Plan for Coosawattee River HUC 10# 0315010204 STATE OF GEORGIA TIER 2 TMDL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN REVISION 1 Segment Name Coosawattee River Coosa River Basin April 28, 2006 Local Watershed Governments Gilmer County and Cities of Ellijay and East Ellijay I. INTRODUCTION Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Implementation Plans are platforms for evaluating and tracking water quality protection and restoration. These plans have been designed to accommodate continual updates and revisions as new conditions and information warrant. In addition, field verification of watershed characteristics and listing data has been built into the preparation of the plans. The overall goal of the plans is to define a set of actions that will help achieve water quality standards in the state of Georgia. This implementation plan addresses the general characterist ics of the watershed, the sources of pollution, stakeholder s and public involvement, and education/o utreach activities. In addition, the plan describes regulatory and voluntary practices/control actions (management measures) to reduce pollutants, milestone schedules to show the development of the managemen t measures (measurable milestones), and a monitoring plan to determine the efficiency of the management measures. Table 1. IMPAIRMENTS IMPAIRED STREAM SEGMENT IMPAIRED SEGMENT LOCATION IMPAIRMENT TMDL ID Confluence with Ellijay River to Mountaintown CSA0000011 Coosawattee River Fecal Coliform Bacteria Creek 06022812.004 CEDS TMDL 1 Plan for Coosawattee River HUC 10# 0315010204 II. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE WATERSHED Write a narrative describing the watershed, HUC 10# 0315010204. Include an updated overview of watershed characteristics. Identify new conditions and verify or correct information in the TMDL document using the most current data. Include the size and location of the watershed, political jurisdictions, and physical features that could influence water quality. Describe the source and date of the latest land cover/use for the watershed. Describe and quantify major land uses and activities that could influence water quality. See the “Instructions for Completing the Georgia Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Tier 2 Implementation Plan” for more information on what to include. The watershed (HUC10# 0315010204) is located principally in Gilmer County and contains 47,796 acres. Major highways traveling through the watershed include State Routes 52, 282, 382 and 515. Small areas of the watershed are also located in Murray County. It begins with the confluence of the Ellijay and Cartecay Rivers. Stream segments identified on Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s 303(d) list in HUC 10# 0315010204 include the Coosawattee River (from confluence with Ellijay River and Mountaintown Creek), Flat Creek (upstream Coosawattee River), and Tails Creek (Highway 282 to Carters Lake). Carters Lake, a US Corps of Engineers reservoir is also located in the lower end of the watershed. The upper portion of the watershed contains a portion of the urban areas of the cities of Ellijay and East Ellijay. Terrain throughout the entire watershed is mountainous and heavily forested. The watershed is becoming heavily developed with residential uses. A major development with approximately 9,000 lots is the Coosawattee River Resort properties- all served with individual septic systems. Many of these lots are located directly on the Coosawattee River and Flat Creek. Other, smaller residential developments are also taking place throughout the watershed. Agriculture activities consist of cattle grazing on small pastures and 16 major poultry producers. The latest land use surveys were conducted in 2004 in Gilmer County and 2005 in Murray County in conjunction with the preparation of Comprehensive Plan Updates in both Land Use in HUC 10# 0315010204 Land Use Categories Acreages % of Total Counties. The adjoining table indicates the land use acreages per each Agriculture 1524 3% classification in those jurisdictions. The source of the data is from county tax Commercial 291 <1% digests, air photos and windshield surveys. These acreages and percentages Forestry 3673 8% may differ from the land cover information provided in the TMDL. Industrial 165 <1% Conservation 1579 3% The Coosa River Basin Initiative, an Adopt-a-Stream organization has an Public, Institutional 657 1% interest in the watershed and is currently seeking grants to conduct non-point Residential 10738 22% source education activities. There are no agricultural watershed planning Trans., Utilities, Communication 2075 4% activities such as PL-566 Watershed Planning) occurring in the watershed. Vacant, undeveloped 26548 55% Road Right of Way 35 <1% Since the Coosawattee River is classified as a major river, it will