Watershed Management Area Recommendations for NJ Water Policy

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1 Watershed Management Area Recommendations for NJ Water Policy Presenters: William Kibler, Director of Policy, Raritan Headwaters Association Bob Kecskes, Freelance Environmental Consultant, retired NJDEP Water Planner Fred Akers, Administrator of the Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association

2 This session will: Examine the creation history of New Jersey s Watershed Management Areas (WMAs), including the establishment of the Water Regions, the 20 WMAs, and the Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) system. Review how the WMAs affect state water policy decisions and watershed management, as well as the highlights of the recently released Water Supply Plan update at the HUC 11 level. Focus on the importance of using NJ s subwatersheds to advocate for better water quality and water supply policies statewide.

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4 (USGS 2000 Report Page 3) The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), and many other agencies and organizations are striving to educate the public about New Jersey s water resources. In 1996, the NJDEP began implementing a watershed management approach to maintain the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of New Jersey s waters. This approach concentrates on managing individual watershed areas by: (1) defining the physical geographic boundaries of the watersheds, (2) basing water policy on sound scientific principles, and (3) developing partnerships with the public--the people most affected by watershed- management policies.

5 Rational for the creation of the WMAs from the USGS 2000 Report (pg. 3): New Jersey was divided into five water regions as defined by the NJDEP: the Northeast, Raritan, Northwest, Lower Delaware, and Atlantic Coastal water regions. Each water region was divided into three to five watershed-management areas, each of which encompasses a particular group of major rivers. Each watershed-management area consists of many smaller watersheds.

6 Water Region Legend Northeast Lower Delaware Raritan Northwest Atlantic Coastal

7 NJDEP is currently using the Water Regions for the 2 year Water Quality Integrated Report to EPA

8 Northeast Water Region WMA 3, Pompton, Pequannock, Wanaque, and Ramapo Rivers WMA 4, Lower Passaic and Saddle Rivers WMA 5, Hackensack and Hudson Rivers and Pascack Brook WMA 6, Upper Passaic, Whippany, and Rockaway Rivers

9 Northwast Water Region WMA 1, Upper Delaware River WMA 2, Wallkill River, Pochuck and Papakating Creek WMA 11, Central Delaware Tributaries

10 Raritan Water Region WMA 7, Elizabeth, Rahway, and Woodbridge Rivers WMA 8, North and South Branch Raritan Rivers WMA 9, Lower Raritan River, South River, and Lawrence Brook WMA 10, Millstone River

11 Lower Delaware Water Region WMA 17, Maurice and Cohansey Rivers WMA 18, Salem River and Lower Delaware tributaries WMA 19, Rancocas Creek WMA 20, Crosswicks Creek

12 Atlantic Coastal Water Region WMA 12, Monmouth watersheds WMA 13, Barnegate Bay Watershed WMA 14, Mullica and Wading Rivers WMA 15, Great Egg Harbor and Tuckahoe Rivers WMA 16, Cape May Watersheds

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15 Now into the weeds with Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUCs) and Subwatersheds! Rational for the creation of the NJDEP GIS mapping layer depwmas at the HUC14 Level from the 2009 Metadata: The depwmas data is a simplified version of dephuc14 data. The dephuc14 is NJDEP's version of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hydrologic-unit-code basins that delineates the extent of the DEP watershed management regions and areas to be used for the statewide watershed initiative. Both the depwmas and dephuc14 data comprise the Watershed Base Maps for New Jersey. Also, both were created from the USGS HUC14 by replacing the state boundary included with the USGS version with the DEP state and county border data(stco). The data was produced to address data-processing problems arising from combining the USGS huc14 with NJDEP GIS data due to the use of conflicting state boundaries.

16 The United States is divided and sub-divided into successively smaller hydrologic units which are classified into four levels: regions, sub-regions, accounting units, and cataloging units. The hydrologic units are arranged or nested within each other, from the largest geographic area (regions) to the smallest geographic area (cataloging units). Each hydrologic unit is identified by a unique hydrologic unit code (HUC) consisting of two to fourteen digits based on the seven levels of classification in the hydrologic unit system.

