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Home My WebLink About2021-Chapter-4-Chowan-SubbasinChowan – Chowan River Subbasin 1 2/18/2021 Contents Chapter 4 Chowan River Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC): 03010203 ........................................................... 2 4.1 General Description ...................................................................................................................... 2 4.2 Population and Land Use .............................................................................................................. 2 4.3 Permits .......................................................................................................................................... 4 4.4 Biological Health ........................................................................................................................... 8 4.5 Ambient Water Quality ............................................................................................................... 10 4.6 Local Water Quality ..................................................................................................................... 11 4.7 Kingsale Swamp-Blackwater River (HUC: 0301020205) ............................................................. 14 4.8 Mill Creek-Nottoway River (HUC: 0301020112) ......................................................................... 14 4.9 Somerton Creek (HUC: 0301020301) .......................................................................................... 14 4.10 Sarem Creek-Chowan River Watershed (HUC: 0301020302) ..................................................... 15 4.10.1 Chowan River [AU# 25a1] ................................................................................................... 15 4.10.2 Chowan River [AU# 25a2a] ................................................................................................. 15 4.10.3 Chowan River [AU# 25a2b] ................................................................................................. 16 4.10.4 Cole Creek [AU# 25-12-7] .................................................................................................... 16 4.11 Ahoskie Creek Watershed (HUC: 0301020303) .......................................................................... 17 4.11.1 Ahoskie Creek [AU# 25-14-1a and AU# 25-14-1b] .............................................................. 17 4.11.2 Stony Creek [AU# 25-14-1-6] ............................................................................................... 18 4.12 Wiccacon River Watershed (HUC: 0301020304) ........................................................................ 18 4.12.1 Wiccacon River (Hoggard Swamp) [AU# 25-14] ................................................................. 18 4.12.2 Chinkapin Swamp [AU# 25-14-3] ........................................................................................ 19 4.13 Bennetts Creek Watershed (HUC: 0301020305) ........................................................................ 20 4.13.1 Duke Swamp [AU# 25-17-1] ................................................................................................ 20 4.13.2 Bennetts Creek (Merchants Millpond) [AU# 25-17] ............................................................ 21 4.14 Holiday Island-Chowan River Watershed (HUC: 0301020306) ................................................... 21 4.14.1 Chowan River [AU#25a2c & 25b] ........................................................................................ 22 4.15 Chowan River Watershed (HUC: 0301020307) ........................................................................... 22 4.15.1 Chowan River [AU# 25c] ...................................................................................................... 22 4.15.2 Rockyhock Creek [AU# 25-22] ............................................................................................. 23 4.15.3 Eastmost Swamp [AU# 25-24-1] ......................................................................................... 23 4.15.4 Cricket Swamp [AU# 25-24-2] ............................................................................................. 24 References: ............................................................................................................................................. 26 Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 2 2/18/2021 Chapter 4 Chowan River Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC): 03010203 4.1 General Description The Chowan River subbasin contains the Chowan River which forms by the merging of the Nottoway and Blackwater Rivers at the VA-NC state line. This river then flows southeastward toward the Albemarle Sound. Major tributaries to the Chowan River include the Wiccacon River, Bennetts Creek (Merchants Millpond), and Salmon Creek. This subbasin is located in the Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain ecoregion and contains 898 square miles, of which 800 square miles are in NC. Many significant natural heritage areas are located within the Chowan subbasin. The Chowan Swamp State Natural Area, administered by the Division of Parks and Recreation, protects more than 6,000 acres. Merchants Millpond supports a diverse assemblage of aquatic plants including several rare species. Tidal Cypress-Gum Swamp, a designated significant natural heritage area, is found along much of the shoreline of the Chowan River and represents an important wetland ecosystem within the Chowan River basin. This subbasin contains portions of the Chowan Game Land, a track managed by the Wildlife Resources Commission. This property is one of four publicly owned conservation lands in the subbasin. 4.2 Population and Land Use Population for this subbasin is estimated to be around 37,098 or 46 people per square mile based on the 2010 census. The largest municipalities in this subbasin include Ahoskie, Aulander, and Winton. Based on 2010 census data, Ahoskie’s population grew 11 percent since 2000, while the other municipalities’ populations declined (Table 1-3). Most of the land within the North Carolina portion of the subbasin is forest land covering 35% of the land (Figure 4-1 and Table 4-1). At almost 27%, agriculture land cover types are also prevalent, while only 4% is classified as developed land. The land cover for the entire subbasin is found in Table 4-2. Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 3 2/18/2021 Figure 4-1 Land Cover for the Chowan River Subbasin of the Chowan River Subbasin (Source: NLCD 2016) Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 4 2/18/2021 Table 4-1 Land Cover of NC Portion of Chowan River Subbasin Land Cover Type 2001 2004 2006 2008 2011 2013 2016 Agriculture 27.38% 27.34% 27.24% 27.10% 26.91% 26.99% 26.96% Barren 0.03% 0.03% 0.03% 0.03% 0.03% 0.03% 0.03% Developed 4.00% 4.00% 4.07% 4.07% 4.08% 4.08% 4.15% Forest 32.81% 29.41% 27.35% 27.42% 30.83% 33.81% 35.11% Water 6.25% 6.29% 6.28% 6.27% 6.28% 6.25% 6.26% Shrubland 5.84% 6.68% 6.78% 8.54% 7.34% 5.86% 4.30% Grassland 1.83% 4.42% 6.41% 4.73% 2.68% 1.10% 1.32% Wetland 21.86% 21.83% 21.85% 21.85% 21.85% 21.88% 21.86% Table 4-2 Land Cover of Entire Chowan River Subbasin - NC and VA Land Cover Type 2001 2004 2006 2008 2011 2013 2016 Agriculture 27.95% 27.92% 27.82% 27.70% 27.53% 27.63% 27.60% Barren 0.03% 0.03% 0.03% 0.03% 0.03% 0.03% 0.03% Developed 3.99% 3.99% 4.04% 4.04% 4.06% 4.06% 4.12% Forest 33.21% 30.01% 28.07% 28.07% 31.33% 34.11% 35.31% Water 5.59% 5.62% 5.63% 5.61% 5.62% 5.59% 5.60% Shrubland 5.75% 6.47% 6.55% 8.37% 7.11% 5.84% 4.33% Grassland 1.82% 4.34% 6.22% 4.53% 2.68% 1.07% 1.35% Wetland 21.65% 21.63% 21.63% 21.65% 21.65% 21.68% 21.67% 4.3 Permits There are seven permitted NPDES wastewater dischargers (Table 4-3), 17 stormwater (Table 4-4), nine non-discharge (Table 4-5), three land application of residual solids permits (Table 4-5), and 18 animal operation permits issued in the Chowan subbasin. Table 4-3 NPDES Discharge Permits in the Chowan River Subbasin (2020) Permit Number Facility Name County Permit Type Class Permit Flow GPD Receiving Stream HUC-12 NC0033782 Gatesville Elementary School WWTP Gates Discharging 100% Domestic < 1MGD Minor 5,000 Bennetts Creek (Merchants Millpond) 030102030504 Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 5 2/18/2021 