Department of Environmental Quality
State Water Control Board
Meeting:
Technical Advisory Committee Meeting #3: Water Quality Study (TMDL) for the South Fork Rivanna River
Canceled
| Meeting Details | |
|---|---|
| Date / Time | 8/24/2021 2:00 pm |
| Type | Physical Location Only |
| Location | Camp Albemarle,
located at 1675 4-H Way, Charlottesville, VA 22901 |
| Board Website | http://www.deq.virginia.gov |
| Agenda document | agency has not posted |
| Minutes document | agency has not posted |
| Disability Friendly? Yes Deaf interpreter available upon request? Yes | |
| Purpose of the meeting A biological monitoring demonstration will be held at the camp 30 minutes prior to the meeting (1:30 p.m.). The demonstration will take place on the Moormans River, which runs directly through the camp. Anyone interested in learning about the great work that the Rivanna Conservation Alliance’s volunteer citizen monitors do is welcome to attend the demonstration. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and its contractor, Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI), will be holding a meeting to discuss the development of a watershed model for the South Fork Rivanna River and its tributaries. The river and twelve of its tributaries in Albemarle County (described below) are listed on the 303(d) TMDL Priority List and Report as impaired due to violations of Virginia’s water quality standards for Aquatic Life Use. This meeting serves as an opportunity for local stakeholders to provide input on the watershed model in addition to pollutant sources in the watersheds. This is the third technical advisory committee meeting to discuss progress in the development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for a section of the South Fork Rivanna River and twelve of its tributaries. Meeting participants will review and discuss progress in the development of a watershed model to simulate pollutant transport and fate in the South Fork Rivanna River watershed. DEQ and WSSI will also share results of a pollutant source assessment for the watershed. Based on results of the benthic stressor analysis for these streams, target pollutants include: sediment for all watersheds, total nitrogen for Parrott Branch X-Trib, and total phosphorus for the South Fork Rivanna River watershed. The source assessment will include estimates of pollutant loads originating from each source category in the watershed. Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act and §62.1-44.19:7.C of the Code of Virginia requires DEQ to develop TMDLs for pollutants responsible for each impaired water contained in Virginia’s 303(d) TMDL Priority List and Report. The meeting will be open to the public and all are welcome. In addition, a biological monitoring demonstration will be held 30 minutes prior to the start of the committee meeting at 1:30 p.m. Those interested in learning about the great work that the Rivanna Conservation Alliance’s volunteer citizen monitors do are welcome to attend the demonstration as well. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY: The South Fork Rivanna River and twelve of its tributaries in Albemarle County have been placed on Virginia’s impaired waters list for failing to support the benthic water quality standard. This includes: • Broad Axe Run: headwaters to confluence with Mechums River (8.31 miles) • Lickinghole Creek: headwaters to confluence with Mechums River (8.93 miles) • Mechums River: confluence with Stockton to Lickinghole confluence (2.07 miles); headwaters to confluence with Stockton Creek (13.09 miles) • Spring Creek: headwaters to upper end of Lake Albemarle (3.48 miles) • Slabtown Branch: headwaters to confluence with Lickinghole Creek (4.92 miles) • Parrott Branch X-trib: headwaters to confluence with Parrott Creek (1.15 miles) • Fishing Creek: headwaters to confluence with SF Rivanna River Reservoir (12.53 miles) • Ivy Creek: 5 mile upper limit of PWS designation to confluence with SF Rivanna Reservoir (2.56 miles); Little Ivy Creek confluence to 5 mile upper limit of PWS designation (4.02 miles); headwaters to confluence with Little Ivy Creek (5.49 miles) • Little Ivy Creek X-trib: headwaters to confluence with Ivy Creek (4.44 miles) • Naked Creek: headwaters to confluence with SF Rivanna River (9.82 miles) • Powell Creek: headwaters to confluence with SF Rivanna River (10.36 miles) • SF Rivanna: RWSA public water intake to confluence with Rivanna River (3.47 miles) • SF Rivanna X-trib: headwaters to confluence with SF Rivanna River (3.2 miles) This standard is intended to protect the aquatic life designated use, which states that all of the Commonwealth’s waterways will support a diverse and abundant population of aquatic life. This water quality study will include a benthic stressor analysis to determine the most likely pollutant(s) responsible for the impairments, and it will report on the sources of these pollutant(s) and recommend reductions to meet a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the impaired stream segments. A TMDL is the total amount of a pollutant a water body can contain and still meet water quality standards. To restore water quality in the South Fork Rivanna River and its tributaries, pollutant levels will need to be reduced to the TMDL amount. Throughout this process, Virginia agencies will continue their partnership with a Technical Advisory Committee made up of local stakeholders to identify pollutant sources in the watershed, develop a watershed model to simulate their transport to the river, and to estimate the reductions needed from these sources to meet the TMDL. All meetings in support of TMDL development are open to the public and all interested parties are welcome. For more information, please contact the staff person listed. Note, in the event of inclement weather, the meeting will be held at the same time and location on the following day (August 25th). | |
| Meeting Scope |
Public hearing to receive comment on a proposed stage
X
General business of the board
Discuss particular regulations / chapters
|
| Contact Information | |
|---|---|
| Name / Title: | Nesha McRae |
| Address: |
DEQ- Valley Regional Office P.O. Box 3000 Harrisonburg,, 22801 |
| Email Address: | nesha.mcrae@deq.virginia.gov |
| Telephone: | (540)574-7850 FAX: (804)698-4178 TDD: ()- |