Watershed Protection Plan North Oconee River Watershed

Tanyard to Lily Branch

Upper Oconee Watershed Network

University of Georgia Grounds Department

Environmental Practicum Graduate Students

North Oconee River WatershedsTanyard to Lilly Branch

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 Branch• 2.02-square kilometer watershed • 74% impervious surface• Approximately 50% of the stream length is piped• Impaired: failure to meet designated use of fishing as a result

of fecal coliform levels (also high conductivity and low Ph)• High storm flows lead to eroding and undercut stream banks• Invasive species• Recent Watershed Characterization by ACC Stormwater• Grounds department water quality monitoring and clean-up• Highly visible near the football stadium with daylighted

sections in the community

Clean Water Act

• The discharge of any pollutant from a point source into navigable waters is unlawful unless made according to terms of a 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

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

• Consider how BMPs can work together

• Find tools to help prioritize BMP implementation

Invasive Species - Background

• Part of a larger effort to restore severely impaired urban streams

• 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

Primary species of concern: Chinese Privet

Tanyard #1- Cemetery

Owner: UGA

Approximate Area: 0.91 acres

Primary species of concern: Chinese Privet, Periwinkle

Tanyard #2- Tate Center

Owner: UGA

Approximate Area: 0.52 acres

Primary species of concern: Chinese Privet, Periwinkle, Bush Honeysuckle, Oregon Grape

Tanyard #3- Pope Street

Owner: Athens-Clarke County

Approximate Area: 0.10 acres

Primary species of concern: Chinese Privet, Kudzu, Japanese Honeysuckle, Carolina Geranium

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