NONPOINT SOURCE ASSESSMENT REPORT NIBI NOTTAWASEPPI HURON BAND OF THE POTAWATOMI ENVIRONMENTAL DEPARTMENT MARCH 2017 1 NONPOINT SOURCE ASSESSMENT REPORT NIBI NOTTAWASEPPI HURON BAND OF THE POTAWATOMI ENVIRONMENTAL DEPARTMENT FINAL DRAFT UPDATED MARCH 2018 Contact: Eric Kerney, Senior Environmental Specialist Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi - Environmental Department 1485 Mno-Bmadzewen Way Fulton, MI 49052 (269)704-7046 [email protected] 2 Table of Contents 1. OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................ 7 2. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 9 3. METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................................. 11 3.1. Program Area Summary ............................................................................................................. 11 3.2. Water Data Collection Methods ................................................................................................ 16 3.3. Adopted Surface Water Quality Reference Values ................................................................... 16 4. WATERSHED CHARACTERIZATION & LAND USE SUMMARY ............................................................. 18 4.1. Program Area Description .......................................................................................................... 18 4.2. General Setting ........................................................................................................................... 18 4.3. General Land Use ....................................................................................................................... 19 4.4. Pine Creek & Lower Nottawa Creek Watershed ....................................................................... 20 4.5. Pine Creek & Lower Nottawa Creek Watershed – Land Cover ................................................. 21 4.6. Pine Creek & Lower Nottawa Creek Watershed – EcoRegions ................................................. 23 4.7. Pine Creek & Lower Nottawa Creek Watershed – Topography ................................................ 24 4.8. Pine Creek & Lower Nottawa Creek Watershed – Bedrock Geology ....................................... 25 4.9. Pine Creek & Lower Nottawa Creek Watershed – Quaternary Geology .................................. 26 4.10. Pine Creek & Lower Nottawa Creek Watershed – Hydrologic Soil Groups .............................. 27 4.11. Pine Creek & Lower Nottawa Creek Watershed – Climate & Monitoring ............................... 28 4.12. Snyder Creek Sub-Watershed .................................................................................................... 29 4.13. Snyder Creek Sub-Watershed – Land Cover .............................................................................. 30 4.14. Snyder Creek Sub-Watershed –Topography ............................................................................. 32 4.15. Snyder Creek Sub-Watershed – Hydrologic Soil Groups ........................................................... 33 5. SURFACE & GROUND WATER QUALITY ............................................................................................. 34 5.1. Surface Water ............................................................................................................................. 34 5.2. Pine Creek ................................................................................................................................... 34 5.3. Lower Nottawa Creek ................................................................................................................. 35 5.4. Snyder Creek Sub-Watershed .................................................................................................... 35 5.5. Surface Water Flow Data ........................................................................................................... 35 5.6. Wetlands ..................................................................................................................................... 35 5.7. Groundwater Data ..................................................................................................................... 37 5.8. Designated Beneficial Uses ........................................................................................................ 38 3 6. RESULTS .............................................................................................................................................. 39 6.1. Water Quality Data Analysis ...................................................................................................... 39 6.2. Non-Point Sources and Causes of Concern................................................................................ 39 6.3. Data Presentation & Analysis .................................................................................................... 42 6.4. Data Interpretation for Each Waterbody .................................................................................. 52 6.4.1. Use Goal Attainment Status Determination ............................................................................. 52 6.4.2. Pine Creek Sampling Site Summaries ........................................................................................ 52 6.4.3. Nottawa Creek Sampling Site Summaries ................................................................................. 54 7. DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................................................ 57 7.1. Pine Creek ................................................................................................................................... 59 7.2. Nottawa Creek ............................................................................................................................ 60 8. SELECTION OF NPS BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES........................................................................ 61 8.1. NHBP Environmental Mission .................................................................................................... 61 8.2. Core Participants ........................................................................................................................ 61 8.3. NHBP Governance Related to NPS Program Management ...................................................... 65 8.4. Existing BMPs on NHBP Properties ............................................................................................ 66 8.5. Future BMP Selection to Reduce of Non-Point Source Pollution ............................................. 68 8.6. Partner Participation and Government Coordination .............................................................. 69 9. EXISTING NHBP AND NON-TRIBAL NPS CONTROL PROGRAMS ........................................................ 72 9.1. Existing Programs to Address NPS Water Impacts .................................................................... 72 9.2. Available NPS Programs Summary ............................................................................................ 75 10. CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................................ 76 11. REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................... 78 12. APPENDICIES ................................................................................................................................... 81 12.1. APPENDIX 1 - NHBP Land Use Classification Guidelines Amended .......................................... 81 4 List of Figures Figure 1. NHBP Properties and Major Watersheds ...................................................................................... 8 Figure 2. St. Joseph River Watershed Sampling Sites ................................................................................. 14 Figure 3. Kalamazoo River Watershed Sampling Sites ................................................................................ 14 Figure 4. NHBP 2015 Water Sampling Sites ................................................................................................ 15 Figure 5. Adopted NHBP Water Quality Standards ..................................................................................... 17 Figure 6. Land Use Maps for NHBP Properties ........................................................................................... 19 Figure 7. NHBP Land Use Chart & Table ..................................................................................................... 20 Figure 8. Pine Creek & Lower Nottawa Creek Watersheds ........................................................................ 21 Figure 9. Land Cover Map, Chart, & Table of Pine & Nottawa Creek Watersheds ..................................... 22 Figure 10. EcoRegions of the Pine & Nottawa Creek Watersheds ............................................................. 23 Figure 11. Topography of the Pine & Nottawa Creek Watersheds ............................................................. 24 Figure 12. Bedrock Geology of the Pine & Nottawa Creek Watersheds..................................................... 25 Figure 13. Quaternary Geology of the Pine & Nottawa Creek Watersheds ..............................................