Permit Number Facility Name County Permit Type Class Permit Flow GPD Receiving Stream HUC-12 NC0089541 Ashton Lewis Lumber Co Gates Industrial Processing & Commercial Wastes Minor Not Limited Bennetts Creek (Merchants Millpond) 030102030504 NC0033804 T.S. Cooper Elementary School WWTP Gates Discharging 100% Domestic < 1MGD Minor 4,000 Raynor Swamp (Hunters Millpond) 030102030502 NC0043974 Buckland Elementary School Gates Discharging 100% Domestic < 1MGD Minor 6,000 Cole Creek (Lilleys Millpond) 030102030204 NC0088561 Ahoskie WWTP Hertford Municipal Wastewater Discharge, Large Major 1,300,000 Ahoskie Creek (Ahoskie Swamp, Bear Swamp) 030102030304 NC0032719* Valhalla WTP Chowan Water Plants and Water Conditioning Discharge Minor Not limited Rockyhock Creek (Bennett Millpond) 030102030702 NC0089516 Perdue Agribusiness LLC (Cofield) Hertford NCCW, BB, RO reject Minor Not limited Unnamed Tributary Deep Creek 030102030206 *New outfall under construction (as of January 2020 permit renewal) – discharge location will be in the Chowan River [AU# 25b], HUC-030102030701, and old DWR subbasin number 03-01-03. NCCW – Non-Contact Cooling Water; BB – Boiler Blowdown; RO – Reverse Osmosis; Table 4-4 NPDES Stormwater General Permits in the Chowan River Subbasin (2020) Permit Number Facility Name Owner Type County Permit Type NCG020811 Eure Sand Mine Individual Gates Mining Activities Stormwater Discharge COC NCG020824 Cofield Mine Non-Government Hertford Mining Activities Stormwater Discharge COC NCG020836 Copperneck Sand Hole Mine Non-Government Chowan Mining Activities Stormwater Discharge COC NCG020892 Joseph Parrish Mine Non-Government Chowan Mining Activities Stormwater Discharge COC NCG030135 Alfiniti, Inc. Non-Government Hertford Metal Fabrication Stormwater Discharge COC Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 6 2/18/2021 Permit Number Facility Name Owner Type County Permit Type NCG050017 Berry Plastics Non-Government Hertford Apparel/Printing/Paper/Leat her/Rubber Stormwater Discharge COC NCG080126 A T Byrum & Son Incorporated Non-Government Hertford Transportation w/Vehicle Maintenance/Petroleum Bulk/Oil Water Separator Stormwater Discharge COC NCG080762 North Carolina and Virginia Railroad Non-Government Hertford Transportation w/Vehicle Maintenance/Petroleum Bulk/Oil Water Separator Stormwater Discharge COC NCG080887 Ahoskie Bin Non-Government Hertford Transportation w/Vehicle Maintenance/Petroleum Bulk/Oil Water Separator Stormwater Discharge COC NCG100032 Goodnews Auto Sales & Salvage Non-Government Bertie Used Motor Vehicle Parts Stormwater Discharge COC NCG100239 Ahoskie Pull Parts Non-Government Hertford Used Motor Vehicle Parts Stormwater Discharge COC NCG140102 Commercial Ready-Mix Products Non-Government Hertford Ready Mix Concrete Stormwater/Wastewater Discharge COC NCG140331 Ready Mix Inc - Roanoke- Chowan Non-Government Bertie Ready Mix Concrete Stormwater/Wastewater Discharge COC NCG150063 Tri-County Airport Non-Government Bertie Air Transportation Stormwater Discharge COC NCG210185 Ashton Lewis Lumber Company Non-Government Gates Timber Products Stormwater Discharge COC NCG210420 Enviva Pellets Ahoskie LLC Non-Government Hertford Timber Products Stormwater Discharge COC NCS000134 Avoca Farms - Merry Hill Non-Government Bertie Stormwater Discharge, Individual Table 4-5 NPDES Non-Discharge Permits in the Chowan River Subbasin (2020) Permit Number Facility Name Owner County Permit Type Permit Flow GPD WQ0000267 Gates Correctional Center #4130 County of Gates Gates Wastewater Irrigation 25,000 WQ0000777 Aulander Town - WWTP/Spray Facility Town of Aulander Hertford Wastewater Irrigation 333,510 WQ0001536 Perdue Grain and Oilseed LLC Perdue Grain and Oilseed LLC Hertford Wastewater Irrigation 35,000 Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 7 2/18/2021 Permit Number Facility Name Owner County Permit Type Permit Flow GPD WQ0002096 Pinewood Manor Rest Home Jor Enterprises LLC Hertford Wastewater Irrigation 7,500 WQ0003885 Town of Ahoskie WWTP Town of Ahoskie Hertford Wastewater Irrigation 406,000 WQ0005910 Avoca Farms - Merry Hill Avoca Inc Bertie Wastewater Irrigation 50,000 WQ0011119 Colerain WWTP Town of Colerain Bertie Wastewater Irrigation 75,000 WQ0012404 CF Nitrogen Site in Tunis, NC C F Industries Inc Hertford Groundwater Remediation 54,795 WQ0040672 Stevens Towing - Riverbulk Terminal WWTF Stevens Towing Co of North Carolina LLC Chowan Wastewater Irrigation 12,710 WQ0036706 Ahoskie WWTP Town of Ahoskie Hertford Land Application of Residual Solids (503) - WQ0002368 Town of Weldon Town of Weldon Northampton Land Application of Residual Solids (503) - WQ0038835 Terra Renewal Services – Mountaire Farms/Tyson Foods Terra Renewal Services Inc. Gates Land Application of Residual Solids - Table 4-6 Animal Feeding Operation (AFO) Permits – Chowan River Subbasin (2020) Permit Number* Facility Name Combined Owner County Watershed Name Number of Lagoons AWS370015 Paul Lilley Farm Paul Lilley Gates Sarem Cr-Chowan R 2 AWS370059 Sarem Farms, Inc. Sarem Farms Inc Gates Sarem Cr-Chowan R 2 AWI370037 Lawrence Farms Lawrence M Gates Sarem Cr-Chowan R - AWS080010 Farm 35 & 33 Murphy-Brown LLC Bertie Ahoskie Cr 4 AWS460007 Farm 40 Murphy-Brown LLC Hertford Ahoskie Cr 2 AWS660084 Plantation Sow Farm Maxwell Foods LLC Northampton Ahoskie Cr 3 AWS460003 DBA Merritt Farms Donald Merritt Hertford Wiccacon R 1 AWS370003 George Lang Farm George Lang Gates Bennetts Cr 1 AWS370004 BHI3 Michael McPherson Gates Bennetts Cr 1 AWS370006 Indian Neck Hog & Poultry Farm William Rountree Gates Bennetts Cr 2 AWS370012 Byrum Farm Wayne Byrum Gates Bennetts Cr 1 AWS210002 Billy R. Nixon Farm Billy Nixon Chowan Holiday I.-Chowan R 1 AWS210004 Stallings Family Farm Cheryl Stallings Chowan Holiday I.-Chowan R 2 AWS210015 Curtis Byrum Farm Curtis Byrum Chowan Holiday I.-Chowan R 3 AWS460004 Lena Lowe Farm Lena Lowe Hertford Holiday I.-Chowan R 1 Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 8 2/18/2021 Permit Number* Facility Name Combined Owner County Watershed Name Number of Lagoons AWS460015 Brian Mitchell Farm Brian Mitchell Hertford Holiday I.-Chowan R 1 AWS210022 Beaver Swamp Hog Ivey Ward Chowan Holiday I.-Chowan R - AWS210006 Michael Nixon Farm Michael Nixon Chowan Chowan R 1 *Permit Type: AWS – Swine State COC, AWI – Animal Individual State Permit 4.4 Biological Health The Biological Assessment Branch (BAB) of DWR monitors macroinvertebrates using two biological indices. The Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera (EPT) index is a measure of pollution-sensitive aquatic insects inhabiting a waterbody. A stream showing high EPT richness is less likely to be polluted than one with low richness in the same geographic region. In addition, they evaluate the streams biotic integrity (BI), which measures the presence of pollution-tolerant species. High BI values characterize streams that have poor water quality and are dominated by pollution-tolerant species. The Chowan River basin has two types of stream collection methods: Swamp and Coastal B (boat). Coastal B rivers are defined as waters in the coastal plain that are deep (non-wadeable), freshwater systems with little or no visible current under normal or low flow conditions. Other characteristics may include an open canopy, low pH and low DO. There currently are not approved biological criteria for these Coastal B streams, and therefore a bioclassification of Not Rated is assigned to these sites. The BAB defines swamp streams as streams that are within the coastal plain ecoregion and have little to no visible flow during certain parts of the year. Little or no flow usually occurs during summer months, but flowing water should be present in swamp streams during winter months. Samples are collected during winter months (February to early March) because sampling during the high-flow months provides the best opportunity for detecting differences in naturally occurring communities. Swamp stream bioclassification fall into three categories: Natural, Moderate and Severe. For specific methodology defining how these ratings are given, refer to the Benthic Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Most of the swamp samples collected in the Chowan River basin showed a higher Biotic Index when compared to samples collected in previous years. Based on