catoctin creek: a stream in distress catoctin watershed project a partnership of county and citizen...
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Catoctin Creek:A Stream in Distress
Catoctin Watershed ProjectA 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 CreekThere 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 community-wide 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
10
100
1000
10000
0.06 0.19 0.31 0.44 0.56 0.69 0.81 0.94Percentile
Feca
l Col
iform
m
f/100
ml
Rt. 287DEQ StandardRt. 719
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
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
Jan-93 Oct-95 Jul-98 Apr-01 Jan-04 Oct-06
To
tal
Resid
ue (
mg
/l)
Catoctin Creek – A Threat to Aquatic Life
LW C Aquatic Insect Scores for C atoctin
W atershed -- 2004
0
4
8
12
16
20
24
CA
T#1
MIL
L#1
MIL
L#1
MIL
L#2
MIL
L#2
NFC
AT#1
SFCA
T#1
SFCA
T#2
SFCA
T#3
SFCA
T#4
XCA
T#1
XCA
T#1
EP
A B
ios
urv
ey
Sc
ore
(0
-24
)
Good
Fair
Poor
• 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 cost-
share 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!
• 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!