Develop outline of information and education component that will be used to enhance public understanding of the project.

Transcription

1 11. Prject Plan Schedule Time Perid/Date First Quarter Ending Mar 31, 2014 Task / Milestne (list specific actin(s) that lead t utput(s) r utcme(s) achieved during each quarter) Cnduct stakehlder meetings with landwners, lcal, state and gvernment fficials, cmmunity grups and prject partners t develp restratin plan verview including 1) descriptive infrmatin abut the watershed, 2) lcatin, 3) size, 4) brief statement f impairment, 5) land use within watershed, and 6) backgrund f activities in the watershed. Watershed functin, stressrs and indicatrs will als be identified. Deliverable (utput(s) r utcme(s) achieved during each quarter) Quarterly Invice Draft prject verview including utline and strategy fr infrmatin and educatin cmpnent and mnitring prgram. Anticipated Amunt 3, 4 20% $5,227 Develp utline f infrmatin and educatin cmpnent that will be used t enhance public understanding f the prject. Develp utline f mnitring cmpnent. Secnd Quarter Apr-Jun 2014 Wrk with stakehlders t: Identify and design NPS management measures that will need t be implemented t achieve lad reductins as well as t achieve ther watershed gals Quarterly Invice Draft designs f NPS management measures and estimates f pllutant lad reductins 30%, $8,000 Third Quarter Jul-Sep 2014 Estimate pllutant lad reductins expected fr the management measures. Wrk with stakehlders t: Estimate technical and financial assistance needed, assciated cst r surces, and authrities that will be relied upn t implement the plan. Schedule implementing the nnpint surce management measures identified in the plan that is reasnably expeditius. Quarterly Invice Draft estimate f technical and financial assistance needed and schedule fr implementing NPS measures. 20% $5,000 Furth Quarter Oct-Dec 2014 Wrk with stakehlders t: Identify measurable milestnes fr determining whether nnpint surce management measures r ther management cntrl actins are being implemented. Develp criteria that can be used t determine whether pllutant lad reductins are being achieved ver time and substantial prgress is being made twards attaining water quality standards. Quarterly Invice Draft measurable milestnes and criteria fr determining prgress twards attaining water quality standards. Final mnitring plan. 20% $5,000

2 Fifth Quarter Jan-Mar 2015 Finalize mnitring cmpnent t evaluate the effectiveness f the implementatin effrts ver time measured against the criteria established t measure achieved pllutant lad reductins. Wrk with stakehlders t finalize the restratin plan. Quarterly invice Final Prject Reprt 10% $2,300 3 Please shw percent f grant spent that quarter and anticipated dllar amunt fr reimbursement. Unused funds carry frward t next quarter. Invices cannt exceed budgeted amunt. 4 10% f grant will be held until receipt f Final Prject Reprt. 12. Prject Need and Abstract, including backgrund and gals f prject. Abstract The Albemarle Cmmissin (AC), Albemarle Resurce Cnservatin and Develpment Cuncil (ARCD), Perquimans and Pasqutank Cunties, Sil and Water Cnservatin Districts (SWCD), Elizabeth City State University (ECSU), Elizabeth City Bass Masters (ECBM), and lcal cmmunity grups are wrking tgether t restre the Little River watershed, which includes abut eight miles f Impaired river (2012, 303d list). The watershed was nce rich in bidiversity with key anadrmus fish and shellfish areas, and swamp frests critical t supprt native fish and wildlife, mitigate flding, and prtect water quality (Figure 1). T help restre the Little River s bidiversity, the partnership is develping a number f activities including cnstructin f wetland filters n main drainage canals flwing int the Little River, restratin f natural hydrlgy in riparian buffers, cnservatin f riparian buffers, cnstructin f fish habitat, imprved public access, public utreach and envirnmental educatin, and mnitring and research. Need Agricultural peratins and residential and cmmercial develpment have significantly impacted water quality and fisheries in the Little River watershed. Agricultural peratins have pened drainage canals that directly carry sediments and nutrients t the river, and residential and cmmercial develpments have increased pllutin frm strmwater runff. Swamp frest buffers have been eliminated r severely degraded in many lcatins alng the river. As a result, the upper and lwer sectins f the Little River have been included at different times n the 303(d) list f Impaired waters, beginning in 1998 with the upper sectin f the river frm its surce t Halls Creek (11.8 mi.) fr lw Disslved Oxygen (DO). In 2000, the lwer Little River frm Halls Creek t the Albemarle Sund (6,263.9 acres) was added t the 303(d) list f Impaired waters fr lw DO. In bth upper and lwer segments, swamp cnditins cmbined with agricultural runff were thught t be cntributing t the lw DO. In 2008, the Little River frm SR 1225 (ne mile dwnstream f SR 1221) t Halls Creek was again placed n the 303(d) list fr water quality standards vilatins. The Divisin f Water Quality (DWQ) recmmended that the lwer Little River remain n the 303(d) list f Impaired waters fr further assessment f DO and swamp drainage affects. In 2012, a sectin f the Little River frm SR 1225 t Halls Creek (7.9 miles, Figure 1), was listed Impaired in the aquatic life categry. Over the curse f the five-year assessment perid, nearly 11 percent f samples were abve the water quality standard fr Chlrphyll a indicating nutrient enrichment in this segment f the river. The lwer Little River, frm Halls Creek t the Albemarle Sund (6,263.9 acres), was nt sampled during this assessment perid. The gals f the prject are: Develp a dynamic public-private partnership f lcal gvernments, lcal, state and federal agencies, nn-prfit grups, cmmunity grups, universities and high schls wrking t cnserve and restre the Little River. Create active public participatin in cnservatin and restratin activities. Develp an effective water quality and fisheries mnitring prgram t measure prject impacts.

