Mississippi 2000 Pascagoula River Basin Section 305(B) Water Quality
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State of Mississippi Water Quality Assessment 2000 Section 305(b) Report Pascagoula River Basin Supplement MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY November 2000 Prepared by: Office of Pollution Control, Surface Water Division Water Quality Assessment Branch Post Office Box 10385 Jackson, MS 39289-0385 (601) 961-5171 Introduction The intent of 305(b) reporting is for Mississippi to describe the status of the quality of the state’s surface and ground waters for EPA, Congress, and the public. This report is required pursuant to Section 305(b) of the Federal Clean Water Act and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) is the state agency responsible for generating this document. For the 2000 305(b) Report, EPA has requested an abbreviated version of the existing 1998 document cataloging only the significant changes that have occurred since the last report. For more information about the contents of the Mississippi 1998 Water Quality Assessment Federal Clean Water Act Section 305(b) Report, refer to Appendix A of this document which contains the Table of Contents for that report. Surface water quality data, ground water data, and other environmental information for the state are compiled and summarized in Mississippi’s Section 305(b) Report. Monitoring data is collected by the MDEQ throughout the state through several different monitoring activities: Fixed Station Monitoring Network, Basin Monitoring Networks, intensive surveys and other special water quality studies. This data is used for many purposes, but is collectively analyzed and reported on biennially in the Section 305(b) Report. For this report, the water quality information collected by MDEQ, as well as data provided by other agencies and institutions, are assessed as to whether a waterbody meets its designated use or uses. Waters assessed as not fully supporting their uses in the 305(b) assessment process become candidates for listing on Mississippi’s Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waterbodies. Beginning with the 2000 305(b) Report, Mississippi is moving from a statewide 305(b) assessment approach to a more concentrated basin rotation approach which is implemented over a five year period. Water quality assessments will be conducted annually with each assessment rotating among the state’s five basin groups, each of which represents approximately one-fifth of the state. This basinwide approach to water quality management allows the state to focus all of its resources in a smaller geographical area/basin in a given year in order to provide a more thorough assessment for that area. At the end of each five-year cycle, a comprehensive assessment of the state will have been completed. With the basin approach, Mississippi is able to integrate all types of water quality program activities on a basin level. As the development of this approach continues, program activities such as permitting, monitoring, modeling, point and non- point source programs, and basin management planning will be implemented on a basin level. For the 2000 305(b) Report, the Pascagoula River Basin, MDEQ’s first of the five rotating basin groups to receive focused monitoring, is assessed; therefore, only data that were collected in the Pascagoula River Basin is analyzed and presented in this report. The remaining four basin groups will be re-evaluated and assessed on an annual basis as Mississippi progresses through the five-year rotating basin phase. 2 Catalog of Changes from the 1998 Report In compliance with the abbreviated format of the 2000 305(b) Report, the only changes that are being represented in the body of this report from the existing 1998 305(b) Report are in Part II: Background, Special State Concerns and Recommendations sections, and Part III: Surface Water Assessment, Chapter 2, Assessment Methodology and Summary Data, Chapter 7, Public Health and Aquatic Life Concerns, and Chapter 8, Basin/Waterbody Information. 3 Part II: Background Special State Concerns In the past, the major water quality problems in Mississippi have been the result of industrial and municipal point source discharges in the heavily populated Gulf Coast and Jackson Metropolitan areas, from nonpoint source pollution in the Mississippi Delta, and from the oil production industry. Impacts from waste discharges have been greatly reduced across the state due to point source control activities, which have resulted in significant improvements in water quality conditions in streams below these discharges. Improvements have also been realized in the Delta and other agricultural areas from better management of the use of pesticides, the development of less persistent chemicals, and the education of farmers in the installation of Best Management Practices. Many of the oil production related problems have also been resolved. Control of nonpoint source pollution is generally regarded as one of Mississippi’s greatest challenges in the future. MDEQ's water pollution control programs, to date, have been effective in correcting water quality problems caused by point sources. Current assessments of water quality in streams and lakes indicate that nonpoint sources of pollution, rather than point sources, are responsible for the majority of the State's impaired waters. Once the remaining needs for Publicly Owned Treatment Works are addressed, additional focus on nonpoint sources of pollution will be needed to attain further water quality improvements. Also, additional planning will be required to develop implementation strategies for nonpoint source control measures. To facilitate this goal, grants or cost-share programs will be necessary to implement controls for agricultural activities. Additionally, urban runoff must be addressed before water quality problems can be completely solved in highly populated areas, particularly along the Gulf Coast and other rapidly growing urban areas. Problems caused by failing septic systems along the Gulf Coast and the shorelines of many lakes must also be addressed. The loss of the state’s wetlands is another issue of concern for Mississippi. Wetlands provide many benefits including fish and wildlife habitat and natural control of erosion. Water quality functions of wetlands include floodwater retention, ground water recharge, sediment stabilization, and pollutant assimilation. Historically, Mississippi's wetland losses were due primarily to conversion to agriculture. However, now urban wetland areas are at higher risk due to increased pressure from residential and commercial development. The issue of toxic pollutants is another major concern. To address this, Mississippi has adopted widely expanded toxics criteria into its water quality standards. Parameters of particular concern are some of the pesticides, mercury, and PCBs. Where necessary, biological screening and chemical monitoring will be used to assess the extent of contamination. 4 The rapid industrial growth occurring throughout the state and the demands this economic development may place on the State’s environmental resources is another growing area of concern. Historically, Mississippi has always been characterized as a rural state, however, with the advent of the gaming industry as well as a favorable economic climate, this is gradually changing. Previously, only Jackson and the Gulf Coast served as the major population and industrial centers. In recent years, however, economic development and growth are being experienced not only in Jackson and the Gulf Coast, but also in Hattiesburg, Meridian, Tupelo and Northwest Mississippi. Specific State Concerns Mississippi Gulf Coast In the past, elevated bacterial counts have caused concern in swimming and shellfish harvesting areas along the Mississippi Sound. This situation had developed over many years due to the lack of proper planning and the necessary ordinances or controls to ensure proper wastewater disposal. Developments had been allowed to install individual home disposal systems in areas where these systems do not work properly. Also, there were over one hundred fifty private sewage systems discharging wastewater to coastal streams. Improvements in water quality have occurred with the implementation of regional sewage treatment plants for the three-county area. All publicly owned treatment works along the Gulf Coast have now completed the construction necessary to bring these facilities into compliance with current water quality standards. However, with the ongoing growth of the gaming industry, there have been some facility expansions. The Harrison County Wastewater and Solid Waste Management District completed expansion of the Keegan Bayou Facility (MS0023159). Also, they completed construction of a new facility to serve the Gulfport area, known as Gulfport North (MS0051756). The Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional Wastewater Authority also expanded the Escatawpa Facility (MS0021521). Growth will likely continue over the next several years. An issue of concern over the past several years has been the increased growth of Hancock County and the resulting inadequate wastewater treatment facilities coupled with failing home disposal systems in that area of the state. Due to state and local cooperative efforts, there have been significant wastewater improvements in Hancock County over the past few years. Over 5,000 residences in and around the town of Waveland, that were previously on inadequate home systems, have been incorporated into a waste water management district which is undergoing a process of implementing a collection system composed of pressure sewers.