State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection 2006 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report Document Number: DEPLW0817 2006 Maine Integrated Water Quality Report Table of Contents Chapter 1 Preface ........................................................................................................................... 7 Data Sources and Acknowledgements .............................................................................. 9 Chapter 2 Executive Summary and Response to Comments....................................................... 11 Executive Summary.......................................................................................................... 11 Response to Comments ................................................................................................... 14 Chapter 3 Background................................................................................................................... 21 State Atlas and Water Quality Standards......................................................................... 21 Effectiveness of Point Source Pollution Control Programs .............................................. 26 Nature & Extent of Nonpoint Sources of Pollutants and Program Recommendations .... 36 Education and Outreach................................................................................................... 41 The Environmental Impact and Economic & Social Costs/Benefits of Effective Water Quality Programs.............................................................................................................. 43 Chapter 4 Surface Water Monitoring & Assessments................................................................... 49 Assessment Methodology ................................................................................................ 49 Assessment Criteria ......................................................................................................... 54 Integrated Report Lists of Categories 1 Through 5 .......................................................... 58 Rivers / Streams ............................................................................................................... 63 Lakes / Ponds...................................................................................................................75 Estuaries / Ocean ............................................................................................................. 91 Chapter 5 Wetlands..................................................................................................................... 116 Background..................................................................................................................... 116 Development of Wetland Water Quality Standards........................................................ 117 Integrity of Wetland Resources ...................................................................................... 118 Extent of Wetland Resources......................................................................................... 119 Chapter 6 Ground Water Monitoring & Assessments ................................................................. 123 Overview......................................................................................................................... 123 Assessment of Ground Water Quality ............................................................................ 124 Overview of State Ground Water Protection Programs ................................................. 152 Chapter 7 Public Health – Related Assessments........................................................................ 154 Beach Program Monitoring & Assessments................................................................... 154 Shellfish Program Monitoring & Assessments ............................................................... 156 Ocean Fish and Shellfish Consumption Advisories........................................................ 157 Freshwater Fish Consumption Monitoring, Assessments and Advisories ..................... 159 Drinking Water Program Monitoring & Assessments ..................................................... 162 Ground Water and Public Health Concerns ................................................................... 167 Chapter 8 Summary of Impaired Waters..................................................................................... 170 Chapter 9 Accessing and Managing Data Used in Making Decisions on Status of Waters ....... 191 Maine DEP Quality Management System ...................................................................... 191 Environmental Information Management Systems......................................................... 192 Listings on Individual Waters.......................................................................................... 195 Maine DEP 2006 305(b) Report and 303(d) List 2 2006 Maine Integrated Water Quality Report Index of Figures Figure 3-1 Yearly CSO Volumes and Annual Rainfall ................................................................................ 30 Figure 3-2 CSO Annual Volumes Discharged and Precipitation ................................................................. 30 Figure 4-1 2003 and 2004 Stream and River Samples – Macroinvertebrates (left) and Algae (right) ........ 71 Figure 4-2 Position of Maine’s tiered aquatic life uses on the Biological Condition Gradient .................... 71 Figure 4-4 Invasive Plant Program - 2004 and 2005 Budget Expenditures & Priorities.............................. 90 Figure 4-5 Percentage of Estuarine and Marine Waters in Each Classification .......................................... 92 Figure 4-6 Comparison of Water Quality Index Results .............................................................................. 97 Figure 4-7 Comparison of Nitrogen Results................................................................................................. 97 Figure 4-8 Comparison of Phosphorus Results ........................................................................................... 98 Figure 4-9 Comparison of Chlorophyll a Results......................................................................................... 99 Figure 4-10 Comparison of Water Clarity Results ....................................................................................... 99 Figure 4-11 Comparison of Dissolved Oxygen Results ............................................................................. 100 Figure 4-12 Comparison of Sediment Quality Index Results..................................................................... 101 Figure 4-13 Comparison of Sediment Toxicity Results .............................................................................101 Figure 4-14 Comparison of Sediment Contamination Results ................................................................... 102 Figure 4-15 Comparison of Total Organic Carbon Results........................................................................ 103 Figure 4-16 Comparison of Benthic Index Results .................................................................................... 103 Figure 4-17 Casco Bay Water Quality Health Index Distribution.............................................................. 106 Figure 4-18 Toxic Chemicals in Casco Bay Sediments..............................................................................108 Figure 4-19 TBT in Casco Bay, 1994 versus 2001..................................................................................... 109 Figure 4-20 Total PAH in Casco Bay, 1991 versus 2001........................................................................... 110 Figure 4-21 Total Dioxins in Casco Bay, 1994 versus 2001 ...................................................................... 111 Figure 4-22 Sediment PAH in the Fore River ............................................................................................ 112 Figure 4-23 Lead in Mussels in Casco Bay................................................................................................ 113 Figure 6-1 Spills from Residential Heating Oil Tanks ............................................................................... 129 Figure 6-2 Active and Inactive Landfills in Maine..................................................................................... 135 Figure 6-3 Distribution of Sole Source Public Water Supply Wells for the Ambient Water Quality Montioring Network by Aquifer Type. .............................................................................................. 145 Figure 6-4 Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Network Well Location Map........................................... 146 Maine DEP 2006 305(b) Report and 303(d) List 3 2006 Maine Integrated Water Quality Report Index of Tables Table 2-1 Summary of Changes to Surface Water Assessment Categories – 2004 to 2006......................... 12 Table 3-1 The 2006 305(b) Report State of Maine Atlas ............................................................................. 23 Table 3-2 CSO Program Summary Statistics ............................................................................................... 29 Table 3-3 Yearly Summary of SCGP Activities........................................................................................... 32 Table 3-4 Shellfish Areas Opened from 1991 to 2004 ................................................................................. 34 Table 3-5 Maine NPS Priority Waters List - Marine