Watershed Protection Plan North Oconee River Watershed

Tanyard to Lilly Branch

Upper Oconee Watershed Network

UGAGrounds Department

Environmental Practicum Graduate Students

Outline of Presentation

• Overview of Project• Current Watershed Conditions• Potential Sources of Pollution & Controls• Invasive Species• Education and Outreach• Public Input

Project Goals

The goal is to improve water quality and watershed ecosystem health while affording opportunities for passive and active education and engaging the campus and ACC Community.

9-Elements• Identification of pollutant sources• Estimate of expected improvements from

recommendations• Description of management measures & critical

areas • Estimate of amounts of technical & financial

assistance • Information and education component • Schedule for implementation• Description of interim milestones• Set of criteria for determining success• Monitoring component to evaluate progress

Collaborative Partnership• UGA River Basin Center (Amble Johnson)• UGA Office of Sustainability (Tyra Byers)• UGA Odum School of Ecology (Dr. Laurie Fowler)• College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (Dr. Mark Risse)• College of Environment and Design (Dr. Jon Calabria and Dr. Alfie Vick)• Warnell School of Forestry (Dr. Todd Rasmussen)• UGA Grounds Department (Dexter Adams)• UGA University Architects (Ben Liverman and Lara Mathes)• Athens Clarke County Storm Water (Ryan Eaves and Ellison Fiddler)• Upper Oconee Watershed Network (Elizabeth Little and Summer Blackwell)• Friends of Five Points (Kevin Barnes)• Emerging Green Professionals (John Tankard)• Ecology Club and Go Green Alliance (Sara De La Torre Berón)

Watershed Issues• Heavy urbanization in the watershed (lots of

pavement)• Piped for large portions of reach• Polluted• Invasive species• Not always seen as amenities (places to throw

trash, etc.)• Recent work by the UGA Grounds department to

identify sources of contamination and by university architect to filter run-off

Lilly Branch• Poor Water Quality

– Hydrocarbon Pollution (Leaking underground storage tanks)– Fecal Contamination– High Conductivity and low Ph

• High Storm Flows (leading to erosion and undercut banks)

• Limited Riparian Corridors• Invasive Species• Native Diversity (salamanders)• Daylight Section by Lamar Dodd School of Art with

Stormwater BMP’s• Community and Campus Amenity

Tanyard Creek• 2.02-square kilometer watershed • 74% impervious surface• Approximately 50% of the stream length is piped• Impaired: failure to meet designated use of fishing – fecal coliform levels (also high conductivity & low Ph)

• High storm flows lead to erosion• Invasive species• Recent watershed characterization• Grounds department monitoring and clean-up• Highly visible near the football stadium

Water Quality SamplingGoal: identify presence & levels of fecal coliforms/E. coli in UGA’s streams

• 3 sampling events during Spring 2012

• 2 sampling events conducted in coordination with Brown & Caldwell’s routine sampling

• 1 sampling event conducted by Practicum students to identify “hot spots” & potential sources of pollution

IDEXX Analyses and Data

Yellow cells

indicate presence

of fecal coliforms

Fluorescing cells indicate presence of E. coli

Lilly Branch, 04/12/12, Dry Weather, Upstream to Downstream

17% of FC is E. coli

67% of FC is E. coli

58% of FC is E. coli

Sampling Data

- Database being created for previous & future data collected by ACC, UGA, UOWN, etc.

- Data collection to continue through spring 2013 (by Practicum students)

- In addition to fecal coliforms & E. coli, data also collected for temperature, specific conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and pH

***Goal: to identify specific pollutant sources & implement practices to reduce pollutant loads to our streams***

Private Sanitary Sewer Service Lines- Pipe that connects a residence/business to the public sewer system

- Aged pipes develop cracks & leaks, become clogged with grease & roots lead to the overflow of raw sewage

- Stormwater enters deteriorated pipes through cracks & breaks that can increase sewer lateral pipe flows by 1,000% or more; carries raw sewage to streams

- Even if the public sewer line is repaired or replaced, aged private sewer lines can still release raw sewage

- “The grass is always greener over the septic field.”

Watch for sink holes and bright green streaks or patches of turf grass

Contact your plumber or landlord for an inspection

“Sewer Laterals: Why You should Check Out Yours,” Marin County, CA http://www.yourpieceofmarin.com/2010/11/sewer-laterals/

The Impact of Dumpsters

What can we do to mitigate the negative effects of ill-kept dumpsters

in the 5 points area?