3 Develp and demnstrate practical and cst-effective technlgies fr imprving water quality and fisheries habitat. Develp practical and useful cmmunicatin tls fr public utreach and educatin. Create a practical framewrk fr restring similar watersheds in eastern Nrth Carlina. Imprve recreatinal fishing in the Little River by imprving water quality and by imprving and creating fisheries habitat. The develpment f a nine-step plan will help guide effrts t restre the Little River watershed. The plan s implementatin wuld address the causes f Impairment by wrking directly with farmers, hmewners and businesses in the watershed t reduce sediment and nutrient lading frm agricultural peratins and strmwater. An utreach and educatin prgram wuld increase public awareness f and participatin in cnservatin and restratin activities. A water quality and fisheries mnitring prgram wuld help strengthen state and federal mnitring prgrams in the watershed. 13. Narrative, detailed descriptin f the prject. Yu may use an utline. (Nte: if prject entails develping a Watershed Restratin Plan, then cmplete sectin 15 instead f this sectin) See Sectin Stakehlder Invlvement (Name and explain each stakehlder s rle in the prject.) The AC will manage the 205J grant. The Albemarle RC&D Cuncil will prvide prject technical supprt. Pasqutank and Perquimans District SWCD staff will assist with field surveys, habitat imprvement, and public utreach. Pasqutank and Perquimans Cunties will prvide in-kind supprt thrugh the SWCD ffices and staff, and GIS staff. The tax ffices in each cunty will wrk with the prject t develp a system f tax relief fr landwners wh sign cnservatin easements alng the river. Staff and students at ECSU will assist with develping and implementing prgrams fr mnitring water quality and fisheries habitat, and prcessing data fr public access. The ECBM will help with public educatin and awareness activities. 15. Prjects Develping a Watershed Restratin Plan shuld include EPA s 9 Key Elements fr Watershed Restratin Plans. (This is nt required, but is preferred fr restratin prjects and prpsal is given pririty.)

