BUFFALO RIVER WATERSHED (06040004) OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER BASIN WATERSHED WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION DIVISION OF WATER POLLUTION CONTROL WATERSHED MANAGEMENT SECTION Presented to the people of the Buffalo River Watershed by the Division of Water Pollution Control November 3, 2005. Prepared by the Columbia Environmental Field Office: Chad Augustin Tim Wilder, Manager The Nashville Environmental Field Office: James R. Smith Annie Goodhue Joey Holland, Manager And the Nashville Central Office, Watershed Management Section: Richard Cochran David Duhl Regan McGahen Sherry Wang, Manager Summary – Buffalo River In 1996, the Tennessee Department of Environment Quarries/Strip Row Crops Transitional Mines/Gravel Pits 2.2% and Conservation Division of Water Pollution Pasture/Hay 8.2% 0.0% Woody Wetlands 10.4% 0.8% Control adopted a watershed approach to water Other Grasses 0.2% Bare Rock/Sand/Clay quality. This approach is based on the idea that 0.0% Open Water many water quality problems, like the accumulation 0.5% Mixed Forest of point and nonpoint pollutants, are best addressed 4.0% High Intensity at the watershed level. Focusing on the whole Commercial Deciduous Forest watershed helps reach the best balance among 0.3% 69.2% High Intensity Residential Evergreen Forest efforts to control point sources of pollution and 0.1% 3.7% Low Intensity Residential polluted runoff as well as protect drinking water 0.4% sources and sensitive natural resources such as Land Use Distribution in the Buffalo River Watershed. wetlands. Tennessee has chosen to use the USGS 8- digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC-8) as the Three greenways, two interpretive areas, and two organizing unit. wildlife management areas are located in the watershed. Forty-eight rare plant and animal species The Watershed Approach recognizes awareness that have been documented in the watershed, to include restoring and maintaining our waters requires eleven rare fish species, three rare mussel species, crossing traditional barriers (point vs. nonpoint four rare snail species and one rare crustacean sources of pollution) when designing solutions. species. Portions of one stream in the Buffalo River These solutions increasingly rely on participation by Watershed is listed in the National Rivers Inventory both public and private sectors, where citizens, as having one or more outstanding natural or elected officials, and technical personnel all have cultural values and a portion of the Buffalo River opportunities to participate. The Watershed has also been designated as a State Scenic River. Approach provides the framework for a watershed- based and community-based approach to address A review of water quality sampling and assessment water quality problems. is presented in Chapter 3. Using the Watershed Approach to Water Quality, 126 sampling events Chapter 1 of the Buffalo River Watershed Water occurred in the Buffalo River Watershed in 1999- Quality Management Plan discusses the Watershed 2000. These were conducted at ambient, ecoregion Approach and emphasizes that the Watershed or watershed monitoring sites. Monitoring results Approach is not a regulatory program or an EPA support the conclusion that 51.4% of total stream mandate; rather it is a decision-making process that miles (based on RF3) fully support designated uses. reflects a common strategy for information collection and analysis as well as a common understanding of the roles, priorities, and NOT FULLY responsibilities of all stakeholders within a ASSESSED SUPPORTING 47.0% 51.4% watershed. Traditional activities like permitting, planning and monitoring are also coordinated in the Watershed Approach. A detailed description of the watershed can be NOT PARTIALLY found in Chapter 2. The Buffalo River Watershed SUPPORTING SUPPORTING is approximately 763 square miles and includes 1.2% 0.4% parts of six Tennessee counties. A part of the Tennessee River drainage basin, the watershed has Water Quality Assessment of Streams and Rivers in the 1,200 stream miles and 349 lake acres. Buffalo River Watershed. Assessment data are based on the 2002 Water Quality Assessment of 1,200.0 miles in the watershed. Also in Chapter 3, a series of maps illustrate Overall Chapter 5 is entitled Water Quality Partnerships in Use Support in the watershed, as well as Use the Buffalo River Watershed and highlights Support for the individual uses of Fish and Aquatic partnerships between agencies and between Life Support, Recreation, Irrigation, and Livestock agencies and landowners that are essential to Watering and Wildlife. Another series of maps success. Programs of federal agencies (Natural illustrate streams that are listed for impairment by Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and