HomeMy WebLinkAboutSec B Ch 7 03-08-36
Section B - Chapter 7
Catawba River Subbasin 03-08-36
Long Creek, Dallas Branch and South Fork Catawba River
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7.1 Subbasin Overview
Subbasin 03-08-36 is located entirely in Lincoln County
in the Southern Outer Piedmont ecoregion. The small
subbasin consists of the Long Creek watershed and a
portion of the South Fork Catawba River between the
Town of Stanly and Lake Wylie. Major metropolitan
areas include the cities of Gastonia and Belmont, the
Interstate 85 corridor, and parts of Bessemer City. These
areas are not growing as quickly as other subbasins
(Tables A-6 and A-7), yet urban stormwater remains a
concern. Most of the streams are very sandy due to
erosion problems throughout the area. Land use remains
primarily forested.
Major dischargers in this watershed include Collins and
Aikman Products (4 MGD) and the City of Gastonia’s
Long Creek WWTP (16 MGD), both discharging to the
South Fork Catawba River.
There are six facilities in this subbasin required to
monitor effluent toxicity. Five of these facilities had one
or more failing tests since 1997: Cramerton WWTP (2),
Dallas WWTP (6), Lowell WWTP (2), Pharr Yarns (1),
and Yorkshire Americas (3).
There were six benthic macroinvertebrate community
samples and two fish community samples (Figure B-7 and Table B-14) collected during this
assessment period. Two sites improved and four sites were sampled for the first time during this
assessment period. Refer to 2003 Catawba River Basinwide Assessment Report at
http://www.esb.enr.state.nc.us/bar.html and Section A, Chapter 3 for more information on monitoring.
Subbasin 03-08-36 at a Glance
Land and Water Area
Total area: 104mi2
Land area: 101mi2
Water area: 3mi2
Population Statistics
2000 Est. Pop.: 57,125 people
Pop. Density: 522 persons/mi2
Land Cover (percent)
Forest/Wetland: 54%
Surface Water: 3%
Urban: 14%
Agriculture: 29%
Counties
Municipalities
Belmont, Bessemer City,
Cramerton, Dallas, Gastonia, Kings
Mountain, Lowell, McAdenville,
Ranlo and Spencer Mountain
Gaston
There are four ambient monitoring sites located in this subbasin: Long Creek at SR 1456, Long
Creek at SR 2042, South Fork Catawba River at NC 7, and South Fork Catawba River at SR
2524. The Long Creek at SR 1456 site has exhibited elevated conductivity levels since the early
1990s and has also shown elevated levels in pH since the middle 1980s. Long Creek at SR 2042
has shown declining levels of nutrients since the middle 1980s.
Benthic macroinvertebrate sampling could not be conducted in 2002 at the South Fork Catawba
River and Long Creek sites due to flow problems. However, a fish community assessment was
conducted on Long Creek in 2002 and resulted in a Good-Fair rating.
Section B: Chapter 7 - Catawba River Subbasin 03-08-36 167
Table B-14 DWQ Assessment and Use Support Ratings Summary for Monitored Waters in Subbasin 03-08-36
Biological Ambient Other 2004 1998
Limekiln Creek 11-129-16-2 WS-II 1.9 mi.AL
SB-3 G--98
SB-3 E--01 SFS
Long Creek 11-129-16-(4) C 15.3 mi.AL
F-1 F--97
F-1 GF--02
SB-1 NR--98
SB-2 F--98
SB-2 NR--01
SB-4 GF--97 C5900000 nce S FS/ST
South Fork Catawba River 11-129-(15.5) WS-V 18.1 mi.AL C6500000 nce S ST
South Fork Catawba River 11-129-(15.5) WS-V 18.1 mi.REC C6500000 nce S -
Long Creek 11-129-16-(4) C 15.3 mi.REC C5900000 ce NR
Assessment Unit Number - Portion of DWQ Classified Index where monitoring is applied to assign a use support rating.
