Transcript Catoctin Creek: A Stream in Distress

Catoctin Creek:
A Stream in Distress
Catoctin Watershed Project
A Partnership of County and Citizen
Organizations
Catoctin Creek – A Creek With
Many Faces
• Drains almost 100 square miles – 2nd largest
watershed in Loudoun County
• Flows through the historic towns of
Waterford, Purcellville, and Round Hill
• Provides scenic beauty and recreational
enjoyment
• Serves the beef cattle and horse farmer
The Scenic River Face
South Fork Catoctin below Purcellville
Canoeing on Catoctin Creek below Taylorstown
Kayaking on the scenic portion of Catoctin Creek
It may be small, but it is a bass from Catoctin Creek
Another Face of Catoctin Creek
There is an uglier face that involves fecal
pollution, stressed buffers and aquatic life,
erosion, and sediments that flow to the Bay.
Catoctin Watershed Project
• There are a number of organizations in Loudoun
County that are concerned:
– Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District is
concerned about agricultural practices
– Loudoun Environmental Health is concerned about
failing septic systems and direct pipes
– Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and Loudoun
Watershed Watch are concerned about stream buffers
and aquatic life
• The Catoctin Watershed Project is a partnership of
these concerned organizations.
State Agencies are Concerned
• The Virginia Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ) is concerned about fecal pollution
and threats to aquatic life
• Virginia Department of Conservation and
Recreation (DCR) is concerned about poor
farming practices that create sediments and
nutrient problems that extend to Chesapeake Bay
• Virginia Department of Health is concerned about
the potential health risks of fecal contamination in
our streams
Are Citizens Concern?
• We believe citizens will be concerned once they
understand the problem
• Our streams are one of our most valuable natural
resources
• A threat to our water resources is a communitywide problem
• Do you agree? Are we overreacting to something
we should accept as inevitable?
• Lets review the facts and then see where we stand
Catoctin Creek – Receptacle of
Nonpoint Pollution
DEQ identified sources of nonpoint pollution:
• Livestock with stream access
– 5300 beef heifer in watershed
• Failing septic systems and straight pipes
– Estimated 25 failing systems in watershed
• Wildlife
– Estimated 2800 muskrats live in Catoctin Creek
Cattle deposit fecal wastes in the water that
may contain pathogens
Catoctin Creek – An Impaired
Watershed
Water quality does not meet standards and is
impaired for recreational use and stressed for
aquatic life:
• 20% violation rate at Taylorstown
• Up to 35% violation rate on NF Catoctin
• Up to 35% violation rate on SF Catoctin
• High levels at all flows during all months
• Standard exceeded more than 50% of the time
every month
Fecal Coliform Violation Rates in North Fork
Catoctin Creek Based on LCSWCD Data
1999-2003
Fecal Coliform
mf/100ml
10000
1000
Rt. 287
DEQ Standard
Rt. 719
100
10
0.06
0.19
0.31
0.44
0.56
Percentile
0.69
0.81
0.94
Potential Health Risk
State has issued health statement
of potential risk to public
health:
• E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria is a
pathogen carried in cattle that
has caused illness from
swimming.
• Citizens who use river, stream
and lake water for recreational
purposes are urged to be
cautious and to use common
sense about contact with such
water.
Catoctin Creek – Poor Riparian
Buffers
Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy monitors 10
sites in Catoctin watershed:
• 60% of sites have “Fair or Poor” rating for
stream-side habitat
• Most severe stress factors are:
– Narrow riparian buffers
– Exposed and unstable stream banks
– Sediments that smother the substrate and
creates point bars and mud banks
No riparian buffer to filter stormwater runoff pollutants
Catoctin Creek – A Source of
Sediments to Chesapeake Bay
Virginia pledged to reduce sediments into the
Potomac River by 617,000 tons/yr to help save the
Bay.
• Primary source in Catoctin Creek is agricultural
lands
– Inadequate riparian buffers
– Livestock with stream access
• DEQ data show no reduction in Catoctin Creek in
last 10 years
Suspended Solids Trend in
Catoctin Creek at Taylorstown
1995-2004
Total Residue (mg/l)
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
Jan-93 Oct-95
Jul-98 Apr-01 Jan-04 Oct-06
Catoctin Creek – A Threat to
Aquatic Life
L W C Aq u atic In sect S co res fo r C ato ctin
W atersh ed -- 2004
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C
E P A Biosurvey S core (0-24)
• Stream monitoring by Loudoun Wildlife
Conservancy in 2004 show “fair to poor”
conditions at 75% of the 12 stations.
Are the Facts Convincing?
• DEQ has done a study and found consist,
elevated fecal contamination from livestock
and human sources.
• There is a potential public health risk
• Riparian buffers are reduced, erosion is
increased, and sediment levels create
unhealthy conditions for aquatic life.
There is a Plan!
• State has an approve TMDL Implementation Plan
• County has $1 million in cost share funds over 5
Years and 2 new employees to implement plan
• Goal is 100% elimination of straight pipes and
exclusion of livestock from direct deposition in
the streams
• Citizen groups have grant funds to provide
education and monitor streams to assess progress
Actions Required –
Agricultural Practices
• Most important step is excluding livestock
from the streams.
– Install fencing under cost-share programs
– Provide alternative water supply under costshare programs
– Install protected stream crossing for livestock
– Create a riparian buffer to stabilize the bank
and filter runoff
Actions Required – Septic
Systems
• Most important step is proper maintenance
of systems:
– Pump out system every five years
– Repair system if leaks occur on the ground
surface
– Protect the drainage field – no parking and no
tree roots that will damage field
– Keep hazardous chemicals out of system
Actions Required – Sediments
and Aquatic Life
• The most important steps are to reduce stream
bank erosion and sediments in the streams:
– Restore natural stream buffers with trees and bushes
that will hold the soils and stabilize the banks
– Preserve natural floodplains that will reduce the
velocity of flood waters and recharge groundwater
supplies that keep stream flow up
– Maintain and upgrade stormwater retention and control
facilities to reduce erosion flows after rainfalls and
reduce pollutants entering streams from impervious
surfaces
There are Benefits!
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Cleaner water in Loudoun County
Improved public health
Conservation of natural resources
Improved riparian habitat and aquatic life
Reduced flood damage
Improved recreational opportunities
Greater economic opportunities
How Citizens Can Help
• Talk to your neighbors about the value of clean
water and a healthy Catoctin Creek to the
community.
• Success depends upon voluntary actions of
property owners:
– Repair failing septic tank systems
– Exclude cattle from streams
– Restore natural riparian buffers
• Technical assistance and cost share money is
available
How You Can Join the Effort
• If you are a riparian property owner –
contact LSWCD to get the facts about
becoming a good steward of your land.
• If you live in the community, joint with
other citizen stewards to provide education
and stream monitoring:
– Visit Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy @
www.loudounwildlife.org
Environmental stewardship helps our community!