BASINS Better Assessment Science Integrating point and Non-point Sources Tools for Watershed and Water Quality Assessm

1. BASINS Better Assessment Science Integrating point and Non-point Sources Tools for Watershed and Water Quality Assessment GISHydro99 1999 ESRI User Conference Andrew T. Battin U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water

2. Mission of EPA’s Office of Science and Technology • Mission Highlights • To provide technical assistance and support to the Agency’s Effluent Guidelines and to the Water Quality Criteria and Standards Program • To develop guidance on specific water quality issues • Develop methods, models, procedures to support nationwide watershed studies Problem Solving and Technical Tools

3. EPA Russell Kinerson Andrew Battin Bill Tate Paul Cocca Marjorie Wellman Aqua Terra Consultants Tetra Tech Inc. USDA ARS & Texas A&M (Blacklands Research Center) Mimi Dannel Ed Partington Hira Biswas Bryan Goodwin David Wells BASINS Development Team

4. Examples of Watershed Management Programs Supported by EPA • Water quality assessment and analysis • Watershed management • Source water protection • TMDL program Varying problems - similar approaches

5. Commonalities ofWatershed Management Programs • Characterization:understand the “big picture”. What is contained with the watershed? What are the activities, uses, sources, and resources? • Source identification:what potential sources are within the watershed? Identify location and spatial distribution, potential magnitude of loading/stress, location/type of impacted resources. 1 2

6. Commonalities ofWatershed Management Programs • Develop and evaluate management alternatives:taking action requires an evaluation of the alternatives, consideration of the benefit/cost. Analysis considers what, where and how to control/manage pollutants/stressors. • Communicate watershed information to the public:present, describe, teach, and summarize environmental information and actions for the public stakeholders. 3 4

7. The Clean Water Act and TMDLs • Goal of CWA • Ensure that the Nation’s waters protect aquatic life, wildlife and human health • Tools • TMDLs are one of many tools authorized by the CWA to implement applicable water quality standards • Primary CWA Tool • NPDES permits for point sources - Nonpoint sources are not subject to NPDES permits • NPDES Permits • Contain effluent limits on pollution discharged, including water quality-based effluent limits when necessary to achieve water quality standards

8. 303(d) List of Waters • Each state shall assemble and evaluate all existing and readily available water quality data and information to develop the Section 303(d) list of waters. • Each state shall identify those water quality-limited segments requiring TMDLs. • Water quality-limited segment: • Any segment where it is known that water quality does not meet applicable WQS, even after the application of effluent limits by the CWA.

9. 303 (d) Summary of Key Points • List includes only those waters where technology-based limitations or other required actions are not expected to implement WQS. • List is based on existing and readily available data. • List is dynamic and changes over time to reflect new information, current practices, and new control activities. • Prioritization is not necessarily by waterbody, but can be prioritized by class (e.g., type of pollutant).

10. The TMDL Program TMDL =  WLAi +  LAi + MOS  WLAi: Sum of waste loads (point sources)  LAi: Sum of loads (non point sources) MOS: Margin Of Safety

11. Problem Statement #1Point Source Criteria/standard (Allowable Capacity) C mg/l Cb Impaired reach Miles P1

12. Criteria/standard C mg/l Existing condition Allocation Scenario Time Problem Statement #2 Non-point Source

13. The TMDL Program • Five key steps for TMDL development • Problem statement • Definition of endpoint • Source identification • Linkage between source and receiving water • AllocationAnalytical tools can be used to support each step of the TMDL “process”

14. Analytical Needs to Support Water Quality Management Programs • Monitoring data • Represents condition of system • Provides the backbone for most analysis and modeling • Spatial/locational data • Point sources, highly erodible areas, construction areas... • Statistical analysis and mapping tools • Water quality trends, waterbody comparisons, proximity of impaired water quality to potential sources • Assessment and modeling tools • What are the relative contributions of the various pollution sources? • What will happen if we develop the watershed? • How can we evaluate planning and managementalternatives?

15. Analytical Needs (cont.) • Spatial analysis capabilities • Ability to relate causes and effects through mapping/overlays • Compilation, management, and facilitated access to historical data • Trend in land use changes, point source loadings, monitoring • Population growth - how much? Where? ... • Source characterization and quantification • Inventory of sources • Magnitude and significance of sources • Prediction of future conditions and implications of management • What is the best solution to meet objectives and regulatory requirements?

16. Watershed Small Area Studies Land Use Units Subwatersheds Rivers/Streams Sub 1 Urb Sub 2 Urban landuse with BMPs Sub 3 Ag Sub 4 Receiving Water Rural landuses with BMPs Sub 5

17. BASINS V2.0 System Overview Nationally Available Data Base Cartographic Data Environmental Background Data Environmental Monitoring Data Point Source/Loadings Data Assessment Tools Target Assess Data Mining Watershed Reporting • Models • HSPF - NPSM • QUAL2E • TOXIROUTE • Model Post-Processors Target Assess DM Decision-Making Analysis Watershed Management . TMDLs . Source Water Protection . Stormwater State and Local Data

18. Overview of BASINS Data Products

19. GIS DataData Categories • Base Cartographic Data • Environmental Data

20. Base Cartographic Data • Definition: • Data that enhances the ability to interpret maps by providing a known frame of reference • Examples: • EPA regional boundaries • Major roads • Populated place locations • State and county boundaries • Urbanized area boundaries

