s Barr Lake and Milton Reservoir Watershed Management Plan water·shed plan (wô ́tər- shēd plăn) n. A watershed plan is a strategy that provides assessment and management information for a geographically defined watershed, including the analyses, actions, participants, and resources related to developing and implementing the plan that will lead to measurable results and an overall improvement in the water quality and watershed conditions. The watershed planning process is iterative, holistic, geographically defined, integrated, and collaborative (USEPA 2005). BARR LAKE AND MILTON RESERVOIR WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN Prepared by Watershed Plan Writing Committee of the Barr Lake and Milton Reservoir Watershed Association: Steve Lundt, Metro Wastewater Reclamation District Laurie Rink, Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Company Blair Corning, South Adams County Water and Sanitation District Mapping and technical editing by: 12303 Airport Way Suite 370 Broomfield, CO 80021 October 2008 DRAFT 2008 Barr Lake and Milton Reservoir Watershed Management Plan October 2008 CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................. vii LIST OF TABLES .....................................................................................................................................ix LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS..............................................................................xi INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................... 1 1 WATERSHED CHARACTERIZATION AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK................... 1 1.1 HISTORY AND BACKGROUND.......................................................................................... 1 1.2 DEFINED WATERSHED ........................................................................................................ 2 1.2.1 Watershed Boundary and Sub-basins .................................................................... 2 1.3 WATERSHED FEATURES AND INVENTORIES............................................................... 3 1.3.1 Major Land Uses........................................................................................................ 3 1.3.2 Geology and Soils ...................................................................................................... 5 1.3.3 Oil and Gas Wells ...................................................................................................... 5 1.3.4 Permitted Dischargers............................................................................................... 6 1.3.5 Water Resources ........................................................................................................ 6 1.3.6 Threatened and Endangered Species/Critical Habitat...................................... 10 1.3.7 Outdoor Activities................................................................................................... 11 1.3.8 Population Characteristics and Demographic Information .............................. 12 1.4 IMPACTS ON WATER QUALITY UPSTREAM OF THE BARR/MILTON WATERSHED......................................................................................................................... 12 1.5 REGULATORY ISSUES AND PROCESSES ....................................................................... 14 1.5.1 CWA Section 303(d) Impaired Waters ................................................................. 16 1.5.2 CWA Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management Program ............................. 17 1.5.3 CWA Section 304(a) Nutrient Criteria.................................................................. 18 2 WATERSHED PARTNERSHIPS AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE..................... 20 2.1 WATERSHED PARTNERS................................................................................................... 20 2.2 WATERSHED ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE ......................................................... 20 2.2.1 Watershed Organization Type............................................................................... 20 2.2.2 Categories of Participation ..................................................................................... 21 2.2.3 Rules of Operation................................................................................................... 21 2.2.4 Funding Mechanisms.............................................................................................. 22 2.3 OUTREACH AND TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES................................................................. 22 2.3.1 Outreach and Education......................................................................................... 22 2.3.2 In House Technical Activities ................................................................................ 22 2.3.3 Outside Technical Assistance ................................................................................ 23 2.4 INTEGRATION WITH OTHER PLANNING EFFORTS ................................................. 23 2.4.1 Integration Approach.............................................................................................. 23 Integral Consulting Inc. iii DRAFT 2008 Barr Lake and Milton Reservoir Watershed Management Plan October 2008 2.4.2 Links to Water Quality, Environmental, or Other Relevant Regulatory Efforts and Programs .............................................................................................. 24 3 SCOPE OF WATERSHED EFFORTS ........................................................................................... 27 3.1 POLLUTANTS OF POSSIBLE CONCERN ........................................................................ 27 3.1.1 Nutrient and pH Water Chemistry....................................................................... 27 3.1.2 Pollutant Sources ..................................................................................................... 28 3.2 SELECT INDICATORS TO MEASURE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.............. 32 3.2.1 Indicator Parameters by Category Type .............................................................. 32 3.2.2 Monitoring Requirements ...................................................................................... 33 3.2.3 Expected Outcomes and Measures of Success .................................................... 33 3.3 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................. 33 3.3.1 Near-term Benchmarks........................................................................................... 34 3.3.2 Long-term Water Quality Goals............................................................................ 34 3.3.3 Organizational Goals .............................................................................................. 35 4 WATERSHED INFORMATION SOURCES, MONITORING, AND DATA INVENTORIES ................................................................................................................................. 38 4.1 INFORMATION SOURCES.................................................................................................. 38 4.2 DATA INVENTORIES........................................................................................................... 39 4.2.1 Barr/Milton Database............................................................................................. 39 4.2.2 Other Data Inventories ........................................................................................... 39 4.3 MONITORING ....................................................................................................................... 40 4.3.1 Monitoring Program Elements .............................................................................. 40 4.3.2 Quality Assurance Project Plans............................................................................ 41 4.3.3 Sampling Analysis Plans ........................................................................................ 41 4.3.4 Data Management Plan........................................................................................... 41 4.3.5 Reporting Requirements......................................................................................... 41 4.3.6 Data Gaps.................................................................................................................. 41 5 DATA ANALYSES AND CHARACTERIZATIONS ................................................................ 44 5.1 APPLIED DATA SETS AND DATA MANAGEMENT.................................................... 45 5.2 ANALYSIS METHODOLOGIES.......................................................................................... 45 5.2.1 Reservoir Assessments............................................................................................ 45 5.2.2 Modeling................................................................................................................... 46 5.3 QUANTIFY POLLUTANT LOADS AND LOAD REDUCTIONS.................................. 48 5.3.1 Observations............................................................................................................. 48 5.3.2 Pollutant Load Estimates........................................................................................ 50 5.3.3 Allowable Load Estimates...................................................................................... 52 5.3.4 Estimated Needed Load Reductions (by Source and Type) and Priorities...................................................................................................................