Paint Rock River Watershed Nonpoint Source Pollution A Report Prepared for Alabama Department of Environmental Management By the Alabama Natural Heritage ProgramSM The Nature Conservancy Huntingdon College, Massey Hall 1500 East Fairview Avenue Montgomery, Alabama 36106 March 2003 Paint Rock River Watershed Nonpoint Source Pollution CWAP Cooperative Agreement C0059425 Report Authors: Primary Author: Michael S. Barbour Science Information Program Manager Contributors: Jim Godwin Michael Roedel Terra Manasco March 2003 A Report Prepared for Alabama Department of Environmental Management Approved by: __________________________ Robert W. Hastings, Director __________________________ Date This project was funded or partially funded by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management through a Clean Water Act Section 319(h) nonpoint source grant provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IV. This report should be cited as: Barbour, M. S. 2003. Paint Rock River watershed nonpoint source pollution. Unpublished report to Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Montgomery, Alabama. Alabama Natural Heritage ProgramSM, Montgomery, Alabama, USA. 184 pages. Alabama Natural Heritage ProgramSM TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .........................................................................................................................................II LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................................................... IV LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................................. VI LIST OF APPENDICES .........................................................................................................................................VII EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................. VIII INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................................1 WATERSHED DESCRIPTION ...............................................................................................................................2 METHODS .................................................................................................................................................................5 RARE, THREATENED, AND ENDANGERED SPECIES ...............................................................................................5 CONSERVATION TARGETS ......................................................................................................................................7 Identification of Conservation Targets ..............................................................................................................7 Grading Conservation Targets ..........................................................................................................................7 HUMAN CONTEXT INFORMATION ..........................................................................................................................7 Managed Areas ..................................................................................................................................................7 Land Use ............................................................................................................................................................8 Population & Demographics .............................................................................................................................8 POTENTIAL POLLUTION SOURCES .........................................................................................................................8 Godwin’s 1995 Survey .......................................................................................................................................8 Agricultural & Animal Production ....................................................................................................................8 Septic Systems ....................................................................................................................................................8 Permitted Sites ...................................................................................................................................................8 Water Quality Monitoring Sites .......................................................................................................................10 303 (d) Listed Streams .....................................................................................................................................10 THREAT ASSESSMENT ..........................................................................................................................................10 Stresses .............................................................................................................................................................10 Sources .............................................................................................................................................................11 Threat Ranks ....................................................................................................................................................11 THREAT ABATEMENT AND CONSERVATION MEASURES .....................................................................................11 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ..............................................................................................................................11 RARE, THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES ..............................................................................................11 CONSERVATION TARGETS ....................................................................................................................................23 Identification of Conservation Targets ............................................................................................................23 Grading Conservation Targets ........................................................................................................................29 HUMAN CONTEXT INFORMATION ........................................................................................................................29 Managed Areas ................................................................................................................................................29 Land Use ..........................................................................................................................................................32 Population & Demographics ...........................................................................................................................32 POTENTIAL POLLUTION SOURCES .......................................................................................................................34 Godwin’s 1995 Survey .....................................................................................................................................34 Agricultural and Animal Production ................................................................................................................37 Septic Systems ..................................................................................................................................................37 Permitted Sites .................................................................................................................................................37 303 (d) Listed Streams .....................................................................................................................................37 THREAT ASSESSMENT ..........................................................................................................................................37 Alabama Natural Heritage ProgramSM ii Agriculture .......................................................................................................................................................48 Forestry ............................................................................................................................................................49 Development ....................................................................................................................................................50 Invasive/Alien Species ......................................................................................................................................51 Recreational Use ..............................................................................................................................................52 Waste Disposal .................................................................................................................................................53 CONSERVATION MEASURES .................................................................................................................................53 Goals ................................................................................................................................................................54 Strategies ..........................................................................................................................................................55