WSP for Rappahannock County and Washington
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The Water Supply Plan for Rappahannock County and the Town of Washington Prepared By: Tim Bondelid Consulting Engineer and Systems Analyst September 2011 1 Table of Contents List of Figures..................................................................................................................... 5 List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... 6 Executive Summary............................................................................................................ 7 Objective......................................................................................................................... 7 Summary of Findings ..................................................................................................... 7 List of Acronyms ................................................................................................................ 9 SECTION I: Overview of Rappahannock County ........................................................... 10 Physical Description ..................................................................................................... 10 Population..................................................................................................................... 13 Residential Water Usage............................................................................................... 13 Climate.......................................................................................................................... 14 Topography, Geology, and Physiography .................................................................... 14 Watershed Characteristics ............................................................................................ 16 Water Resources and Water Sources............................................................................ 17 Land Use and Land Cover ............................................................................................ 18 Forests....................................................................................................................... 18 Cattle Farming .......................................................................................................... 18 Shenandoah National Park........................................................................................ 18 Positive Factors That Affect Land Use, Development and Potential Water Savings... 19 SECTION II: Existing Water Sources – (9VAC25-780-70) ............................................ 21 Community Water Systems Using Groundwater Sources............................................ 21 Community Water Systems Using Surface Water Reservoirs or Interconnected Reservoirs ..................................................................................................................... 22 Community Water Systems Using Surface Stream Intakes or Springs........................ 22 Self-supplied Users of More Than 300,000 Gallons per Month of Surface Water for Non-agricultural uses.................................................................................................... 22 Self-supplied Users of More Than 300,000 Gallons per Month of Groundwater for Non-agricultural uses.................................................................................................... 22 Ground or Surface Water to be Purchased from Water Supply Systems Outside the Geographic Boundaries of the Planning Area .............................................................. 23 Water Available to be Purchased From Water Supply Systems Outside the Planning Area from Any Source With the Capacity to Withdraw More Than 300,000 Gallons per Month of Ground or Surface Water........................................................................ 23 2 Existing Water Sources for Agricultural Users of More Than 300,000 Gallons per Month of Groundwater and/or Surface Water .............................................................. 23 Existing Water Sources for Self-supplied Users of Less Than 300,000 Gallons per Month............................................................................................................................ 23 Residential Water Users ........................................................................................... 23 Business and Institutional Water Users (Non-Agricultural)..................................... 24 Agri-Business Water Users....................................................................................... 25 Irrigation ................................................................................................................... 25 Livestock watering and care ..................................................................................... 25 Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) Findings................................................ 25 DRASTIC Analysis ...................................................................................................... 26 Groundwater Quantity Evaluation (July 8, 1996) and Monitoring of Well Depths in Sperryville by ENSAT Corporation Between June 1999 and January 2003................ 26 SECTION III: Existing Water Uses – (9VAC25-780-80)............................................... 28 Community Water Systems Using Groundwater……………………………………...27 Estimated Existing Water Use by Self–Supplied Users of Less than 300,000 gallons per month...................................................................................................................... 33 Residential ................................................................................................................ 33 Schools...................................................................................................................... 34 Non-agricultural Businesses ..................................................................................... 34 Agri-business and Silviculture.................................................................................. 34 Irrigation ................................................................................................................... 35 Non-Irrigation, i.e. Livestock ................................................................................... 35 SECTION IV: Existing Resource Conditions – (9VAC25-780-90)................................. 37 Geologic Conditions ..................................................................................................... 37 Blue Ridge ............................................................................................................... 39 Hydrogeology ............................................................................................................... 40 Water Resources ........................................................................................................... 40 Hydrology..................................................................................................................... 42 Meteorological Conditions ........................................................................................... 49 State or Federal listed Threatened and Endangered Species or Habitats of Concern... 52 Anadromous Fish (habitat), Trout and Other Significant Fisheries…………………...66 River Segments That Have Recreational Significance, Including State Scenic River Status............................................................................................................................. 68 Sites of Historic or Archaeological Significance.......................................................... 68 Unusual Geologic Formations or Special Soil Types – Soils General………………..67 3 Flood Plains .................................................................................................................. 70 Wetlands ....................................................................................................................... 70 Riparian Buffers and Conservation Easements ............................................................ 71 Land Use....................................................................................................................... 71 Forests........................................................................................................................... 72 Agricultural Land.......................................................................................................... 73 Cattle......................................................................................................................... 73 The Presence of Impaired Streams and the Type of Impairment ................................. 73 Locations of Point Source Discharges.......................................................................... 75 Concerns for Water Quantity or Quality Other than Those Listed Above ................... 76 SECTION V: Projected Water Demand: By Decade 30 to 50 Years Into the Future (9VAC25-780-100)........................................................................................................... 78 SECTION VI: Water Demand Management Actions (9VAC25-780 -110).................... 82 SECTION VII: Drought Response and Contingency Plan (9VAC25-780-120) .............. 83 SECTION VIII: Statement of Needs and Alternatives Analysis (9VAC25-780-130) .... 86 Considerations for Future Needs: Alternatives Analysis.................................................. 88 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................