Lawrence Creek Watershed Plan Technical Report September 2008 Lawrence Creek Watershed Plan September 2008 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report was prepared using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funds under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act distributed through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Water. The findings and recommendations contained herein are not necessarily those of the funding agencies. Additionally, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) provided a cash-match contribution as did the Kishwaukee River Ecosystem Partnership (KREP) through a grant from the Grand Victoria Foundation that was administered by the Natural Land Institute. An in-kind match has also been generously provided by the Natural Land Institute. The planning process was coordinated by CMAP and KREP. Contributions to the plan include Jesse Elam, Kristin Heery, Lori Heringa, and Tim Loftus of CMAP, and Lisa Haderlein of KREP. Nathan Hill of KREP provided GIS consultation and map analysis. Hey and Associates, Inc. provided assistance with urban best management practices and ecosystem restoration recommendations. The authors gratefully acknowledge the many contributors to this planning process and especially thank the staff of the City of Harvard, McHenry County Conservation District, McHenry County Soil and Water Conservation District, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and McHenry County Health Department. Finally, the authors wish to acknowledge the work and stewardship role of the Kishwaukee River Ecosystem Partnership. Prior to this planning process, KREP developed initial watershed plans for each of the 42 subwatersheds of the Kishwaukee River Basin. The KREP-developed watershed plan for Lawrence Creek was a valuable component to the award-winning Section 319 grant application. KREP’s reputation, reconnaissance of watershed resources, and knowledge of the river basin proved useful throughout the planning process. i September 2008 Lawrence Creek Watershed Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... i Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................ii 1. Introduction......................................................................................................................1-1 1.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................1-1 1.2 Plan Guidance........................................................................................................................1-2 1.3 The Planning Process............................................................................................................1-3 2. Inventory and Assessment ............................................................................................2-1 2.1 Sources of Water Quality Degradation ..............................................................................2-1 2.1.1 Data Availability...........................................................................................................2-1 2.1.2 Causes of AQuatic Life Impairment ..........................................................................2-3 2.1.3 Pollutant Loading and Sources...................................................................................2-5 2.1.3.1 Overview .......................................................................................................2-5 2.1.3.2 Results............................................................................................................2-7 2.1.3.3 Load Reductions...........................................................................................2-8 2.2 Existing Protections...............................................................................................................2-8 2.2.1 Local Ordinances ..........................................................................................................2-8 2.2.1.1 Stormwater Management............................................................................2-8 2.2.1.2 Zoning and Subdivision Code....................................................................2-9 2.2.2 Protected Lands...........................................................................................................2-11 3. Estimation of Future Needs and Concerns.................................................................3-1 3.1 Future Land Use Projection .................................................................................................3-1 3.1.1 Current Land Use .........................................................................................................3-1 3.1.2 Expected Land Use Changes.......................................................................................3-1 3.1.3 Impervious Cover.........................................................................................................3-4 3.2 Change in Sources of Water Quality Degradation ...........................................................3-4 3.3 Prime Farmland.....................................................................................................................3-4 4. A Vision for the Watershed...........................................................................................4-1 4.1 Issues and Opportunities .....................................................................................................4-1 4.1.1 City of Harvard.............................................................................................................4-1 4.1.2 Unincorporated Area ...................................................................................................4-2 4.2 Vision of Land Use ................................................................................................................4-3 4.2.1 Natural Area Preservation and Restoration..............................................................4-3 4.2.1.1 Overview .......................................................................................................4-3 4.2.1.2 Legal protection and restoration of terrestrial natural areas..................4-4 4.2.1.3 Creation of vegetated stream buffers of at least 100 feet ........................4-4 4.2.1.4 Wetland restoration......................................................................................4-5 4.2.1.5 Stream restoration and instream habitat improvement..........................4-5 ii Lawrence Creek Watershed Plan September 2008 4.2.2 Development Pattern................................................................................................... 4-5 4.2.3 Gravel Mine Reclamation ........................................................................................... 4-7 4.3 Vision for Wastewater.......................................................................................................... 4-8 4.3.1 Overview....................................................................................................................... 4-8 4.3.2 Water Conservation..................................................................................................... 4-9 4.3.3 Land Application ......................................................................................................... 4-9 4.3.4 Septic Systems ............................................................................................................ 4-10 5. A Plan for Implementing the Vision .......................................................................... 5-1 5.1 Agricultural Best Management Practices .......................................................................... 5-1 5.1.1 Conservation Tillage.................................................................................................... 5-1 5.1.2 Filter Strips.................................................................................................................... 5-2 5.1.3 Nutrient Management................................................................................................. 5-4 5.1.4 Wetland Construction ................................................................................................. 5-4 5.1.5 Agricultural BMP Coordinator .................................................................................. 5-5 5.1.6 Costs and Load Reductions ........................................................................................ 5-5 5.2 Urban Nonpoint Best Management Practices................................................................... 5-6 5.2.1 Structural Retrofits....................................................................................................... 5-7 5.3 Habitat and Ecosystem Restoration ................................................................................. 5-11 5.4 Schedule for Implementation............................................................................................ 5-15 5.5 Information and Education ............................................................................................... 5-16 6. Metrics for Evaluation ................................................................................................... 6-1 6.1 Monitoring Program............................................................................................................. 6-1 6.1.1 Physical-Chemical Data Collection and Modeling.................................................