Looking Glass River Watershed Management Plan - Greater ...
Looking Glass River Watershed Management Plan - Greater ...
Looking Glass River Watershed Management Plan - Greater ...
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In Table 3-11 the top five unit area loadings are highlighted in yellow with<br />
the number one loadings, Turkey Creek and Lower Vermillion Creek,<br />
bolded. Locations and names of subwatersheds can be referenced in Figure<br />
2-1.<br />
Table 3-11 Unit Area Storm Water Data Loading<br />
Subwatershed<br />
Phosphorus BOD Sediment<br />
(lbs/ac/yr) (lbs/ac/yr) (lbs /ac/yr)<br />
Clise Drain 0.55 6.62 384.47<br />
Faiver Drain 0.65 6.57 500.90<br />
Graneer Drain 0.49 6.11 346.63<br />
Upper Vermillion Creek 0.38 7.05 208.99<br />
<strong>Looking</strong> <strong>Glass</strong> A 0.67 6.66 514.47<br />
<strong>Looking</strong> <strong>Glass</strong> B 0.40 4.70 283.68<br />
Lower Remey Chandler Drain 0.49 6.92 327.21<br />
Lower Vermillion Creek 0.52 7.98 363.47<br />
Mud Creek 0.30 5.06 173.93<br />
Prairie & Gunderman Drain 0.24 4.28 148.54<br />
Summer Drain 0.63 5.99 479.08<br />
Turkey Creek 0.70 6.61 567.58<br />
Upper Remey Chandler Drain 0.28 4.08 180.66<br />
Middle Vermillion Creek 0.29 6.30 135.84<br />
The model is showing that the highest unit loadings are occurring in the<br />
more rural or agricultural zones of the watershed. These results are not due<br />
to specific sites within the watershed, but are a result of the higher loadings<br />
associated with agricultural land uses. Best management practices existing<br />
within the watershed were not considered within this loading model.<br />
Pollutant Loading Summary<br />
Overall the loadings calculated may provide an accurate representation of<br />
the loadings occurring in the watershed. In many instances agricultural<br />
landscapes have the highest loads of sediment, phosphorus, and BOD,<br />
although urban areas should not be underestimated in their loading<br />
contributions. Much of the urban sediments which may not be accounted for<br />
through the pollutant load calculations may be originating from construction<br />
sites, poor maintenance of roads and catch basins, and altered urban<br />
waterways.<br />
The MDEQ and MDNR found the greatest impact to macroinvertebrates, fish<br />
and habitat in the <strong>Looking</strong> <strong>Glass</strong> to be occurring in the downstream areas<br />
within the urbanized zone. Sediments may be carried from the upstream<br />
reach to the urbanized zone where water velocities are slower and the<br />
sediment is able to be deposited.<br />
It is a coincidence that the largest loadings of BOD are located in Vermillion<br />
Creek, the same area where a TMDL for untreated sewage discharge must be<br />
developed. STEPL only calculates pollutant loads based on a specific<br />
pollutant concentration for a land use. The pollutant load concentration may<br />
be predicting a high load of BOD as a result of the agricultural land use,<br />
which may need to be controlled through the TMDL.<br />
The published data support the pollutant load calculations produced in the<br />
STEPL program for most of the watershed, but suggest that the program is<br />
underestimating the urbanized subwatersheds.<br />
3-24 <strong>Looking</strong> <strong>Glass</strong> <strong>River</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> April 2007