field observations, land use has moved from mature forested land cover to shrubs, open fields, and new, immature tree plantings. The loss of mature forested areas may be impacting the benthic communities in these swamp streams. The loss of forested areas may also be contributing to higher stream flows during months that would normally be low to no flow which can impact characteristics typically associated with swamp stream. It could also contribute to the higher Biotic Index. More research and data need to be collected to understand the correlation between the changes in the swamp benthic communities and changes in land use as it relates to the loss of mature forested areas. A study was done on a fourth order blackwater creek in southeastern North Carolina where a clear-cut was monitored downstream two and half years before the clear-cut happened, during the clear-cut and for two years following the clear-cut (Ensign and Mallin, 2001). These findings were measured against a similar control site without clearcutting. Their findings showed an increase in total suspended solids, total nitrogen, total phosphorous, total Kjeldahl nitrogen and fecal coliform bacteria, and significantly lower dissolved oxygen over a 15-month period. Algal blooms were also present after the clearcutting, which had not been there during the two- and half-year monitoring period before the clearcutting. A 10-meter uncut buffer was left along the stream but appeared to be insufficient in preventing impacts to water quality. Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 9 2/18/2021 Biological samples were collected during the winter and summer months of 2015 as part of the basinwide sampling five-year cycle. Five benthic macroinvertebrate sites were collected in 2015 compared to seven in 2010. The 2015 basin sampling efforts were reduced primarily because of the lack of personnel resources. Most of the sites sampled rated Moderate bioclassification with only one site receiving Not Rated in 2015. Chinkapin Swamp (DB3) was the only site that declined in bioclassification rating and the Chowan River (DB14) declined based on provisional bioclassification criteria. The fish community was last sampled in 2000 because currently there are no coastal plain metrics and criteria. Table 4-7 lists the biological sites and their ratings. Table 4-7 Benthos Biological Sample Results in Chowan River Subbasin. Station ID Waterbody Name Assessment Unit # Drainage Area (mi2) Assessment Method Sampling Date Bioclassification DB5 Chowan River 25a1 2470 Boat 7/31/2000 Good-Fair 9/28/2005 Good 7/21/2010 Not Impaired 7/11/2015 Not Rated DB4 Chowan River 25a2b 4350 Boat 8/1/2000 Good 9/27/2005 Fair 7/23/2010 Not Impaired DB6 Cole Creek 25-12-7 32.1 Swamp 2/10/2000 Moderate 2/8/2005 Moderate 2/24/2010 Moderate 2/3/2015 Moderate DB1 Ahoskie Creek 25-14-1 135.1 Swamp 2/9/2005 Not Rated Full Scale 8/25/2005 Not Rated DB7 Stony Creek 14-1-6 59.8 Swamp 2/10/2000 Moderate 2/10/2005 Moderate DB8 Wiccacon River 25-14 265 Boat 8/1/2000 Fair 8/22/2005 Fair DB3 Chinkapin Swamp 25-14-3 50 Swamp 2/10/2000 Natural 2/10/2005 Natural 2/25/2010 Natural 2/2/2015 Moderate DB24 Duke Swamp 25-17-1 42.7 Swamp 2/24/2010 Moderate DB2 Bennetts Creek 25-17 83 Swamp 2/9/2005 Moderate DB14 Chowan River 25c 4920 Boat 8/1/2000 Good-Fair 8/22/2005 Good 7/20/2010 Not Impaired 7/11/2015 Not Rated DB15 Eastmost Swamp 25-24-1 13.3 Swamp 2/22/2000 Moderate 2/10/2005 Moderate 2/25/2010 Moderate 2/2/2015 Moderate DB27* Cricket Swamp 25-24-2 4 Swamp 3/6/2012 Moderate *Special study monitoring not part of 5-year basin cycle monitoring Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 10 2/18/2021 4.5 Ambient Water Quality Monthly chemical and physical samples are taken by DWR through the Ambient Monitoring System (AMS) stations. Many of the ambient stations are associated with waterbody locations where potential pollution could occur from known land use activities in the subbasin. There are also portions of the subbasin where no water quality data are collected; therefore, we cannot evaluate the condition of the water quality in those areas. Parameters collected depend on the waterbody classification, but typically include conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, turbidity, nutrients and fecal coliform. Each classification has an associated set of standards the parameters must meet in order to be considered supporting the waterbody’s designated uses. Ten sample results are required within the five-year data collection window in order to evaluate the water quality parameter and compare it to the water quality standards. Stressors are either chemical parameters or physical conditions that at certain levels prevent waterbodies from meeting the standards for their designated use. Ambient stations are listed in Table 4-8, and their locations are found in Figure 4-2 below. Table 4-8 Ambient Stations in Chowan River Subbasin Station ID Station Location County State Stream AU# Stream Classification D0000050 NOTTOWAY RIVER AT US258 NEAR RIVERDALE VA SOUTHAMPTON VA NA NA D0001800 BLACKWATER RIVER .5 MI UPS MOUTH NEAR WYANOKE GATES VA 25a1 B, NSW D0010000 CHOWAN RIVER NEAR RIDDICKSVILLE HERTFORD NC 25a1 B, NSW D6250000 CHOWAN RIVER AT US 13 AT WINTON HERTFORD NC 25a1a B, NSW D8356200 CHOWAN RIVER AT CM 16 NEAR GATESVILLE GATES NC 25a2c B, NSW D8950000 CHOWAN RIVER AT CHANNEL MARKER 7 AT COLERAIN CHOWAN NC 25b B, NSW D9490000 CHOWAN RIVER AT US 17 AT EDENHOUSE BERTIE NC 25c B, NSW There was a single short-term Random Ambient Monitoring System (RAMS) station located in the Chowan subbasin, monitored monthly for two years between 2011 and 2012 (Table 4-9). This station was not monitored for nutrients or chlorophyll a as part of the RAMS program. This station was used to monitor for pesticides, semi-volatiles and volatile organic compounds, dissolved metals and low-level mercury as well as physical parameters. It is recommended that as funding, personnel, laboratory capacity resources become available the RAMS program incorporate collection of nutrients and where appropriate, chlorophyll a samples. Since most of the RAMS stations are located in smaller headwater streams, this would help the division understand “background” nutrient concentrations in smaller watersheds, especially in nutrient sensitive waters (NSW) watershed. This information could give some perspective to nutrient concentrations and chlorophyll a throughout the basin. Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 11 2/18/2021 Table 4-9 Random Ambient Stations (RAMS) in Chowan River Subbasin Station ID Station Location County RAMS Year Stream AU# Stream Classification D9515000 CRICKET SWAMP OFF SR 1346 NEAR ASHLAND BERTIE 2011-2012 25-24-2 C, NSW 4.6 Local Water Quality There are three partial and four whole watersheds (HUC-10) in the North Carolina portion of the Chowan River subbasin made up of 34 subwatersheds (HUC-12). To determine the source of a pollutant in a watershed it is useful to break down a large drainage area into smaller areas. This approach also helps identify where monitoring and restoration is being conducted and where it is in need. The Basin Planning Branch in the Chowan River basin should work with the Nonpoint Source Planning branch, Soil and Water Conservation districts, Natural Resources Conservation Service and whoever else we can to improve our understanding of point and nonpoint sources and encourage continued efforts to implement restoration and best management practices to reduce nutrients, sediment loads and flow volume to the receiving streams of these watersheds. Table 4-10 list the number of benthic and ambient monitoring sites that were sampled for the 2005-2015 assessment period by watersheds. Figure 4-3 shows the location of these watersheds. Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 12 2/18/2021 Figure 4-2 Monitoring Locations in the Chowan River Subbasin Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 13 2/18/2021 Figure 4-3 HUC-10 watersheds in the Chowan River Subbasin Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 14 2/18/2021 Table 4-10 Number of Benthic and Ambient Sites in the Chowan River Subbasin by HUC-10 Watershed Watershed Name HUC-10 Area (mi2) Benthic Sites Ambient Stations RAMS Stations Mill Creek-Nottoway River* 0301020112 1.15 0 1 0 Kingsale Swamp-Blackwater River* 0301020205 0.15 0 1 0 Somerton Creek* 0301020301 29.59 0 0 0 Sarem Creek - Chowan River* 0301020302 151.63 3 2 0 Ahoskie Creek 0301020303 169.67 2 0 0 Wiccacon River 0301020304 106.45 2 0 0 Bennetts Creek* 0301020305 106.65 2 0 0 Holiday Island - Chowan River 0301020306 119.57 0 2 0 Chowan River 0301020307 116.78 3 1 1 *Denotes a partial watershed in North Carolina and the area was only calculated for that portion in NC. 4.7 Kingsale Swamp-Blackwater River (HUC: 0301020205) Kingsale Swamp-Blackwater River watershed is considered part of the Blackwater Subbasin which drains a portion of Virginia containing the Blackwater River. There is one ambient monitoring station in this watershed. The lower Blackwater River is impaired by VA DEQ for Fish Consumption Use based on a Virginia Department of Health fish consumption advisory (issued 10/29/03; modified 7/27/05 and 8/31/07) due to Mercury contaminant found in fish tissue. The fish consumption advisory includes all tributaries of the Blackwater River. The Blackwater River was also impaired for dissolved oxygen although Virginia is requesting to formally reclassify the Middle, Lower-Middle, and Lower portions of the Blackwater River to Class VII Swamp Water during the next triennial review of Virginia’s Water Quality Standards. It was determined all six Blackwater segments are impaired due to natural conditions and were moved to category 4C based on EPA approval letter dated April 8, 2010 (VADEQ, 2019). 4.8 Mill Creek-Nottoway River (HUC: 0301020112) Mill Creek-Nottoway River watershed is considered part of the Nottoway Subbasin which drains a portion of Virginia containing the Nottoway River. There is one ambient monitoring station in this watershed located in Virginia. The Upper, lower-middle, and lower portions of the Nottoway River is also impaired by Virginia DEQ for Fish Consumption Use based on a Virginia Department of Health fish consumption advisory due to Mercury contaminant found in fish tissue. The upper Nottoway River is impaired for recreation use based on Escherichia coli (E. coli) data. The Lower portion of Nottoway River is impaired for aquatic life due to low dissolved oxygen levels (VADEQ, 2019). 4.9 Somerton Creek (HUC: 0301020301) Somerton Creek watershed encompasses approximately 30 square miles and has the greatest percentage of forest (55.5%) land and relatively low agriculture (18.5%) land compared to the rest of the Chowan River watersheds. Somerton Creek originates in Virginia and drains to the Chowan River near the VA/NC boarder. There are no NPDES permitted wastewater dischargers, animal operations, ambient monitoring stations, or benthic monitoring sites in this watershed. There are four land application of residual solids fields, but those field have never been used. Part of the Chowan Swamp Game Land borders Somerton Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 15 2/18/2021 Creek near the confluence with the Chowan River. The VA portion of Somerton Creek is impaired for aquatic life use based on benthic macroinvertebrate bioassessments data and for recreation use based on E. Coli data. A previous dissolved oxygen impairment in the VA portion of Somerton Creek was delisted based off a natural conditions report confirming the dissolved oxygen impairment is due to natural causes rather than anthropogenic (VADEQ, 2006). 4.10 Sarem Creek-Chowan River Watershed (HUC: 0301020302) The Sarem Creek – Chowan River watershed drains approximately 152 square miles of primarily forest (37.2%) and wetland (32.2%) land cover in North Carolina. This watershed is where the Nottoway and Blackwater Rivers from Virginia meet to form the Chowan River in North Carolina. It includes the municipalities of Winton, portions of Como, and Cofield. There is two NPDES permitted wastewater dischargers in the watershed. There are two ambient monitoring stations and three benthic monitoring sites in the watershed. There are three permitted animal operations and one non-discharge permitted facility in the watershed. There are also four land application of residual solids fields in the watershed, but those fields have never been used. 4.10.1 Chowan River [AU# 25a1; Primary Surface Water Classification: B, Supplemental Classification NSW; Length is 1.8 river miles] This section of the Chowan River drains a portion of northeastern portion of Hertford County and northwestern portion of Gates County. The benthic monitoring site DB5 is the uppermost benthic monitoring site on the Chowan River. Benthic sampling from 2010 and 2015 show the biologic community has improved since the 2005 assessment period. This site had the highest EPT of any other sampling site in the Chowan River basin. Given the provisional status of criteria for large, non-wadeable coastal plain rivers, the 2010 and 2015 samples were assigned Not Impaired and Not Rated bioclassification, respectively. However, for purposes of inter-year comparison, both the 2010 and 2015 collections would have received an Excellent bioclassification. Co-located at this benthic sampling location is an ambient monitoring station D0010000. No water quality standards were violated at this AMS station in 2018 assessment. Historically, this station was on the impaired waters list for dissolved oxygen impairment from 1998 until 2010. This station was de-listed in 2010 as the low pH and dissolved oxygen standard violations were due to natural conditions in the watershed (US EPA, 2010). The 2018 IR reports that no water quality standards were exceeded at the ambient monitoring station (D0010000) or biological community station (DB5) on the Chowan River aside from mercury in fish tissue. Benthos, arsenic, dissolved oxygen, and iron were determined to be Data Inconclusive in the 2018 IR. 4.10.2 Chowan River [AU# 25a2a; Primary Surface Water Classification: B, Supplemental Classification NSW; Length is 24.4 river miles] This section of the Chowan River drains a portion of northeastern portion of Hertford County and northwestern portion of Gates County. This segment of the Chowan River was previously on the impaired waters list since 2002 for exceeding the standard for Cadmium (2 µg/l for freshwater and aquatic life) standard at the ambient monitoring station D6250000. The new dissolved metals standard was applied to this site and it is now meeting the new criteria for Cadmium. This portion of the Chowan River has been removed from the impaired waters list in 2018 (US EPA, 2019). Annual mean turbidity values are elevated at this station (D6250000) relative to the upstream at ambient station (D0010000). This is possibly due Sampling Year Bioclassification (DB5) 2000 Good-Fair 2005 Good 2010 Not Impaired 2015 Not Rated Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 16 2/18/2021 nonpoint source pollution from Potecasi Creek and Meherrin River. The 2018 IR reports that no water quality standards were exceeded at the ambient monitoring station (D6250000) on the Chowan River aside from mercury in fish tissue. Cadmium, chloride, copper, fluoride, and iron were determined to be Data Inconclusive in the 2018 IR. 4.10.3 Chowan River [AU# 25a2b; Primary Surface Water Classification: B, Supplemental Classification NSW; Length is 9.5 river miles] This section of the Chowan River drains a portion of east-central of Hertford County and west-central portion of Gates County. The 2010 sampling showed that the biological community has improved since the previous assessment period. Samples obtained from this site have previously been assigned bioclassification. However, these ratings were based on provisional criteria. Given the provisional status of criteria for Coastal B rivers, the 2010 sample was assigned a Not Impaired bioclassification. However, for purposes of inter-year comparison, the 2010 collection would have received an Excellent bioclassification based on the provisional criteria. This site was not sampled in 2015 due to lack of time and resources. The 2018 IR reports that the benthic community was determined to be Data Inconclusive and did not exceed criteria at the biological community station (DB4) on the Chowan River. There is an impairment for mercury in fish tissue. Perdue Grain and Oilseed, LLC (WQ0001536) is located near the Town of Cofield. This facility rehabilitates and repairs sprayfields, replaces equipment and can pump and