Final Report Adaptation of WARMF to Calculate TMDL for Chartiers Creek Watershed in Pennsylvania Prepared for: US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 3 1650 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Watershed Conservation Division of Water Quality Assessment and Standards P.O. Box 8555, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8555 The Chartiers Creek Watershed TMDL Stakeholder Group Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Prepared by: Carl W. Chen, Curtis Loeb and Joel Herr Systech Engineering, Inc. 3180 Crow Canyon Place, Suite 260 San Ramon, CA 94583 www.systechengineering.com October 8, 2001 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................. 1-1 BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................................... 1-1 CHARTIERS CREEK TMDL....................................................................................................1-2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... 1-3 2. DESCRIPTION OF WARMF........................................................................................... 2-1 DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM.................................................................................................. 2-1 ENGINEERING MODULE .........................................................................................................2-2 Hydrologic Network .......................................................................................................... 2-2 Hydrology Simulation........................................................................................................ 2-4 Nonpoint Source Load....................................................................................................... 2-4 Acid Mine Drainage .......................................................................................................... 2-5 Point Source Load............................................................................................................. 2-6 Water Quality Simulation..................................................................................................2-6 Documentation and Peer Review ...................................................................................... 2-7 COMBINED/SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOWS .......................................................................... 2-7 CSO Zones......................................................................................................................... 2-8 CSO Components .............................................................................................................. 2-9 Quantity of Dry Weather Flow........................................................................................2-10 Quality of Dry Weather Flow..........................................................................................2-11 CSO Infiltration...............................................................................................................2-11 Timing and Magnitude of CSO Occurrences .................................................................. 2-13 Mass Loading of CSOs....................................................................................................2-14 TMDL MODULE ................................................................................................................. 2-15 3. MODEL ADAPTATION...................................................................................................3-1 CHARTIERS CREEK WATERSHED ........................................................................................... 3-1 DATA SOURCES ................................................................................................................... 3-3 BASIN MAP............................................................................................................................ 3-3 INPUT DATA .......................................................................................................................... 3-4 Land Use............................................................................................................................ 3-5 Point Sources..................................................................................................................... 3-7 Meteorology.....................................................................................................................3-13 Air Quality....................................................................................................................... 3-16 CALIBRATION DATA............................................................................................................3-18 Stream Flow .................................................................................................................... 3-19 Water Quality ..................................................................................................................3-20 PICTURES OF THE WATERSHED............................................................................................ 3-24 ACID MINE DRAINAGE ........................................................................................................ 3-27 Background Information ................................................................................................. 3-28 AMD Data .......................................................................................................................3-30 WATER QUALITY LIMITED SECTIONS................................................................................... 3-31 DESIGNATED USES .............................................................................................................. 3-34 WATER QUALITY CRITERIA................................................................................................. 3-37 i 4. MODEL CALIBRATION ................................................................................................. 4-1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................ 4-1 HYDROLOGY CALIBRATION................................................................................................... 4-1 Calibration Parameters..................................................................................................... 4-1 Chartiers Creek at Lagonda.............................................................................................. 4-2 Chartiers Creek at Carnegie Station................................................................................. 4-5 WATER QUALITY CALIBRATION............................................................................................ 4-7 Temperature ...................................................................................................................... 4-9 Dissolved Oxygen ............................................................................................................ 4-14 Alkalinity ......................................................................................................................... 4-16 pH .................................................................................................................................... 4-20 Nutrients .......................................................................................................................... 4-24 Chlorides (TDS) .............................................................................................................. 4-32 Cations............................................................................................................................. 4-35 5. LOADING ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................... 5-1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 5-1 SUBWATERSHED REGIONS ....................................................................................................5-1 AMMONIA NITROGEN ............................................................................................................ 5-3 TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON..................................................................................................... 5-5 TOTAL PHOSPHORUS ............................................................................................................. 5-6 FECAL COLIFORM..................................................................................................................5-8 FERROUS IRON .................................................................................................................... 5-10 FERRIC IRON........................................................................................................................ 5-12 SULFATE.............................................................................................................................. 5-14 TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS..................................................................................................5-16 TOTAL SUSPENDED SEDIMENT ............................................................................................ 5-18 6. TMDL PROCESS............................................................................................................... 6-1 STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT .............................................................................................