Middle Illinois River TMDLs and

Load Reduction Strategies

IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING

Jennifer Olson, Tetra Tech, Inc.

Jennifer Clarke, Illinois EPA

Chris Urban, US EPA

September 6, 2012

Presentation Overview

►Project Area

►TMDL Analysis and Conclusions

► Implementation Planning Process

►Pilot Areas

►Questions & Comments

Project Area

►2,100 square mile watershed

► Illinois River Bluffs Region

►Many tributary inputs

►Backwater lakes

Illinois River

Watershed

Middle Illinois

River Watershed

Why are TMDLs and LRSs needed for the Middle Illinois River watershed?

►Streams/River/Lakes not meeting water quality goals

Pathogens (Fecal Coliform)

Chloride

Manganese

Total Dissolved Solids

Phosphorus (lakes)

Sediment

Nutrients

► Three Impaired Main Stem Segments

► Three Impaired Tributaries

Big Bureau

Kickapoo

Farm

► Two Impaired Lakes

Depue

Senachwine

TMDL Determined Pollutant Reduction Goals

►75% reduction in chloride in Farm Creek

►Up to 79% reduction in fecal coliform in Illinois River

►9-68% reduction in TN load

►96% reduction in TSS in Kickapoo Creek

►Up to 39% reduction in TSS in Illinois River

►20-90% reduction in TP load

Source Identification

►Wastewater (treatment plants, sewer overflows, septics)

► Industrial facilities

►Stormwater runoff (urban and agricultural)

►Erosion (bluffs, channel, gullies)

►Animal agriculture (stream access, AFOs)

TMDL and LRS Status

►Public comment period ended in February

►Final draft document available on Illinois EPA website

http://www.epa.state.il.us/water/tmdl/report-status.html#ill

►Still subject to US EPA review and approval

► Implementation planning efforts underway Focus of this meeting

Implementation Approach

► Obtain input from stakeholders on needs and wants

► Develop a watershed approach that achieves objectives

► Provide focused implementation activities with costs and milestones

General Implementation Plan

BMP Optimization - Pilot Studies

► Work with local partners to review and finalize plan

► Use adaptive management process to revisit and refine plan in future

BMP Optimization Process

Baseline

conditions Identify potential BMPs Identify watershed

opportunities

BMP modeling Evaluate options

Design and cost

assumptions

Pilot Area Analysis

► Pilot area approach

► Two priority watersheds selected for focused analysis

Dry Run Tributary Creek watershed

North Farm Creek watershed

► Watershed and BMP modeling

► Implementation planning

Dry Run Tributary

North Farm Creek

Dry Run Tributary Creek

► 1,690 acres

► Peoria and Peoria Heights

► Tributary to Dry Run, Kickapoo Creek, and Illinois River

► Watershed is 94% developed

Residential

High School

Commercial centers

Dry Run Tributary Creek

►High peak flows and volumes causing stream instability, erosion, pollutant loading

►Need reductions in bacteria, sediment, nutrients

►Sources are linked to urban stormwater runoff

►Previous work to evaluate channel and erosion issues

North Farm Creek Watershed

►Steep slopes, ravines, and gullies common

►Watershed drains to Farm Creek and Illinois River

►6,248 acres, East Peoria, Washington

North Farm Creek Watershed

►Need reductions in sediment, nutrients, chloride

►Sources are linked to:

Stormwater runoff

Erosion

Point sources

Salt application

North Farm Creek Watershed

►Stormwater runoff is causing gully erosion, ravine formation, and other significant erosion issues

►Existing efforts – Steep Slope Ordinance

How Do We Solve the Problem?

► Non-structural practices

Street and parking lot sweeping

Ordinances

Education programs

Pollution prevention programs focused on pet waste and yard waste

Winter road materials management

Conservation/Revegetation

Others

► Structural practices

Bioretention and rain gardens

Permeable pavement

Filter strips and buffers

Rain barrels

Ponding

Others

Finding the Right Balance for Implementation

►Need to identify both structural and non-structural improvements

How much of each? Where?

►Transfer tools to local organizations for future use

BMP modeling analysis for stormwater sources

►Evaluate costs and timing considerations

BMP Modeling Analysis

► BMP Decision Support System (BMPDSS)

Developed by Tetra Tech for Prince George’s County, Maryland

An “add on” model

Allows for optimization of BMPs

Integrates costs

Models BMPs individually and as treatment train

Requires continuous simulation model

Available from PG County

► Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment (L-THIA)

Developed by Purdue

Provides long-term annual averages (flow, pollutant loads)

CN based runoff analysis with EMCs for water quality

Evaluates BMPs using LID version using adjusted CN values

Web-based, easily accessible

Low High Level of Complexity

Next Steps

►Obtain input on pilot areas

Watershed concerns

Existing efforts

Possible implementation activities

►Modeling analysis

L-THIA, BMPDSS

Pilot area implementation plans

BMPs, costs, timing

►Update Middle Illinois River TMDL implementation strategy

►Timeline – Project completion Dec 2012

Questions/Comments