Total Maximum Daily Loads for the Lower Cuyahoga River Final Report prepared by Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Division of Surface Water September 2003 The TMDL in Brief: Basin: Lower Cuyahoga River in the Lake Erie Basin Study Area: Lower 50 miles of Cuyahoga River and its tributaries. Goal: Attainment of the appropriate Aquatic Life Use Major Causes: Organic enrichment, toxicity, low dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and flow alteration Major Sources: Municipal discharges, combined sewer overflows, urban runoff, and industrial discharges. Measure: Total nitrogen, phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, bacteria, biological and habitat indices Restoration Options: Long term control plans for combined sewer overflows, urban runoff controls, habitat protection and restoration, septic system improvements, point source controls, and public education Lower Cuyahoga River Watershed TMDLs TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ..................................................vi Components of the Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL Process ................. vii 1.0 Introduction ..................................................... 1 2.0 Waterbody Overview ............................................. 12 2.1 Description of the Study Area.................................. 12 2.1.1 Cuyahoga River Basin .................................. 12 2.1.2 Tinkers Creek Subbasin ................................ 13 2.1.3 Little Cuyahoga River Subbasin .......................... 13 2.2 Water Quality Assessment .................................... 13 2.3 Causes and Sources of Impairment ............................. 16 2.3.1 Lower Cuyahoga River ................................. 16 2.3.2 Lower Cuyahoga River Tributaries ........................ 21 3.0 Problem Statement .............................................. 35 3.1 Target Identification .......................................... 35 3.2 Identification of Current Deviation from Target ..................... 38 3.3 Source Identification ......................................... 44 4.0 Total Maximum Daily Loads....................................... 48 4.1 Background of TMDL Development Approach ..................... 48 4.1.1 Objective............................................ 48 4.1.2 Application of Water Quality Targets....................... 48 4.1.3 Linkages between Water Quality Impairments and Pollutants . 49 4.2 Method of Calculation ........................................ 50 4.2.1 TMDL Development: Load Duration Curve .................. 50 4.2.2 Allocation Methods .................................... 54 4.2.3 Habitat Goals ........................................ 68 4.3 Critical Conditions and Seasonality .............................. 68 4.4 Margin of Safety ............................................ 68 4.4.1 TMDL Priority 303(d) Listing ............................. 69 4.4.2 Target Development................................... 69 4.5 TMDL Calculations .......................................... 70 4.5.1 Load-Based Calculations: Total Phosphorus and Fecal Coliform . 70 4.5.2 Habitat Calculations for Aquatic Life ....................... 79 4.5.3 Dissolved Oxygen Water-Quality-based Effluent Limitations for Akron WWTP............................. 81 5.0 Public Participation.............................................. 82 i Lower Cuyahoga River Watershed TMDLs TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) 6.0 Implementation and Monitoring Recommendations ................... 84 6.1 Reasonable Assurances ...................................... 84 6.1.1 DRAFT Implementation Plan............................. 84 6.1.2 Proposed NPDES Language ............................. 97 6.1.3 Expected Effectiveness of Example Restoration Scenario ...... 97 6.2 Process for Monitoring and Revision ............................. 98 References ....................................................... 101 Appendix A Communities Covered by Phase I and Phase II Storm Water Regulations in the Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL Area Appendix B Cuyahoga River Basin Year 2000 Exceedences of Ohio Water Quality Chemical/Physical Standards Criteria Appendix C Adaptive Management Implementation Plan for the Tinkers Creek Subbasin Appendix D Aquatic Life Use Attainment Status for Stations Sampled in the Cuyahoga River Basin July-September, 1999-2000 Appendix E NPDES Permitted Dischargers in the Lower Cuyahoga River Basin Appendix F Current 319 Projects in the Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL Area Appendix G Phosphorus Concentrations in the Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL Area Appendix H Causes and Sources of Impairment in the Lower Cuyahoga River Basin Appendix I Cuyahoga RAP Activities Benefitting the Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL Area Appendix J TMDL Development and Modeling Additional Information Appendix K