CODORUS CREEK NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION CONTROL WATERSHED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA PADEP 319 Watershed Improvement Program Prepared by: York County Conservation District Prepared for: Codorus Creek Watershed Association PO Box 2881 York, PA 17405 www.codoruscreek.net July 2007 Codorus WIP Front 12/6/2007 Acknowledgements The Codorus Creek Watershed Association would like to acknowledge financial and technical assistance and support received from the following individuals and organization in producing the Codorus Creek Watershed Restoration & Protection Implementation Plan. Contributing Individuals: • Gary R. Peacock, CCWA Director/Watershed Specialist, York County Conservation District • Genevieve Ray, WRDA Sec. 206 Coordinator • James Leaman, CCWA Chairman, Biology Teacher (retired) • Jeff Hamon, CCWA Treasurer /Glatfelter • Jeff Hines, CCWA Secretary /V.P. Engineering, The York Water Company • Jeff Kuhn, PhD, CCWA Director /Science Teacher, York Suburban High School • Michael Schaffer, CCWA Director/Planner, York County Planning Commission • Lee Irwin, Owner, Aquatic Resource Restoration Company • Matt Hoch PhD., Biology Professor, Penn State York • Skip Missimer, V.P. EH&S, Glatfelter Codorus Watershed Restoration Partnership: • Aquatic Resource Restoration Company • Codorus Chapter Trout Unlimited • Codorus Creek Improvement Partnership • Codorus Creek Watershed Association • Codorus Implementation Committee • Glatfelter • Izaak Walton League of America - York Chapter #67 • Natural Resource Conservation Service - USDA • Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Baltimore District • York County Agricultural Land Preservation Board • York County Chamber of Commerce • York County Commissioners • York County Community Foundation - Codorus Watershed Endowment • York County Conservation District • York County Economic Development Corporation • York County Farm & Natural Lands Trust • York County Parks & Recreation • York County Planning Commission ii Codorus WIP Front 12/6/2007 Executive Summary The Codorus Creek watershed is located in southern York County, south-central Pennsylvania, and encompasses 278 square miles of drainage area. Watershed assessments of the South Branch (68 square miles), East Branch Codorus (44.5 square miles), and West Branch (165.5 square miles) were sponsored by the Izaak Walton League of America’s York Chapter and were completed in 1999 and 2000, respectively. Through a Growing Greener grant received from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and other partnership funding sources, the Codorus Creek Watershed Association (CCWA) completed a watershed assessment and stream restoration plan for the remainder of the watershed (West Branch and main stem Codorus Creek) which covers 165.5 square miles. The Codorus Creek watershed has a wide diversity of land uses including agricultural, forest, residential, commercial, and industrial. The water quality of the Codorus drainages varies from those supporting wild trout populations, to those heavily influenced by watershed modifications. Field observations indicate good water quality, supporting a diversity of benthic macro- invertebrate and fish populations. The streams in the watershed however are far from reaching their full potential as a biological and recreational resource due to severe bank erosion, high sediment loads, and thermal warming. A regional hydraulic curve was developed to determine stream types (Rosgen, 1994), and will serve as a design tool for future restoration. This regional curve was a continuation of efforts which started in the South and East Branch Codorus Creek watersheds which are within the Uplands Section of the Piedmont Physiographic Province. All streams and tributaries were assessed, classified as to stream type (Rosgen, 1994), and mapped using Geographic Information System (GIS). Bank erosion rates were monitored at nine locations in the watershed. Results of the watershed assessment revealed that there is significant stream impairment, primarily stream bank erosion and channel migration. Over 447 miles of stream were assessed in the watershed. Approximately 65 miles (23%), 228 miles (51%) and 154 miles (26%) of streams assessed were found to be either severely impaired, moderately impaired, or slightly impaired/not impaired, respectively. A Watershed Assessment Map was prepared using ArcGIS to graphically show the locations, magnitude and extent of impaired streams and other important watershed features. Stream restoration work is currently planned and underway in the East, South and West Branches. It is estimated that it will take up to 20-years to completely implement the restoration of severely and moderately impaired streams in the