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WVR-EMAP A SMALL WATERSHED CHARACTERIZATION, CLASSIFICATION, AND ASSESSMENT FOR WEST VIRGINIA UTILIZING EMAP DESIGN AND TOOLS
Citation:
Detenbeck, N E. WVR-EMAP A SMALL WATERSHED CHARACTERIZATION, CLASSIFICATION, AND ASSESSMENT FOR WEST VIRGINIA UTILIZING EMAP DESIGN AND TOOLS. Presented at EPA Region 3, Philadelphia, PA, January 6, 2004.
Description:
Nationwide, there is a strong need to streamline methods for assessing impairment of surface waters (305b listings), diagnosing cause of biological impairment (303d listings), estimating total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), and/or prioritizing watershed restoration activities (Unified Watershed Assessment). Within Region 3 alone, there are TMDL-related lawsuits in all six states, which have led to inclusion of > 3000 water bodies/segments and > 7000 TMDLs in court-ordered TMDL deadlines. More specifically, the state of West Virginia has listed 722 waters and 1022 impairments in their 303d report. The top ten impairments constitute 98 percent of all impairments listed and include single or multiple heavy metals (56.8%), pH (29.8%), siltation, pathogens or nutrients (2.1%), or unknown causes (9.6%). Most listed waters were assessed based on aquatic life designated uses (95%), and were atributed to mine drainage (69%) or unknown sources (18%).
Most sources of stream impairment are related to nonpoint source pollution. To more efficiently deal with TMDL-related issues, we need an integrated approach to small watershed assessment, diagnosis, and restoration planning that is based on differences in sensitivity and probability of impairment among watershed classes. . . .
A probabilistic watershed-based sampling framework was developed to encompass wadeable streams within all three ecoregions of West Virginia, with the exclusion noted below. In Phase 1 of the project, we developed and applied a probabilistic watershed-based sampling framework covering the Central Alleghany Plateau and portions of the Central Ridge and Valley Province ecoregions of West Virginia. We excluded subwatersheds of the Potomac River Basin even though they overlap with the central Ridge and Valley Province because of differences in biogeography and expectations for fish community diversity. In Phase II of the project year (2002), we developed and applied a probabilistic watershed-based sampling framework for the Western Alleghany Plateau Ecoregion.