Lower St. Joseph – Bear Creek Watershed Management Plan Prepared by: The St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative 3718 New Vision Drive Fort Wayne, Indiana 46845 With funding from: The City of Fort Wayne, Water Utilities Department Under CWA Section 205(j) Grant, ARN A305 5-73 from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management Lower St. Joseph –Bear Creek Watershed Management Plan i Final Draft Revisions: March 20, 2008 For copies of this document, please contact: The St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative, 3718 New Vision Drive Fort Wayne, Indiana 46845 See Also the Following Documents: The St. Joseph River Watershed Management Plan (2006) 2004 St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative Water Quality Report 2005 St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative Water Quality Report Report on the Bacteria Source Tracking (BST) Project, October 30, 2004 These documents are available in PDF format on the St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative website, www.sjrwi.org All programs offered prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs or family status. This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement No. C6975750-04 to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. Cover photo of the St. Joseph River Dam by J. Loomis 2005. Lower St. Joseph –Bear Creek Watershed Management Plan ii Table of Contents Table of Figures ……………………………………………………………………………………………...iv Tables................................................................................................................................................................v Commonly Used Acronyms............................................................................................................................vii Vision of the Watershed ......................................................................................................................................ix Executive Summary..............................................................................................................................................x St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative, 2006....................................................................................................xi Part 1: Introduction ...............................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Partnerships and Organizations involved in this project .........................................................................3 1.1.1 The St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative Partnership..................................................................3 1.1.2 Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Allen and DeKalb Counties..........................................4 1.1.3 Local Governments of Fort Wayne and Allen County...................................................................4 1.1.4 Other city and county offices .........................................................................................................4 1.2 Public Participation .................................................................................................................................4 1.2.1 Stakeholder-Perceived Problems ...................................................................................................5 1.2.2 Stakeholders’ Visions for the Watershed.......................................................................................7 Part 2: The Watershed..........................................................................................................................................9 2.1 Watershed Location and Hydrology...................................................................................................9 2.1.1 Water supply ................................................................................................................................15 2.2 Description and History ........................................................................................................................16 2.2.1 Natural History.............................................................................................................................16 2.2.2 Topography ..................................................................................................................................18 2.2.3 Land Use and Population .............................................................................................................18 2.2.4 Soils..............................................................................................................................................25 2.2.5 Climate.........................................................................................................................................25 2.2.6 Cultural and Recreational Resources ...........................................................................................25 Part 3: Benchmarks and Current Status of the Watershed ..................................................................................30 3.1 Water Quality ...................................................................................................................................31 3.1.1 Impaired Waterways – The 303(d) list of Impaired Waterways ..................................................31 3.1.2 The SJRWI Water Quality Sampling Program ............................................................................31 3.1.3 Data Results: Contaminants of Concern ......................................................................................33 3.1.3.1 Bacteria....................................................................................................................................33 3.1.3.2 Sediment..................................................................................................................................44 3.1.3.3 Nutrients ..................................................................................................................................49 3.2 Land usage in Flood Plains ...................................................................................................................51 3.3 Fish Consumption Advisories ...............................................................................................................53 3.4 Exotic and Invasive Species..................................................................................................................53 3.5 Endangered Species ..............................................................................................................................54 3.6 Wetlands................................................................................................................................................56 3.7 Natural Communities and Conservation Practices................................................................................58 3.8 Neighborhood Drainage Problems........................................................................................................63 3.10 Education.........................................................................................................................................65 Part 4: Known Water Quality Problems, Sources and Areas of Concern...........................................................67 4.1 Water Quality Issues .............................................................................................................................68 4.1.1 Bacteria ........................................................................................................................................68 4.1.2 Sediment ......................................................................................................................................70 4.1.3 Pesticide Spikes............................................................................................................................71 4.1.4 Nutrients.......................................................................................................................................72 4.2 Access to the River and Recreation......................................................................................................73 4.3 Riparian Corridor and Natural Areas Preservation ...............................................................................75 4.4 Habitat and Biological Diversity...........................................................................................................76 4.5 Watershed Education ............................................................................................................................76 Part 5: Critical Areas in the Watershed..............................................................................................................77 Lower St. Joseph –Bear Creek Watershed Management Plan iii Part 6: Goals and Decisions ...............................................................................................................................87 Part 7: Pollutant Loads and Reductions.............................................................................................................96 7.1 Discharge Data......................................................................................................................................96