Dunes Creek Watershed Management Plan Porter County, Indiana July 6, 2006
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Dunes Creek Watershed Management Plan Porter County, Indiana July 6, 2006 Prepared by: Save the Dunes Conservation Fund 444 Barker Road Michigan City, IN 46360 Phone 219-879-3937 Fax 219-872-4875 www.savedunes.org Funding from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management was used to develop this plan. 7/11/2006 ii Executive Summary The Dunes Creek Watershed Management Plan serves as a framework for achieving the following vision: A healthy Dunes Creek watershed ecosystem that supports species diversity, protects Lake Michigan water quality, and improves the quality of life in Porter County, while maintaining the important social, economic, and recreational uses of the area. High levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in the waters of the creek and surrounding its confluence with Lake Michigan are the primary watershed impairments affecting quality of life in Porter County. The E. coli bacteria are used to indicate fecal contamination and the potential presence of other pathogens. Lake Michigan beaches are tested regularly to determine the levels of E. coli present. When the amount of E. coli exceeds the state standard, beaches must be closed to protect public health. Such closures, which occur regularly at the Indiana Dunes State Park, substantially limit resident and visitor recreation opportunities and adversely affect economic activity in Porter County. This plan addresses the elimination or reduction of the Dunes Creek E. coli water quality problem, which will reduce beach closures at the Indiana Dunes State Park and contribute to an improved quality of life for Porter County residents and visitors. The Dunes Creek Steering Committee includes representatives from the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Mittal (formerly International Steel Group), United States Geological Survey, Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and many other entities. The plan was developed by the Steering Committee with regular input from the public and support from Save the Dunes Conservation Fund’s watershed coordinator, Christine Livingston. This plan addresses nonpoint sources of pollution by documenting current water quality and biological integrity and making recommendations for improving water quality. In addition to covering pollution prevention and remediation, the recommendations include restoration activities. To reduce the identified stressors in the Dunes Creek watershed and address other concerns identified by the Steering Committee and stakeholders, the Steering Committee developed the following goals. Goal 1: Reduce nutrient and sediment by 20% by 2016. Goal 2: Reduce pathogen concentrations to meet the state standard by 2016. Goal 3: Improve stakeholder and public involvement. Goal 4: Improve biotic communities by 2016 so that they are partially supporting. Goal 5: Reduce TDS and chloride concentrations to meet Indiana State Standard. Copies of the Dunes Creek Watershed Management Plan were provided to the distribution list (Appendix A). If you would like a copy of the plan it can be downloaded from www.savedunes.org. For additional information, contact Save the Dunes Conservation Fund at 219-879-3564, [email protected], 444 Barker Road, Michigan City, IN 46360. 7/11/2006 iii Table of Contents Executive Summary................................................................................................................................................ ii Table of Contents................................................................................................................................................... iii 1.0 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Watershed Partnerships.................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Public Participation.......................................................................................................................................... 2 2.0 Physical Description of the Watershed ............................................................................................................ 3 2.0.1 Watershed Location .............................................................................................................................. 3 2.0.2 Natural History...................................................................................................................................... 5 2.0.3 Endangered Species.............................................................................................................................. 6 2.0.4 Geology and Soils ................................................................................................................................. 7 2.0.5 Topography........................................................................................................................................... 8 2.0.6 Hydrology.............................................................................................................................................. 9 2.0.7 Ecoregions........................................................................................................................................... 10 2.1 Land Use Description of the Watershed ....................................................................................................... 12 2.1.1 Cultural/Recreational Resources ........................................................................................................ 12 2.1.2 Land Ownership.................................................................................................................................. 13 3.0 Water Quality and Data Collection ................................................................................................................ 15 4.1 Pathogens........................................................................................................................................................ 34 4.1.1 Failing Septic Systems........................................................................................................................ 34 4.1.2 Agricultural Livestock Runoff ............................................................................................................ 35 4.1.3 Wildlife................................................................................................................................................ 35 4.2 Siltation........................................................................................................................................................... 36 4.3 Salinity/TSS/Chlorides................................................................................................................................... 38 4.4 Nutrients......................................................................................................................................................... 38 4.5 Flow and Habitat Alteration........................................................................................................................... 39 4.6 Causes Unknown............................................................................................................................................ 39 5.0 Goals, Objectives, and Implementation Priorities ......................................................................................... 41 6.0 Management Measures and Resources.......................................................................................................... 48 7.0 Existing/On-going Activities.......................................................................................................................... 63 8.0 Measuring Progress and Plan Evaluation ...................................................................................................... 66 9.0 Future Considerations .................................................................................................................................... 69 10.0 Implementation............................................................................................................................................. 70 Appendix A Watershed Plan Distribution List and Steering Committee Members............................................ 72 Appendix B Outreach Brochure........................................................................................................................... 76 Appendix C Press Releases.................................................................................................................................. 78 Appendix D Mittal Steel ...................................................................................................................................... 86 Appendix E Endangered, Threatened, and Rare Species .................................................................................... 87 Appendix F Dunes Creek Ecoregion ................................................................................................................... 92 Appendix G Quality Assurance Project Plan....................................................................................................... 93 Appendix H Water Quality Parameters and Discussion by Stream Reach ......................................................... 94 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