AWLmDetroit River f 'G w-Remedial Action Plan' --'5- --* - Stage 1 .. , $1 a' - , .%. 2 .,'" :- -.\.*.- Ju e 1991-* z.t5 ,. n ..+ DNR:&'+- -,$* Canad? @Ontario ..,, - Canada Ontario Agreement Respecting Michigan Department of Natural ~esoukes Great Lake Water Quality Surface Water Quality Division ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Surface Water Quality Division and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, DetroitISt. ClairISt. Marys Rivers Project would like to thank the many individuals that participated over the last few years in the development of this document. The Agencies would like to thank the members of the Remedial Action Plan (RAP) Team who have attended many meetings and provided drafts and comments in the preparation of this document. The efforts of these members in communicating the issues involved and the progress of the RAP to their respective agencies has resulted in a broad base of understanding and support in specific state and federal program areas for this important effort. The Agencies also express appreciation to the officers and members of the Detroit River Binational Public Advisory Council for their efforts through numerous meetings to provide advice to the RAP Team enabling the completion of this document. It is through the work of this Council that the document reflects the local interests and support needed to implement remedial actions which will be identified in subsequent stages of this planning effort. The Agencies are grateful to those who took the time to become involved in this project. The Agencies also recognize and appreciate the efforts of the Technical Advisory Committee for their review of the draft RAP in their respective areas of expertise. The Agencies would especially like to thank the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments for providing continued assistance and expertise in the area of public participation throughout this project. The first draft of Chapter 5, Description of the Areas, was completed by Limo-Tech Inc. and Dr. Ralph Kummler under a grant from MDNR and SEMCOG. Special thanks goes to Lynda Jones, Laura Smith and Ellen Hamburger for their patience, understanding and conscientious efforts in the preparation of this RAP; and to Scott Sobiech and Becky McGraw for their technical assistance in providing graphics and compiling data for use in this document. AGENCIES PARTICIPATING ON THE DETROIT RIVER REMEDIAL ACTION PLAN TEAM Michigan Department of Natural Resources Surface Water Quality Division Fisheries Division U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Water Division Ontario Ministry of the Environment DetroitISt. ClairISt. Marys Rivers Project Water Resources Branch Southwestern Region Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Chatham District Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Environment Canada Conservation and Protection - Ontario Region TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1 Executive Summary 2 Introduction 2.1 Background 2.2 Remedial Action Plans and the Areas of Concern Program 2.3 Detroit River RAP 3 Participants 3.1 RAP Team 3.2 Public Participation 3.2.1 Stakeholders Workshops 3.2.2 Public Meetings 3.2.3 Binational Public Advisory Council 3.2.4 Detroit River Celebration 3.3 Technical Advisory Committee 3.4 Government