Delaware's 2019 Nonpoint Source Management Plan
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Delaware’s Five-Year Nonpoint Source Program Management Plan Photo by David Haas Administered by: Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Division of Watershed Stewardship Conservation Programs Section Nonpoint Source Program Final - October 2019 Delaware Nonpoint Source Program DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship 100 W. Water Street Suite 6B Dover, DE 19901 Telephone: (302) 739-9922 The Delaware Nonpoint Source (NPS) Program is committed to addressing the issue of NPS pollution as it affects Delaware’s numerous waterbodies. Efforts will include grant funding, education, outreach, and partnerships with other organizations working together to reduce NPS pollution in Delaware. Reduction of NPS pollution is achieved through the incorporation or installation of specific best management practices (BMPs) addressing agriculture, silviculture, construction, septic systems, and hydromodification activities. To encourage and support the BMP installation, the NPS Program administers a competitive grant program currently made possible through Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. While this federal financial support has proven successful in complementing Delaware’s NPS efforts, the NPS Program is currently seeking additional finances to expand our activities to more systematically address Delaware’s NPS concerns. Additional roles and responsibilities of the NPS Program include geospatial BMP tracking and reporting, management of the agricultural State Revolving Fund Program, support for developing Pollution Control Strategies, and watershed plan development and/or coordination. Robert Palmer, Administrator Ben Coverdale, Program Manager Sharon Webb, Environmental Scientist Brittany Sturgis, Environmental Scientist Tyler Monteith, Environmental Scientist Clare Sevcik, Environmental Scientist Mark Hogan, Planner James Sullivan, Planner Lori Brown, Planner Patti Webb, Private Lands Biologist Philip Miller, Marketing Specialist Brenda Zeiters, Administrative Specialist Table of Contents 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose of the Document ............................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Background ................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Authority ....................................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Delaware NPS Program’s Strategic Pillars .................................................................................... 3 2 About Delaware .................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 4 2.2 Land Use and Population .............................................................................................................. 4 2.3. Geography .......................................................................................................................................... 4 2.4 Rivers and Streams ....................................................................................................................... 6 2.5 Lakes and Ponds ........................................................................................................................... 7 2.6 Wetlands ....................................................................................................................................... 7 2.7 Classified Uses .............................................................................................................................. 7 3 Delaware’s Water Quality ..................................................................................................................... 9 3.1 Impaired Waters ................................................................................................................................. 9 3.2 Nutrient Enrichment ........................................................................................................................... 9 3.3 TMDL Program Summary .................................................................................................................... 9 3.4 Pollution Control Strategies .............................................................................................................. 10 3.5 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan........................................................................... 11 3.6 Delaware NPS Program Watershed Plan Requirements ............................................................ 12 4 Water Quality Impairments ................................................................................................................ 14 4.1 Agriculture .................................................................................................................................. 14 4.2 Construction ............................................................................................................................... 14 4.3 Urban Runoff .............................................................................................................................. 15 4.4 Hydrologic/Habitat Modification ...................................................................................................... 16 4.5 Septic Systems .................................................................................................................................. 17 5 The Watershed Approach ................................................................................................................... 17 5.1 Watershed Prioritization ................................................................................................................... 18 5.2 State-Level Priority Watersheds ....................................................................................................... 18 5.3 NPS Program Priority Watersheds .................................................................................................... 19 5.4 Priority Pollutants ............................................................................................................................. 20 5.5 Approved Watershed Plans .............................................................................................................. 20 6 Monitoring .......................................................................................................................................... 22 6.1 General Changes or Trends in Water Quality ................................................................................... 22 6.2 Progress to Assess Impairments ....................................................................................................... 22 6.2.1 State of Delaware TMDL Program ............................................................................................. 22 6.2.2 Pollution Control Strategies ....................................................................................................... 23 6.3 Monitoring Programs ........................................................................................................................ 23 6.3.1 Surface Water Monitoring Programs ......................................................................................... 23 6.3.2 General Assessment Monitoring ................................................................................................ 23 6.4 Changes for Surface Water Quality Monitoring Plan ........................................................................ 23 6.5 Special Project Monitoring ................................................................................................................ 24 6.5.1 Special Surveys ........................................................................................................................... 24 6.5.2 Continuous Monitoring .............................................................................................................. 24 6.5.3 Biological Assessment Monitoring ............................................................................................. 25 6.5.6 Partnership for the Delaware Estuary – Mussels for Clean Water Initiative ............................. 25 6.6 Citizen Monitoring Programs in Delaware ........................................................................................ 25 6.6.1 Delaware Nature Society ........................................................................................................... 25 6.6.2 Nanticoke Watershed Alliance’s CreekWatchers ...................................................................... 27 6.6.3 University of Delaware’s Citizen Monitoring Program .............................................................. 27 6.6.4 Partnership for the Delaware Estuary’s Mussel Survey Program .............................................. 27 6.7 Future Needs and Activities to Improve Water Quality Monitoring in Delaware ............................ 27 7 Partnerships and Collaboration .......................................................................................................... 28 7.1 Partnerships .....................................................................................................................................