Presented by Melanie Williams

Plan Schedule Water Quality Status Trends Chain of Lakes Basinwide Issues Recommendations & goals Public Review Comments 2010 Catawba River Basin Plan

Catawba Plan Schedule Internal Review: April 15 – May 7, 2010 Public Review: May 18 – June 18, 2010 WQC: July 14, 2010 EMC: September 2010

Impaired Waters 2010 Impaired Waters in Red Between 2004 Plan and 2010 Plan: Removed from Impaired Waters List: 23.6 miles 4,895.1 acres Added to Impaired Waters List: 226 miles 1,937 acres

Biological Rating Trends # of Stations

32 Stations Basinwide Each monitored monthly Ambient Monitoring System Stations

Copper 47 miles of new impairments Methodology change General downward trend Yearly average values of 32 ambient monitoring stations. Red Lines: Impaired waters for Copper

% Exceedances Between Turbidity Red Lines: Impaired waters for Turbidity Standard: 50 NTU

No Elevated Levels Fecal Coliform Bacteria (FCB) % Elevated Between Red Lines: Impaired waters for FCB By Geometric Mean

pH % of Low pH Exceedances Between Red Lines: Impaired waters for Low pH pH (S.U.) High pH Standard = 9.0 su Low pH Standard = 6.0 su By Mean

Catawba Chain of Lakes

Impaired Lakes: Rhodhiss, Mountain Island, Portions of Wylie Recommendations for Chain: Increase main stem buffer awareness through educational efforts Collect additional samples within the lakes for a total of 10 samples in each lake Implement Action Plans

Lake Rhodhiss Impaired – High pH (since 2004) 21% Nitrogen & 48% Phosphorus from point source Based on modeling from 2000 Optimization Study for three WWTP facilities completed in Jan Marion, Morganton & Valdese Western Piedmont Council of Government Watershed Management Plan - (2009) Nonpoint source: nutrient/sediment reductions

Lake Rhodhiss Action Plan Point Sources: 3 WWTPs complete pilot study to reduce phosphorus New permit requirements include… Effluent monitoring weekly for nutrients Instream monitoring monthly for nutrients Nonpoint Sources: Implement Watershed Management Plan Evaluate 2012 monitoring results to determine if TMDL is necessary.

Mountain Island Lake Impaired – Low pH Recommendation: Special Study in planning stage DWQ working with Charlotte-Mecklenburg & Duke Energy

Lake Wylie Upper dam to I-85: Impaired - Low pH South Fork Stem: Impaired - Copper 1996: Nitrogen/Phosphorus TMDL developed to address high chlorophyll a

Lake Wylie 2010 Recommendations Mount Holly & Belmont permit limits Develop Action Plan to better support the TMDL Monitoring Plan Review management area Review source allocation Review nutrient monitoring requirements Majors – Effluent weekly Minors – Effluent at least monthly

Other Basinwide Issues Stormwater Velocity & Volume On-Site Wastewater Treatment Buffers on Main Stem Coal Ash Ponds

Water Quality Improvements & Restoration Work 1,311 acres preserved and protected through the Conservation Easement Fund 40 Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP) Projects Active Soil and Water Conservation Districts Irish Creek removed from Impaired Waters List Local Initiatives

Recommendations & Goals for Upcoming Cycle Action Plans Coordinate efforts to plan and implement local watershed management plans Participate in analysis of Low pH Assist with fecal coliform bacteria reduction efforts Support buffer awareness and outreach efforts Conduct/support watershed stressor studies

Public Review Received Comments from: Duke Energy Charlotte-Mecklenburg Stormwater Services Town of Valdese The City of Hickory Gaston County Cooperative Extension The Farm Bureau Catawba RiverKeeper

Public Review Comments Comment Topics: Low pH Requests for additional lake sampling Sources of Copper Taste & Odor issue in Lakes Rhodhiss and Hickory Agricultural Impacts, Farm Bill efforts Need for a nutrient strategy for the whole chain of lakes Full study of coal ash pond impacts Stronger recommendations to reduce nutrients in lakes Evaluate stormwater impacts on lakes

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