State of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Division of Surface Water Total Maximum Daily Loads for the Blanchard River Watershed Blanchard River at Riverbend Recreation Area, Hancock County (photo courtesy of Tim Powell, 2006) Final Report May 22, 2009 Ted Strickland, Governor Chris Korleski, Director Blanchard River Watershed TMDLs TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 TMDL overview ................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 General introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Public participation ......................................................................................................... 5 2.0 Description of the project area ....................................................................................... 8 2.1 Project delineation .......................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Water resources ........................................................................................................... 11 2.2.1 Blanchard River-headwaters WAU (HUC 04100008-010) .................................... 11 2.2.2 The Outlet/Lye Creek WAU (HUC 04100008-020) ............................................... 12 2.2.3 Eagle Creek WAU (HUC 04100008-030) .............................................................. 12 2.2.4 Ottawa Creek WAU (HUC 04100008-040) ............................................................ 13 2.2.5 Riley Creek WAU (HUC 04100008-050) ............................................................... 13 2.2.6 Cranberry Creek WAU (HUC 04100008-060) ....................................................... 13 2.2.7 Blanchard River ..................................................................................................... 13 2.3 Land use/ land cover .................................................................................................... 19 2.4 Soils, geology, and topography .................................................................................... 21 2.5 Population and growth trends and economic development .......................................... 23 2.6 Conservation and other efforts to restore and protect water quality ............................. 23 3.0 Applicable water quality standards .............................................................................. 25 3.1 Purpose and underlying authority ................................................................................. 25 3.2 Ohio WQS .................................................................................................................... 25 3.2.1 Definition of water uses ......................................................................................... 25 3.2.2 Quality criteria to protect uses ............................................................................... 25 3.2.3 Antidegradation protections ................................................................................... 26 3.3 Regulatory programs that protect water quality ............................................................ 26 4.0 Watershed assessment results: status of water quality relative to the standards .. 38 4.1 Recreational uses ......................................................................................................... 38 4.1.1 Blanchard River headwaters WAU ........................................................................ 39 4.1.2 The Outlet/Lye Creek WAU ................................................................................... 40 4.1.3 Eagle Creek WAU ................................................................................................. 41 4.1.4 Ottawa Creek WAU ............................................................................................... 42 4.1.5 Riley Creek WAU .................................................................................................. 42 4.1.6 Cranberry Creek WAU .......................................................................................... 43 4.1.7 Blanchard LRAU .................................................................................................... 43 4.2 Aquatic life uses ........................................................................................................... 43 4.2.1 Blanchard River headwaters WAU ........................................................................ 44 4.2.2 The Outlet/Lye Creek WAU ................................................................................... 47 4.2.3 Eagle Creek WAU ................................................................................................. 50 4.2.4 Ottawa Creek WAU ............................................................................................... 54 4.2.5 Riley Creek WAU .................................................................................................. 57 4.2.6 Cranberry Creek WAU .......................................................................................... 59 4.2.7 Blanchard LRAU .................................................................................................... 62 4.3 Source water uses ........................................................................................................ 62 4.3.1 City of Findlay ........................................................................................................ 64 4.3.2 Village of Ottawa ................................................................................................... 66 i Blanchard River Watershed TMDLs 4.4 Fish consumption ......................................................................................................... 67 4.5 Addressing impaired water uses through TMDL development ..................................... 68 5.0 Linkage analyses ........................................................................................................... 69 5.1 How the identified stressors lead to impaired uses ...................................................... 69 5.1.1 Habitat and flow alterations ................................................................................... 69 5.1.2 Sedimentation ....................................................................................................... 70 5.1.3 Nutrient enrichment ............................................................................................... 70 5.1.4 Pathogens ............................................................................................................. 71 5.2 Relationship between stressors and their respective sources ...................................... 72 5.2.1 Point sources ......................................................................................................... 72 5.2.2 Combined sewer overflows ................................................................................... 72 5.2.3 Agriculture (grain and livestock) ............................................................................ 72 5.2.4 Septic systems ...................................................................................................... 73 5.2.5 Storm water ........................................................................................................... 73 5.2.6 Channelization/ riparian removal ........................................................................... 73 5.2.7 Impoundments ....................................................................................................... 74 6.0 Methods of TMDL development .................................................................................... 75 6.1 Selection of water quality target values ........................................................................ 75 6.1.1 Nutrient targets: total phosphorus ......................................................................... 76 6.1.2 Fecal coliform ........................................................................................................ 76 6.1.3 Habitat alteration and sedimentation ..................................................................... 77 6.2 Method for quantifying the existing conditions .............................................................. 80 6.2.1 Nutrients: total phosphorus .................................................................................. 81 6.2.2 Low flow pollutant loading ..................................................................................... 85 6.2.3 Pathogens: fecal coliform ..................................................................................... 91 6.2.4 Habitat and sedimentation ..................................................................................... 95 6.3 Margin of safety, critical conditions and seasonality, and method for making allocations to the sources ................................................................................ 95 6.3.1 Margin of safety ..................................................................................................... 95 6.3.2 Critical conditions and seasonality ........................................................................ 96 6.3.3 Method for calculating reductions and allocating to the sources ........................... 97 7.0 TMDL results ................................................................................................................ 100 7.1 Total phosphorus 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