WRAPS Workshop: Development of a Nine Element Watershed Plan

1. WRAPS Workshop:Development of a Nine Element Watershed Plan Kansas Department of Health and Environment Bureau of Water Watershed Management Section July 6-9, 2009 Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

2. Workshop Overview • Review of EPA’s Nine Elements • Overview of suggested workflow in watershed plan development • Information regarding KDHE expectations for plans as they address each element • Overview of technical assistance KDHE can provide • Questions/Comments Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

3. A Review of EPA’s Nine Elements Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

4. Review of EPA’s Nine Elements • EPA has identified nine key elements that are essential for achieving improvements in water quality • These elements are required to be in watershed plans funded with incremental section 319 funds • Highly encouraged that these elements be included in all watershed plans • WRAPS projects receiving implementation phase funding must submit a watershed plan which addresses each of the nine elements • Elements are addressed in EPA’s “Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters” • www.epa.gov/nps/watershed_handbook Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

5. Review of EPA’s Nine Elements • (1) Identification of causes of impairment and pollutant sources or groups of similar sources that need to be controlled to achieve needed load reduction, and any other goals identified in the watershed plan • Sources need to be identified at the subcategory level • Estimates of extent to which they are present in watershed • “X” dairy cattle feedlots needing upgrading (estimate of headcount per facility) • “X” acres of row crops needing improved nutrient management or sediment control • “X” linear miles of streambank needing remediated Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

6. Review of EPA’s Nine Elements • (2) An estimate of the load reductions expected from management measures • Determine the reductions needed to attain water quality standards • Determine management measures needed to reduce pollutant loads • Estimates of load reductions associated with management measures • Load reduction for feedlots • Load reduction for row crops • Load reduction for eroded streambanks • Overall goals should be related to TMDL Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

7. Review of EPA’s Nine Elements • (3) A description of the nonpoint source measures that will need to be implemented to achieve load reductions and a description of the critical areas in which those measures will be needed to implement the plan • Management measures needed for implementation to address Element 2 along with any additional goals identified in the plan • Wildlife habitat and conservation • Identify critical areas for management areas to be implemented • Provide enough detail to guide implementation • Identification of priority areas and applicable practices on maps to further illustrate narrative Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

8. Review of EPA’s Nine Elements • (4) Estimate of the amounts of technical and financial assistance needed, associated costs, and/or the sources and authorities that will be relied upon to implement this plan • Estimates should incorporate entire lifespan of plan • Include authorities that will be involved with plan implementation • Federal, State, local, and private sources of funding • Cost estimates for: • Implementation • Long-term operation and maintenance of management measures • I/E activities • Monitoring • Evaluation activities Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

9. Review of EPA’s Nine Elements • (5) An information and education component used to enhance public understanding of the project and encourage their early and continued participation in selecting, designing, and implementing the nonpoint source management measures that will be implemented • Identification of education and outreach activities that will be utilized to implement plan • Can support adoption and long-term operation/maintenance of management practices • Can support increased stakeholder involvement efforts Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

10. Review of EPA’s Nine Elements • (6) Schedule for implementing the nonpoint source management measures identified in this plan that is reasonably expeditious • A plan for implementing all management measures listed within watershed plan • Implementation schedule should reflect milestones developed for Element 7 Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments. Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

11. Review of EPA’s Nine Elements • (7) A description of interim measurable milestones for determining whether nonpoint source management measures or other control actions are being implemented • Should address short term (1-3 years), mid-term (3-5 years), and long term (10+ years) timeframe • Should identify primary activities and management measures to be implemented yearly • Interim milestones should be included that can be measured to monitor progress in management measure implementation • Number and types of BMPs implemented • Number and types of permit/certifications issued • Monitored or measured results • Measurable social indicators of progress through I&E and outcomes from SLT process Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

12. Review of EPA’s Nine Elements • (8) A set of criteria that can be used to determine whether loading reductions are being achieved over time and substantial progress is being made toward attaining water quality standards • Water quality benchmarks to track progress • Direct benchmarks • Water quality concentrations • Indirect benchmarks • Algae blooms • State ramifications of not meeting benchmarks • Revision of plan? • Changes to management practices • Updated loading information • Reassessment of treatment time correlation to pollutant concentrations Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

13. Review of EPA’s Nine Elements • (9) A monitoring component to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation efforts over time, measured against the criteria established under Element 8 • Used to determine whether progress is being made towards attainment or maintaining water quality standards • Monitoring should be integrated with Element 8 • Are load reductions being achieved? • Are improvements in water quality occurring? • Watershed-scale monitoring can be used to monitor effectiveness of implementation efforts • Instream monitoring can be utilized to monitor individual BMPs if relevant to project Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