Agencies 3.5 Responsibility for Implementation 4 Regulatory Programs 4.1 Ontario 4.1.1 Environmental Legislation 4.1.2 Water Quality Objectives 4.1.3 Point Source Controls 4.1.3.1 Compliance and Enforcement 4.1.4 Non-Point Sources 4.1.4.1 Shipping 4.1.4.2 Spills 4.1.4.3 Sediment Quality 4.1.4.4 Stomwater 4.1.5 Wetlands and Shorelands 4.1.6 Solid, Liquid and Hazardous Waste Controls 4.1.7 Pesticides 4.1.8 Air Quality 4.1.9 Fish Consumption Advisories 4.1.10 Drinking Water Objectives 4.2 Canada 4.2.1 Environmental Legislation Relevant to the Great Lakes 4.2.2 Point Sources 4.2.3 Non-Point Sources 4.2.3.1 Shipping 4.2.4 Hazardous Waste Control 4.2.5 Pesticides 4.2.6 Air Quality 4.2.7 Fish Consumption Advisories 4.2.8 Great Lakes Water Quality Working Group 4.3 Michigan and U.S. 4.3.1 Water Quality Standards 4.3.1.1 Great Lakes Initiative Page 4.3.2 Point Source Discharge Permits 4.3.2.1 Industrial Pretreatment Program 4.3.2.2 Combined Sewer Overflows 4.3.2.3 Compliance and Enforcement 4.3.2.4 Stormwater 4.3.3 Critical Materials and Wastewater Report 4.3.4 Non-Point Sources 4.3.4.1 Erosion 4.3.4.2 Spills 4.3.4.3 Ballast Water Exchange 4.3.4.4 Contaminated Sediments 4.3.5 Navigational Dredging and Sediment Disposal 72 4.3.6 Wetlands and Shorelines 4.3.7 Hazardous Waste 4.3.8 Pesticides 4.3.9 Air Quality 4.3.10 Fish Consumption Advisories 4.3.11 Drinking Water Standards 4.3.12 Michigan's Waste Prevention Strategy 4.4 United States - Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement 4.4.1 General Objectives 4.4.2 Specific Objectives 4.4.3 Annexes to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement 4.5 Ontario-Michigan Emergency Notification Protocol 5 Description of the Area 5.1 Location 5.2 Natural Features 5.2.1 Drainage Basin 5.2.2 Topography, Soils and Erosion 5.2.2.1 Michigan Topography 5.2.2.2 Michigan Soils 5.2.2.3 Michigan Runoff and Erosion 5.2.2.4 Michigan Groundwater Flow 5.2.2.5 Ontario Topography 5.2.2.6 Ontario Soils 5.2.2.7 Ontario Erosion 5.2.2.8 Ontario Groundwater Flow 5.2.3 Hydrology 5.2.3.1 Physical Characteristics 5.2.3.2 Hydraulic Characteristics Flow Velocity Ice Conditions Mathematical Models 5.2.4 Limnology 5.2.5 Sediments 5.2.6 Climate 5.2.7 Air Quality Page 5.3 Land Use 5.3.1 Local Cultural History 5.3.2 Land Use on the Michigan Side 5.3.3 Sewered Areas in the Michigan SAOC 5.3.4 Population Estimates in the Michigan SAOC 5.3.5 Land Use in the Ontario SAOC 5.3.6 Sewered Areas in the Ontario SAOC 5.3.7 Population Estimates for Essex County, Ontario 5.4 Water Uses 5.4.1 Agriculture 5.4.2 Navigation 5.4.3 Water Supply 5.4.4 Fish 5.4.5 Wildlife 5.4.6 Recreation 5.4.6.1 Fishing 5.4.6.2 Duck Hunting 5.4.6.3 Swimming 5.4.6.4 Boating 5.4.7 Receiving Water 5.4.7.1 Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants 5.4.7.2 Industrial and Wastewater Discharge 5.4.7.3 Runoff and CSOs 6 Description of the Aquatic Ecosystem 6.1 Water Quality 6.1.1 Bacteriological Water Quality 6.1.1.1 Michigan Fecal Coliform Monitoring Data 6.1.1.2 Ontario Fecal Coliform Monitoring Data 6.1.2 Conventional Parameters 6.1.2.1 Suspended Solids 6.1.2.2 Biochemical Oxygen Demand and Dissolved Oxygen 6.1.2.3 Chlorides 6.1.2.4 Nitrogen Compounds : Nitrate (N03) , Nitrite (N02), and Ammonia 6.1.2.5 Total Phosphorus and Orthophosphorus 6.1.3 Metals 6.1.3.1 Mercury 6.1.3.2 Lead 6.1.3.3 Cadmium 