Catoctin Creek: A Stream in Distress

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Catoctin CreekA Stream in Distress

• Catoctin Watershed Project
• A Partnership of County and Citizen Organizations

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Catoctin Creek A Creek With Many Faces

• Drains almost 100 square miles 2nd largest
  watershed in Loudoun County
• Flows through the historic towns of Waterford,
  Purcellville, and Round Hill
• Provides scenic beauty and recreational enjoyment
• Serves the beef cattle and horse farmer

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The Scenic River Face
South Fork Catoctin below Purcellville
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Canoeing on Catoctin Creek below Taylorstown
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Kayaking on the scenic portion of Catoctin Creek
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It may be small, but it is a bass from Catoctin
Creek
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Another Face of Catoctin Creek

• There is an uglier face that involves fecal
  pollution, stressed buffers and aquatic life,
  erosion, and sediments that flow to the Bay.

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Catoctin Watershed Project

• There are a number of organizations in Loudoun
  County that are concerned
• Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District is
  concerned about agricultural practices
• Loudoun Environmental Health is concerned about
  failing septic systems and direct pipes
• Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and Loudoun
  Watershed Watch are concerned about stream
  buffers and aquatic life
• The Catoctin Watershed Project is a partnership
  of these concerned organizations.

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State Agencies are Concerned

• The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
  (DEQ) is concerned about fecal pollution and
  threats to aquatic life
• Virginia Department of Conservation and
  Recreation (DCR) is concerned about poor farming
  practices that create sediments and nutrient
  problems that extend to Chesapeake Bay
• Virginia Department of Health is concerned about
  the potential health risks of fecal contamination
  in our streams

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Are Citizens Concern?

• We believe citizens will be concerned once they
  understand the problem
• Our streams are one of our most valuable natural
  resources
• A threat to our water resources is a
  community-wide problem
• Do you agree? Are we overreacting to something
  we should accept as inevitable?
• Lets review the facts and then see where we stand

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Catoctin Creek Receptacle of Nonpoint Pollution

• DEQ identified sources of nonpoint pollution
• Livestock with stream access
• 5300 beef heifer in watershed
• Failing septic systems and straight pipes
• Estimated 25 failing systems in watershed
• Wildlife
• Estimated 2800 muskrats live in Catoctin Creek

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Cattle deposit fecal wastes in the water that may
contain pathogens
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Catoctin Creek An Impaired Watershed

• Water quality does not meet standards and is
  impaired for recreational use and stressed for
  aquatic life
• 20 violation rate at Taylorstown
• Up to 35 violation rate on NF Catoctin
• Up to 35 violation rate on SF Catoctin
• High levels at all flows during all months
• Standard exceeded more than 50 of the time every
  month

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Potential Health Risk

• State has issued health statement of potential
  risk to public health
• E. coli 0157H7 bacteria is a pathogen carried in
  cattle that has caused illness from swimming.
• Citizens who use river, stream and lake water for
  recreational purposes are urged to be cautious
  and to use common sense about contact with such
  water.

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Catoctin Creek Poor Riparian Buffers

• Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy monitors 10 sites in
  Catoctin watershed
• 60 of sites have Fair or Poor rating for
  stream-side habitat
• Most severe stress factors are
• Narrow riparian buffers
• Exposed and unstable stream banks
• Sediments that smother the substrate and creates
  point bars and mud banks

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No riparian buffer to filter stormwater runoff
pollutants
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Catoctin Creek A Source of Sediments to
Chesapeake Bay

• Virginia pledged to reduce sediments into the
  Potomac River by 617,000 tons/yr to help save the
  Bay.
• Primary source in Catoctin Creek is agricultural
  lands
• Inadequate riparian buffers
• Livestock with stream access
• DEQ data show no reduction in Catoctin Creek in
  last 10 years

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Catoctin Creek A Threat to Aquatic Life

• Stream monitoring by Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy
  in 2004 show fair to poor conditions at 75 of
  the 12 stations.

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Are the Facts Convincing?

• DEQ has done a study and found consist, elevated
  fecal contamination from livestock and human
  sources.
• There is a potential public health risk
• Riparian buffers are reduced, erosion is
  increased, and sediment levels create unhealthy
  conditions for aquatic life.

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There is a Plan!

• State has an approve TMDL Implementation Plan
• County has 1 million in cost share funds over 5
  Years and 2 new employees to implement plan
• Goal is 100 elimination of straight pipes and
  exclusion of livestock from direct deposition in
  the streams
• Citizen groups have grant funds to provide
  education and monitor streams to assess progress

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Actions Required Agricultural Practices

• Most important step is excluding livestock from
  the streams.
• Install fencing under cost-share programs
• Provide alternative water supply under cost-share
  programs
• Install protected stream crossing for livestock
• Create a riparian buffer to stabilize the bank
  and filter runoff

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Actions Required Septic Systems

• Most important step is proper maintenance of
  systems
• Pump out system every five years
• Repair system if leaks occur on the ground
  surface
• Protect the drainage field no parking and no
  tree roots that will damage field
• Keep hazardous chemicals out of system

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Actions Required Sediments and Aquatic Life

• The most important steps are to reduce stream
  bank erosion and sediments in the streams
• Restore natural stream buffers with trees and
  bushes that will hold the soils and stabilize the
  banks
• Preserve natural floodplains that will reduce the
  velocity of flood waters and recharge groundwater
  supplies that keep stream flow up
• Maintain and upgrade stormwater retention and
  control facilities to reduce erosion flows after
  rainfalls and reduce pollutants entering streams
  from impervious surfaces

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There are Benefits!

• Cleaner water in Loudoun County
• Improved public health
• Conservation of natural resources
• Improved riparian habitat and aquatic life
• Reduced flood damage
• Improved recreational opportunities
• Greater economic opportunities

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How Citizens Can Help

• Talk to your neighbors about the value of clean
  water and a healthy Catoctin Creek to the
  community.
• Success depends upon voluntary actions of
  property owners
• Repair failing septic tank systems
• Exclude cattle from streams
• Restore natural riparian buffers
• Technical assistance and cost share money is
  available

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How You Can Join the Effort

• If you are a riparian property owner contact
  LSWCD to get the facts about becoming a good
  steward of your land.
• If you live in the community, joint with other
  citizen stewards to provide education and stream
  monitoring
• Visit Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy _at_
  www.loudounwildlife.org

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Environmental stewardship helps our community!