haul to a nearby facility if needed. Currently, there are no ongoing or reoccurring issues with this facility. CF Nitrogen Site in Tunis, NC (WQ0012404) installed a cut-off wall around site to prevent discharge of nitrogen enriched groundwater to surface water. See the Permitted and Registered Activates chapter (Chapter 7) for more information related to this site. 4.10.4 Cole Creek [AU# 25-12-7; Primary Surface Water Classification: C, Supplemental Classification NSW; Length is 9.5 river miles] Cole Creek is a tributary of Sarem Creek and drains a portion of east- central Gates County. This tributary has maintained its Moderate rating and appears to have stable water quality. While the bioclassification did not change at this site, the benthic species in 2015 were noticeably more tolerant than previous years. Part of this shift may have been due to the difficulty in finding areas of steady flow in 2015 or may have reflected the steady loss of forest in the watershed. While the bioclassification did not change, BAB staff recommend subsequent sampling to establish whether this species shift was a one- year event or a watershed-wide trend. Likely influences on water quality appear to come from agriculture and forestry practices, although there are a few very small municipalities located within the watershed. Significant noncompliance issues have been reported at the permitted wastewater facility for Buckland Elementary School (permit NC0043974) which discharges upstream of the monitoring site. A notice of violation (NOV) has been issued every year from 2003-2016 for fecal coliform bacteria consistently exceeding permit limits. The wetland system that is used for treatment of the wastewater was replaced in 2017. Crushed red brick in the system was tinting the wastewater red (which was causing high fecal coliform readings due to UV light not penetrating the colored water) and has been replaced with rock and new wetland plants have been planted. DWR regional staff are working with the facility and inspections Sampling Year Bioclassification (DB4) 2000 Good 2005 Fair 2010 Not Impaired Sampling Year Bioclassification (DB6) 2000 Moderate 2005 Moderate 2010 Moderate 2015 Moderate Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 17 2/18/2021 will continue to monitor the progress. The 2018 IR reports that the biological community at station DB6 on Cole Creek is Meeting Criteria, but there is an impairment for mercury in fish tissue. 4.11 Ahoskie Creek Watershed (HUC: 0301020303) Ahoskie Creek watershed drains approximately 170 square miles of primarily forest (43.0%) land and has the largest percentage of developed (5.5%) land of the Chowan River basin watersheds. This watershed includes the municipalities of Ahoskie, Aulander, and Powellsville. There is one NPDES permitted wastewater discharger in the watershed. There are no ambient monitoring stations. There are two benthic monitoring sites which were last sampled in 2005 in the watershed. There is one fish community station, but the IBI is undergoing revisions in the Chowan. There are three permitted animal operations, three non-discharge facilities, and four land application of residual solids field in the watershed. 4.11.1 Ahoskie Creek [AU# 25-14-1a and AU# 25-14-1b; Primary Surface Water Classification: C, Supplemental Classification NSW; Length is 39.3 river miles] Ahoskie Creek is the main stream flowing through the Ahoskie Creek watershed. This stream drains a portion of southwestern Northampton County, south-central Hertford and north-central Bertie County. Ahoskie Creek remains as a Not Rated bioclassification at site DB1 since the 2005 sampling cycle. This site was one of many not sampled in subsequent sampling cycles (2010 and 2015) due to lack of resources. Its 2005 bioclassification was Not Rated due to its transitional nature from Coastal A to Swamp. Additional data are needed in both winter and summer periods to determine the most appropriate time to assess these waterbodies. The 2018 IR reports that the biological community station (DB1) on Ahoskie Creek is Data Inconclusive. There is an impairment for mercury in fish tissue. Data from the Town of Aulander WWTF (WQ0000777) and Pinewood Manor Rest Home (WQ0002096) does not indicate any issues. The Town of Aulander also received funding from DWI to support Wastewater and sewer system improvements, as well as, a Water Asset Management Plan. Additional information related to funding from DWI can be found in the Water Quality Initiatives and Funding chapter (Chapter 6). The Town of Ahoskie operated a land application of residuals system for wastewater treatment and disposal under permit WQ0003885. This facility is no longer the primary wastewater treatment and disposal system for Town of Ahoskie. The land application of residuals system was not able to comply with the permit requirements due to excessive infiltration and inflow, variations in weather conditions, hydraulic constraints and capacity of the spray fields. For this reason, the town entered into a Special Order by Consent (SOC) in 2004. After evaluating several options, the town built a new 1.3 million gallons per day (MGD) wastewater treatment system with the disposal options being reuse of the effluent at an industrial facility or discharge to Ahoskie Creek. Ahoskie NPDES permit NC0088561 became effective September 2007 and did not start discharging until July 2011. The primary means of disposal is reuse at NUCOR Steel for cooling water, when reuse is not possible due to plant shutdowns or maintenance issues, the facility will discharge to Ahoskie Creek. The land application of residuals system will continue to operate at a permitted capacity of 0.406 MGD. The wastewater treatment system has nitrogen limits (3 mg/L) and phosphorus limits (1 mg/L) in compliance with the Chowan nutrient management strategy. Currently, there are no ongoing or reoccurring issues with this facility. The Town of Ahoskie received Sampling Year Bioclassification (DB1) Feb - 2005 Not Rated Aug - 2005 Not Rated Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 18 2/18/2021 funding from DWI for an Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) system. Additional information related to funding from DWI can be found in the Water Quality Initiatives and Funding chapter (Chapter 6). Recommendation: Upstream from benthic site DB 1 is one of two USGS stream gages (USGS: 02053500) in the entire Chowan River Basin. There are no ambient monitoring sites in the Ahoskie watershed. When resources become available, it would be beneficial to co-locate an AMS site with the USGS Ahoskie Creek 02053500 site. This would allow DWR to calculate nutrient loads in the future. 4.11.2 Stony Creek [AU# 25-14-1-6; Primary Surface Water Classification: C, Supplemental Classification NSW; Length is 2.2 river miles] Stony Creek drains a portion of north-central Bertie County and south- central Hertford County. Stony Creek continues to meet water quality criteria as a result of the Moderate bioclassification at site DB7 during the 2005 sampling cycle. The 2018 IR reports that the biological community station (DB7) on Stony Creek is Meeting Criteria. There is an impairment for mercury in fish tissue. Recommendation: This was another site that was not sampled during the 2010 and 2015 cycles, due to lack of resources. Active forestry operations were observed during the 2005 sampling period. Since this site has not been sampled in 15 years, DWR recommends that when time allows to resample this site to see if increased deforestation in the area has influenced the biological community. 4.12 Wiccacon River Watershed (HUC: 0301020304) The Wiccacon River watershed drains approximately 106 square miles of primarily forest (40.3%) and agriculture (31.7%) land cover. This watershed includes the municipalities of Colerain and the southern portion of Cofield. There are no NPDES permitted wastewater dischargers in the watershed. There are no ambient stations and one benthic monitoring sites in the watershed. There is one permitted animal operation and one non-discharge permitted facility in the watershed. There is one fish community station, but the IBI is undergoing revisions in the Chowan. 