Biological and Water Quality Study of Selected Southeastern Ohio River Tributaries, 2015 Athens, Gallia, Meigs and Washington Counties Ohio EPA Technical Report AMS/2015-SHADE-2 Division of Surface Water Assessment and Modeling Section August 2019 TMDL DEVELOPMENT | AMS/2015-SHADE-2 Biological and Water Quality Study of Selected Southeastern Ohio River Tributaries August 2019 Biological and Water Quality Study of Selected Southeastern Ohio River Tributaries, 2015 (Little Hocking River, Shade River, Kyger Creek, Champaign Creek) Athens, Gallia, Meigs and Washington Counties, Ohio August 2019 Ohio EPA Report AMS/2015-SHADE-2 Prepared by: State of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Division of Surface Water Lazarus Government Center 50 West Town Street, Suite 700 P.O. Box 1049 Columbus, Ohio 43216-1049 Division of Surface Water Southeast District Office 2195 Front St. Logan, Ohio 43138 Ecological Assessment Section Groveport Field Office 4675 Homer Ohio Lane Groveport, Ohio 43125 Mike DeWine, Governor State of Ohio Laurie A. Stevenson, Director Ohio Environmental Protection Agency AMS/2015-SHADE-2 Biological and Water Quality Study of Selected Southeastern Ohio River Tributaries August 2019 Table of Contents List of Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ v Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Status of Non-Aquatic Life Uses ............................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Campaign Creek, Little Campaign Creek, White Oak Creek and Little White Oak Creek [050302020902] .................. 4 Kyger Creek and Little Kyger Creek [050302020901] .......................................................................................................................... 4 Georges Creek [050302020209] ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Forest Run and Bowman Run [050302020805] ...................................................................................................................................... 4 Yellowbush Creek and Johns Run [050302020804] .............................................................................................................................. 5 Oldtown Creek [050302020803] .................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Groundhog Creek [050302020802] .............................................................................................................................................................. 5 Forked Run [050302020404]........................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Shade River [050302020304] .......................................................................................................................................................................... 5 East Branch Shade River and Dog Hollow Run [050302020303 & 050302020302] .............................................................. 6 Horse Cave Creek [050302020301] .............................................................................................................................................................. 6 West Branch Shade River [050302020205 & 050302020201] and Kingsbury Creek [050302020202] ...................... 6 Middle Branch Shade River [050302020203 & 050302020204] including Pratts Fork and Long Run ......................... 6 Little Hocking River and Tributaries [050302020103, 050302020104 & 050302020105] ............................................... 7 Dunfee Run [050302020106] and Mile Run [050302020102] ......................................................................................................... 7 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Study Area Description ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 16 Location and Scope .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 16 Beneficial Uses ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 Ecoregion, Geology and Soils ............................................................................................................................................................................... 16 Land Cover ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Little Hocking River and Ohio River Tributaries Watershed .......................................................................................................... 18 Shade River and Ohio River Tributaries Watershed ........................................................................................................................... 18 Campaign Creek and Kyger Creek watershed ........................................................................................................................................ 18 Watershed Groups .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Results ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 22 Chemical, Habitat and Biological Assessment .............................................................................................................................................. 22 Pollution Loadings .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 22 Surface Water Quality ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Physical Habitat Quality for Aquatic Life - Western Tributaries ................................................................................................... 41 Biological Quality – Fish Assemblages ....................................................................................................................................................... 47 Biological Quality – Macroinvertebrate Assemblages ........................................................................................................................ 54 Trends in Biological Community Indices .................................................................................................................................................. 63 Recreation Use ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 67 Sediment ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 70 Point Source and Nonpoint Source Impacts ................................................................................................................................................. 72 Spills .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 74 NPDES Facilities in the Little Hocking River watershed .................................................................................................................... 74 NPDES Facilities in the Shade River watershed .................................................................................................................................... 76 AMS/2015-SHADE-2 Biological and Water Quality Study of Selected Southeastern Ohio River Tributaries August 2019 NPDES Facilities in the Campaign