Sandusky TMDL: Goals for Phosphorus Load Reductions

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Sandusky TMDL Goals for Phosphorus Load
Reductions

• Presented by Eric Piñeiro, Ohio EPA
• Sandusky River Watershed Symposium
  June 27, 2006

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Importance of Setting Goals

• Analogy Cholesterol level in bloodstream

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Ultimate TMDL Goal Meet Appropriate Use
Designation

• How is this Achieved?
• Locate Problem Areas
• Determine Causes and Sources of the impairment
• Measure or estimate the pollutant loads
• Set goals for pollutant reduction and habitat
  enhancement that will help stream meet the
  biological criteria

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Upper Sandusky Watershed
Sandusky-Tiffin
Lower Tymochtee
Honey Ck
Broken Sword
Sandusky-Mexico
Sandusky-Bucyrus
Upper Tymoch
N
Sandusky-Upper Sandusky
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Looking for Problem Areas
Ohio EPA Fish Score Results in Sandusky River
1979, 1990 and 2001 Surveys
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Source of sediment, bacteria and
nutrients Contribute to oxygen depletion
downstream
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Impact of Phosphorus and Nutrients
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Excess nutrients cause nuisance algae problems
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Some Sources are Obvious
CBOD20 77, chloride 116, NH3-N 1.94, total
P 0.46
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Total Phosphorus 17 mg/l in this effluent
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Small Sources Add Up in Small Streams

• CBOD20 130 mg/l
• chloride 663 mg/l
• NH3-N 27.9 mg/l
• total P 4.6 mg/l

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Summer Total Phosphorus Loads (kg/d) from Point
Sources in Sandusky River Basin (by Assessment
Unit) 1998-2000
Bucyrus STP
Tiffin STP
Crestline STP
Swift
Carey STP
U Sandusky STP
Attica STP
HUC20 40 60 70
80 90 Bucyrus U
Sandusky LTymoch Mexico Honey Ck Tiffin
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Is it a Point Source or Non-Point Source Problem?
High Flow
Low flow
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Influence of Rain/Streamflow

• Sediment and Phosphorus loads from cropland are
  larger during wet years
• High flows transport larger pollutants loads,
  erode banks, pollute Lake Erie
• At low flow conditions, small dischargers have
  local impact due to lack of dilution

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Problem With Runoff
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Phosphorus-laden Silt is Transported to Lake Erie
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Sandusky River near Fremont, OHSeasonal
Variation --- FlowUSGS Gage 04198000
USGS Flow Data
1,251 square miles
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Were subsequently Revised!
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Climate Change Complication Remnants of
Hurricanes can bring Excessive Precipitation to
Ohio
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Achieving Load Reduction Goals

• Tackle the obvious
• sources first (CSOs,
• outfalls)
• if considered
• significant

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How to Achieve the Phosphorus Load Reductions

• Cover exposed soil to prevent erosion during
  construction projects

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How to Achieve the Phosphorus Load Reductions

• Apply fertilizer / manure at reasonable rates,
  and watch the weather

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How to Achieve the Phosphorus Load Reductions
Fence livestock off the streams
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How to Achieve the Phosphorus Load Reductions

• Repair or replace
• Faulty Septic
• Systems

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How to Achieve the Phosphorus Load Reductions
Improve Habitat to Increase the Streams
Assimilative Capacity
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How to Achieve the Phosphorus Load Reductions
Keep in mind the seasonal variations during
implementation
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How to Achieve the Phosphorus Load Reductions
Monitor Progress and make adjustments
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How to Achieve the Phosphorus Load Reductions
Focus efforts on discrete tributaries or
hydrologic units
Aquatic Life Use Attainment Broken Sword Creek
Subwatershed
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How to Achieve the Phosphorus Load Reductions
Influence of high temperature on attainment
This site exceeded water temperature standards
in 2001 and 2002 due to lack of shade along banks
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Achieving Pollutant Load Reductions

• Strive to come up with your individual load
  reduction, no matter how small.
• Promote a culture of minimal use, instead of
  excess
• Think about the people using the water
  downstream from you
• Assume that resources wont last forever

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Ohio EPA

• For more information contact
• Eric Piñeiro
• 614-644-2886