Michael R. Martin Senior Scientist, New York & New England Princeton Hydro, LLC

Transcription

1 Michael R. Martin Senior Scientist, New York & New England Princeton Hydro, LLC

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3 According to Funk & Wagnalls, a watershed is... the line of separation between two contiguous drainage valleys the whole region from which a river receives its supply of water Watershed Boundary Uplands Wetlands Water features Lakes & ponds Rivers & streams Lake

4 Septic Systems NonPoint Source Pollution Disturbed Land & Uncontrolled Runoff Stormwater Runoff

5 Cultural eutrophication: the acceleration of lake aging typically caused by increased phosphorus inputs from human activities

6 EPA has identified 9 elements of a comprehensive watershed plan 1. Identification of the causes and sources of pollutants that need to be controlled 2. Estimate of the load reductions expected by implementing recommended management methods 3. Description of the NPS management measures needed to achieve load reductions 4. Estimate of the amount, cost and sources of technical and financial assistance needed 5. Public information/education component

7 EPA has identified 9 elements of a comprehensive watershed plan 6. Schedule for implementing management measures identified in the plan that is reasonably expedient 7. Description of interim, measureable milestones for determining plan is being implemented 8. Set of criteria to determine if loading reductions are being achieved over time & substantial progress is being made 9. Monitoring component to evaluate effectiveness of implementation measures

8 Data Collection and Analysis Existing Water Quality Data (when available) New Water Quality Data (where needed)

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11 Subwatershed Areas Station ac Station ac Station ac Station ac Land Use Residential 0.2 % Forest Deciduous 15.1 % Evergreen/mixed 0.1 % Agricultural Lands Pasture/Hay 14.2 % Row Crops 65.5 % Wetlands Woody 2.4 % Emergent 0.8 % 11.5 miles of dirt & gravel roads 13.5 miles of paved roads 3.4 miles of railroad

12 225 NWI wetlands covering 628 acres 17 miles of streams and ditches 58 % of watershed has Highly Erodible (HEL) soils 25 % of watershed has hydric soils 130 ft difference in elevation in watershed 84 % of watershed has slopes of 0-5 % 12 % of watershed has slopes of 5-10 % Steep slopes near waterways

13 Field Reconnaissance

14 Phosphorus Budget Calculations for Lake Oscaleta Watershed Land Use Area (ha) Loading Coefficients (kg/ha/yr) Annual Load (kg/yr) TP TP % Water Open Lands High Dens. Residential Forest Low-Dens. Residential Water Supply Internal Loading Precipitation TOTAL NUTRIENT LOADS Predicted 25% Reduction in P Load Required to Improve Water Quality

15 Management Plan Pollutant Budget Recommended Pollutant Reduction Recommended management measures Implementation schedule Criteria for evaluating effectiveness Monitoring program Public education

16 Requires... Determined group of stakeholders Stakeholder participation Public involvement in the process Adequate funding sources for... Development Implementation

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18 Federal (US EPA Region 2) Tend to be limited, targeted, and/or loans Most programs unfunded at present time Tend to target haz waste, environmental justice or specific watersheds Regional Multi-State NEIWPCC New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission Deals with Interstate Waters issues Annual RFPs under various categories

19 Statewide Grant Sources NYS Grants Gateway (NOT lake specific) DEC WQ Management Planning Programs (604(b)) Open to regional & interstate planning organizations DEC WQ Improvement Project (WQIP) Open to municipalities, SWCDs, 501(c)(3) Funding for Non-Ag NPS, Municipal WWT, Aquatic Habitat Restoration, MS4 (Municipal separate SW systems) Due July 31

20 New York City Watershed Water Quality Planning & Implementation Grants (PIGs) Primary Target: Watershed Communities Prepare/update Comprehensive Plans Establish/revise community tools & local laws Create strategic plans for developable areas No current rounds of funding available

21 Hudson River Estuary Program Open to municipalities and 501(c)(3) organizations within the Hudson River Estuary Boundary Best success addressing Action Agenda items Usually due in June Google Hudson River Estuary Program

22 Tributary Restoration and Resiliency $10,500 - $750,000 (total for 2015 was $750K) Conserve and restore aquatic habitat connectivity for Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) Project examples removal of dams restoration of perched culverts to grade replacement of culverts to reestablish natural streambottom conditions right-sizing of bridges and culverts.

23 Local Stewardship Planning $5,000 - $50,000 ($800,000 available in 2015) Plans, feasibility studies, assessments, inventories, design and permitting, and the development of regionally-applicable guidance documents or handbooks to help communities improve infrastructure and protect water resources and habitat

24 Local Stewardship Planning (Project Examples) Design or assessment of green infrastructure to recharge ground water and to reduce storm-water flows that contribute to combined sewer overflows Development or updating of watershed management plans for tributaries to the Hudson River estuary Improve conditions for free-flowing streams through design of improved road/stream crossings, dam removals, or stream-barrier mitigation Design of shoreline-stabilization projects that address ongoing or anticipated erosion issues while maintaining or enhancing ecological function Development of natural resource inventories (NRI) or open space conservation plans

25 Make sure you qualify Follow guidelines carefully Match your request to program Buddy up with your local municipality or 501(c)(3) If the grant isn t for developing a management plan make sure you have one Ask a consultant for help

26 Floating Wetland Islands

27 Valuable Natural Resources Important for recharge of groundwater; contributes toward managing stormwater Buffers against wind and wave erosion Effective systems for nutrient removal and reduction of sediments Excellent refuge / spawning habitat for aquatic and terrestrial organisms Highly productive systems