14. An Overview of Suggested Workflow in Watershed Plan Development Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

15. Overview of Workflow • Please see Watershed Plan Workflow handout Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

16. Information Regarding KDHE Expectations for Plans as They Address Each Element Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

17. KDHE Expectations for Plans • To address each of the elements, there is a minimum amount of information needed • KDHE is currently working on a document to illustrate this information • Information has not been finalized at this time • Changes could occur in the future, so stay tuned… Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

18. KDHE Expectations for Plans • Element 1 • Basic watershed information • Land cover map • HUC 12 map • PWS map • CAFO map • Hydrologic map • Local roads map • NPDES map • High Quality Waters map • Narrative describing features as highlighted in maps Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

19. KDHE Expectations for Plans • Element 1 (cont.) • 303d List information • Map (s) • Information regarding schedule for TMDL development • TMDL Information • Map(s) • List of TMDL pollutants • Pollutant category inventory • Tabular or narrative format • Information that address all pollutants covered under TMDL or 303d list water bodies • TMDL load allocations to address pollutant loads Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments. Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

20. KDHE Expectations for Plans • Element 2 • Identification of types and quantities of BMPs to be implementation • Load reductions as related to meeting TMDL • Methodology utilized to produce load reduction estimates • Load reduction estimates need to be expressed in quantity versus percent reduction (5,000 lb/yr phosphorus load reduction) Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

21. KDHE Expectations for Plans • Element 3 • Identification of critical areas • Must be identified to at least HUC 12 level) • Modeling results • STEPL • SWAT • AnnAGNPS • BMP needs within watershed • Needs Inventory • Local knowledge • Satellite/aerial photography can be source of information as well • Explanation of BMP needs within critical areas • Type of BMPs needed • Quantity of BMPs • Associated load reduction estimates Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

22. KDHE Expectations for Plans • Element 4 • Cost estimates for BMP implementation as determined by SLT or applicable service providers • Estimates for each year of watershed plan • Estimates for duration of plan • Techical assistance needed during duration of plan • Entity that will be providing assistance • The service provided by organization Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

23. KDHE Expectations for Plans • Element 5 • Adult I&E activities focused on pertinent groups within watershed • I&E should be focused on address impairments within watershed • Methodology to evaluate effectiveness of I&E activities Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

24. KDHE Expectations for Plans • Element 6 • Yearly schedule of BMPs to be implemented • Yearly totals should equal total quantity to be implemented within watershed • Schedule for deliverables and BMPs • Entire Watershed • Critical/Priority areas • Schedule should reflect implementation focused in priority areas Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

25. KDHE Expectations for Plans • Element 7 • Short term (1-3 years) • Mid-term (3-5 years) • Long term (10+ years) • Milestones should be included so that progress on plan implementation can be monitored. • Type and quantity of BMP implementation • Modeling or monitoring results • I&E deliverables Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

26. KDHE Expectations for Plans • Element 8 • Development of interim water quality milestones used to assess goals/water quality • Relate plan goals to applicable water quality standards • Uses (aquatic life, primary rec., pws, food procurement) • Pollutants (bacteria, nutrients, sediment, metals, salts, pesticides) • KDHE can determine applicable criteria/pollutants • Refer to TMDLs for criteria, endpoints, and indicators • Refer to TMDLs for timeline of achievement and milestones • If no TMDL, establish baseline indicators of good water quality • Information can be expressed in matrix/spreadsheet which highlights goals, mid-point indicators, and long-term critera Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

27. KDHE Expectations for Plans • Element 9 • Water quality and biological parameters being monitored • Group/Organization performing sampling • Location of sampling • Duration and schedule of sampling • Recognition of existing monitoring efforts within watershed • Location of monitoring networks within watershed • KDHE • KDWP • KBS • USGS • USCOE • Other applicable networks Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

28. KDHE Expectations for Plans • Element 9 (cont.) • Acknowledgement of how data will be analyzed • What are you doing with the data? • If data gaps are present, address need for additional monitoring • If additional monitoring is needed, justification for need • Approved QAPP needed for monitoring Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

29. An Overview of Technical Assistance KDHE Can Provide Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

30. KDHE Technical Assistance Please see Process for Updating Kansas WRAPSPlans…handout Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

31. YOUR NEEDS? Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

32. Questions/Comments Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.

33. Thank You! Matt Unruh (785) 296-0694 munruh@kdheks.gov Our Vision – Healthy Kansans living in safe and sustainable environments.