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James River Basin Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Implementation Plan

Background

Portions of eight streams located within Region 2000 area are on Virginia’s list of impaired or “dirty” waters list because current stream bacterial levels exceeds water quality standards. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) indicates that the current bacteria indicate an increased illness risk for persons who come in direct contact with the water.

The eight stream area watershed drains collectively from portions of Campbell, Bedford, and Amherst Counties and the entire City of Lynchburg. The eight stream portions include: 18.43 miles of James River, 5.37 miles of Ivy Creek, 5.9 miles of Tomahawk Creek, 3.47 miles of Burton Creek, 10.55 miles of Judith Creek, 5.45 miles Fishing Creek, 10.24 miles of Blackwater Creek, and 8.5 miles Beaver Creek.

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), or pollutant load study, was completed for these water bodies in 2007. A TMDL is the numerical pollution limit that a stream can tolerate and still maintain standard. A second Amendment to the TMDL study has recently been updated. The original James River TMLD is available on the Region 2000 website. An Amendment to the James River Basin TMDL, which includes the addition of an additional steam segment, is available for review. Click here.

Implementation Plan Development

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is now developing a TMDL Implementation Plan (IP), or comprehensive watershed management plan, to meet water quality standards for the combined stream area watershed located collectively in portions of Bedford, Campbell and Amherst Counties and the entire city of Lynchburg.

The Implementation Plan will be developed, with assistance from the Blacksburg, Virginia engineering firm Map Tech Incorporated, and through participation with local stakeholders including land owners, farmers, local government staff and officials, local citizens and civic groups, and state and local agency representatives. Collectively this wide range of local stakeholders will develop a long-term plan to reduce fecal coliform in the impaired streams to the point that they meet water quality standards.

The James River Basin Implementation Plan will:

Outline a menu of actions or activities, or best management practices (BMPs), needed to reduce the sources of fecal coliform bacteria;
Identify the benefits of each watershed management activity;
Provide an overview of the local partners and stakeholders that will be involved in implementing local BMPs;
Provide a timeline to achieve measureable water quality goals; and
Estimate the associated costs of implementing water quality goals.

Implementation Plan Fact Sheet click here

How to Participate –

Citizens Needed to Participate in Developing the Implementation Plan

Strong local public participation is a vital element in development of the IP. Local participation ensures the Plan represents local ideas and promotes local support. The James River Basin IP will be developed under the overall guidance of the James River Basin Steering Committee and through citizen participation in plan working groups and through participation in pubic meetings that will held during plan development.

There are four individual working groups that will assist the in developing pollution prevention practices, actions, and policies to reduce bacteria concentrations within the target area steams.

The James River Basin TMDL IP Working Groups are:

Steering Committee – is the primary decision making body for the IP document and utilize comments from the working groups and public meetings to guide decisions.

Agricultural/Residential Working Group – assist in identifying voluntary land use practices, assist in identifying constraints and opportunities for public education and utilization of voluntary land use practices that can assist in meeting water quality goals. Residential/Agricultural Working Group Fact Sheet click here;

Governmental Working Group –assist in evaluating current, pending, and necessary programs to meet water quality standards, identify lead agencies and partners, and consider voluntary and regulatory controls. Governmental Working Group Fact Sheet click here

Stormwater/Technical Working Group – engineers and technical staff that will assist is identifying specific engineering and stormwater practices that can be used to assist in meeting water quality goals

Public Meetings

The first James River Basin TDML Implementation Plan Public Meeting was held Thursday, May 6, 2010 at Lynchburg College. During the first meeting citizens were provided an overview of the water quality impairments, and overview of the TMDL IP process, and an opportunity to provide comment on the plan and suggestions for inclusion within the pending watershed document.

Click Here - To review a copy of the TDML IP presentation presented at the May 6th Public Meeting.