28 Floating Wetland Islands are composed of recycled plastic material Native vegetation is planted in the holes on the top of the Islands Plant roots growth through the material The high surface area of the islands provides an extremely large amount of space and habitat for microbial communities The microbial communities assimilate available nutrients, which are then transferred to the plant material on the surface of the Island 250 ft 2 FWI 1 acre wetland

29 Absorb nutrients from the water column that would otherwise fuel additional nuisance algae and aquatic plant growth Provide habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms Are aesthetically pleasing, using attractive, native vegetation Mimic natural wetland surface areas

30 May 31, 2011 June 9, 2011

31 August, 2010 August, 2011 August, 2012 October, 2013

32 July, 2014

33 Sweet-scented Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpurem) Swamp rose-mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) Soft rush (Juncus effuses) Fringed sedge (Carex crinita) Rice cutgrass (Leersia oryzoides) Great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) Greenheaded coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) Pickerel weed (Pontaderia cordarta) New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) New York ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

34 One 250 ft 2 FWI can remove about 10 lbs of TP per year 1 lb of TP has the potential to generate up to 1,100 lbs of algal biomass Thus, one 250 ft 2 FWI can reduce algal biomass by approximately 11,000 lbs per year

35 Do not perform certain functions that natural wetlands perform (e.g. infiltration). Goose control measures often required. Some amount of harvesting will be required sometime in the future. Tend to be most cost effective when TP is greater than 0.10 mg/l

36 $22 - $30 per square foot Typical 250 ft 2 FWI = $ $7500 Installed Cost $11,000 (less with volunteers) FWI Materials & Shipping Construction/Assembly Native Plants Anchoring system Goose fencing Some future maintenance required

37 Constructed wetlands require extensive design & permitting No permits required for FWIs in PA or NJ (some exceptions may apply) Recognized as BMP by PA and NJ NYS may require permit Possibly Joint Permit Process (NYS DEC & ACOE) Floating Object simple one form application Dock Permit (unlikely)

38 Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs)

39 Intense cyanobacteria blooms Usually associated with nutrient-rich waters Occur most frequently during hot, calm weather.mid-summer. High concentrations of microcystin can cause health issues. Microcystin released upon death of algae, extremely stable, and slow to decompose. Numerous species produce hepatotoxins (liver) and neurotoxins (brain/muscle)

40 World Health Organization (WHO) provisional DW guideline standard is 1 µg/l microcystin. NYDEC also uses 1 µg/l for DW and 20 µg/l maximum for contact recreation, but issue warning at concentrations greater than 6 µg/l. In June EPA issued DW Health Advisory 10 day HA for bottle-fed infants: 0.3 µg/l 10 day HA for school-aged children and adults: 1.6 µg/l

41 It s a warm weather thing Water temp > 25 C most important trigger (298 K) (77 F) Climate change: = It s all about nutrient rich systems It is driven by elevated phosphorus concentrations Stable water column leads to worse conditions Cure it with copper.no! Link between HABs, dams and ALS Aeration? Not a good idea!

42 Not all blue-green algae are associated with HABs Not all are microcystin or cylindrospermopsin producers The Bad Guys.. Anabaena Aphanizomenon Microcystis Planktothrix Oscillatoria Lyngbya & a few others

43 Predict Forecast a bloom using long-term database, keystone parameters, and/or remote sensing techniques Analyze Measure/quantify bloom s severity: Chlorophyll a, Cyanobacteria ID and cell counts Measure concentration of Microcystin React Implement measures to prevent, control or terminate bloom Educate Share info and educate community

44 Develop algorithms from long-term data sets Weather Phosphorus and nitrogen Chlorophyll DO/Temperature profiles Utilize remote sensing technology to track bloom development Implement mesocosm experiments in problem lakes

45 Phytoplankton ID, enumeration and quantification Measure precursors of impending bloom Declining Secchi disc clarity Chlorophyll a >20 µg/l) MIB (2-Methylisoborneol ) >10 ng/l Geosmin > 10 ng/l Measure Microcystin Abraxis field kits and lab testing For drinking 1 μg/l microcystin For swimming 6 µg/l (health advisory) -20 µg/l (no contact)

46 Quick and inexpensive Accurate Replicable Direct link to conventional WQ data Analogous to conducting fecal coliform/ E. coli beach testing

47 Implement watershed management programs targeting nutrient load reductions nutrient management is key to preventing blooms Evaluate nutrient sequesters Alum PhosLock Iron Nitrogen supplementation Aeration / Destratification Biomanipulation Ozone

48 Inform/educate public about cyanobacteria and related health problems Inform/educate public about measures to help prevent blooms Septic management Fertilizer use Shoreline buffer creation/maintenance Waterfowl control Monitoring is part of solution, need to address bloom before it peaks Copper sulfate is not the answer

49 Begin sampling early in season Focus on beach areas Begin with simple yes/no test strips If evidence of bloom Collect confirmatory data Advance analysis to lab testing Put into action measures to halt bloom Continue to test to confirm safe conditions Implement measures to prevent future blooms

50 Increasing frequency and severity of such blooms At very high densities, blue-green algae linked to serious health issues affecting humans, pets and livestock Key to preventing HABs is nutrient management Copper sulfate is not the solution and can actually worsen conditions and intensify microcystin impacts

51 PARE provides a means of forecasting, assessing and managing HABs Testing is simple and quick; analogous to FC / E. coli testing With correct data can pre-empt blooms or lessen severity and duration Requires a multi-prong, proactive approach that is not based on repeated copper sulfate treatments Microcystin testing tells you if there is or is not a cyanotoxin problem

52 Michael R. Martin, CLM Princeton Hydro, LLC 931 Main Street South Glastonbury, CT (cell: )