watershed. The estimated cost of full restoration efforts is expected to be approximately $12,281,166 today. An additional $13,897,500 will be needed to fully implement Best Management Practices on the upland 115,092 acres of agricultural working lands, 65% of total the land used. The Codorus Watershed Implementation Plan was funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection through a 319 NPS Management Program grant. iii Codorus WIP Front 12/6/2007 Contents Acknowledgements Executive Summary Introduction 1. Identification of Causes and Sources of Impairment 1.1 Watershed concerns, issues, goals, and other problems 1.2 Land Use 1.3 Geology 1.4 Soils 1.5 Applicable Water Quality Standards 1.6 Water Quality Quantified and Mapped by Category 1.7 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) and Previous Studies 1.8 Watershed Priorities 2. Pollutant Load Reductions Required to Meet TMDLs 2.1 Total Maximum Daily Load Reductions Needed 2.2 Watershed Assessment Findings 2.3 Consider impacts on downstream waters 2.4 Watershed Restoration and Protection Priorities 3. Management Measures to Achieve Watershed Goals 3.1 Levels of Stream Restoration Efforts 3.2 Best Management Practices 3.3 East Branch Management Measure Milestones by Subwatershed and Aggregate for Watershed as a Whole 3.4 South Branch Management Measure Milestones by Subwatershed and Aggregate for Watershed as a Whole 3.5 West Branch Management Measure Milestones by Subwatershed and Aggregate for Watershed as a Whole 3.6 Funding, Construction and Maintenance Activities 4. Implementation Schedule 4.1 Parties responsible for meeting implementation milestones 4.2 Consideration of local priorities for restoration, availability of funding/ personnel/ equipment, seasonal weather conditions, coordination opportunities, etc. 4.3 Schedule and parties responsible for monitoring and reporting progress 5. Interim Milestones to Track Implementation of Management Measures 5.1 Documented Best Management Practices (BMPs) already implemented or planned in the watershed and assessment of their effectiveness 5.2 Designate and Map Target Areas for Additional Controls 5.3 Selected BMPs for designated and mapped areas targeted for additional iv Codorus WIP Front 12/6/2007 controls 5.4 Model performance of selected BMPs to estimate operational efficiencies, load reductions achieved, maintenance requirements, etc. 5.5 PRedICT Model Results 6. Criteria to Measure Progress Toward Meeting Watershed Goals 6.1 Milestones for pollutant load and water quality leading to achievement of DEP standards for water quality and recommended use 6.2 Milestones tailored to the character and magnitude of impairments in each subwatershed, specifying parameters, location and frequency of sampling 6.3 Consideration of local priorities for implementation, availability of funding/personnel/analytic capability, seasonal weather conditions, coordination with existing monitoring programs, etc. 6.4 Schedule and parties responsible for monitoring and reporting progress 7. Monitoring Component 7.1 Criteria for judging results of implementation and water quality monitoring against prescribed milestones 7.2 Select a Combination of Indicators 7.3 Codorus Creek Restoration Efficacy Program (CCREP) 7.4 Provisions for reevaluation of implementation efforts, project milestones, restoration measures and/or TMDLs if progress is less than expected 7.5 Logic Model Used to Develop an Evaluation Framework 8. Public information and participation 8.1 Stakeholders and sources of information and influence in the watershed 8.2 Designated watershed advisory group from those identified to sponsor project, review planning products, set priorities, gain landowner cooperation and secure funding for implementation 8.3 Strategy outline for informing citizens about watershed issues and soliciting their involvement in plan development and implementation 9. Technical and Financial Assistance Needed to Implement BMPs 9.1 Estimated costs of design, installation and maintenance 9.2 Evaluation of sources of funding for plan implementation 9.3 Implementation shortfalls identified References Glossary Appendices Appendix A – Best Management Practices Typical Drawings Appendix B – Project Planning Worksheets v Codorus WIP Front 12/6/2007 Figures Figure 1-1. Codorus Creek Watershed Figure 1-2. East Branch Codorus Creek Figure 1-3. South Branch Codorus Creek Figure 1-4. West Branch Codorus Creek Figure 1-5. Geology of Codorus Creek Watershed Figure 1-6. Soil Associations of Codorus Creek Watershed Figure 1-7. Opportunities for Stream Restoration of Codorus Creek Watershed Figure 1-8. South Branch Codorus Creek Watershed TMDL Areas Figure 1-9. Oil Creek TMDL Subbasin Figure 1-10. Water Quality Hazards Analysis. Figure 1-11. Land Use Analysis.