DRAFT SOUTH LAKE CHAMPLAIN TACTICAL BASIN PLAN

Transcription

1 State of Vermont AGENCY OF NATURAL RESOURCES Department of Environmental Conservation Watershed Management Division One National Life Drive, Main 2 Montpelier, VT (802) DRAFT SOUTH LAKE CHAMPLAIN TACTICAL BASIN PLAN Ethan Swift Ethan.Swift@Vermont.gov (802)

2 PURPOSE OF TACTICAL BASIN PLANNING IMPLEMENTS THE STATE S SURFACE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY IMPLEMENTS CLEAN WATER ACT REQUIREMENTS IN VERMONT ADDRESSES STRESSOR MANAGEMENT FOR POINT AND NONPOINT SOURCES CONCEPT OF ECOSYSTEM BALANCE (I.E., RIVER EQUILIBRIUM) ROBUST TACTICAL PLANNING PROCESS RELIES ON DATA TO SET PRIORITIES USES SCIENTIFIC DATA, REPEATABLE ASSESSMENTS, AND PRIORITIZED IMPLEMENTATION ADDRESSES IMPAIRED AND STRESSED SURFACE WATERS PRESENTS IMPLEMENTATION TABLES OF GEOGRAPHICALLY-EXPLICIT ACTIONS PROPOSES SURFACE WATER PROTECTION IN THE FORM OF RECLASSIFICATION What is known about the surface water condition? What is known about stressors and related pollutants? What problems and actions are identified by partners? What does local knowledge indicate? Where is action needed? 2

3 South Lake Basin

4 South Lake Basin Overview -Approximately 500 square miles (including sub-basins of Poultney and Mettowee Rivers and East Creek) -Extensive wetlands complex and floodplain access along lower mainstem reaches -67% forested, 16% agricultural, 5% developed, and 8% wetland, and 4% roads (Lower Champlain Direct is primarily Agricultural land use) -The greatest threat to the streams in the Basin is nutrient enrichment and sedimentation -The second greatest threat to these streams is stream bank erosion, resulting from various land use practices, including the removal of streamside vegetation - Pathogens, such as E. coli bacteria, threaten the third greatest number of stream miles in this basin - Other causes of water quality impairment include thermal modification, invasive species, turbidity, suspended solids, and metals, such as mercury Protect, Restore, Enhance, Maintain

5 BIOLOGICAL DATA (BUGS AND FISH) MOST RECENT BIOMONITORING ROTATION (2015) SHOWS SEVERAL STREAMS IN VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENT CONDITION INCLUDING: METTOWEE RIVER BASIN UPPER METTOWEE MAINSTEM (DORSET HOLLOW) SYKES HOLLOW BROOK TRIBUTARY TO THE METTOWEE (RUPERT) BEAVER BROOK (BUGS ONLY, FISH RATED POOR) TRIBUTARY TO THE FLOWER BROOK (PAWLET) INDIAN RIVER TRIBUTARY TO THE METTOWEE (WEST PAWLET) LEWIS BROOK POULTNEY RIVER BASIN: CASTLETON RIVER (CASTLETON BELOW WWTF) NORTH BRETON BROOK (CASTLETON) GIDDINGS BROOK (HUBBARDTON) BREESE POND OUTLET (HUBBARDTON) COGGMAN CREEK (WEST HAVEN) Photo credit: Matt Witten

6 CHEMICAL DATA (NUTRIENTS, BACTERIA, ETC.) VERMONT DEC WATER QUALITY MONITORING DATA (2012, 2014, 2016): DISSOLVED PHOSPHORUS (AS AN INDICATOR OF NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT, PRODUCTIVITY) MCKENZIE BASIN Focused water quality monitoring efforts in South Lake tribs including Braisted Brook, East Creek, Hospital Creek, Stoney Creek, Whitney Creek (with UVM-Extension, Middlebury College funded by LCBP