also be Water 506 1% subject to the Georgia Planning Act Part V Environmental Protection Total 47796 100% Regulations promulgated by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. Source: Gilmer County Comprehensive Plan, October, 2004; Murray County Comprehensive Plan, November, 2005 06022812.004 CEDS TMDL 2 Plan for Coosawattee River HUC 10# 0315010204 There are two Section 319(h) grant projects currently being conducted in the watershed and are limited in scope to the upper Coosawattee watershed (HUC 8 area) above Carter’s lake. One, administered by North Georgia Regional Development Center is for cost sharing with landowners the repair of failing septic systems or installation of new systems where straight pipes exist. To date, 10 systems have been repaired or installed within the watershed with the use of these Section 319 funds. Funds are available to repair 65 to 75 failing systems throughout target area. The second Section 319(h) grant is administered by the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. This project is for cost sharing with farmers the installation of agriculture BMPs that will reduce fecal coliform bacteria from entering streams. Typical projects include poultry manure stack houses and nutrient management plans, fencing along streams to keep cattle out of streams, composting facilities for dead poultry, etc. A Section 104(b) grant (EPA funded Water Quality Agreement) was also implemented in the watershed and closed out on December 31, 2005. This grant repaired 12 septic systems throughout the HUC 8 area. The grant also implemented 8 agriculture BMPS {COOSAWATTEE RIVER} COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING TABLES FOR AND NARRATIVES ABOUT EACH IMPAIRED STREAM IN THE WATERSHED. STREAM SEGMENT NAME LOCATION MILES/AREA DESIGNATED USE PS/NS Coosawattee River Confluence with Ellijay River to Mountaintown Creek 9 miles Fishing NS III. SOURCES AND CAUSES OF STREAM SEGMENT IMPAIRMENT LISTED IN TMDLs After reviewing the TMDLs written for this stream, complete the following tables with the information found in the TMDLs. List each parameter for which the stream segment is impaired and the water quality standard not met. See the “Instructions for Completing the Georgia Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Tier 2 Implementation Plan” for the water quality standards. Enter the needed reduction from the TMDL. Describe the sources and causes of each impairment identified in the TMDLs. Table 2. SOURCES OF IMPAIRMENT AS INDICATED IN TMDLs PARAMETER 1 WQ STANDARD SOURCES OF IMPAIRMENT NEEDED REDUCTION FROM TMDL Fecal Coliform 1,000 per 100 ml (geometric mean Failing Septic Systems/straight pipes 74% Nov. – April) and 200 per 100 ml Agrculture operations (poultry, cattle) (geometric mean May - Oct.) Urban Storm Water Run-off Leaking Sewage Systems 06022812.004 CEDS TMDL 3 Plan for Coosawattee River HUC 10# 0315010204 V. IDENTIFICATION AND RANKING OF POTENTIAL SOURCES OR CAUSES OF IMPAIRMENT INVESTIGATE AND EVALUATE the extent and relative contributions from causes or sources of the impairment for each parameter listed in Table 2. Write a narrative describing efforts made or procedures used to verify the significance and extent of the sources or causes of each impairment listed in the TMDLs. Include: 1) involvement of stakeholder group; 2) review of land cover data; 3) field surveys; and 4) other pertinent sources of information consulted. An initial meeting of the Gilmer County Stakeholders group was conducted on August 22, 2005. Members involved represented the County Land Development Office, County Environmental Health Office, farmers, the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission, The Corp of Engineers, land developers and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. A discussion of land use within the Coosawattee River watershed with stakeholders indicated that the watershed is a mix of rural residential, highly developed urban area, agriculture, forestry, and vacant land. A review of aerial photography and recent land use data compiled for the County’s 2004 Comprehensive Plan update confirms information provided by the stakeholders. HUC 12 Watershed Area A Source Water Assessment completed in December, 2003 revealed that the bacteria Land Use Classification Area (Acres) % of Total Area pathogens from sewer crossings, poultry and agricultural operations, and the many septic Agriculture 1246.1 6.3% systems in the area are a serious threat to water supplies in the county. Agricultural Commercial 272.3 1.4% activity consists of small cattle or horse grazing operations as well as 14 major poultry operations. Field surveys were also conducted in fall of 2005. (See Appendix C for results Forestry 923.7 4.7% of the Visual Survey.) Based upon land use data and the visual surveys sources of Industrial 165.4