21. BASINS Environmental Data • Data capturing information on spatial and temporal changes in environmental conditions GIS Physical Data (Landscape Features) Monitoring Data (Environmental Response) Pollution Sources (Environmental Stressors)

22. BASINS Data ProductsEnvironmental Data • Pollution sources • Permitted dischargers (PCS) • Toxic Release Inventory sites (TRI) • Industrial Facility Dischargers (IFD) • Mineral Industry Locations • Superfund sites (NPL) • Land Use/ Land Cover • Population centers GIS Landscape Sources Monitoring

23. BASINS Data ProductsEnvironmental Data • Physical landscape features • USGS Watershed boundaries • RF1 and RF3 Stream networks • Land Use/ Land Cover • Elevation (DEM) • Dam locations • Soil characteristics GIS Landscape Sources Monitoring

24. BASINS Data ProductsEnvironmental Data • Environmental monitoring • Water Quality station summaries (STORET) • Bacteria station summaries (STORET) • Water Quality Observation Data • National Sediment Inventory (NSI) • USGS Stream flow (gaging stations) • Fish and Wildlife Advisories • Shellfish Contamination Inventory • Clean Water Needs Survey • Meteorological (477 station locations) GIS Landscape Sources Monitoring

25. Example of GIS Coverage of Meteorological Station WDM INF Identify appropriate Meteorological Station from GIS NPSM Meteorological Station Selection Screen Meteorological Data in BASINS

26. BASINS Assessment Tools

27. BASINS Project View

28. Types of Tools Included in BASINS(3 Categories of Tools) • Spatial analysis and overlays (GIS capability) • Facilitate examination of multiple types of information • Access to full functionality of ArcView • BASINS custom suite of integrated tools • Targeting • Assessment • Data Mining • Watershed Reporting • BASINS utilities • Import new or local data sets (watersheds, landuse) • Re-classify landuse, DEM • Watershed Delineation

29. Target Assess DM Custom Tools included withBASINS • Target:Provides broad-based evaluation of watershed water quality and point source loadings. • Assess:Watershed-based evaluation of specific water quality stations and/or dischargers and their proximity to waterbodies. • Data Mining:Dynamic link of data elements using a combination of tables and maps. Allows for visual interpretation of geographic and historical data. • Watershed Reporting:Automated summary report system. Allows users to select types of information to be included. Automated generation of associated graphics and tables. Regional Level Watershed Level Station Level

30. Target Overall summary of monitoring data Select Target option from menu Ranking of watershed Distribution of monitoring data by CU

31. Assess Distribution of monitoring stations by CU Select Assess option from menu Average condition for selected pollutant by CU Station summaries for selected pollutant

32. Data Mining Spatial distribution of monitoring stations WQ stations WQ parameter and code WQ summaries

33. BASINSCustom ToolWatershed Report Information available: • Administrative and locational report • Point source discharge summary • Dam locations • State soil series data • Land use summary • Stream system inventory • Toxics (NSI, TRI) • STORET water quality monitoring

34. An Example of Watershed Report

35. BASINSUtility ToolImport • The import tool gives users the capability to add their own data into the BASINS system: • Watershed boundaries (8-digit or smaller) • Landuse • Stream Networks • Elevation (DEM) Polygons • Water Quality Observation Data

36. BASINSUtility ToolLanduse Re-classification • Users can re-classify part of the landuse theme or the entire theme interactively • Users can re-classify their imported landuse data • Re-classification to various levels of detail • Anderson Level 1 to Level 2 • Create more detailed levels • Weigh the potential significance of land use changes on water quality

37. BASINSUtility ToolWatershed Delineation • Allows users to interactively subdivide a USGS 8-digit watershed into smaller sub-watersheds using mouse point-and-click inputs. • Sub-delineated watersheds and underlying data are then available for more detailed modeling. • It provides capability to modify the previous delineations.

38. An Example of Delineated Watersheds using DEM, RF3, and RF1

39. Data Collection (historic, field) Model Input Preparation Parameter Evaluation Phase I Calibration Verification Post-Audit Phase II Analysis of Alternatives Phase III Modeling Process Need to plan ahead and follow a structured modeling plan

40. Factors to Consider Lumped Distributed Watershed LU distribution Soils Topo/weather stn. loc. Data (weather, PS) Management Planning Regulatory Impact Alternative analysis 2 Segments 8 Segments Modeling Strategy • Need to define a suitable level of segmentation

41. Overview of Model Categories • Landscape models • Runoff of water and dissolved materials on and through the land surface • Erosion of sediment, and associated constituents, from the land surface • Receiving water models • Flow of water through streams, into lakes and estuaries • Transport, deposition, and transformation in receiving waters

42. BASINS Modeling System • NPSM (HSPF v11) • Integration of Point and Non-Point Source Modeling • Instream flow routing and water quality • Specialized agricultural chemical modeling • Pesticides • Nutrients • Other Chemicals • Metals • BOD/DO • Pathogens • Sediment • Air Deposition (under development) • Continuous hydrologic simulation - Hourly time step

43. Landuse and pollutant specific Data B A Landscape data C Meteorological Data Point Sources D Windows interface GIS Landuse Distribution E Core Model HSPF HSPF Stream Data Post Processing F How NPSM fits into BASINS

44. NPSM Interface - Data Editor

45. NPSM Landuse Editor

46. NPSM Pollutant Selection

47. RF3 Watershed Delineation

48. RF3 Watershed Delineation

49. Nonpoint Source Modeling with RF3 Network

50. Reach Visualization Tool