State of the Water. October 25, 2016 Union County Community Center

Transcription

1 State of the Water October 25, 2016 Union County Community Center

2 What is a Watershed?

3 Nashville Birmingham Atlanta

4 Athens Etowah Cleveland Murphy Andrews Hayesville Copper Hill Blue Ridge Young Harris Hiawassee Morganton Blairsville Suches

5 Map of the Upper Hiwassee River Basin

6 Dec 2015 Record Flooding

7 Dec 2015 Record Flooding

8 Dec 2015 Record Flooding

9

10

11 What is Water Quality? Physical Chemical Biological Habitat

12 Major Water Quality Concerns in the Hiwassee River Basin 1. Excess Sediment 2. Pathogens (e.g. E. coli) 3. Excess Nutrients Too much runoff!

13 We want to prevent this!

14 WQ Concerns Bank Erosion

15 WQ Concerns Construction

16 WQ Concerns Development of Steep Slopes

17 WQ Concerns Loss of Riparian Buffers & Channelization

18 Major Water Quality Concerns in the Hiwassee River Basin 1. Excess Sediment 2. Pathogens (e.g. E. coli) 3. Excess Nutrients Too much runoff!

19 We want to prevent this! And this!

20 And this!

21 WQ Concerns Agriculture

22 Water Quality Concerns Leaking & Failing Septic Systems

23 WQ Concerns Geese

24 WQ Concerns Managed Turf

25 WQ Concerns Lack of Buffers

26 Other Nutrient Sources Not pathogens, if in compliance!

27 Major Water Quality Concerns in the Hiwassee River Basin 1. Excess Sediment 2. Excess Nutrients 3. Pathogens (e.g. E.coli) Too much runoff!

28 WQ Concerns Impervious Surfaces Roads and Parking Lots Driveways and Rooftops

29 WQ Concerns - Changing Hydrology Increased Runoff Increased Pollutants Impacts to Stream Banks Habitat Degradation Decline in Fishing

30 Use Impairment Data (every 2 years)

31 State Biological Data (5-year cycle)

32 Volunteer Monitoring (monthly!) 10+ years data from 21 sites; currently 55 active sites!

33 TVA Ecological Health Ratings (? Interval) Chatuge: Poor in 2012 Nottely: Poor in 2011 Hiwassee: Fair in 2012 Apalachia: Good in 2012

34 Water Quality Overview

35 Nottely River Highlights Now sampling 2 locations on the river upstream and 7 locations on tributaries to the lake! At least fifteen E. coli samples collected at each of 4 locations on Butternut Creek No waters were added or removed from the list of impaired waters between 2014 and 2016 E. coli concentrations are well above recreation water quality standards at most monitored sites, including the Nottely River Rapier Mill Creek was added to the list of impaired waters in NC in 2016

36 Nottely River Data Location Low High Ave Upstream Old Bald Mtn. Rd. (L) GA Mtn. Exp. Station (R) E. coli data reported in colonies/100ml A minimum of 15 samples were collected at each site.

37 Butternut Creek at Mountain Building Supply Butternut Creek at Union Co. Farmers Market Butternut Creek at the Golf Course Butternut Creek at Meeks Park (Colwell Fields)

38 Butternut Creek Data Location Low High Ave Notes Mtn. Bldg. Supply hits >200 Farmers Market hits >200 in 22 samples; 2 hits >1,000 Golf course hits >200 Meeks Park hits >200 E. coli data reported in Colonies/100mL A minimum of 15 samples were collected at each site.

39 Brasstown Creek Highlights Now sampling 4 locations on the creek; 2 in GA and 2 in NC! Early results indicate that the recreation standard is being met at all four locations! No waters were added or removed from the list of impaired waters between 2014 and 2016 Volunteers are needed to sample Corn Creek and Yewell Branch in Young Harris, as well as Brasstown Creek above Yewell Br. (Trackrock area)

40 Lake Chatuge Improvements 2006 phosphorus loading to Lake Chatuge 27% 34% Developed Areas Pasturelands Point Sources 39% 2,600 lbs/yr removed in 2016! 2,800 lbs/yr removed in

41 Hiwassee River Highlights Reactivated one Towns Co. site and added one in Clay Co. for a total of six on Hiwassee River Now have 4 years of recent data for the main Hiwassee River site above Lake Chatuge, added to 10 years of historical data It appears that all locations are generally meeting the recreation water quality standards Water temperatures were very high at the main Hiwassee River site this summer E. coli concentrations spike at two Clay County sites during high flow events

42 Hiwassee River Highlights Hiwassee River at The Retreat (formerly the Trout Lodge Temperature data reported in degrees Celsius.

43 Hiwassee River at The Retreat Towns County Hiwassee River at Streak Hill Rd. Towns County Hiwassee River at Martin Hill Clay County Hiwassee River at Sweetwater Park Clay County

44 Fish Kill on the Valley River

45 Other NC Highlights Martins Creek was removed from the list of impaired waters for fish & aquatic life! An older monitoring site on Shooting Creek was reactivated this year! Summertime temperatures in Shooting Creek were too high to support trout

46 Contact Information 90 Tennessee Street, Ste. D (Lewis Jones Nationwide Insurance Bldg.) Phone & Fax cmoore@hrwc.net