4 An identificatin f the causes and surces r grups f similar surces that will need t be cntrlled t achieve the lad reductins estimated in the watershed. An verview will include descriptive infrmatin abut the watershed including lcatin, size, brief statement f impairment, land use within watershed, and backgrund f activities in the watershed. Water quality data will be cmpiled befre, during, and after implementatin f the watershed restratin plan in rder t gain full understanding f the watershed system. This sectin will include: 1 Watershed Functin. Beneficial watershed characteristics, watershed functin. The Little River watershed was nce rich in bidiversity with key anadrmus fish and shellfish areas, and swamp frests critical t supprt native fish and wildlife, mitigate flding, and prtect water quality (Figure 1). The river is used fr recreatinal fishing, cmmercial crabbing and watersprts. Hwever, accrding t fisherman in the ECBM and lcal residents, fishing has declined ver the past 10 years r s. Stressrs (causes f impairment). Physical, chemical and/r bilgical surces degrading the watershed functin Agricultural peratins and residential and cmmercial develpment have significantly impacted water quality and fisheries in the Little River watershed. Agricultural peratins have pened drainage canals that directly carry sediments and nutrients t the river, and residential and cmmercial develpments have increased pllutin frm strmwater runff. Swamp frest buffers have been eliminated r severely degraded in many lcatins alng the river. As a result, Strmwater runff frm agriculture, and residential and cmmercial develpment in the watershed has degraded water quality t the pint where abut eight miles f the Little River are listed as Impaired (2012, 303d list). The prject will identify the surces f sediment and ther stressrs n the river. The prject will identify hw harvesting f riparian wetland frests alng the river has impacted water quality and fisheries. Indicatrs. The measures f impact assciated with stressrs. (ex. Water quality measurements, waterbdy advisries) The upper and lwer sectins f the Little River have been included at different times n the 303(d) list f Impaired waters, beginning in 1998 with the upper sectin f the river frm its surce t Halls Creek (11.8 mi.) fr lw Disslved Oxygen (DO). In 2012, a sectin f the Little River frm SR 1225 t Halls Creek was listed Impaired in the aquatic life categry. Over the curse f the five-year assessment perid, nearly 11 percent f samples were abve the water quality standard fr Chlrphyll a indicating nutrient enrichment in this segment f the river. The lwer Little River, frm Halls Creek t the Albemarle Sund was nt sampled during this assessment perid. ECSU staff and students will wrk with state agencies and lcal cmmunity grups t develp a water quality and fisheries mnitring prgram fr the entire watershed. A descriptin f the NPS management measures that will need t be implemented t achieve lad reductins as well as t achieve ther watershed gals identified in the watershed based plan 2 This sectin will describe management measures scheduled fr implementatin that will result in pllutant lad reductins necessary t achieve water quality standards. Measures will be designed t: prtect water resurces and dwnstream areas frm pllutin and fld risk cnserve, prtect, and restre pririty habitat areas preserve and establish riparian swamp frest buffers Fr example: Cnstructing strmwater wetlands n main agricultural ditches t help reduce sediment and nutrients entering the river.

5 Recnnecting riparian swamp frests t the river t reduce fld risk and create habitat. Helping Perquimans and Pasqutank cunties develp a tax structure t incentivize landwners t enrll swamp frests in cnservatin easements. Management measures will be summarized in a table with the fllwing headings: Pssible Management Measures Stressr - Targeted Lad Reductin - Evaluatin Measures An estimate f the lad reductins expected fr the management measures 3 Excess N and P frm agricultural peratins may be cntributing t the Impaired listing fr Chlrphyll a. Evaluatin measures wuld include Reducing N and P (lbs/yr) Increasing DO (mg/l) Reducing TSS and Turbidity Reducing sediment in the river will be ne f the key bjectives. The targeted lad reductin wuld be tns f sediment per year. The evaluatin measures may include TSS and Turbidity. Lad reductins tls will be evaluated fr calculating targets, fr example: Spreadsheet Tl fr the Estimatin f Pllutant Lad (STEPL) Revised Universal Sil Lss Equatin 2 (RUSLE2) An estimate f the amunt f technical and financial assistance needed assciated csts and r surces and authrities that will be relied upn, t implement the plan The Albemarle RC&D Cuncil wuld prvide prject technical supprt. Pasqutank and Perquimans SWCD staff wuld assist with field surveys, habitat imprvement, and public utreach. Pasqutank and Perquimans Cunties wuld prvide in-kind supprt thrugh the SWCD ffices and staff, and GIS staff. The tax ffices in each cunty wuld wrk with the prject t develp a system f tax relief fr landwners wh sign cnservatin easements alng the river. Staff and students at ECSU wuld assist with develping and implementing prgrams fr mnitring water quality and fisheries habitat, and prcessing data fr public access. Elizabeth City Bass Masters wuld help with public educatin, habitat restratin and mnitring activities. Thrugh the planning prcess, ther lcal grups wuld be identified as prject cllabratrs. The prject wuld als wrk with DMF, WRC, ther state and federal agencies, and lcal fishing clubs t design habitat structures and artificial reefs fr the upper, middle and lwer sectins f the Little River. The prject wuld als identify and wrk with sub-watershed landwner grups t help slve lcal water management and water quality prblems including cnservatin f swamp frests. 4 The restratin plan wuld identify ptential surces f funding fr prject activities including Castal Recreatinal Fishing License grant prgram APNEP Divisin f Water Resurces Clean Water Management Trust Fund NC Divisin f Sil and Water Cnservatin NRCS US Fish and Wildlife Service EPA Other state and federal agencies Grant-making nn-prfit rganizatins Cst Categries wuld include: Staff Salaries Technical Assistance BMP Design and Cnstructin Public Awareness and Educatin Mnitring and Evaluatin

