Tenmile Lakes Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
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Tenmile Lakes Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Prepared by: Oregon Department of Environmental Quality February 2007 Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Water Quality Division th 811 S.W. 6 Avenue Portland, OR 97204 This document can be accessed on the Internet at: http://www.deq.state.or.us/wq/TMDLs/southcoast.htm For more information contact: Pamela Blake, South Coast Basin Coordinator Department of Environmental Quality 381 N Second Coos Bay, Oregon 97420 [email protected] Eugene Foster, Manager of Watershed Management Section Department of Environmental Quality 811 Southwest 6th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97204 [email protected] John Blanchard, Western Region Watersheds Manager Department of Environmental Quality 221 Stewart Ave., Suite 201 Medford, Oregon 97501 [email protected] February 2007 Tenmile Lakes Watershed TMDL TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS.............................................................................................i LIST OF FIGURES...................................................................................................iv LIST OF TABLES .....................................................................................................v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..........................................................................................vi STATEMENT OF PURPOSE..................................................................................vii ACRONYMS ..........................................................................................................viii CHAPTER 1 - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................1 1.1 SCOPE........................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 LISTED PARAMETERS.............................................................................................. 1 1.3 TMDL SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... 2 1.4 CLEAN WATER ACT SECTION 303(D) ................................................................... 4 1.4.1 TMDL Load Capacity and Allocations................................................................... 7 CHAPTER 2 - Background and Introduction.......................................................11 2.1 OREGON’S TMDL PROGRAM (GENERALLY DEFINED) ................................. 11 2.2 REQUIRED ELEMENTS .......................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 3 - Watershed Characterization .........................................................15 3.1 GEOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION ............................................................................... 16 3.1.1 Land Use ............................................................................................................... 19 3.1.2 Fisheries ................................................................................................................ 23 3.1.2.1 Biomanipulation Theory ................................................................................ 26 CHAPTER 4 - Water Quality Standards and Beneficial Uses ............................27 4.1 303(D) INTEGRATED REPORT SUMMARY ......................................................... 27 4.1.1 Other Listing Status .............................................................................................. 28 4.2 POLLUTANT IDENTIFICATION............................................................................ 28 4.2.1 Deviation from Water Quality Standards and 303(d) Water Quality Limitations (WQL)............................................................................................................................ 28 4.3 APPLICABLE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS................................................... 30 4.3.1 Aquatic Weeds (Macrophytes) – North and South Tenmile Lakes ...................... 30 4.3.2 Chlorophyll a (Phytoplankton) – North and South Tenmile Lakes ...................... 30 4.3.3 Algae (Phytoplankton) – North and South Tenmile Lakes................................... 32 4.3.4 Sedimentation – North and South Tenmile Lakes ................................................ 36 4.3.5 Phosphorus (mg/L) – North and South Tenmile Lakes ........................................ 36 4.3.6 pH – Eel Lake ....................................................................................................... 37 4.3.7 Habitat Modification – Tenmile Lakes Watershed............................................... 38 4.3.8 Biological Criteria – Benson and Eel Creeks ....................................................... 39 CHAPTER 5 - TENMILE LAKES WATERSHED NUTRIENT TMDL......................41 5.1 WATER QUALITY IMPAIRMENTS PROBLEM ASSESSMENT......................... 41 5.1.1 Study Design......................................................................................................... 41 5.2 SUMMARY OF STUDY RESULTS........................................................................... 43 5.2.1 Stream Nutrients ................................................................................................... 43 5.2.2 Lake Nutrients....................................................................................................... 43 5.2.3 Lake Algae............................................................................................................ 44 5.2.4 Lake Sediment Cores ............................................................................................ 44 5.2.5 Lake Modeling...................................................................................................... 44 Oregon Department of Environmental Quality i February 2007 Tenmile Lakes Watershed TMDL 5.2.6 Conclusions........................................................................................................... 45 5.3 NUTRIENTS AND WATER QUALITY .................................................................... 45 5.3.1 Impact of Nutrients on Designated Uses .............................................................. 45 5.3.2 Eutrophication....................................................................................................... 45 5.3.2.1 Nitrogen ......................................................................................................... 47 5.3.2.2 Phosphorus..................................................................................................... 48 5.3.2.3 Nitrogen to Phosphorus Ratio........................................................................ 50 5.3.2.4 Other Factors Influencing Weed and Algal Growth...................................... 52 5.4 HYDROLOGY............................................................................................................. 53 5.4.1 Modified Stream Channels ................................................................................... 53 5.4.1.2 Accelerated Delivery of Pollutants ................................................................ 59 5.4.1.3 Loss of Contact with Valley Wetland Areas.................................................. 60 5.4.1.4 Channel Maintenance Activities.................................................................... 60 5.4.2 Stream Channel Recovery..................................................................................... 61 5.4.2.1 Channel Dimension and Discharge Comparison ........................................... 61 CHAPTER 6 - POLLUTANT LOADING ASSESSMENT........................................67 6.1 TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS (LAKE TRIBUTARIES) ....................................... 67 6.1.1 The Relationship of Total Suspended Solids to Weeds and Algae....................... 67 6.2 SEASONAL VARIATION AND CRITICAL CONDITIONS CWA §303(D)(1)...... 67 6.2.1 Hydrological Events Triggering Sediment Loading............................................. 68 6.2.2 Hydrological Events Triggering Landslides and Debris Torrents ........................ 70 6.2.2.1 Road Related Slope Failures.......................................................................... 72 6.2.2.2 Harvest Related Slope Failures...................................................................... 72 6.2.2.3 Stream Channel Impacts ................................................................................ 73 6.2.2.4 Tenmile Lakes Watershed Landslide Survey (Noble Creek) ........................ 73 6.3 REFERENCE CONDITION DETERMINATION................................................... 76 6.3.1 Direct Observations – Sedimentation ................................................................... 77 6.3.1.1 Sedimentation Studies - Units of Measurement............................................. 77 6.3.1.2 Tenmile Lakes Watershed and Alsea Watershed Comparisons .................... 77 6.3.2 Direct Observations – Phosphorus Loading ......................................................... 79 6.3.3 Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) - Predictive Modeling....................... 80 6.3.3.1 SWAT Model Calibration.............................................................................. 83 6.3.3.2 SWAT Modeling Scenarios ........................................................................... 86 6.3.3.3 Current Land Use and Landscape Condition Simulations............................. 87 6.3.3.4 Historical (Historical) Land Use and Condition Scenario ............................. 90 6.3.3.5 Wetland Buffer Scenario...............................................................................