Monitoring and Implementation in the Fox River Basin Cindy Skrukrud - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Monitoring and Implementation in the Fox River Basin Cindy Skrukrud Clean Water Program Director Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter Chair, Fox River Study Group

Fox River Watershed  2658 Sq. miles  938 Sq. miles WI  1720 Sq. miles in IL  223 miles long  Population > 1 Million  16 Dams  32 WWTPs on river 2

FOX RIVER PROFILE 950 Stream Profile of the Fox River 900 Carpentersville IDNR IGA 850 800 ELEVATION IN FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL Waukesha Chain (Removed) Hurds Island ‘O Lakes St. Charles 750 N. Aurora IDNR IGA Waterford Burlington N. Batavia McHenry 700 Algonquin (Removed) Elgin Wilmot South Elgin 650 Geneva S. Batavia (Removed) WISCONSIN ILLINOIS 600 Stolp Island Montgomery 550 Dayton Fox River From Chain O Lakes to Dayton Yorkville 47% of River Miles Impounded 55% of River Surface Area is Dam Impoundment 500 Source: Fox River Fish Passage Feasibility Study 450 175 125 100 50 25 150 75 0 RIVER MILES (FROM KNAPP, 1988)

Illinois EPA 2012 Report to Congress Mainstem of Fox River in Illinois suffers from nutrient-caused impairments  Algae is over-fed by nutrients  Algal blooms suck oxygen out of water  Low oxygen harmful to aquatic life  Algae causes taste and odor problems for drinking water Algae in the Fox River

Reach ID and Description Length Listed Cause Downstream Upstream (mi) of Impairment River Mile River Mile IL_DT-35 5.03 aquatic algae 110.1 115.1 From: Grass Lake To: IL/WI state line IL_DT-23 7.77 aquatic algae 97.7 105 From: about 0.52 miles downstream Stratton Dam To: Pistakee Lake IL_DT-22 7.86 aquatic algae 98.2 97.7 From: Confluence with Flint Creek Listed Impairments To: Stratton Dam IL_DT-06 8.06 DO, aquatic 84.55 92.6 ∗ State’s 303(d) list algae From: Crystal Lake Outlet To: Flint Creek IL_DT-20 9.95 DO 74.6 84.55 From: Confluence with Jelkes Creek includes multiple To: Confluence with Crystal Lake Outlet IL_DT-18 5.8 DO 68.8 74.6 impairments From: Confluence with Poplar Creek To: Confluence with Jelkes Creek IL_DT-09 7.9 total 60.9 68.8 ∗ Multiple reaches phosphorus, From: Confluence with Ferson Creek aquatic algae To: Confluence with Poplar Creek IL_DT-58 3.76 DO 59.5 63.25 are listed for DO, From: Confluence with Whites Creek To: Confluence with Ferson Creek IL_DT-69 4.51 total 55 59.5 phosphorus and phosphorus, From: Confluence with Mill Creek aquatic algae To: Confluence with Whites Creek IL_DT-38 12.3 total 42.7 55 algae impairments phosphorus, From: Confluence with Waubonsee Creek aquatic algae To: Mill Creek IL_DT-03 7.1 DO, total 35.6 42.7 phosphorus, From: Confluence with Blackberry aquatic algae Creek To: Confluence with Waubonsee Creek IL_DT-11 4.6 total 31.0 35.6 phosphorus, From: Confluence with Big Rock Creek aquatic algae To: Confluence with Blackberry Creek

Managing a Multi-Purpose Resource  Drinking water for FRWRD 300,000+ Illinoisans  Wastewater and stormwater conveyance  Recreation for inhabitants and visitors  Habitat for aquatic and terrestrial species  Aesthetic value www.fishthefox.com Friends of the Fox River

Fox River Study Group Incorporated as a Not For Profit in 2003 City of Aurora City of Elgin Fox Metro Water Reclamation District Fox River Ecosystem Partnership Fox River Water Reclamation District Friends of the Fox River Kane County Sierra Club - Illinois Chapter Tri-Cities (Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles) Mission: To bring a diverse coalition of stakeholders together to work to preserve and enhance water quality in the Fox River watershed Scientific Tools Extensive monitoring of Fox River (monthly since 2002, low flows, storms) Computer models of watershed runoff and Fox River mainstem www.foxriverstudygroup.org

Four Phase Approach Phase Phase I: Phase II: Phase III: IV: 2013- 2002-2003 2003-2009 2006-2013 … Understand Integrated Develop Planning Implementation Available Monitoring/ Tools Information Refine models Low flow monitoring HSPF: loads, storm Water quality (FoxDB) events Completed 2012 Fox River Implementation Plan Storm event monitoring QUAL2K: DO regime GIS data In works during low flows Completed 2011 Evaluate, propose & promote management actions Literature review and Refinement of Planning Monitoring plan Additional monitoring publication database Tools to investigate issues and track progress Initial evaluation of How to address the Biological data (FoxDB management options issues modified) (scenarios)

Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Methods ∗ Monthly since 2002 Sites ∗ IEPA-approved QA/QC program ∗ Seven sites on Fox River- ∗ Volunteer collection, transport Johnsburg to Yorkville and analysis ∗ Sleepy Hollow Creek ∗ Samples analyzed by Fox Metro ∗ Tyler Creek & Fox River WRDs & City of ∗ Silver Creek Elgin Water Dept. ∗ Indian Creek ∗ ∗ Crystal Creek Constituents: Temp, pH, DO, conductivity, BOD, TSS, fecal coliform, TKN, Ammonia N, Nitrate ∗ Ferson Creek N, Organic N, chlorophyll a, est. biomass, Total P, ∗ Blackberry Creek Dissolved P, Chloride, Turbidity

Monthly Water Quality Monitoring

FoxDB database http://ilrdss.sws.uiuc.edu/fox/

Watershed loading model " STRATTON DAM  31 Tributaries + Areas draining " directly to Fox R. "  33 HSPF Models ( Tribs + 2 for the Fox) " " Receiving stream model " " " "  QUAL2K (1 model) " " " " "  Steady State " Work performed by ISWS "

Intensive Water Quality Monitoring for model calibration Water Years 2010 & 2011 June 2012 ∗ Biweekly and storm events ∗ 3 days under low flow conditions ∗ ∗ 2o sites on Fox River, 8 13 sites on Fox River and 10 tributaries tributaries and 3 CSOs in ∗ Continuous DO, T, pH, Elgin conductivity at Fox R sites ∗ 18 water quality parameters ∗ Nutrient-related parameters measured at all sites ∗ 7 precipitation gages ∗ SOD at 3 Fox R sites ∗ 5 flow gages ∗ Benthic algae at 5 Fox R sites ∗ Work performed by ISWS ∗ Stage and discharge measurements and USGS ∗ Work performed by ISWS, USGS and Deuchler Environmental

Total phosphorus concentration (mg/l) 0.01 0.1 10 1 920 TP During 2002-2013 Sampling Chapel Hill 900 Burtons Bridge Rawson Bridge Algonquin I-90 880 Fox River Station, Upstream to Downstream Tributaries (FRSG) 860 South Elgin (State St.) Mainstem Geneva (Fabyan) 840 Montgomery (Mill St.) 820 Route 47 800 780

Total phosphorus concentration (mg/l) 0.01 0.1 10 1 900 Burtons Bridge TP During 2010-2011 Sampling Algonquin I-90 880 At FRWRD Elgin (Kimball) Fox River Station, Upstream to Downstream 860 Tributaries South Elgin (State St.) St. Charles (above dam) 840 Mainstem Geneva (Fabyan) Aurora (Illinois) 820 Montgomery (Mill St.) Route 34 Fox River Drive 800 780

Burtons Bridge TP During June 2012 Sampling Algonquin I-90 Elgin (Kimball) Elgin (National) South Elgin (above dam) St. Charles (above dam) Geneva (Fabyan) Aurora (Sullivan) Montgomery (Ashland) Oswego (Millstone Park) Yorkville (above dam) Sheridan

Sources of TP in Fox River watershed Fox Total, long-term average annual TP load 9% 6% Urban 26% Agriculture Others 53% Point Sources 6% Upstream Boundary Area between Stratton Dam and Fox River confluence with Illinois River Determined from calibrated HSPF model runs for 1991-2011

Sources of TP in Fox River watershed by tributary http://foxriverstudygroup.org/pdfs/Docs/ISWS-TechnicalMemorandum-PSources-May2014.pdf

Fox River Implementation Plan Goals  Attain water quality for dissolved oxygen  Reduce nuisance algae  Replace a traditional TMDL plan  Recommendations developed based on good science with input from local decision makers  Report due to IEPA on Dec. 31, 2015

Model Calibration – Min. Dissolved Oxygen Tributary WWTP Dam LTI_Calibration Observed Mar-Jul WQS Aug-Feb WQS 18 Model results (line) are 16 significantly higher than data Minimum Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) (squares) in several locations, 14 indicating calibration problems 12 10 8 6 N. Moraine Wauconda FRWRD-N. Fox Metro 4 Algonquin E. Dundee FRWRD-S. St Charles Sheridan Geneva Batavia YBSD 2 Cary 0 100.00 90.00 80.00 70.00 60.00 50.00 40.00 30.00 20.00 10.00 0.00 Fox River Mainstem River Mile

Dam Removal Scenario – Min. DO & Algae Tributary WWTP Dam Summer Baseline Carp_to_Mont Carp_and_NAur Mar-Jul WQS Aug-Feb WQS 18 Note: model results for dissolved oxygen are subject to revision due to 16 Minimum Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) uncertainty in the current model calibration; see Section 3.2.3 in FRIP. 14 12 10 8 6 N. Moraine Wauconda FRWRD-N. Fox Metro Algonquin E. Dundee FRWRD-S. St Charles 4 Sheridan Geneva Batavia YBSD Cary 2 0 100.00 90.00 80.00 70.00 60.00 50.00 40.00 30.00 20.00 10.00 0.00 Fox River Mainstem River Mile Tributary WWTP Dam Summer Baseline Carp_to_Mont Carp_and_NAur 140 120 Average Phytoplankton (ugP/L) 100 80 60 40 N. Moraine Wauconda FRWRD-N. Fox Metro Algonquin E. Dundee FRWRD-S. St Charles Sheridan Geneva Batavia 20 YBSD Cary 0 100.00 90.00 80.00 70.00 60.00 50.00 40.00 30.00 20.00 10.00 0.00 Fox River Mainstem River Mile