17 United States Geological Survey Watershed Boundary Data Set 22 Hydrologic Unit Codes at the 2 Digit Level (HUC2)

18 United States Geological Survey Watershed Boundary Data Set 223 Hydrologic Unit Codes at the 4 Digit Level (HUC4)

19 United States Geological Survey Watershed Boundary Data Set 387 Hydrologic Unit Codes at the 6 Digit Level (HUC6)

20 United States Geological Survey Watershed Boundary Data Set 2,300 Hydrologic Unit Codes at the 8 Digit Level (HUC8)

21 United States Geological Survey Watershed Boundary Data Set 18,371 Hydrologic Unit Codes at the 10 Digit Level (HUC10)

22 United States Geological Survey Watershed Boundary Data Set 18,371 Hydrologic Unit Codes at the 10 Digit Level New Jersey HUC10s = 60

23 United States Geological Survey Watershed Boundary Data Set 18,371 Hydrologic Unit Codes at the 10 Digit Level

24 United States Geological Survey Watershed Boundary Data Set 60 Hydrologic Unit Codes at the 10 Digit Level in New Jersey

25 United States Geological Survey Watershed Boundary Data Set 60 Hydrologic Unit Codes at the 10 Digit Level in New Jersey (HUC10)

26 HUC11s are not the smallest water planning subwatershed in NJ 152 HUC11s 152 HUC11s Within 21 WMAS

27 HUC14s are the smallest water planning subwatershed in NJ 970 HUC14s 970 HUC14s within 21 WMAs

28 NJDEP Reports Water Quality to EPA by HUC14 (305B and 303D)

29 But to protect water quality from development, NJDEP uses HUC11s 152 HUC11s Within 21 WMAS For areas proposed to be served by individual subsurface sewage disposal systems discharging 2,000 gallons per day or less to ground water, the applicant shall determine the development density that can be accommodated in undeveloped and underdeveloped areas that will result in attainment of two mg/l nitrate in the ground water on a HUC 11 basis.

30 127. COMMENT: Regarding the proposed new statewide nitrate dilution standard of 2 mg/l, regional differences will be obscured by scale, because nitrate dilution will be modeled using large HUC11 stream basins instead of smaller HUC14s. Because they aggregate so many individual watersheds, there are often distinct differences in the geology of the upper and lower portions of major HUC11 basins. Geology determines the natural chemistry of groundwater and surface water - and its vulnerability to pollution. That will be invisible to the DEP if they apply one standard to such a large area. The analysis and standards need to be based on HUC 14 watersheds. (90, 118)

31 And, NJ uses HUC11s to protect water supply, not HUC14s

32 NJ uses HUC11s to protect water supply, not HUC14s, and reports supply deficits based on WMAs, not individual streams. Using HUC11s to protect stream flows on a WMA basis combines separate, discreet streams and regionalizes low flows instead of showing potential impacts on each separate stream.

33 WMA1 Upper Delaware WMA1 has 18 Discrete Watersheds with 18 Discrete Low Flow Margins.

34 WMA8 North and South Branch Raritan River WMA8 has 2 Discrete Watersheds with 2 Discrete Low Flow Margins.

35 WMA10 Milestone WMA10 has 1 Discrete Watershed with 1 Discrete Low Flow Margin.

36 Watershed Management Area Recommendations for NJ Water Policy Presenters: William Kibler, Director of Policy, Raritan Headwaters Association Bob Kecskes, Freelance Environmental Consultant, retired NJDEP Water Planner Fred Akers, Administrator of the Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association

37 THE MAINTENANCE OF STREAMFLOW TO PROTECT THE NATURAL AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS OF THE WATERSHEDS OF NEW JERSEY FOCUS ON THE STONY BROOK WATERSHED Robert Kecskes November 2, 2018

