Catoctin Creek:A Stream in Distress

Catoctin Watershed ProjectA Partnership of County and Citizen

Organizations

Catoctin Creek – A Creek With Many Faces

• Drains almost 100 square miles – 2nd largest watershed in Loudoun County

• Flows through the historic towns of Waterford, Purcellville, and Round Hill

• Provides scenic beauty and recreational enjoyment

• Serves the beef cattle and horse farmer

The Scenic River Face

South Fork Catoctin below Purcellville

Canoeing on Catoctin Creek below Taylorstown

Kayaking on the scenic portion of Catoctin Creek

It may be small, but it is a bass from Catoctin Creek

Another Face of Catoctin CreekThere is an uglier face that involves fecal pollution, stressed buffers and aquatic life, erosion, and sediments that flow to the Bay.

Catoctin Watershed Project

• There are a number of organizations in Loudoun County that are concerned:– Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District is

concerned about agricultural practices– Loudoun Environmental Health is concerned about

failing septic systems and direct pipes– Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and Loudoun

Watershed Watch are concerned about stream buffers and aquatic life

• The Catoctin Watershed Project is a partnership of these concerned organizations.

State Agencies are Concerned

• The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is concerned about fecal pollution and threats to aquatic life

• Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is concerned about poor farming practices that create sediments and nutrient problems that extend to Chesapeake Bay

• Virginia Department of Health is concerned about the potential health risks of fecal contamination in our streams

Are Citizens Concern?

• We believe citizens will be concerned once they understand the problem

• Our streams are one of our most valuable natural resources

• A threat to our water resources is a community-wide problem

• Do you agree? Are we overreacting to something we should accept as inevitable?

• Lets review the facts and then see where we stand

Catoctin Creek – Receptacle of Nonpoint Pollution

DEQ identified sources of nonpoint pollution:

• Livestock with stream access– 5300 beef heifer in watershed

• Failing septic systems and straight pipes– Estimated 25 failing systems in watershed

• Wildlife– Estimated 2800 muskrats live in Catoctin Creek

Cattle deposit fecal wastes in the water that may contain pathogens

Catoctin Creek – An Impaired Watershed

Water quality does not meet standards and is impaired for recreational use and stressed for aquatic life:

• 20% violation rate at Taylorstown• Up to 35% violation rate on NF Catoctin• Up to 35% violation rate on SF Catoctin• High levels at all flows during all months • Standard exceeded more than 50% of the time

every month

Fecal Coliform Violation Rates in North Fork Catoctin Creek Based on LCSWCD Data

1999-2003

10

100

1000

10000

0.06 0.19 0.31 0.44 0.56 0.69 0.81 0.94Percentile

Feca

l Col

iform

m

f/100

ml

Rt. 287DEQ StandardRt. 719

Potential Health Risk

State has issued health statement of potential risk to public health:

• E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria is a pathogen carried in cattle that has caused illness from swimming.

• Citizens who use river, stream and lake water for recreational purposes are urged to be cautious and to use common sense about contact with such water.

Catoctin Creek – Poor Riparian Buffers

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy monitors 10 sites in Catoctin watershed:

• 60% of sites have “Fair or Poor” rating for stream-side habitat

• Most severe stress factors are:– Narrow riparian buffers– Exposed and unstable stream banks– Sediments that smother the substrate and

creates point bars and mud banks

No riparian buffer to filter stormwater runoff pollutants

Catoctin Creek – A Source of Sediments to Chesapeake Bay

Virginia pledged to reduce sediments into the Potomac River by 617,000 tons/yr to help save the Bay.

• Primary source in Catoctin Creek is agricultural lands– Inadequate riparian buffers– Livestock with stream access

• DEQ data show no reduction in Catoctin Creek in last 10 years

Suspended Solids Trend in Catoctin Creek at Taylorstown

1995-2004

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Jan-93 Oct-95 Jul-98 Apr-01 Jan-04 Oct-06

To

tal

Resid

ue (

mg

/l)

Catoctin Creek – A Threat to Aquatic Life

LW C Aquatic Insect Scores for C atoctin

W atershed -- 2004

0

4

8

12

16

20

24

CA

T#1

MIL

L#1

MIL

L#1

MIL

L#2

MIL

L#2

NFC

AT#1

SFCA

T#1

SFCA

T#2

SFCA

T#3

SFCA

T#4

XCA

T#1

XCA

T#1

EP

A B

ios

urv

ey

Sc

ore

(0

-24

)

Good

Fair

Poor

• Stream monitoring by Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy in 2004 show “fair to poor” conditions at 75% of the 12 stations.

Are the Facts Convincing?

• DEQ has done a study and found consist, elevated fecal contamination from livestock and human sources.

• There is a potential public health risk

• Riparian buffers are reduced, erosion is increased, and sediment levels create unhealthy conditions for aquatic life.

There is a Plan!

• State has an approve TMDL Implementation Plan• County has $1 million in cost share funds over 5

Years and 2 new employees to implement plan• Goal is 100% elimination of straight pipes and

exclusion of livestock from direct deposition in the streams

• Citizen groups have grant funds to provide education and monitor streams to assess progress

Actions Required – Agricultural Practices

• Most important step is excluding livestock from the streams.– Install fencing under cost-share programs– Provide alternative water supply under cost-

share programs– Install protected stream crossing for livestock– Create a riparian buffer to stabilize the bank

and filter runoff

Actions Required – Septic Systems

• Most important step is proper maintenance of systems:– Pump out system every five years– Repair system if leaks occur on the ground

surface– Protect the drainage field – no parking and no

tree roots that will damage field– Keep hazardous chemicals out of system

Actions Required – Sediments and Aquatic Life

• The most important steps are to reduce stream bank erosion and sediments in the streams:– Restore natural stream buffers with trees and bushes

that will hold the soils and stabilize the banks– Preserve natural floodplains that will reduce the

velocity of flood waters and recharge groundwater supplies that keep stream flow up

– Maintain and upgrade stormwater retention and control facilities to reduce erosion flows after rainfalls and reduce pollutants entering streams from impervious surfaces

There are Benefits!

• Cleaner water in Loudoun County

• Improved public health

• Conservation of natural resources

• Improved riparian habitat and aquatic life

• Reduced flood damage

• Improved recreational opportunities

• Greater economic opportunities

How Citizens Can Help

• Talk to your neighbors about the value of clean water and a healthy Catoctin Creek to the community.

• Success depends upon voluntary actions of property owners:– Repair failing septic tank systems– Exclude cattle from streams– Restore natural riparian buffers

• Technical assistance and cost share money is available

How You Can Join the Effort

• If you are a riparian property owner – contact LSWCD to get the facts about becoming a good steward of your land.

• If you live in the community, joint with other citizen stewards to provide education and stream monitoring:– Visit Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy @

www.loudounwildlife.org

Environmental stewardship helps our community!