4.12.1 Wiccacon River (Hoggard Swamp) [AU# 25-14; Primary Surface Water Classification: C, Supplemental Classification NSW; Length is 22.5 river miles] Wiccacon River drains a portion of southern Hertford County and northern Bertie County. This stream has remained on the impaired waters list since at least 1998 due to biological impairment. The first station established to monitor the benthic macroinvertebrate community reported fair and poor bioclassification results between 1983 and 1995. The station was moved upstream of the confluence of Brooks Creek for the 2000 and 2005 biological assessments, but the benthic macroinvertebrate community continued to report fair bioclassification results. This site was not assessed in the past two cycles 2010 or 2015 due to staffing reductions. The macroinvertebrate community collection for 2005 in the Wiccacon River indicated problems caused by nutrient enrichment and low dissolved oxygen (NC DWQ, 2007). The Wiccacon also has historically had generally low DO levels (NC DENR, 1992). Potential sources of the low DO were not identified; however, the watershed consists Sampling Year Bioclassification (DB7) 2000 Moderate 2005 Moderate Sampling Year Bioclassification (DB8) 2000 Fair 2005 Fair Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 19 2/18/2021 primarily of agricultural land and many of the tributaries have been channelized throughout the years. This segment of the Wiccacon River remains on the list of impaired waters for biological impairment (benthos) and mercury in fish tissue. Recommendation: DWR continues to support the recommendation from the 2007 Chowan River Basin Water Quality Plan which encourages the use of nonpoint source BMPs to reduce nutrient and sediment loads. Funds should be appropriated to encourage more traditional BMPs (strip planting, no-till, cover crops) and new technologies. DWR will work closely with other resource agencies to prioritize implementation of efforts to address agriculture impacts within this watershed. Additionally, local groups should develop a watershed action plan and focus water quality monitoring efforts in this watershed to determine the cause of the Wiccacon River impairment. 4.12.2 Chinkapin Swamp [AU# 25-14-3; Primary Surface Water Classification: C, Supplemental Classification NSW; Length is 7.1 river miles] Chinkapin Swamp is a tributary which meets with the Long Branch tributary to form Chinkapin Creek (Cessions Millpond). Chinkapin Creek is a southern tributary of the Wiccacon River which drains the southeastern region of Hertford county and the northeastern region of Bertie county. The area around this site is wooded with agricultural use in the headwaters of the drainage area. A natural bioclassification has been assigned to this the Chinkapin Swamp, until 2015 when the bioclassification dropped to Moderate. The drop in bioclassification may reflect the declining amount of forest in the watershed. Further monitoring will be necessary to establish a clear trend at this location. The 2018 IR reports that the biological community station (DB3) on Chinkapin Swamp is Meeting Criteria. There is an impairment for mercury in fish tissue. The Town of Colerain WWTF (WQ0011119) is located near the headwaters of Chinkapin Swamp. Nitrate is routinely detected above the groundwater standard in a few monitoring wells, including up-gradient (MW-08) and cross-gradient wells (Figure 4-4). There is agricultural activity up-gradient and if it is active that could be an area of nutrient input surrounding this facility. The Washington Regional Office (WARO) of NCDEQ determined the effluent concentrations are not sufficient to cause violations of groundwater standards, however they are not certain of the integrity of the lagoon liner. Sampling Year Bioclassification (DB3) 2000 Natural 2005 Natural 2010 Natural 2015 Moderate Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 20 2/18/2021 Figure 4-4 Nitrate concentrations in the groundwater monitoring wells surrounding the Town of Colerain wastewater treatment facility. 4.13 Bennetts Creek Watershed (HUC: 0301020305) Bennetts Creek watershed drains approximately 107 square miles of primarily forest (37.5%) and wetland (25.0%) areas with agricultural (27.2%) areas boarding most of the headwaters and swamps in the upper region of the watershed. This watershed includes the small municipality of Gatesville. There are two small public school NPDES permitted wastewater dischargers and one industrial process and commercial wastewater discharger in the watershed. There are no ambient, one benthic and three lake monitoring locations in the watershed. There are four permitted animal operations and one non-discharge permitted facility in the watershed. There are two land application of residuals fields, but those fields have never been used. 4.13.1 Duke Swamp [AU# 25-17-1; Primary Surface Water Classification: C, Supplemental Classification NSW; Length is 13.5 river miles] The Duke Swamp watershed drains the northeastern Gates County and flows into Bennetts Creek upstream of Merchants Millpond. The upper watershed of Duke Swamp is overwhelmingly agricultural with few residences or municipalities. Duke Swamp was added as a Basinwide Site in 2010 to complement Cole Creek as the only basinwide swamp sites within Gates County and has not been sampled prior to 2010. The upper portion of the sampling reach was shallow due to extensive braiding. Duke Swamp obtained a bioclassification rating of Moderate in 2010. The 2018 IR reports that the biological community station (DB24) on Duke Swamp is Meeting Criteria. There is an impairment for mercury in fish tissue. Sampling Year Bioclassification (DB24) 2010 Moderate Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 21 2/18/2021 4.13.2 Bennetts Creek (Merchants Millpond) [AU# 25-17; Primary Surface Water Classification: C, Supplemental Classification NSW; Length is 23.3 river miles] This Bennetts Creek benthic monitoring site was dropped in 2010, due to its close downstream proximity to Merchants Mill Pond. Impoundments, such as a mill pond, can result in downstream sections of the river having lowered dissolved oxygen levels, decreased flows, and increased temperatures. In winter, those effects are minimized and this sampling effort would likely not have recorded these effects. The bioclassification at this site was Moderate in 2005. The 2018 IR reports that the biological community station (DB2) on Bennetts Creek is Meeting Criteria. There is an impairment for mercury in fish tissue. The 2018 reports that chlorophyll a, dissolved oxygen, and water temperature are all Data Inconclusive. Merchants Millpond was monitored in May and August 2015. Lake surface dissolved oxygen dropped below the state water quality standard of 4.0 mg/L for an instantaneous reading in August. This may be within the natural conditions for this millpond, which exhibits many characteristics associated with a Swamp Water designation, such as tannic waters, buttressed trees, and shallow depth. Duck weed and watermeal are present on the surface of Merchants Millpond while submerged aquatic macrophytes occur throughout the lake. Overall, Merchants Millpond was eutrophic in 2015. This lake has consistently exhibited elevated biological productivity since it was first monitored by DWR in 1981 (NC DEQ, 2015). For more information related to the monitoring of Merchants Millpond please see the Lakes and Reservoir Assessments Chowan River Basin. The N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Authority earmarked $4,484,597 to be used in the acquisition of 2,775 acres at Hammocks Beach, Hanging Rock, Carver Creek, Chimney Rock, Merchants Millpond, New River, and Mount Mitchell state parks. The new park lands will protect natural resources, improve park access, and management and provide land for new visitor facilities. The Gates County WWTF (WQ0000267) is making changes to their facility. The spray system has been taken up by the county. This facility historically had runoff occur in the late 90’s early 2000’s. The WARO of NCDEQ responded to this by decreasing their permitted flow, by over half. They are building a new system to do activated sludge treatment. 