6.1.3.4 Copper 6.1.3.5 Nickel 6.1.3.6 Zinc 6.1.3.7 Chromium 6.1.4 Organics 6.1.4.1 Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) 6.1.4.2 Chlorobenzenes 6.1.4.3 Other Organochlorine Compounds 6.1.4.4 Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons iii 6.1.5 Water Quality Summary 6.1.6 Tributaries 6.1.6.1 Michigan Tributaries 6.1.6.2 Ontario Tributaries 6.1.7 Drinking Water 6.1.8 Aesthetics Sediment Quality 6.2.1 Metals 6.2.1.1 Arsenic 6.2.1.2 Cadmium 6.2.1.3 Chromium 6.2.1.4 Copper 6.2.1.5 Cyanide 6.2.1.6 Iron 6.2.1.7 Total Lead 6.2.1.8 Manganese 6.2.1.9 Mercury 6.2.1.10 Nickel 6.2.1.11 Zinc 6.2.2 PCBs and Oil and Grease 6.2.2.1 PCBs 6.2.2.2 Oil and Grease 6.2.3 Summary of Contaminant Levels in Sediments 6.2.4 Sediment Toxicity to Benthic Organisms 6.2.4.1 Bacteria 6.2.4.2 Phytoplankton 6.2.4.3 Zooplankton 6.2.4.4 Benthic Macroinvertebrates 6.2.5 Summary of Sediment Toxicity Benthic Organisms 6.3.1 Macroinvertebrates 6.3.2 Mussels 6.3.2.1 Species 6.3.2.2 Bioaccumulation of Toxicants in Clams 6.3.3 Zebra Mussels Aquatic Plants 6.4.1 Phytoplankton 6.4.2 Macrophytes and Wetlands Zooplankton Fish 6.6.1 Spawning and Juvenile Habitat 6.6.2 Adult Fish Populations 6.6.3 Non-native Species 6.6.4 Sport Fishing 6.6.5 Commerical Fishing 6.6.6 Fish Consumption Advisories 6.6.6.1 Contaminants in Fish 6.6.6.2 Michigan Fish Consumption Advisories 6.6.6.3 Ontario Fish Consumption Advisories 6.6.7 Contamination in Young-of-the-Year Fish Page 6.6.8 Fish Tumors 285 6.6.8.1 Oral/Dermal Tumors 285 6.6.8.2 Liver Tumors 289 6.6.9 Fish Flavor Impairment 2 90 6.6.10 Lake ErieILake St. Clair Fishery 290 6.7 Wildlife 291 , 6.7.1 History of the Wildlife Community 291 6.7.2 Current Status of Waterfowl and Other Water-Related Birds 6.7.3 Contaminants in Waterfowl, Other Water-Related Birds and Eggs 6.7.4 Wildlife Consumption Problem Definition 7.1 Water Quality Criteria (Michigan, Ontario, GLWQA) 7.2 GLWQA Beneficial Use: "Beach Closings" 7.3 GLWQA Beneficial Use: "Restrictions on drinking water consumption, or taste and odor problems" 7.4 GLWQA Beneficial Use: "Eutrophication or undesirable algae" 7.5 GLWQA Beneficial Use: "Added costs to agriculture or industry" 7.6 GLWQA Beneficial Use: "Degradation of aesthetics" 7.7 GLWQA Beneficial Use: "Restrictions on dredging activities" 7.7.1 Metals in Sediments 7.7.2 PCBs and Oil and Grease in Sediments 7.8 GLWQA Beneficial Use: "Degraded benthos" 7.9 GLWQA Beneficial Use: "Degradation of phytoplankton and zooplankton populations" 7.9.1 Phytoplankton 7.9.2 Zooplankton 7.10 GLWQA Beneficial Use: "Loss of fish and wildlife habitat'' 7.11 GLWQA Beneficial Use: "Bird or animal deformities or reproduction problems" 7.12 GLWQA Beneficial Use: "Degradation of fish and wildlife populations" 7.12.1 Fish 7.12.2 Wildlife 7.13 GLWQA Beneficial Use: "Tainting of fish or wildlife flavor" 7.13.1 Fish 7.13.2 Wildlife 7.14 GLWQA Beneifical Use: "Restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption" 7.14.1 Fish 7.14.2 Wildlife 7.15 GLWQA Beneficial Use: "Fish tumors or other deformities" Page 8 Pollutant Inputs to the Detroit River 315 8.1 Introduction 315 8.1.1 Sources of Data 315 8.1.2 The Upper Great Lakes Connecting Channels Study 3 15 8.1.3 Post UGLCCS Data Sources for Michigan 320 8.1.4 Post UGLCCS Data Sources for Ontario 321 8.2 Point Source Discharges 321 8.2.1.