+ Nine-Element Nonpoint Source Implementation Strategic Plan (NPS-IS plan) Lake Rockwell – Cuyahoga River, Lake Erie: HUC-12 (04110002 02 03) Created by: City of Akron Dept. Of Public Service, Water Supply Bureau Watershed Division 1570 Ravenna Road Kent, Ohio 44240 Environmental Design Group 450 Grant St Akron, Ohio 44311 Version 1.0 – April 3, 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ___________________________________________________________ 3 Chapter 1: Introduction ________________________________________________________ 4 1.1 Report Background______________________________________________________________ 4 1.2 Watershed Profile & History ______________________________________________________ 5 HISTORY OF CITY OF AKRON PROTECTION _____________________________________________________ 7 HISTORY OF PERMITTED DISCHARGES _________________________________________________________ 8 1.3 Public Participation and Involvement ____________________________________________ 9 Chapter 2: LRCR Watershed Characterization and Assessment Summary _______________ 11 2.1 Summary Watershed Characterization for LRCR HUC-12 _______________________ 11 2.1.1 Physical and Natural Features _______________________________________________ 11 SAND & GRAVEL OPERATIONS ______________________________________________________________ 13 AGRICULTURAL _________________________________________________________________________ 14 WILDLIFE & AQUATIC LIFE _________________________________________________________________ 15 DRINKING WATER ACTION DETERMINATION LIMITS _____________________________________________ 15 RARE, THREATENED, AND ENDANGERED SPECIES _______________________________________________ 16 2.1.2 Land Use and Protection ___________________________________________________ 17 LAND COVER ___________________________________________________________________________ 17 LAND USE ______________________________________________________________________________ 18 LAND PROTECTION ______________________________________________________________________ 18 STORMWATER __________________________________________________________________________ 18 2.2 Summary of Biological Trends ____________________________________________ 19 2.2.1 Fish (Modified Index of Well-Being (Miwb) & Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI)) ______________ 20 2.3 Summary of NPS Pollution Causes and Associated Sources _____________________ 23 2.4 Additional Information for Determining Critical Areas and Developing Implementation Strategies __________________________________________________________________ 24 2.4.1 Flooding (TSS) _______________________________________________________________ 24 Chapter 3: Conditions & Restoration Strategies ____________________________________ 25 3.1 Overview of Critical Areas ____________________________________________________ 25 3.2 Critical Area 1: (Eckert Ditch) Conditions, Goals & Objectives ______________________ 27 3.2.1 Detailed Characterization ______________________________________________________ 27 3.2.2 Detailed Biological Conditions __________________________________________________ 27 3.2.3 Detailed Causes and Associated Sources __________________________________________ 27 3.2.4 Outline Goals and Objectives for the Critical Area __________________________________ 29 1 | Page GOALS ________________________________________________________________________________ 29 OBJECTIVES ____________________________________________________________________________ 30 3.3 Critical Area 2: (Critical Management Zones A1, A2, &A3) Conditions, Goals & Objectives ___ 31 3.3.1 Detailed Characterization ______________________________________________________ 31 3.3.2 Detailed Biological Conditions __________________________________________________ 31 3.3.3 Detailed Causes and Associated Sources __________________________________________ 33 3.3.4 Outline Goals and Objectives for the Critical Area __________________________________ 33 GOALS ________________________________________________________________________________ 33 OBJECTIVES ____________________________________________________________________________ 34 3.4 Critical Area 3: (Stewardship Zone B) Conditions, Goals & Objectives ___________________ 36 3.4.1 Detailed Characterization ______________________________________________________ 36 3.4.2 Detailed Biological Conditions __________________________________________________ 36 3.4.3 Detailed Causes and Associated Sources __________________________________________ 36 3.4.4 Outline Goals and Objectives for the Critical Area __________________________________ 38 GOALS ________________________________________________________________________________ 38 OBJECTIVES ____________________________________________________________________________ 38 Chapter 4: Projects and Implementation Strategy __________________________________ 39 4.1 Overview Tables and Project Sheets for Critical Areas ____________________________ 39 4.2 Critical Areas: Overview Table and Project Sheet(s) for LRCR HUC-12 ____________________ 40 4.2.1 Critical Areas: Project and Implementation Strategy Overview Table ___________________ 40 4.2.2 Critical Areas: Project Summary Sheets ___________________________________________ 41 WORKS CITED ____________________________________________________________________ 45 Appendix A: Acronyms and Abbreviations _____________________________________________ 46 2 | Page Acknowledgements City of Akron would like to thank the many partners who helped to compile the information, maps and projects needed to create this document. This NPS-IS plan will help direct projects to expeditiously address the nonpoint source impairments in the Lake Rockwell – Cuyahoga River HUC-12 of the Upper Cuyahoga River watershed. Safe and clean drinking water is critical to the regional citizenry and the City of Akron. The Akron Water Supply (AWS) continually strives to provide this critical resource cost effectively with minimum impacts to the regional ecosystem. AWS has studied similar algae-related issues at other inland lakes like Grand Lake Saint Marys to bolster knowledge of new technologies and stewardship. Additionally, AWS continues to evaluate and locate environmentally critical properties for protection by the City of Akron and other partners. 3 | Page Chapter 1: Introduction The Lake Rockwell – Cuyahoga River HUC -12 Plan (HUC-12 04110002 02 03) is located on the Cuyahoga River, predominately in Portage County, Ohio. The Lake Rockwell – Cuyahoga River HUC-12 (LRCR) contains the Lake Rockwell Reservoir that is the main source of drinking water for the City of Akron. The public drinking water impairments were the over-riding reason this HUC-12 was chosen as the first NPS- IS plan within the larger Upper Cuyahoga River Watershed. This NPS-IS plan may be cross referenced in future NPS-IS submittals for other HUC-12 watersheds within the Upper Cuyahoga River Watershed. The LRCR Watershed consists of Cuyahoga R. at Hiram Rapids, Cuyahoga R. below Hiram Rapids and Lake Rockwell subwatersheds as identified within the TMDL report (OEPA 2004). The Upper Cuyahoga River Watershed, of which the LRCR Watershed is the lowest watershed, is approximately 58 square miles and drains 71.4 miles of principal streams (OEPA, 2004). The LRCR HUC-12 watershed begins slightly north of the county line between Geauga and Portage and flows approximately 19 river miles of the main stem Cuyahoga River through Portage County ending at the Lake Rockwell dam near Kent (approximately river mile 57.50 to 76.50). State and Federal nonpoint source funding is now closely tied to strategic implementation-based planning that meets U.S. EPA’s nine minimum elements of a watershed plan for impaired CLEVELAND waters. The City of Akron has taken the lead in authoring this Nine-Element Nonpoint Source Implementation Strategic Plan (NPS-IS). The City is working with numerous other groups and municipalities as part of the AKRON development of this NPS-IS. Numerous reports, studies, and watershed plans have been produced over the last 100 Figure 1: The Lake Rockwell – Cuyahoga River HUC -12 (HUC-12 04110002 02 years, including a TMDL report 03) which is outlined in dark blue. in 2004 (OEPA) and the Drinking Water Protection Plan for the Upper Cuyahoga River Watershed (EDG 2013). This plan shall incorporate and reference these plans and other plans. 1.1 Report Background This NPS-IS was created as a supplement to, and in conjunction with, the Drinking Water Protection Plan for the Upper Cuyahoga River Watershed (Environmental Design Group (EDG), 2013) and the Total Maximum Daily Loads for the Upper Cuyahoga River (Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Surface Water (OEPA), September 2004). The Drinking Water Protection Plan for the Upper Cuyahoga 4 | Page River Watershed (Watershed Master Plan) was created as a decision support tool for identification of critical resources, restoration and protection of the watershed feeding the three reservoirs within watershed. It addressed the water quality needs of the watershed and is critically useful in day to day operations of the Lake Rockwell Reservoir. This plan also resulted in numerous valuable GIS layers which are used in monthly water quality monitoring data collection. It includes a decision support system that incorporates past reports, existing conditions, and current data so that various questions, requests, and regulations regarding the watershed can be addressed quickly and consistently. The Watershed Master Plan was never officially submitted to ODNR and Ohio EPA for approval