Cuyahoga River Water Quality Standards as Listed in Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3745-1-26 Appendix L Nutrients in the Lower Cuyahoga River Appendix M QHEI Data Sheets for Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL Area (exclusive of Tinkers Creek watershed) Appendix N QHEI Data Sheets for the Tinkers Creek Watershed Appendix O Responsiveness Summary to Public Comments ii Lower Cuyahoga River Watershed TMDLs Figure Title Page Figure 1 Lower Cuyahoga River Basin attainment status 8 Figure 2a Schematic representation of the Lower Cuyahoga River watershed 9 Figure 2b Schematic representation of the Tinkers Creek watershed 11 Figure 3 Land use/cover map of the Lower Cuyahoga River basin 34 Figure 4 QHEI scores for the Lower Cuyahoga River 40 Figure 5 Combined sewer overflows in the City of Akron’s service area 44 Figure 6 Combined sewer overflows in Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District’s service 45 area Figure 7 Flow duration curve for the Cuyahoga River at Independence 51 Figure 8 Total phosphorus total maximum daily and summer load duration curves and 53 existing loads for the Cuyahoga River at Independence Figure 9 The Cuyahoga watershed and model divisions 58 Figure 10 Comparison of predicted, observed, and allowable annual total phosphorus runoff 59 loads at Independence. Annual precipitation included. Figure 11 Relationship between observed in-stream load at Independence gage and the total 64 upstream input load for fecal coliform Figure 12 Comparison of the actual observed fecal coliform load at Independence and the 64 exponential regression predicted load Figure 13 Stacked and percent flow contributions 66 Figure 14 Total phosphorus existing loads to the Cuyahoga upstream of Independence 67 Figure 15 Total phosphorus TMDL duration curve and allocations at Independence 72 Figure 16 Relative TP allocations of the TMDL, the WLA, and the LA at Independence 74 Figure 17 Fecal coliform TMDLs for single sample maximum and geometric mean criteria 75 compared to existing load data for the Cuyahoga R at Independence Figure 18 Relative contributions of fecal coliform TMDL allocations and non-point source 77 runoff load allocations after implementation actions such as the LTCPs are completed Figure 19 Water quality duration curve for the Cuyahoga River at Lower Harvard Avenue 78 Figure 20 E. coli total maximum daily load as presented in a duration curve format based on 79 a geometric mean standard of 126 fcu/100 ml. Figure 21 Lower Cuyahoga River QHEI scores per river mile for years 1991, 1996, and 2000 80 Figure 22 Lower Cuyahoga tributary QHEI scores from 2000 80 iii Lower Cuyahoga River Watershed TMDLs Table Title Page Table 1 Components of the Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL Process vii Table 2 Summary of 303(d) list status for the lower Cuyahoga River watershed 3 Table 3 Summary of the components and examples of Ohio’s Water Quality Standards 14 Table 4 Land use distribution in the Lower Cuyahoga River basin 33 Table 4a Park land in the Lower Cuyahoga River TMDL area 33 Table 5 Target concentrations for phosphorus and nitrate-nitrite 36 Table 6 QHEI attributes that can serve as management goals for efforts to restore, 37 enhance, or protect aquatic life in streams Table 7 Cuyahoga RAP beneficial use impairments 41 Table 8 Criteria and targets used in developing the LDCs 51 Table 9 Overview of the Lower Cuyahoga TMDL development process 55 Table 10 Land cover for the Lower Cuyahoga watershed 57 Table 11 Total existing runoff bacteria load at Independence as calculated by FCLET 60 Table 12 Total phosphorus total maximum daily loads and allocations for the Cuyahoga 72 River watershed upstream of the Independence gage Table 13 Breakdown of total phosphorus allocations (lbs/day) for the Cuyahoga River 73 watershed upstream of the Independence gage Table 14 Fecal coliform total maximum daily loads and allocations for the Cuyahoga River 75 watershed upstream of the Independence gage Table 15 Breakdown of fecal coliform allocations for the Cuyahoga River watershed 76 upstream of the Independence gage Table 16 Reduction percentage needed per source category for the Cuyahoga at 76 Independence Table 17 Total Maximum Yearly Load and allocations for the Cuyahoga River watershed 78 upstream of the Ship Channel (Harvard Avenue) Table 18 Description of implementation actions and measures 90 Table 19 Time line and reasonable assurances 93 Table 20 Time line: monitoring, tracking and implementation 95 iv Lower Cuyahoga River Watershed TMDLs ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The following Ohio EPA staff provided technical services for this project: • Biology and Chemical Water Quality - Jack Freda, Charles Boucher, Robert Miltner, and Steve Tuckerman, Roger Thoma • Nonpoint Source Issues - Dan Bogoevski, Mark Bergman • Point Source Issues - Jennifer Bennage, Sandra Cappotto, Donna Kniss, and Bill Zawiski • Project Leader - Dennis