6 Office Supplies Travel Permitting An infrmatin/educatin cmpnent that will be used t enhance public understanding f the prject 5 Public educatin and utreach will be a majr cmpnent thrughut the watershed planning prcess. Key stakehlders will be identified and included in the develpment and implementatin f the watershed plan. Lcal, state, and federal prgrams will als be included in the planning prcess t tie in financial and technical assistance. Examples f infrmatin and educatin activities include: Develp a prject web site fr public access t infrmatin and activities fr cnservatin and restratin. Als access t mnitring data. Develp infrmatinal brchures and materials fr public meetings and educatinal events. Cnduct public meetings fr landwners in Pasqutank and Perquimans Cunties. Implement BMPs in areas visible t the public Cnduct educatinal wrkshps fr lcal high schl students. Install infrmatin kisks and signage at river access sites, alng the river and at BMPs t highlight prject activities in watershed cnservatin and restratin. A schedule fr implementing the NPS management measures identified in this plan that is reasnably expeditius 6 The implementatin schedule cmpnent f the watershed plan will turn the gals and bjectives int specific tasks. The schedule will include a timeline f when tasks will be implemented and accmplished, and identify the agency/rganizatin respnsible fr implementatin. The timeline will cver the entire watershed recvery prcess, with shrt and lng term gals. The parameters fr the tasks will include: Duratin Gegraphic Scpe Critical Areas Gal Statement Objectives and Key Elements Implementatin Csts Schedule Mnitring A descriptin f interim, measurable milestnes fr determining whether NPS management measures r ther cntrl actins are being implemented 7 Milestnes will measure watershed imprvement by setting: Shrt-term gals (1 2 years) Fr example, cmpleting the watershed restratin plan and beginning implementatin activities including public educatin and baseline mnitring. Mid-term gals (2 5 years) Fr example, establishing six demnstratin BMPs thrughut the watershed, and a lng-term mnitring prgram. Lng-term gals (5 10 years) Fr example, measuring reductins in N, P, and sediment, and imprvements in water quality and fisheries stcks. Obtaining cmmitments frm lcal gvernments and state and federal agencies t prvide technical and financial assistance. Measureable milestnes will be rganized by pririty, and set ut in the gals. Tasks set under each gal will include time estimates and respnsible parties. 8 A set f criteria that can be used t determine whether lading reductins are being achieved vertime and substantial prgress is being made twards attaining water quality standards

7 The restratin plan will prvide a time estimate and criteria by which the pllutant cntrls will result in water quality standard attainment fr Chlrphyll a ((μg liter -1 ). Criteria wuld include Reducing N and P (lbs/yr) Increasing DO (mg/l) Reducing TSS and Turbidity The EPA s recmmended narrative fr chlrphyll a in the Chesapeake Bay (2003) may be a gd guide fr the Little River watershed: Cncentratins f chlrphyll a in free-flating micrscpic aquatic plants (algae) shall nt exceed levels that result in eclgically undesirable cnsequences such as reduced water clarity, lw disslved xygen, fd supply imbalances, prliferatin f species deemed ptentially harmful t aquatic life r humans r aesthetically bjectinable cnditins r therwise render tidal waters unsuitable fr designated uses. A mnitring cmpnent t evaluate the effectiveness f the implementatin effrts ver time measured against the criteria established under item 8. 9 The prject mnitring plan will address the fllwing: Identify purpse f mnitring, including all valuable indicatrs Cnsider data quality needed t meet the gals and bjectives in the management plan Define wh and hw the data will be used Cllect backgrund infrmatin in the watershed that can be used t refine the gals and bjectives if needed Prvide the identity and experience f the mnitring plan preparer Descriptin f the mnitring plan Parameters t be mnitred Methd f analysis Mnitring frequency Mnitring site lcatins (mapped in GIS) ECSU staff and students will wrk with DWQ, NCDMF, WRC, ther state and federal agencies, and lcal stakehlders t design and implement a water quality and fisheries mnitring prgram. A QAPP will be develped as a cmpnent f the prject.