intended to be used as guidance to assist the local Ohio AOC Advisory Committees in determining beneficial use restoration targets for their areas of concern. These targets can be adopted in total or part by local Ohio AOC Advisory Committees, however, any locally defined targets cannot be any less restrictive than the targets presented in this document and must be endorsed by Ohio EPA. This document does not carry the force of law. Also note that some targets may change as various Ohio EPA rules and regulations are updated or new research becomes available. This guidance is non-regulatory in nature and should not be construed as standards. This guidance does not impose any regulatory requirements. Summary of Updates in Version 3.0 Version 3.0 of the Delisting Guidance and Restoration Targets for Ohio Areas of Concern (December 2017) includes the following updates. • General Updates and Edits (pp. varies) o Typographical errors, broken weblinks, clarifications, etc. have been updated. • Table 1: Status of Ohio AOC Beneficial Use Impairments (p. 3) o This table has been updated to reflect the current status of BUIs as of September 2017. • Designating an Area of Concern in Recovery (p. 12) o This section was updated to reflect the Area of Concern in Recovery (AOCiR) Guidance released in March 2016. • BUI 3: Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations (pp. 22-30) o The Maumee AOC selected sentinel species for the wildlife population portion of this BUI Restoration Target. The explanation of this selection is included with BUI 3. • BUI 6: Degradation of Benthos (pp. 37-42) o A new condition was added to this BUI Restoration Target to address circumstances where benthic degradation has been attributed to the contaminated sediments. • BUI 14: Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat (pp. 63-73) o The Maumee AOC developed a functionally equivalent local target to Ohio’s Wildlife Habitat Restoration Target. This new local target and rationale for the wildlife habitat portion of this BUI is included with BUI 14. • Ohio Administrative Code Updates (pp. varies) o OAC Chapter 3745-1 (water quality standards) was reorganized effective February 6, 2017. References to various OAC chapters and sections have been updated throughout the document. 1 Introduction The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) is an agreement between the U.S. and Canada to address key environmental health issues in the Great Lakes. The most recent Agreement (September 7, 2012) reaffirms actions necessary to restore and delist Areas of Concern (AOCs). The Great Lakes Water Quality Protocol of 2012 specifically addresses Areas of