Use Categories:Monitoring data type: Use Support Ratings 2004:
AL - Aquatic Life F - Fish Community Survey E - Excellent NR - Not Rated S - Supporting, I - Impaired, NR - Not Rated
REC - Recreation B - Benthic Community Survey G - Good
SB - Special Benthic Community Study GF - Good-Fair Use Support Ratings 1998:
F - Fair FS - fully supporting, ST - supporting but threatened
P - Poor PS - partially supporting, NS - not supporting
nce - no criteria exceeded
ce - criteria exceeded
Bioclassifcations:
Ambient Data
Data Type with Map Number
and Data Results
Waterbody
Assessment Unit
Number
Use Support Rating
CategoryLength / Area
DWQ
Classification
Section B: Chapter 7 - Catawba River Subbasin 03-08-36 169
Bessemer City Lake, a small water supply reservoir for Bessemer City, was classified as
oligotrophic in 2002. Nutrient concentrations were low with the exception of elevated ammonia
levels in June.
7.2 Use Support Assessment Summary
Waters in Parts 7.3 and 7.4 are identified by assessment unit number (AU#). This number is
used to track defined segments in the water quality assessment database, 303(d) Impaired waters
list, and the various tables in this basin plan. The assessment unit number is a subset of the
DWQ index number (classification identification number). A letter attached to the end of the
AU# indicates that the assessment is smaller than the DWQ index segment. No letter indicates
that the assessment unit and the DWQ index segment are the same.
Use support ratings are summarized in Part 7.2 below. Recommendations, current status and
future recommendations for waters that were Impaired in 1999 and newly Impaired waters are
discussed in Part 7.3 below. Supporting waters with noted water quality impacts are discussed in
Part 7.4 below. Refer to Appendix III for use support methods and more information on all
monitored waters.
Use support ratings in subbasin 03-08-36 were assigned for aquatic life, fish consumption,
recreation and water supply. All waters in the subbasin are considered Impaired on an Evaluated
basis because of a fish consumption advice (Section A, Chapter 4, Part 4.10). All water supply
waters are Supporting on an Evaluated basis based on reports from DEH regional water
treatment plant consultants. Refer to Table B-15 for a summary of use support ratings by use
support category for waters in the subbasin.
Section B: Chapter 7 - Catawba River Subbasin 03-08-36 170
Table B-15 Summary of Use Support Ratings by Use Support Category in Subbasin 03-08-36
Use Support
Rating
Aquatic
Life
Fish
Consumption Recreation Water
Supply
Monitored Waters
Supporting 17.2 mi 0 0 0
Impaired 000 0
Not Rated 0 0 15.3 mi 0
0 15.3 mi 0
Unmonitored Waters
Supporting 0 0 0 19.5 mi
Impaired 0 55.9 mi 0 0
Not Rated 0 0 0 0
No Data 38.7 mi 0 40.6 mi 0
Total 38.7 mi.55.9 mi 40.6 mi 19.5 mi
Totals
All Waters 55.9 mi 55.9 mi 55.9 mi 19.5 mi
Total 17.2 mi
Note: All waters include monitored, evaluated and waters that were not assessed.
7.3 Status and Recommendations of Previously and Newly Impaired
Waters
The following waters were identified in the 1999 basin plan as Impaired or are newly Impaired
based on recent data. The current status and recommendations for addressing these waters are
presented below. These waters are identified by assessment unit number (AU#). Refer to the
overview above for more information on AUs.
7.3.1 Dallas Branch [AU# 11-129-16-7b]
Current Status and 2004 Recommendations
Dallas Branch is a tributary to Long Creek and the 0.8-mile segment from the Dallas WWTP
(NC0068888) to Long Creek was listed as Impaired in the 2002 Integrated 305(b) and 303(d)
Report due to municipal point source discharges. The Dallas WWTP has had compliance issues
with quarterly chronic toxicity and weekly fecal coliform limits. Effluent chlorine values are
elevated at times. In response, the facility has recently added a dechlorination system. Upon
permit renewal in 2005, a total residual chlorine limit will be added. Upon inspection in October
2003, the plant was meeting its permit requirements and appeared to be well maintained. DWQ
will resample this stream once the chlorine limit is in place.
Section B: Chapter 7 – Catawba River Subbasin 03-08-36 171
7.4 Status and Recommendations for Waters with Noted Impacts
The surface waters discussed in this section are not Impaired. However, notable water quality
problems and concerns have been documented for some waters based on this assessment. While
these waters are not Impaired, attention and resources should be focused on these waters to
prevent additional degradation or facilitate water quality improvement. Waters in the following
section are identified by assessment unit number (AU#). See overview for more information on
AUs.