7 Poultney River basin Mettowee River Basin

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9 ASSESSMENTS UNDERTAKEN IN THE BASIN SINCE THE 2O14 PLAN * PRIORITIES IDENTIFIED IN THE 2014 PLAN FLOWER BROOK STORMWATER MASTER PLAN (PAWLET) POULTNEY METTOWEE NRCD* SUCKER BROOK/ LAKE BOMOSEEN STORMWATER MASTER PLAN PMNRCD (2015) CASTLETON HEADWATERS STORMWATER MASTER PLAN PMNRCD (2016) SPECIAL LAKE STUDIES UNDERWAY VTDEC LAKES AND PONDS PROGRAM (LAKEWISE, ETC) WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT REASONABLE POTENTIAL ANALYSIS VTDEC (ONGOING) FISHERIES STUDIES VDFW (ONGOING)

10 Vermont Clean Water Act (2015, Act 64) Supports clean water needs statewide Supports phosphorus pollution reductions in Lake Champlain (TMDL), as required by the EPA All-in approach I m in! - Champ

11 IMPLEMENTATION FOR TMDLS AND TARGET WATERS VIA TACTICAL BASIN PLANNING LC Memph LIS Protection Actions Project or Action Lead Partner(s) Funding Source Target Implementation Waterbody A Easement on Reach RMP ERP 2012 A Waterbody B Floodplain Restoration on reach RMP ERP 2012 A Waterbody C Conservation acquisition for subwatershed to Frog Pond Lake VRC LARC, ERP, Foundation 2013 B Performance Metric Waterbody D Wetland Reserve/CREP Project on Reach and adjacent wetlands DU NRCS-WRP 2011 C Restoration Actions Waterbody E Corridor beltwidth acquisition and fencing project on Reach WNRCD, LCA, AAFM ERP, AAFM, NRCS 2011 A Waterbody F Culvert replacement at XYZ Road to reduce sediment at Reach VYCC, Municipality B Vtrans Local Roads, ERP 2013 D Waterbody F Fabric/rocklining of ditch along ABC Road draining to Reach Municipality B BBR 2013 D Mon, Assess., Planning Actions Watershed G Phase 2 Geomorphic Assessment and Corridor Plan WNRCD, RMP ERP 2011 E Watershed H Ambient Biomonitoring and LaRosa Partnership Monitoring MAPP WQD 2013 E Watershed I Comnprehensive AEM Evaluation for 6 farms AAFM, NRCD AAFM 2013 F Municipal Planning Actions Municipality A FEH Zone Delineation and Protection G Municipality A Better Backroads Inventory E Municipality A Bridge and Culvert Inventory E Municipality B Revised town road design and maintneance standards H Municipality B Revision of DRB Procedure to adhere to new floodplain zoning H Waterbody A Easement on Reach RMP ERP 2012 A Waterbody B Floodplain Restoration on reach RMP ERP 2012 A Waterbody C Conservation acquisition for subwatershed to Frog Pond Lake VRC LARC, ERP, Foundation 2013 B Waterbody D Wetland Reserve/CREP Project on Reach and adjacent wetlands DU NRCS-WRP 2011 C Restoration Actions Waterbody E Corridor beltwidth acquisition and fencing project on Reach WNRCD, LCA, AAFM ERP, AAFM, NRCS 2011 A Waterbody F Culvert replacement at XYZ Road to reduce sediment at Reach VYCC, Municipality B Vtrans Local Roads, ERP 2013 D Waterbody F Fabric/rocklining of ditch along ABC Road draining to Reach Municipality B BBR 2013 D Mon, Assess., Planning Actions Watershed G Phase 2 Geomorphic Assessment and Corridor Plan WNRCD, RMP ERP 2011 E Watershed H Ambient Biomonitoring and LaRosa Partnership Monitoring MAPP WQD 2013 E Watershed I Comnprehensive AEM Evaluation for 6 farms AAFM, NRCD AAFM 2013 F Municipal Planning Actions Municipality A FEH Zone Delineation and Protection G Municipality A Better Backroads Inventory E Municipality A Bridge and Culvert Inventory E Municipality B Revised town road design and maintneance standards H Municipality B Revision of DRB Procedure to adhere to new floodplain zoning H Waterbody A Easement on Reach RMP ERP 2012 A Waterbody B Floodplain Restoration on reach RMP ERP 2012 A Waterbody C Conservation acquisition for subwatershed to Frog Pond Lake VRC LARC, ERP, Foundation 2013 B Waterbody D Wetland Reserve/CREP Project on Reach and adjacent wetlands DU NRCS-WRP 2011 C Restoration Actions Waterbody E Corridor beltwidth acquisition and fencing project on Reach WNRCD, LCA, AAFM ERP, AAFM, NRCS 2011 A Waterbody F Culvert replacement at XYZ Road to reduce sediment at Reach VYCC, Municipality B Vtrans Local Roads, ERP 2013 D Waterbody F Fabric/rocklining of ditch along ABC Road draining to Reach Municipality B BBR 2013 D Mon, Assess., Planning Actions Watershed G Phase 2 Geomorphic Assessment and Corridor Plan WNRCD, RMP ERP 2011 E Watershed H Ambient Biomonitoring and LaRosa Partnership Monitoring MAPP WQD 2013 E Watershed I Comnprehensive AEM Evaluation for 6 farms AAFM, NRCD AAFM 2013 F Municipal Planning Actions Municipality A FEH Zone Delineation and Protection G Municipality A Better Backroads Inventory E Municipality A Bridge and Culvert Inventory E Municipality B Revised town road design and maintneance standards H Municipality B Revision of DRB Procedure to adhere to new floodplain zoning H Completed?

