Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Middle Fork Saline River Watershed TMDL Stage One Final Report June 2009 Final Report THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Contents Section 1 Goals and Objectives for Middle Fork Saline River Watershed 1.1 Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Overview ............................................. 1-1 1.2 TMDL Goals and Objectives for Middle Fork Saline River Watershed ......... 1-2 1.3 Report Overview .............................................................................................. 1-4 Section 2 Middle Fork Saline River Watershed Description 2.1 Middle Fork Saline River Watershed Location ............................................... 2-1 2.2 Topography ...................................................................................................... 2-1 2.3 Land Use .......................................................................................................... 2-1 2.4 Soils.................................................................................................................. 2-2 2.4.1 Middle Fork Saline River Watershed Soil Characteristics .................. 2-3 2.5 Population ........................................................................................................ 2-3 2.6 Climate, Pan Evaporation, and Streamflow ..................................................... 2-4 2.6.1 Climate ................................................................................................ 2-4 2.6.2 Pan Evaporation .................................................................................. 2-4 2.6.3 Streamflow .......................................................................................... 2-5 Section 3 Public Participation and Involvement 3.1 Middle Fork Saline River Watershed Public Participation and Involvement .. 3-1 Section 4 Middle Fork Saline River Watershed Water Quality Standards 4.1 Illinois Water Quality Standards ...................................................................... 4-1 4.2 Designated Uses ............................................................................................... 4-1 4.2.1 General Use ......................................................................................... 4-1 4.3 Illinois Water Quality Standards ...................................................................... 4-2 4.4 Potential Pollutant Sources .............................................................................. 4-3 Section 5 Middle Fork Saline River Watershed Characterization 5.1 Water Quality Data .......................................................................................... 5-1 5.1.1 Stream Water Quality Data ................................................................. 5-1 5.1.1.1 Fecal Coliform ................................................................. 5-1 5.1.1.2 pH ..................................................................................... 5-2 5.1.1.3 Sulfates ............................................................................. 5-2 5.1.1.4 Metals ............................................................................... 5-3 5.1.2 Lake Water Quality Data ..................................................................... 5-4 5.1.2.1 Harrisburg Reservoir ........................................................ 5-4 5.1.2.1.1 Total Phosphorus .......................................... 5-5 5.2 Reservoir Characteristics ................................................................................. 5-6 5.2.1 Harrisburg Reservoir ........................................................................... 5-6 5.3 Point Sources ................................................................................................... 5-6 i FINAL List of Figures Development of Total Maximum Daily Loads and Implementation Plans for Target Watersheds Report #1 Middle Fork Saline River Watershed 5.4 Nonpoint Sources ............................................................................................. 5-6 5.4.1 Crop Information ................................................................................. 5-6 5.4.2 Animal Operations .............................................................................. 5-7 5.4.3 Septic Systems ..................................................................................... 5-8 5.5 Watershed Studies and Other Watershed Information ................................... 5-10 Section 6 Approach to Developing TMDL and Identification of Data Needs 6.1 Simple and Detailed Approaches for Developing TMDLs .............................. 6-1 6.2 Approaches for Developing TMDLs for Stream Segments in Middle Fork Saline River Watershed .................................................................................... 6-1 6.2.1 Recommended Approach for Metals, Sulfates and Fecal Coliform TMDLs for Stream Segments.............................................................. 6-1 6.2.2 Recommended Approach for pH TMDL in Harco Branch Segment ATGM-01 ............................................................................. 6-2 6.3 Approaches for Developing TMDLs for Harrisburg Reservoir ...................... 6-2 ii FINAL Figures 1-1 Middle Fork Saline River Watershed .............................................................. 1-7 2-1 Middle Fork Saline River Watershed Elevation .............................................. 2-7 2-2 Middle Fork Saline River Watershed Land Use .............................................. 2-9 2-3 Middle Fork Saline River Watershed Soils ................................................... 2-11 2-4 Middle Fork Saline River Watershed USGS Gages ...................................... 2-13 5-1 Middle Fork Saline River Watershed Water Quality Stations ....................... 5-11 5-2 Fecal Coliform Data Bankston Fork Segment ATGC-01 .............................. 5-13 5-3 Sulfate Concentrations Impaired Stream Segments Middle Fork Saline River Watershed ............................................................................................ 5-15 5-4 Total Manganese Concentrations Bankston Fork Segment ATGC-01 .......... 5-17 5-5 Silver Concentrations Bankston Fork Segment ATGC-01 ............................ 5-19 5-6 Total Phosphorus Concentrations at 1-foot Depth Harrisburg Reservoir ...... 5-21 5-7 Middle Fork Saline River Watershed Point Sources ..................................... 5-23 iii FINAL List of Figures Development of Total Maximum Daily Loads and Implementation Plans for Target Watersheds Report #1 Middle Fork Saline River Watershed THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv FINAL Tables 1-1 Impaired Water Bodies in Middle Fork Saline River Watershed .................... 1-3 2-1 Land Cover and Land Use in Middle Fork Saline River Watershed ............... 2-2 2-2 Average Monthly Climate Data in Harrisburg, IL ........................................... 2-4 2-3 Streamflow Gages in the Middle Fork Saline River Watershed ...................... 2-5 2-4 Permitted Facilities Which Discharge into the South Fork of the Saline River Above Gage 03382100 .......................................................................... 2-6 4-1 Summary of Water Quality Standards for Potential Causes of Lake Impairments in Harrisburg Reservoir .............................................................. 4-2 4-2 Summary of Numeric Water Quality Standards for Potential Causes of Stream Impairments in Middle Fork Saline River Watershed ......................... 4-2 4-3 Summary of Potential Pollutant Sources in the Middle Fork Saline River Watershed .............................................................................................. 4-3 5-1 Existing Fecal Coliform Data for Bankston Fork ............................................ 5-2 5-2 Existing pH Data for Harco Branch ................................................................. 5-2 5-3 Existing Sulfates Data for Middle Fork Saline River Watershed Impaired Stream Segments .............................................................................. 5-3 5-4 Existing Metals Data for Middle Fork Saline River Watershed Impaired Stream Segments .............................................................................................. 5-4 5-5 Harrisburg Reservoir Data Inventory for Impairments .................................... 5-4 5-6 Harrisburg Lake Data Availability for Data Needs Analysis and Future Modeling Efforts .............................................................................................. 5-5 5-7 Average Total Phosphorus Concentrations (mg/L) in Harrisburg Reservoir at one-foot depth .............................................................................. 5-5 5-8 Average Depths (ft) for Harrisburg Reservoir Segment RAI .......................... 5-6 5-9 Permitted Facilities Discharging to or Upstream of Impaired Segments in the Middle Fork Saline River Watershed .................................................... 5-6 5-10 Tillage Practices in Franklin County ............................................................... 5-7 5-11 Tillage Practices in Hamilton County .............................................................. 5-7 5-12 Tillage Practices in Saline County ................................................................... 5-7 5-13 Tillage Practices in Williamson County .......................................................... 5-7 5-14 Franklin County Animal Population ................................................................ 5-8 5-15 Hamilton County Animal Population