7.4.1 South Fork Catawba River [AU# 11-129-(0.5), 11-129-(3.5), 11-129-(3.7)a, 11-129-
(3.7)b, 11-129-(9.5), 11-129-(10.5), 11-129-(14.5), 11-129-(15.5)]
The South Fork Catawba River is formed by the confluence of Jacob and Henry Forks in
Catawba County. It flows southerly through Lincoln and Gaston counties before joining the
mainstem Catawba River at Lake Wylie. The river is used extensively as both a drinking water
supply and for the assimilation of municipal and industrial wastewater. Because the South Fork
Catawba River flows through two subbasins, further discussion of issues and watersheds related
to the South Fork Catawba River is presented in Section A, Chapter 4.
7.4.2 Long Creek [AU# 11-129-16-(4)]
Current Status and 2004 Recommendations
The Long Creek watershed includes the north side of Gastonia and Bessemer City and central
Gaston County. Due to a variety of restoration efforts and verification by scientific
investigations, Long Creek was removed from the state’s 303(d) list in 2000.
An eight-year study and restoration plan concluded in 2002 with the implementation of nonpoint
source controls in the upper two-thirds of the watershed. Best management practices, land use
changes, closure of mining operations, construction of livestock exclusion fencing, and riparian
buffer establishments all led to significant decreases in nutrients, sediment and bacterial
concentrations in the stream (Line and Jennings, 2002). The following is a summary of the
study’s major findings and achievements:
¾ More than 350 BMPs to treat runoff from 9,000 acres of pasture and cropland were
implemented in the watershed. Animal waste management systems were installed to
properly handle and apply 5,000,000 gallons of animal waste from four dairy
operations.
¾ The implementation of primarily erosion control practices and the conversion of some
land from row crop to tree production in the headwaters of Long Creek resulted in a
decrease in the frequency of dredging around the water supply intake for Bessemer
City. Prior to 1996, the stream channel required dredging of deposited sediment three
to four times per year, but after, the need for dredging decreased to less than once per
year.
¾ The implementation of BMPs and changes in land use in the watershed resulted in 75
and 70 percent decreases in median annual total phosphorus and fecal coliform levels at
three downstream monitoring sites on Long Creek.
Section B: Chapter 7 – Catawba River Subbasin 03-08-36 172
¾ The closure of a surface mining operation and subsequent draining of several large
tailings ponds in 1997 coincided with decreases in suspended sediment and fecal
coliform levels at three monitoring sites on Long Creek.
¾ The installation of livestock exclusion fencing and riparian buffer establishment in the
pasture of a large dairy operation resulted in major reductions in weekly nitrogen,
phosphorus and suspended sediment loads to the creek. Fecal coliform bacteria levels
decrease following livestock exclusion.
¾ Monthly sampling of 10 monitoring wells in a dairy pasture documented elevated levels
of nitrogen and phosphorus in groundwater beneath heavily use areas of the pasture.
Data from monitoring wells in the riparian buffer indicated that the buffer was effective
at nitrogen removal from groundwater, but was not effective at phosphorus removal.
¾ Annual sampling has documented that the abundance and diversity of the
macroinvertebrate community at several sites in Long Creek has been increasing,
indicating an improving trend in water quality.
¾ Monitoring of a small wetland, constructed along an urban stream, documented
decreases in the concentrations of petroleum-related polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs) as water from the stream passed through the wetland. However, the wetland
had little effect on combustion-related PAHs.
¾ Sampling of cropland soil, streambanks and streambeds indicated that cropland had
considerably higher total phosphorus levels than streambank or bed material. Storm
sampling of two tributaries and Long Creek showed the phosphorus load in suspended
sediment was an order of magnitude greater than for bedload sediment.
At least 1.5 years of background or pretreatment water quality monitoring are required to
document the effectiveness of nonpoint source controls; however, the start of a project and the
initiation of monitoring often prompt landowners to implement improved management practices.
Therefore, a concerted effort to explain the timeline of the study must be made prior to the start
of monitoring.
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