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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