The Impact of Dumpsters• Noted dumpster locations during our

sampling of the 2 streams

• Inspected the dumpsters, location, & set-up

• Determined the extent of leachate (garbage juice)

• Determined if leachate was mixing with stormwater and contributing to contaminated run-off

Simple Mitigation Techniques• Place dumpster on paved, concrete

floor with “bermed” or curbed sides within paved area

• Cover dumpster area with roof or lids• Inspect dumpsters monthly for

deterioration to make sure leakage is not occurring

• Inspect lids to ensure they are securely fastened & adequately cover dumpster

• Inform affected parties and public about illicit discharge and harmful effects *Notice how this dumpster is safeguarded against

animals rummaging through dumpster trash.

Community Goals Moving Forward

• Create dumpster facilities that prevent or reduce possibility of stormwater mixing with dumpster contaminants

• Increase public awareness of public health issues presented by illicit discharge from dumpsters during rain events

• Put ordinances in place to diminish effect of dumpsters on stream water quality, specifically in 5 Points & on campus

Clean Water Act

• Discharge of any pollutant from a point-source into navigable waters is unlawful unless made according to terms of NPDES permit

• Requires local governments to add discharge ordinances

• Enforcement Provisions– Government Enforcement– Citizen Suit Provision

ACC Illicit Discharge and Illegal Connection Ordinance

• It is a violation for any person to throw, drain, or otherwise discharge…into the ACC separate storm sewer system any pollutants or water containing any pollutants, other than storm water

• Notification Requirement

• Enforcement/Penalties

Bulldawg 66 - Corrective Action Plan1553 South Lumpkin Street, Five Points

- On July 7, 1993, complaint made by ACC building inspector. The record documented oil sheen & odors in Lilly Branch ~500 feet from the site.

- As recently as 2006, significant free product was found in a monitoring well. On one occasion 1.5 feet of free product was found - on another, over 3 feet.

Site History

Remediation Wells30 Remediation Wells

Trenching•AMEC estimates that approximately 1,300 feet of trenching will be required to connect proposed recovery wells to compound location.

•Trenches will be approximately 2-3 feet deep, depending on location and the number of pipes in the trench line.

Estimated CostTotal Cost of Remediation - $649,403.67Including Thermox Oxidation - $730,562.97First 40% Lump Sum - $246,428.34

Corrective Action Plan

Implementation• The remediation should take approximately three years from the time the plan and the task order are approved.

• Operation and maintenance visits will occur weekly during the first month. • At the end of the first month, the visits will occur on a monthly basis.

• The Georgia Rules for Underground Storage Tank Management requires notification to the members of the public most directly affected by the remediation plans.

• At least 17 notices were sent via certified mail to surrounding landowners.

Invasive Species - Background

• Overwhelming presence of invasive exotic flora– Outcompete native flora– Depending on species, can lead to severe bank

erosion

• An opportunity to educate!

Invasive Species - Site Selection

• We selected sites for invasives control based on 3 criteria:1. Property ownership- only properties owned by

the University of Georgia or Athens-Clarke County

2. Public visibility- only sites easily visible to the public

3. Probability of successful control/eradication- relatively small sites, increasing intensity of management and likelihood of success

Invasive Species - Lilly Branch Site

Owner: UGA

Approximate Area: 0.80 acres

Species of concern: Chinese Privet

Tanyard #1- Cemetery

Owner: UGA

Approximate Area: 0.91 acres

Species of concern: Chinese Privet, Periwinkle

Tanyard #2- Tate Center

Owner: UGA

Approximate Area: 0.52 acres

Species of concern: Chinese Privet, Periwinkle, Bush Honeysuckle, Oregon Grape

Tanyard #3- Pope Street

Owner: Athens-Clarke County

Approximate Area: 0.10 acres

Species of concern: Chinese Privet, Kudzu, Japanese Honeysuckle, Carolina Geranium

Watershed-wide analysis of BMP opportunities:

STORMWATER

• What is stormwater runoff?

• Problems associated with stormwater– Water Pollution– Flash Flooding– Erosion

Watershed-wide analysis of BMP opportunities:

MANAGING STORMWATER - BMPS• Best Management

Practices (BMPs) Structures that either:

• Slow stormwater down so it can soak into the ground

Or:• Collect stormwater for

future reuse

Examples

Watershed-wide analysis of BMP opportunities:

ANALYSIS• Suggest BMP opportunities

throughout system, considering site conditions, location in watershed, and need

• Consider how BMPs can work together

• Find tools to help prioritize BMP implementation

Education Program…

Objective: To create a long-term outreach program at Barrow Elementary School that educates students about stormwater

Education Program…

Curriculum included:– Watershed modeling activity– Role playing– Field trip to Tanyard Creek– Brainstorming solutions– Distributed materials– Multimedia

Education Program…

Outcome:-over 100 students in four 3rd grade classes-2-part curriculum met several GPS-ties into conservation unit-requires few materials replicable for future

Education and Outreach• Elementary school education• Community meetings and workshops• Invasive species removal days and trash clean

ups• Website with watershed information• Educational signage• Targeted outreach campaigns (clean up after

pets example)