4.14 Holiday Island-Chowan River Watershed (HUC: 0301020306) The mainstem of the Chowan River flows through this watershed receiving streamflow from the Wiccacon River, Bennetts Creek, and Indian Creek. This watershed drains approximately 120 square miles of primarily agriculture (38.4%) land. This watershed has the highest percentage of agricultural land of all the Chowan River basin watersheds. This watershed has no NPDES permitted wastewater dischargers and one non-discharge permitted facility. There are two ambient monitoring stations and no benthic sites in the watershed. There are six permitted animal operations in the watershed. Stevens Towing - Riverbulk Terminal WWTF (WQ0040672) was recently issued a NPDES non-discharge permit in May of 2020. Sampling Year Bioclassification (DB2) 2005 Moderate Sampling Year Station May 13, 2015 CHO0153A May 13, 2015 CHO0154A August 10, 2015 CHO0153A August 10, 2015 CHO0154A Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 22 2/18/2021 4.14.1 Chowan River [AU#25a2c & 25b; Primary Surface Water Classification: B, Supplemental Classification NSW; Length is 18.2 river miles] This section of the Chowan River from Wiccacon River to the old subbasin 03-01-03/03-01-04 boundary drains a portion of Hertford County, Gates County, northeastern Bertie County and northwestern Chowan County. No biological samples were collected in this watershed. Data was collected from two ambient monitoring stations (D8356200 and D8950000). Relatively high chlorophyll a concentrations which exceeded the 40 µg/L standard were observed at the ambient water quality monitoring station near Gatesville (D8356200) and Colerain (D8950000). This section of the Chowan River has also experienced multiple severe algal blooms in the last few years. Visit the Algal Bloom Map to view where the blooms have been observed. Special attention is given to station near Colerain (D8950000) in the Nutrient Sensitive Water History and Current Nutrient Conditions chapter (Chapter 5) as this station best captures the changes in the algal community and the bloom intensities as of 2018 and 2019. The 2018 IR reports that the water quality in the Chowan River at stations D8356200 and D8950000 is Meeting Criteria with the exception of iron which is Data Inconclusive. There is an impairment for mercury in fish tissue. Although this section of the Chowan River is Meeting Criteria for Chlorophyll a (less than the required 10% of the samples (with a 90% confidence) over the water quality standards for this assessment period of 2012-2016), water use in this watershed has been impacted by severe algal blooms. Additional monitoring resources should be focused on this section of the Chowan River. During the 2012 – 2016 monitoring period at station D8950000 there were 45 samples and 2 exceeded the standard which is a 4.4 percent exceedance of the standard, but we recognize the declining water quality at this station. The NCDP is evaluating if the current standards are appropriate and for more information regarding the chlorophyll a, algal blooms, NCDP, and the integrated report for the lower section of the Chowan River basin please see Chapter 5. 4.15 Chowan River Watershed (HUC: 0301020307) This watershed has one NPDES permitted wastewater dischargers that is located on the subbasin watershed line between the Chowan River and Pasquotank River basins. There are is one ambient monitoring station and two benthic monitoring sites in the watershed. There is one permitted animal operation in the watershed and one non-discharge permitted facility in the watershed. 4.15.1 Chowan River [AU# 25c; Primary Surface Water Classification: B, Supplemental Classification NSW; Length is 7.8 river miles] The Chowan River, from the historic subbasin 03-01-03/03-01-04 boundary to the mouth of the river is deified by a line extending in a southerly direction from Reedy Point on the north shore to Albemarle Sound to a point of land on the south side of the mouth of Black Walnut Swamp. This section of the Chowan River receives drainage from major portions of Northampton, Hertford, Gates, Chowan, and Bertie counties within North Carolina. This section of the Chowan River also experienced severe algal blooms since 2015 with relatively high chlorophyll a concentrations, that exceeded the 40 µg/L standard. Visit the Algal Bloom Map to view where the blooms have been observed. Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 23 2/18/2021 Benthic macroinvertebrate sampling in 2015 resulted in a lowest EPT since 2000 and was substantially lower than 2010. A low EPT possible indicates higher pollution. The presence of many estuarine or freshwater-tolerant crustaceans indicates frequent saltwater intrusions into this area of the river which may also inhibit some obligate freshwater taxa. At the time of sampling a large Anabaena cyanobacterial bloom was underway. Given the provisional status of criteria for Coastal B rivers, this site was assigned a Not Rated bioclassification. However, for purposes of inter-year comparison, the 2010 would have received a Good bioclassification and the 2015 sampling would have received a Good-Fair bioclassification. This represents an overall decline in the system. This site has oscillated between Good-Fair and Good since the site was first sampled in 1983. The 2018 IR reports that the water quality in the Chowan River at ambient monitoring station D9490000 is Meeting Criteria with the exception of iron and chlorophyll a which are Data Inconclusive. The biological community at station DB14 is also Data Inconclusive. There is an impairment for mercury in fish tissue. 4.15.2 Rockyhock Creek [AU# 25-22; Primary Surface Water Classification: B, Supplemental Classification NSW] Rockyhock Creek is a tributary which flows into Bennett Millpond then to the Chowan River. This tributary was not monitored. Water quality conditions are of concern here because Valhalla WTP (NC0032719) is discharging to an unnamed tributary to Rockyhock Creek. The tributary has been blocked off by road construction. So now most of the wastewater is infiltrated (via the lagoon) in the groundwater which then flows to Bennett Millpond. This has resulted in ponding and plume of chloride, iron and manganese to form in the groundwater under this facility. Groundwater in and around the lagoon has exceeded the iron and chloride groundwater standards. Since this facility is positioned on the hydrologic divide between the Chowan and Pasquotank River basins, groundwater has been migrating to the west and the east. The investigations performed by the WARO of NCDEQ so far have found that the groundwater plume has impacted the surface water in an unnamed tributary that flows into Bennetts Millpond, but no impacts (exceedances of surface water standards) have been observed in the pond its self. In response to this issue a SOC (S16-003) was issued in February 2018. A new discharge permit was issued in January of 2020 to relocate their discharge location to the Chowan River. Recently, they are modifying the SOC to evaluate a regionalization of water plants with the Town of Edenton and Perquimans County. Chowan County received funding from DWI for projects related to Valhalla WTP solids handling, water supply and water systems. Additional information related to funding from DWI can be found in the Water Quality Initiatives and Funding chapter (Chapter 6). 4.15.3 Eastmost Swamp [AU# 25-24-1; Primary Surface Water Classification: C, Supplemental Classification NSW; Length is 9.1 river miles] Eastmost Swamp drains a portion of the eastern Bertie County. This stream joins Salmon Creek, which drains directly into the Albemarle Sound. Since 2000, Eastmost Swamp has maintained a moderate bioclassification and 2015 was no different. This stream is forested on both sides of the stream, yet matures trees were absent in areas directly adjacent to the channel during the 2015 sampling event. Like other swamp samples in 2015, the Biotic Index was elevated compared to recent years, which indicates poor water quality. This may or may not have anything to do with the declining amount of forests in the Sampling Year Bioclassification (DB14) 2000 Good-Fair 2005 Good 2010 Not Impaired 2015 Not Rated Sampling Year Bioclassification (DB15) 2000 Moderate 2005 Moderate 2010 Moderate 2015 Moderate Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 24 2/18/2021 watershed (54% in 1992 to 34% in 2006) since no other water quality parameters are significantly different from previous years. The 2018 IR reports that the biological community station (DB15) on Eastmost Swamp is Meeting Criteria. There is an impairment for mercury in fish tissue. 