West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection

1. West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Warm Spring Status Update March 8, 2016

2. Agenda • “Introduction to TMDLs” recap • Overview of TMDL Project & Status • Overview of Allocation Strategies • Discussion – Free form questions and answers

3. What’s a TMDL? • “Total Maximum Daily Load” • How much pollutant a stream can receive and remain healthy • Pollution Budget - prescribes reductions (where needed) of pollutants that result in the restoration of an impaired stream • TMDL development required by Clean Water Act for streams impaired by a pollutant

4. TMDL = S WLA + S LA + MOS • S = “sum of” • WLA = “wasteloadallocations” • LA = “load allocations” • MOS = “margin of safety” • WLAs - pollutant loads from “point sources” • Discharge from point • Need NPDES permit • LAs - pollutant loads from “nonpoint sources” and background • Precipitation/runoff driven • No permit required

5. What’s an impaired stream? • Stream that doesn’t meet water quality standards • West Virginia Water Quality Standards are codified in 47 CSR 2 • http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/Programs/wqs/Documents/Rule%20Approved%20Letter%20and%20Rule%20Itself%202014/WVDEP_WQS_2014Tri-Review_FinalRule47CSR2_June_2014.pdf • Standards include “Designated Uses“ for WV waters and “water quality criteria” to protect those uses • Criteria can be numeric or narrative • Impaired streams are enumerated on the 303(d) list

6. West Virginia Section 303(d) List / Integrated Report

8. Numeric Criteria • Human Health Protection • Fecal Coliform bacteria (Water Contact) • 200 counts/100ml as a monthly geometric mean • no more than 10% of samples in a month exceed 400 counts/100ml • Warm Spring Run violation rate (400 cts) • 31 of 129 (24%) from 7/2013 to 6/2014

9. Based on Benthic Macroinvertebrates (aquatic bugs) Stream scored based on abundance and type of bugs present Streams with impaired communities were placed on the 303(d) list and slated for TMDLs Narrative CriteriaPrevious 47 CSR 2 - 3.2.i Assessment

10. Narrative Criteria2012 Legislative Changes • Senate Bill 562 passed by the 2012 West Virginia Legislature amended the WV Water Pollution Control Act • Requires DEP to develop and secure legislative approval of new rules to interpret 47 CSR 2-3.2.i • Section 22-11-7b : http://www.legis.state.wv.us/wvcode/ChapterEntire.cfm?chap=22&art=11 • No biological TMDLs are part of this effort • Streams currently listed as biologically impacted will undergo Stressor Identification process

11. Stressor Identification Process • Method to evaluate stressor/s of biologically impacted streams • Process used to evaluate if numeric criteria TMDLs (fecal) will address biological stressors • Information will be retained and may be used to delist streams in the future • Current evaluation indicates multiple stressors – Streams will remain listed & routine sampling will continue

12. Pre-TMDL Monitoring Plan • Impairment/potential impairment sampling suites: • Sed/Fecal/Nutrient – Alkalinity, TSS, T. & Dis. Iron, fecal coliform; T. N, TKN, Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia, Phos. (T., Dis,. & Ortho), Mg, Ca. • Sed/Fecal/Nutrient/Bio – all the above plus aquatic bug collection for reevaluation of stream status • 10 sites on 5 streams • GIS coverage available upon request

13. Warm Spring Run 10 sample sites on 5 streams

14. Warm Spring Run TMDL MDAS Model 19 subwatersheds

15. MDAS Model • Watershed Model • Runs dynamically on a 1-hour time step • Represents land use (hydrologic processes) and river processes • Can include nonpoint and point sources

16. Modeling Approach • Segment watershed • Configure model to represent all sources • Calibrate model for hydrology (flow) and water quality • Fecal • Run MDAS for Baseline conditions (existing) • Run MDAS for TMDL scenario(s)

17. Baseline Conditions

18. Completed: Monitoring Source tracking Baseline Modeling Bio. Stressor Ids Status Update Meeting Next Steps: Allocations Draft Document Public Meeting EPA Approval Warm Spring Run WatershedProject Status

19. Allocation Methodology • Universal Reduction of targeted sources • Straight pipes, Failing Septics, etc • Top-down approach • Headwater subwatersheds analyzed first • Allocation strategy dictates order and magnitude of reduction • If necessary, loads are reduced then routed to downstream subwatershed

20. Allocation Methodology • WVDEP priorities: • Ensure criteria compliance at all sws outlets • Target the primary causative sources • Strategy in general • Critical conditions must be considered • Sometimes only one significant source in sws • Always some amount of professional judgement

21. Fecal Coliform Sources • Point sources • Package Plants • Municipal Sewage Plant • Nonpoint source • Failing septic systems and/or straight pipe illicit discharges • Stormwater runoff from urban/residential lands • Stormwater runoff from agricultural lands

22. Fecal Coliform Strategy • 100% reduction of all untreated sewage discharges (failing septics, straight pipes) as required by WV Bureau for Public Health regulations • Sensitivity analysis to address severity of agricultural vs. urban/residential impacts

23. WVDEP TMDL Process (4 yrs) • Stream Selection - (4/2013) • Pre-TMDL monitoring, source identification and characterization - (7/2013 – 6/2014) • Contract to model hydrology& water quality – (11/2014) • Determine baseline condition & allocate pollutant loads • Draft Report development • Finalization and EPA approval

24. Warm Spring Run Watershed TMDL Path Forward • Allocate loads and wasteloads and develop draft report • Formal public comment period and public meeting on the draft TMDLs in Fall 2016 • Address comments, prepare final draft and submit to EPA for approval (final draft will include Response Summary)

25. Contact Information • Comments should be submitted to Steve Young at Stephen.A.Young@wv.gov(10 meg limit for email) • Questions - contact Dave Montali, Jim Laine, Mike McDaniel • (304) 926-0499 • David.A.Montali@wv.gov, James.C.Laine@wv.gov, or Michael.L.McDaniel@wv.gov

26. Discussion/Questions...