specific causes (pollutants) such as Nonpriority Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey and Organics, Pathogens, Habitat Alteration and Tennessee Valley Authority), and state agencies Nutrient Enrichment. (TDEC Division of Community Assistance, TDEC Division of Water Supply and Tennessee Point and Nonpoint Sources are addressed in Department of Agriculture) are summarized. Local Chapter 4. Chapter 4 is organized by HUC-10 initiatives of active watershed organizations (Five subwatersheds. Maps illustrating the locations of Rivers RC & D Council) are also described. STORET monitoring sites and USGS stream gauging stations are presented in each Point and Nonpoint source approaches to water subwatershed. quality problems in the Buffalo River Watershed are addressed in Chapter 6. Chapter 6 also includes comments received during public meetings, along with an assessment of needs for the watershed. The full Buffalo River Watershed Water Quality Management Plan can be found at: http://www.state.tn.us/environment/wpc/watershed/wsmplans/ The Buffalo River Watershed is Composed of three USGS- Delineated Subwatersheds (10-Digit Subwatersheds). Point source contributions to the Buffalo River Watershed consist of seven individual NPDES- permitted facilities, two of which discharge into streams that have been listed on the 1998 303(d) list. Other point source permits in the watershed are Aquatic Resource Alteration Permits (22), Tennessee Multi-Sector Permits (7), Ready Mix Concrete Plant Permits (2) and Water Treatment Plant Permits (1). Agricultural operations include cattle, chicken, hog, and sheep farming. Maps illustrating the locations of NPDES and ARAP permit sites are presented in each subwatershed. BUFFALO RIVER WATERSHED WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS Glossary Chapter 1. Watershed Approach to Water Quality Chapter 2. Description of the Buffalo River Watershed Chapter 3. Water Quality Assessment of the Buffalo River Watershed Chapter 4. Point and Nonpoint Source Characterization of the Buffalo River Watershed Chapter 5. Water Quality Partnerships in the Buffalo River Watershed Chapter 6. Future Plans Appendix I Appendix II Appendix III Appendix IV Appendix V Glossary GLOSSARY 1Q20. The lowest average 1 consecutive days flow with average recurrence frequency of once every 20 years. 30Q2. The lowest average 3 consecutive days flow with average recurrence frequency of once every 2 years. 7Q10. The lowest average 7 consecutive days flow with average recurrence frequency of once every 10 years. 303(d). The section of the federal Clean Water Act that requires a listing by states, territories, and authorized tribes of impaired waters, which do not meet the water quality standards that states, territories, and authorized tribes have set for them, even after point sources of pollution have installed the minimum required levels of pollution control technology. 305(b). The section of the federal Clean Water Act that requires EPA to assemble and submit a report to Congress on the condition of all water bodies across the Country as determined by a biennial collection of data and other information by States and Tribes. AFO. Animal Feeding Operation. Ambient Sites. Those sites established for long term instream monitoring of water quality. ARAP. Aquatic Resource Alteration Permit. Assessment. The result of an analysis of how well streams meet the water quality criteria assigned to them. Bankfull Discharge. The momentary maximum peak flow before a stream overflows its banks onto a floodplain. Basin. An area that drains several smaller watersheds to a common point. Most watersheds in Tennessee are part of the Cumberland, Mississippi, or Tennessee Basin (The Conasauga River and Barren River Watersheds are the exceptions). Benthic. Bottom dwelling. Biorecon. A qualitative multihabitat assessment of benthic macroinvertebrates that allows rapid screening of a large number of sites. A Biorecon is one tool used to recognize stream impairment as judged by species richness measures, emphasizing the presence or absence of indicator organisms without regard to relative abundance. BMP. An engineered structure or management activity, or combination of these, that eliminates or reduces an adverse environmental effect of a pollutant. 1 Glossary BOD. Biochemical Oxygen Demand. A measure of the amount of oxygen consumed in the biological processes that break down organic and inorganic matter. CAFO. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation. Designated Uses. The part of Water Quality Standards that describes the uses of surface waters assigned by the Water Quality Control Board. All streams in Tennessee are designated for Recreation, Fish and Aquatic Life, Irrigation, and Livestock Watering and Wildlife. Additional designated uses for