38 WHAT IS THE NATURAL AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM OF A WATERSHED? A natural aquatic ecosystem is the community of interacting plants and animals that are dependent on one another in and around a body of water within a watershed Water bodies include streams and rivers, ponds and lakes, wetlands, and bays and estuaries The specific setting and types of water determine which plants and animals thrive in a natural aquatic system Natural aquatic ecosystems are either: 1) freshwater, 2) brackish water, or 3) saltwater Natural aquatic systems provide many important functions such as recycling nutrients, purifying water, attenuating floods, recharging ground water, providing habitats for wildlife, and recreation

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40 BASIC HYDROLOGIC PRINCIPLES IN THE PROTECTION THE NATURAL AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM OF A WATERSHED The natural aquatic system has been shaped by a range of natural streamflow patterns over the decades and even centuries in a watershed The maintenance of natural streamflow patterns is essential in the protection of the ecological resources of a watershed Surface water and ground water (well) withdrawals that divert water and do not return the water will reduce the natural streamflow patterns, especially during low streamflow periods The more deviation from the natural streamflow patterns, the greater the effects on the natural aquatic ecosystem If reductions in natural streamflow are significant during dry weather periods, many indigenous natural resources could be lost and invasive species could replace them Reductions in low streamflow can lead to poor water quality, further impacting natural resources

41 EXAMPLES OF WITHDRAWALS THAT CAN REDUCE NATURAL FLOW DURING LOW STREAMFLOW PERIODS Public and individual supply surface and ground water withdrawals that divert water from a watershed and export that water to another watershed (90-100% depletive) Individual surface and ground water withdrawals that divert water from a watershed and use that water in the same watershed for irrigation such as lawn irrigation, farming, and golf courses (90% consumptive) Public supply surface and ground water withdrawals that divert water from a watershed and use that water in the same watershed (15-30% consumptive) Domestic ground water withdrawals (15-30% consumptive) Mining surface and ground water withdrawals (12% consumptive)

42 THE NJDEP HAS ESTABLISHED A PLANNING THRESHOLD ON HOW MUCH WATER CAN BE WITHDRAWN FROM A WATERSHED WITHOUT CAUSING EXCESS IMPACTS ON NATURAL AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS The NJDEP has included a planning threshold for how much water can potentially be diverted from a watershed in its 2017 New Jersey Water Supply Plan The planning threshold consists of specific percentage of the Low Flow Margin (LFM) in a watershed The LFM represents the difference between the September median flow (typically the lowest flow month of the year) and the 7Q10 flow (a weekly flow that can be expected during a drought) The NJDEP has conducted studies that have concluded that 25% of the LFM can be depletively and/or consumptively withdrawn from surface and ground water within a watershed without excessively stressing the natural aquatic ecosystem of that watershed The New Jersey Water Supply Plan recommends that no additional depletive and/or consumptive withdrawals occur in currently stressed watersheds 25% of the LFM in the Stony Brook watershed is 0.8 million gallons per day (MGD)

43 STONY BROOK HUC 11 WATERSHED

44 EFFECTS OF EVAPOTRANSPIRATION ON NATURAL STREAMFLOW IN THE STONY BROOK WATERSHED DURING THE AVERAGE YEAR 6 Average Monthly Rainfall 1954 to Average Natural Monthly Streamflow 1954 to Inches Million Gallons Per day Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Month 0.0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Month

45 EFFECTS OF EVAPOTRANSPIRATION AND DROUGHT ON NATURAL STREAMFLOW IN THE STONY BROOK WATERSHED Average Monthly Rainfall 2010 Average Natural Monthly Streamflow Inches Million Gallons Per Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Month 0.0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Month

46 COMPARISON OF AVERAGE YEAR AND DROUGHT YEAR ON NATURAL STREAMFLOW IN THE STONY BROOK WATERSHED Inches Average Monthly Rainfall in 2010 Drought Compared to 1954 to 2017 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Month Million Gallons Per Day Average Monthly Natural Streamflow in 2010 Drought Compared to 1954 to 2017 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Month Average Rainfall Drought Rainfall Average Streamflow Average Streamflow 2010 Drought

