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Restoration of the Eastern Branch Joe Rieger, Deputy Director of Restoration (Elizabeth River Project)

Presentation to RPDC’s Regional Environmental Committee

February 2, 2017

Eastern Branch Watershed

• Nearly 177,000 people; 56,000 households

• Chesapeake, Norfolk, Virginia Beach

• 40 square miles

State of the Elizabeth River Scorecard 2014

River Branch Score

Southern Branch D

Lafayette River C

Eastern Branch D

Western Branch C

Main Stem C

Scorecard Measures Eastern Branch Score

Bacteria (human contact criteria) B

Dissolved Oxygen B

Bottom Health D

Contaminants on River Bottom D

Nutrients - Nitrogen B

Nutrients - Phosphorous D

Phytoplankton/ Chlorophyll C

Contaminants in Fish D

Bacteria (shellfish criteria) n/a

OVERALL D

Scorecard 2014: Eastern Branch Subwatershed Water Quality

Scorecard Measures Broad Creek Indian River

Bacteria (human contact criteria) F F

Dissolved Oxygen F B

Nutrients - Nitrogen D F

Nutrients - Phosphorous D F

Phytoplankton/ Chlorophyll D D

OVERALL F F

We did it on the Lafayette!

- Delisted for bacteria 2015

Developing the Plan

• Committee included 90 members representing: – Community – Government – Industry – Academia

• Subcommittees: • Water quality • Sediment • Wildlife • Public Outreach

Eastern Branch Environmental Restoration Strategy

Action 1 – Tell the Story, Enlist the Public Action 2 – Restore Wildlife Habitat

Action 3 – Restore Clean Water Action 4 – Clean the River Bottom

Eastern Branch Implementation Team

• Coordinate regional partners in implementation of the Eastern Branch Environmental Restoration Strategy (November 2014) to report progress, strategize to address roadblocks, and coordinate activities.

• Coordinate regional partners and diverse community sectors to carry out seven initiatives of a $750,000, 3-year federal grant to Elizabeth River Project.

Goal of the NFWF Grant

Improve Indian River and Broad Creek in the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River from scores of F to at least D for Enterococcus bacteria , and improve the overall water quality score for the Eastern Branch from D to C by 2019.

Action 1 – Tell the Story, Enlist the Public

Challenges: • Lack of understanding of current & historic state of

Eastern Branch • Lack of public access • People don’t know what to do • Three cities with diverse communities & interests

Action 1 – Tell the Story, Enlist the Public

Goal 1: Share the story of the Eastern Branch with its residents

• Nurture grassroots involvement

• Hold “Watershed Forum” every 2-3 years

• Install signage identifying Eastern Branch watershed & river-related public art

Action 1 – Tell the Story, Enlist the Public

Progress towards Goal 1: Share the story of the Eastern Branch with its residents • 2,000 brochures printed & almost all distributed -- includes Eastern Branch story & what people can do to help river

• Eastern Branch video produced and shown at RIVERFest 2015, civic leagues, on social media & ERP website

Action 1 – Tell the Story, Enlist the Public

Progress towards Goal 1: Share the story of the Eastern Branch with its residents • RIVERFest 2015

• 4,000 attendants • Free boat tours of the

Eastern Branch • Next steps:

• Locate a site for RIVERFest on the Eastern Branch for 1k attendants

Action 1 – Tell the Story, Enlist the Public

Goal 2: Improve public access along the Eastern Branch

• Include map with

public access points in booklet to homeowners

• Evaluate boating access for deficiencies & opportunities

• Extend the Elizabeth River Trail to the Eastern Branch

• Establish new canoe/kayak launch

Progress Towards Goal 2: Improve public access along the Eastern Branch

• TWO new public access projects now funded, with thanks to outgoing Councilwomen Ross-Hammond and Ritter, Friends of Indian River, city staffs, VA DCR, & VA Outdoors Foundation.

5544 Normandy Ave

Next Steps

•Begin coordinating with new Elizabeth River Trail Foundation to pursue expansion of trail!

Action 1 – Tell the Story, Enlist the Public

Progress towards Goal 3: Increase the number of River Stars

• Recruit all schools for River Star Schools (currently 31)

• Recruit 20 River

Star Businesses (currently 23)

Action 1 – Tell the Story, Enlist the Public

Progress towards Goal 3: Increase the number of River Stars

• Recruit 1000 River

Star Homes by 2018 (currently over 530)

• Currently partnering with the Cities of Chesapeake and Norfolk for special offers.