4.15.4 Cricket Swamp [AU# 25-24-2; Primary Surface Water Classification: C, Supplemental Classification NSW; Length is 8.3 river miles] Cricket Swamp drains a portion of the eastern Bertie County. This stream was sampled in 2012 as part of the RAMS supplemental 106 grant work. The drainage area of this stream to this sample location DB27 is 4 square miles with a stream width of 4 meters. As of 2016, the land cover in this area is primarily forest (50.10%), agriculture (35.49%), and wetlands (9.63%). There are no NPDES permitted facilities, animal operations, land application of residual solids fields or non-discharge permitted facilities in the drainage area. The 2012 sampling included the collection of physical, chemical and biological information. The physical and chemical parameters were monitored on this stream at RAMS station D9515000. The analysis of this sampling resulted in a pH impairment. This stream was subsequently placed on the impaired water list in 2014. This stream remains on the impaired water list. The source of the low pH has not been determined but could be the result of natural conditions. The natural conditions contributing to the low pH could be reactions with acid soils and drainage of swamp-like water. The soils in this watershed are composed of extremely acid to strongly acid soils (28.8%) and very strongly acid or strongly acid soils (62.7%). Additionally, the biological assessment used the Swamp biocriteria for this stream. NC has an exception process for waters that are swamp-like but are not formally classified as Sw or swamp waters. These swamp-like waters are in the coastal plain and are usually near classified Sw waters or have been sampled using swamp biocriteria. Swamp streams stop flowing in summer months but have visible flow during late winter. A natural conditions assessment should be conducted to determine if the sources of low pH water is caused by natural conditions. The biological assessment resulted in a Moderate bioclassification. The 2018 IR reports that aside from the low pH water impairment other water quality parameters are Meeting Criteria with the exception of iron which is Data Inconclusive. The biological community station (DB27) on Cricket Swamp is Meeting Criteria. There is an impairment for mercury in fish tissue. Cricket Creek flows into Salmon Creek which flows into the Chowan River and the Albemarle Sound. The Merry Hill Facility (WQ0005910) is located near the mouth of Salmon Creek before flowing into the Chowan River. Nitrate concentrations in the groundwater has been detected at elevated levels in groundwater monitoring well four (MW-04) of this facility (Figure 4-5). A consultant’s report concluded that this monitoring well is hydraulically separate and therefore the nitrate concentrations detect in this monitoring well are not related to any wastewater activity from their storage or irrigation fields. WARO of NCDEQ agrees with this conclusion and as a result the monitoring well is being replaced to a location downgradient of the storage pond and field. Monitoring wells seven (MW-07) and eight (MW-08) of this facility are located in the Pasquotank River basin. These monitoring wells have shown declines from the initially high nitrate concentrations over time (Figure 4-5). The initial source of the elevated nitrate concentrations is presumed to be agriculture related. Although nitrate has declined in these wells the WARO of NCDEQ is evaluating the ammonia levels in monitoring well eight (MW-08) which are elevated above the Interim Maximum Allowable Concentrations for Groundwater of 1.5 mg/L (Figure 4-6). Sampling Year Bioclassification (DB27) 2012 Moderate Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 25 2/18/2021 Figure 4-5 Nitrate concentrations in the groundwater monitoring wells of facility WQ0005910 Figure 4-6 Ammonia concentrations in the groundwater monitoring wells of facility WQ0005910 Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 26 2/18/2021 References: Ensign S. H., Mallin M. A., 2001. Stream Water Quality Changes Following Timber Harvest in a Coastal Plain Swamp Forest. Water Research. Vol. 35 No. 14. pp. 3381-3390. US EPA. 2010. Decision Document for The Approval of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ 2008 Section 303(d) List Submitted on February 5, 2010. Accessed: https://files.nc.gov/ncdeq/Water%20Quality/Planning/TMDL/303d/NC%202010%20DECISION%20DOC% 20FINAL%208%2031%2010.pdf Decision Document for The Approval of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality 2018 Section 303(d) List Submitted on April 2, 2019. Accessed: https://files.nc.gov/ncdeq/Water%20Quality/Planning/TMDL/303d/2018/20190522-NC-208-303d- Approval-Package.pdf North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources. 1992. Albemarle-Pamlico Baseline Water Quality Monitoring Data Summary 1988-1991. Report No. 92-01. North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Biological Assessment Branch (NCDEQ BAB), (2015), Benthos Site DB005 Details. Accessed: https://www.ncwater.org/?page=672&SiteID=DB005 North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Biological Assessment Branch (NCDEQ BAB), (2015), Benthos Site DB004 Details. Accessed: https://www.ncwater.org/?page=672&SiteID=DB004 North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Biological Assessment Branch (NCDEQ BAB), (2015), Benthos Site DB006 Details. Accessed: https://www.ncwater.org/?page=672&SiteID=DB006 North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Biological Assessment Branch (NCDEQ BAB), (2005), Benthos Site DB001 Details. Accessed: https://www.ncwater.org/?page=672&SiteID=DB001 North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Biological Assessment Branch (NCDEQ BAB), (2015), Benthos Site DB007 Details. Accessed: https://www.ncwater.org/?page=672&SiteID=DB007 North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Biological Assessment Branch (NCDEQ BAB), (2005), Benthos Site DB008 Details. Accessed: https://www.ncwater.org/?page=672&SiteID=DB008 North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Biological Assessment Branch (NCDEQ BAB), (2015), Benthos Site DB003 Details. Accessed: https://www.ncwater.org/?page=672&SiteID=DB003 North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Biological Assessment Branch (NCDEQ BAB), (2010), Benthos Site DB024 Details. Accessed: https://www.ncwater.org/?page=672&SiteID=DB024 North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Biological Assessment Branch (NCDEQ BAB), (2005), Benthos Site DB002 Details. Accessed: https://www.ncwater.org/?page=672&SiteID=DB002 North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Biological Assessment Branch (NCDEQ BAB), (2015), Benthos Site DB014 Details. Accessed: https://www.ncwater.org/?page=672&SiteID=DB014 North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Biological Assessment Branch (NCDEQ BAB), (2015), Benthos Site DB015 Details. Accessed: https://www.ncwater.org/?page=672&SiteID=DB015 North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Biological Assessment Branch (NCDEQ BAB), (2012), Benthos Site DB027 Details. Accessed: https://www.ncwater.org/?page=672&SiteID=DB027 Chowan – Chowan River Subbasin 27 2/18/2021 North Carolina Division of Water Quality 2007. Chowan River Basinwide Water Quality Plan 2007. Accessed: https://files.nc.gov/ncdeq/Water%20Quality/Planning/BPU/BPU/Chowan/Chowan%20Plans/2007%20Pl an/Final%20Chowan%202007.pdf North Carolina Division of Environmental Quality, 2015 Lakes and Reservoir Assessments Chowan River Basin. Accessed: https://files.nc.gov/ncdeq/Water%20Quality/Environmental%20Sciences/Reports/CHOWAN%20%20RIV ER%20BASIN%202015.pdf Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. 2006. Natural Conditions Assessment for Low Dissolved Oxygen Somerton Creek Suffolk, Virginia. https://www.deq.virginia.gov/Portals/0/DEQ/Water/WaterQualityStandards/ClassVIINaturalConditions Reports/SWAMP_Nat_COND_Somerton_DO.pdf Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ). 2019. Final 2018 305(b)/303(d) Water Quality Assessment Integrated Report. Accessed: https://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Water/WaterQualityInformationTMDLs/WaterQualityAssessme nts/2018305(b)303(d)IntegratedReport.aspx