47 COMPARISON OF AVERAGE SUMMER AND DROUGHT SUMMER NATURAL STREAMFLOW IN THE STONY BROOK WATERSHED 80.0 Average Summer Natural Streamflow in 2010 Drought Compared to 1954 to Million Gallons Per Day Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Month Average Streamflow Average Streamflow 2010

48 CURRENT DEPLETIVE/CONSUMPTIVE WITHDRAWALS BY WATER USE CATEGORY IN THE STONY BROOK WATERSHED Million Gallons Per Day Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Month Public Supply Non-Agriculture Irrigation Domestic Well

49 EFFECTS ON NATURAL MONTHLY 1954 TO 2017 STREAMFLOW FROM CURRENT DEPLETIVE/CONSUMPTIVE WITHDRAWALS IN THE STONY BROOK WATERSHED Million Gallons Per Day Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Month Average Streamflow Reduction in Streamflow

50 EFFECTS OF CURRENT DEPLETIVE/CONSUMPTIVE WITHDRAWALS ON AVERAGE (2010 DROUGHT) MONTHLY JUNE - SEPTEMBER NATURAL STREAMFLOW Million Gallons Per Day Jun Jul Aug Sep Month Average Streamflow During 2010 Drought Reduction in Streamflow

51 FULL ALLOCATION DEPLETIVE/CONSUMPTIVE WITHDRAWALS IN THE STONY BROOK WATERSHED Million Gallons Per Day Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Month Public Supply Non-Agriculture Irrigation Domestic Well

52 EFFECTS ON NATURAL MONTHLY 1954 TO 2017 STREAMFLOW FROM FULL ALLOCATION DEPLETIVE/CONSUMPTIVE WITHDRAWALS IN THE STONY BROOK WATERSHED 80.0 Effects of Full Allocation Depletive/Consumptive Withdrawals on Average ( ) Monthly Summer Natural Streamflow 70.0 Million Gallons Per Day Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Month Average Streamflow Reduction in Streamflow

53 EFFECTS OF FULL ALLOCATION DEPLETIVE/CONSUMPTIVE WITHDRAWALS ON AVERAGE (2010 DROUGHT) MONTHLY NATURAL STREAMFLOW Million Gallons Per Day Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Month Average Streamflow 2010 Drought Reduction in Streamflow

54 STONY BROOK WATERSHED SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Current summer depletive/consumptive withdrawals (1.8 MGD) exceed the NJDEP planning threshold (0.8 MGD) by more than 100 percent Public water supply withdrawals cause most of the present exceedance Current summer depletive/consumptive withdrawals are not overly problematic during the average rainfall year, but are severely stressing the natural aquatic ecosystem of the watershed during drought years Full allocation summer depletive/consumptive withdrawals would not be overly problematic during the average rainfall year, but are likely to dry up major stream reaches in the watershed during drought years Full allocation summer depletive/consumptive withdrawals (4 MGD) would exceed the NJDEP threshold by 500 percent Public water supply withdrawals would cause most of the full allocation exceedance (but are not likely to reach full allocation in the near future The natural aquatic ecosystem will probably be transformed from its current state to one that can withstand extended periods of stress during future drought Current depletive/consumptive withdrawals in the Stony Brook Watershed are reducing the yield of the water supplies in the Millstone and Raritan Rivers and the Delaware & Raritan Canal; full allocation withdrawals will reduce these supplies even further

55 RECOMMENDATIONS The municipalities in the Stony Brook Watershed should be encouraged to adopt plans to reduce depletive and consumptive uses such as lawn irrigation ordinances, out-of-basin transfers of water and wastewater, etc. The NJDEP should be persuaded to adopt regulations that formally implement withdrawal limits The NJDEP should evaluate whether the current LFM planning threshold is excessive in some watersheds (e.g., 0.8 MGD may consume too much of drought flow in the Stony Brook) The NJDEP should consider employing a withdrawal limit for smaller watersheds, or be geographically based The NJDEP should consider depletive and consumptive withdrawals and the consequent loss of dilution upstream of wastewater treatment plant discharges Research should be conducted to estimate how streamflow will be affected by climate change

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