• Working to establish a partnership with Virginia Beach for special offers.

NFWF Grant Deliverables (3 yrs) •Grant deliverable – Next RIVERFest inspire Eastern Branch involvement.

•Grant deliverables: Recruit 500 homes, on the ground projects at 175 homes, 30 schools, and 9 businesses.

Challenges: • Lack of wetlands • Lack of vegetated buffers • Lack of oysters • Lack of trees & native plants

Action 2 – Restore Wildlife Habitat

Action 2- Restore Wildlife Habitat

• Encourage shoreline plantings on

private property with ERP grant funding

Action 2 – Restore Wildlife Habitat

Goal 1: Restore tidal wetlands

Goal 2: Restore 3 miles of vegetated shoreline

• Restore 3 acres of wetlands by 2018 & 10 acres by 2024

• High profile, multi-pronged restorations at bridge approaches

Progress Towards Goal 1 and 2: Restore tidal wetlands and 3 miles of vegetated shoreline by 2024.

• HUD grant $120 million to City of Norfolk for shoreline resilience at Chesterfield Heights.

• Three large wetland restoration sites have been identified and will be moving into design and permitting soon.

• Chesterfield Heights, Riverside Memorial Cemetery, and Indian River

Progress Towards Goal 1 and 2: Restore tidal wetlands and 3 miles of vegetated shoreline by 2024.

• Working with Virginia Beach and Elizabeth River Crossing to carryout planting at bridge approaches.

• Have been marketing Living River Restoration Trust’s conservation work.

Action 2- Restore Wildlife Habitat

• Plant 1,000 native trees in 2015-2016 among 3 cities

• Promote trees in parking lots • Plant 500 native trees/year

between 2016-2024

Action 2 – Restore Wildlife Habitat

Goal 3: Restore 10 acres of oysters

Goal 4: Plant native trees!

• Start with 1-acre oyster reef near Grandy Village

• Finalize technical plan identifying best locations – CBF & NOAA

Progress Towards Goal 3 and 4: Restore 10 acres of oyster reefs & plant 1000 trees. • In 2016, 1.6 acres of oyster reefs were restored (16% of goal).

• Two sites in Virginia Beach have been identified for planting 800 trees in 2017.

NFWF Grant Deliverables (3 yrs)

• Living Shorelines Transferrable Campaign with nearly half-mile of (ideally contiguous) living shorelines.

• Pioneer Hybrid Wetland Restorations (1,000 linear feet).

• Upgrade 3 VA Beach parks.

Challenges: • Poor water quality (esp. bacteria) in Broad Creek, Indian River, and headwaters

Action 3 – Restore Clean Water

Action 3 – Restore Clean Water

• Identify and begin stormwater improvements at large untreated paved areas

• Military Circle: 20+ acres of paving near Broad Creek

Goal 1: Reduce harmful bacteria and nutrients in Indian River, Broad Creek, & Eastern Branch headwaters by reducing runoff.

Kemps Lake Stormwater Upgrade City of Virginia Beach

• Total Estimated Cost: $5,100,000

• Total Grant Funding: $1,275,000

• Lake Area: ~40 Acres

• Upgrade to a Level 2 pond

• Impervious Area: 659 Acres

• Pervious Area: 400 Acres

• Total Phosphorus Removal: 300 lbs./yr

• Total Nitrogen Removal: 800 lbs./yr

• Total Suspended Solids Removal: 25 tons/year

Lake Taylor Stormwater Upgrade City of Virginia Beach

• Total Estimated Construction Cost: $1.4 million • Total Grant Funding: $843,500 • Lake Area: 37 ac • Upgrade to a Level 2 pond

• Also adding 3-5 aerators, large forebay, and cell divisions • Drainage Area: 1420 ac • Impervious Area: 600 ac • Pervious Area: 440 ac turf, • Total Phosphorus Removal: 466 lbs/yr • Total Nitrogen Removal: 1681 lbs/yr • Wetland Acreage Added: 4.8 ac

Action 3 – Restore Clean Water

• Begin regional taskforce looking at septic systems

• Expand HRSD boater pump-out program • Restore water quality to meet state standards for bacteria & dissolved oxygen by 2024

• Identify legacy sources of PCBs & work with relevant partners to address

NFWF Grant Deliverables (3 yrs)

• Convene regional task force on septic tanks

(coming this summer!)

• HRSD source tracking for bacteria in Indian River and Broad Creek.

• Broad Creek challenges – Ingleside water quality and flooding study underway, UVA/ Wetlands Watch/ Elizabeth River Project