TMDL Implementation Plans

Big Otter River Implementation Plan

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An Implementation Plan for the Big Otter Watershed has been completed as of July 2006.  Please download the Big Otter IP Summary Report or the full report  for additional information on the project.

This project included the development of an implementation plan for the Big Otter River Watershed for a bacterial impairment.  The Big Otter River (BOR) basin is 388 square miles in area and is located in Bedford and Campbell Counties of Virginia. The BOR is a tributary of the Roanoke River (USGS Hydrologic Unit Code 03010101), which discharges into Buggs Island Lake, Lake Gaston, and continues to discharge into Albemarle Sound on North Carolina’s coast.  Forest and pasture lands comprise about 86% of the BOR basin area.  The rest of the area is divided into cropland (2.03%), rural residential (6.66%), commercial/industrial (1.09%), and high density residential (4.22%), which includes the City of Bedford and parts of the City of Lynchburg.  The BOR basin includes eight watersheds, five of which contained impaired segments at the time the TMDL was developed.

The other three watersheds (North Otter Creek, Buffalo Creek, and Flat Creek watersheds) were considered in the TMDL study because they contribute flow and fecal coliform to the impaired segments. The Buffalo Creek subwatershed has since been listed as containing additional impairments.   

TMDL Implementation Plans

Stroubles Creek Implementation Plan

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An implementation plan for Stroubles Creek was completed in May 2006 and is available for downloaded on our website. It is the next step in the TMDL process that specifies where and how the sediment reductions called for in the TMDL study will be made to remove the aquatic life impairment on Stroubles Creek. A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study was conducted on Stroubles Creek from April 2002 through October 2003 and approved by EPA in January 2004. The TMDL specified the maximum sediment load that Stroubles Creek can handle in a manner that is protective of the habitat for benthic macroinvertebrates, in particular, and aquatic life, in general, so that it is in compliance with Virginia water quality standards.

In general, the Commonwealth of Virginia intends for nonpoint source pollutant TMDL reductions to be implemented in a staged fashion. Staged implementation is an iterative process that incrementally implements management measures, initially targeting those sources and/or practices with the largest impact on water quality, coupled with a monitoring plan to continuously assess progress toward full attainment of designated uses.

Stroubles Creek is a tributary of the New River (VAW-N22R, HUC 05050001). The headwaters of the creek originate in the northeastern part of the town of Blacksburg, flowing in a generally southwestern direction. Stroubles Creek is formed from two main tributaries – Central Branch and Webb Branch – and receives flow from a number of other unnamed perennial streams. The two named tributaries flow into the Duck Pond on the Virginia Tech campus, with the main Stroubles Creek channel beginning at the pond’s outfall. This watershed contains a significant urban area associated with, or incorporated in, the Town of Blacksburg, and a majority of the main campus of Virginia Tech.

The following watershed conditions were identified as issues during the stressor analysis in the Stroubles Creek TMDL study:

1. Lack of streamside forest
2. Livestock access to streams
3. Agricultural runoff
4. Increasing development and peak flows from stormwater runoff
5. Stream channel modifications
6. Sewer overflows
7. Downtown business wastewater disposal
8. Pollutant buildup on impervious surfaces
9. Enforcement of Erosion & Sediment regulations at construction sites
10. Improper disposal of grass clippings and trash

The next three tables list the agricultural, stream channel and stormwater management BMPs to be installed to address the identified water quality issues in Stroubles Creek during the implementation period, together with expected sediment load reductions and their cost/ton of sediment.

Agricultural BMP Cost Benefit Analysis

Stream Channel BMP Cost Benefit Analysis

Stormwater Management BMP Cost Benefit Analysis

In addition to the above practices, programs will be implemented to eliminate Sanitary Sewer System Overflows, and to provide education to a variety of targeted audiences throughout the watershed on pollution prevention and creek stewardship. Riparian forest buffers and livestock exclusion practices are likely to offer the greatest reduction in sediment loads in Stroubles Creek, and should be implemented first. Many of the actions proposed, such as sanitary sewer improvements and illicit discharge detection are already included in local MS4 plans and will be locally funded. A part-time watershed coordinator will be hired in conjunction with the New River Watershed Roundtable to facilitate implementation, tracking, and educational components of the IP. Funding for implementation in Stroubles Creek will come from a variety of sources, including available cost-sharing programs, grant sources, and in-kind services from the Town of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech. The amount of funding available from each source is expected to vary from year to year and grant funding will be contingent on receipt of awards. However, since the implementation plan will be phased in over a period of years, a number of funding opportunities will be available during implementation, thereby increasing the likelihood of receiving the requested funding. Since implementation planning for Stroubles Creek was initiated by VDEQ instead of VDCR, it was inadvertently left off of the state’s current priority list for receiving §319 program funds. However, funding from §319 grants may be available for the watershed starting in 2007. Many of the activities in this plan are ones that the Town and University have already planned and funded on their own, so although they may not offer the greatest benefit per dollar, their funding, nevertheless, is assured.

TMDL Implementation Plans

Openquon Creek Implementation Plan

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An Implementation Plan was developed for the Opequon Creek Watershed and is available for download here.  The project was finalized in July 2006.

In 2003, the Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) department at Virginia Tech developed five TMDLs for the Opequon Creek watershed[1,2]; two to address aquatic life impairments (Abrams Creek and Lower Opequon Creek) and three to address bacteria impairments (Abrams Creek and Upper and Lower Opequon Creek). These TMDLs were approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2004.

A part of the Potomac River basin (USGS Hydrologic Unit Code 020700), Opequon Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River, which empties into the Chesapeake Bay, Figure 1. Abrams Creek is a tributary of Opequon Creek. For clarity, the two impaired segments of Opequon Creek were designated “Upper” and “Lower.” The headwaters of Upper Opequon Creek (Segment ID VAV-B08R_OPE01A00) lie to the southwest of the city of Winchester. Abrams Creek (Segment ID VAV-B09R_ABR01A00) runs through the city of Winchester and flows into Opequon Creek. Lower Opequon Creek (Segment ID VAV-B09R_OPE01A00) begins at the confluence of Abrams Creek and Upper Opequon Creek and ends at the point where the Opequon crosses the Virginia/West Virginia state line.