12 CHAMPLAIN TMDL PHASE II CONTENT PER THE LAKE CHAMPLAIN TMDL PHASE I IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ALL ASSESSMENTS ARE CRITICAL, BUT NOT ALL AREAS OF A WATERSHED HAVE ASSESSMENTS COMPLETED. TMDL S SCENARIO TOOL PRESENTS ONE SET OF BMP S, BUT WHERE DO THEY GO? DEC HAS INVESTED IN MODELING THE CLEAN WATER ROADMAP TO: IDENTIFY CRITICAL AREAS ON THE LANDSCAPE WHERE ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT IS NEEDED. IDENTIFY NUTRIENT REDUCTIONS AT THE SUBWATERSHED AND PROJECT SCALE. SET REGULATORY TARGETS FOR LOAD REDUCTIONS FOR AGRICULTURAL LANDS, FORESTED LANDS, DEVELOPED LANDS (STORMWATER), ROADS, WASTEWATER

13 CHAMPLAIN TMDL PHASE II CONTENT PER THE LAKE CHAMPLAIN TMDL PHASE I IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

14 CHAMPLAIN TMDL PHASE II CONTENT PER THE LAKE CHAMPLAIN TMDL PHASE I IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

15 CLEAN WATER PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

16 WATERSHED PROJECTS DATABASE STORMWATER MASTER PLANS ROAD EROSION INVENTORIES AGRICULTURAL ASSESSMENTS AND BMPS RIVER CORRIDOR EASEMENTS WETLAND RESTORATION MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE

17 PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN IN THE BASIN SINCE THE 2O14 PLAN POULTNEY HIGH SCHOOL STORMWATER MITIGATION PROJECT - PMNRCD MIDDLETOWN SPRINGS STORMWATER MITIGATION (DESIGN) PROJECT - PMNRCD TOWN OF POULTNEY YORK STREET STORMWATER RETROFIT DESIGN - POULTNEY NRCS FOCUSED WATERSHED PLAN FOR MCKENZIE BROOK (BASIN) AGRICULTURAL WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS ON SMALL FARMS - PMNRCD AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF MITIGATION TO BENEFIT BEAVER BROOK PMNRCD MULTIPLE BETTER BACKROADS PROJECTS BASIN TOWNS

18 OTTER CREEK TACTICAL BASIN PLAN Review Monitoring and Assessment Data Coordinate data review between ACRWC, RNRCD, DEC Engage municipal outreach and input Coordinate with ACRPC, RRPC Engage Other Stakeholders NRCS, UVM-Extension, CVFC