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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWSMU_JONE_WSWP Map_20210830ELKIN WATER SUPPLY PROTECTION & RESTORATION PLAN Executive Summary L:l PI EDM NT TRIAD REGIONAL COUNCIL C� cleanwater MANAGEMENT TRUST FUND Water Supply Protection Plan Town of Elkin Town of Jonesville February 2015 PIEDMONT TRIAD REGIONAL COUNCIL Cy Stober, Senior Regional Planner Joy Fields, Planner I Marc Allred, GIs Planner Elizabeth Jernigan, Planner II With Support From 41 deanwater MANAGEMENT TRUST FUND Elkin & Jonesville Water Supply Protection Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Elkin & Jonesville Water Supply Protection Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Towns of Elkin and Jonesville, NC, sit across the Yadkin River from each other and share two water supplies: Jonesville draws water from an intake on the Yadkin River across the river from Elkin's former textile mills and Elkin draws water from a reservoir on Big Elkin Creek. The towns' emergency water supplies are each others' primary water supplies — they share an interconnection allowing either town to draw water if it needs to. Both municipalities share an interest in the health and fate of the waters in the nearly-400 square mile watershed that drains to their respective intakes. This watershed lies largely in Wilkes County (although much of the Town of Wilkesboro drains to it as well) and is mostly used for rural homes and farms, though there are scattered industries throughout the watershed, especially those involved with the poultry business (Appendix A). The industries that were at the hearts of both towns are now gone; leaving excess water capacity and an infrastructure that is largely financed with residential fees and local taxes. The watershed is also rich in outstanding ecology and recreation opportunities: the Blue Ridge Parkway runs through it, its ridgeline abuts Stone Mountain State Park, wild trout are found in many of its headwaters, and numerous rare and threatened birds, plants, and the endangered bog turtle are found here (Appendix B). Thanks to the remarkable work of the Elkin Valley Trails Association (EVTA) — with the support of both towns and their surrounding counties — the watershed is also home a large trail network that will be tied into the NC Mountains -to -Sea Trail. These assets hold great economic promise for the residents and business of the region. The value of water as a public utility and resource is becoming more apparent in North Carolina as the state's population grows. Clean, safe, and reliable water supplies are vital for communities to grow their populations and economies, and are increasingly being demanded by the private sector and the public. The State of North Carolina has long recognized the value of restoring impaired waters so that they meet such RIPARIAN BUFFER PROTECTION ALONG BIG ELKIN CREEK standards, but, recently the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF) and the NC Division of Water Resources (DWR) Water Supply Protection Unit have collaborated to protect public water supplies. This Water Supply Protection Plan and its recommendations are the result of this twelve-month planning process funded by the NC CWMTF to support the Piedmont Triad Regional SOURCE: JOE MICKEY Elkin & Jonesville Water Supply Protection Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Council (PTRC) to proactively plan for long-term water supply protection with both the Towns of Elkin and Jonesville. This planning effort includes an assessment of historic and current land uses and policies; recommended policies and ordinances that can better protect water quality conditions with a focus on Watershed Characterization, Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources and Recreation; and a Project Atlas that identifies conservation and restoration projects that can best protect water quality conditions for the Towns of Elkin and Jonesville for the foreseeable future. The stakeholder group that guided this planning effort was composed of twelve different organizations representing local environmental and recreation groups, local government staff from both municipalities and counties, and state staff from recreation and environmental agencies. Elkin & Jonesville Source Water Protection Stakeholders Eddie Barnes Wilkes County, Planning Department Bill Blackley Elkin Valley Trails Association Scott Buffkin Town of Jonesville, Manager Leigh Calloway Yadkin County, Soil & Water Conservation District Duncan Cavanaugh High Country Council of Governments Colleen Church Yadkin County, Cooperative Extension Service Kacy Cook NC Wildlife Resources Commission Mark Fowlkes NC Wildlife Resources Commission Nathan Gatlin NC Forest Service Bill Hainlin Wilkes County, Cooperative Extension Service Andrea Leslie NC Natural Heritage Program Adam McComb Town of Elkin, Parks & Recreation Department Joe Mickey Elkin Valley Trails Association Dean Naujoks Yadkin Riverkeeper Mike Pardue Wilkes County, Soil & Water Conservation District Michael Poston Yadkin County, Planning Department Rebecca Sadosky NC Division of Water Resources, Source Water Protection Unit Bryan Tompkins US Fish & Wildlife Jason Walker Yadkin County, Soil & Water Conservation District Elkin & Jonesville Water Supply Protection Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY their concerns for the present and future use of Big Elkin Creek, the Upper Yadkin River, and all of its tributaries, including high -value waters like the Roaring River. The PTRC is proud to deliver this plan to all project stakeholders, but especially the Town of Elkin, the Town of Jonesville, and Wilkes, Yadkin, and Surry Counties. It plots a long-term strategy to protect and restore the best conditions possible for these two water supplies. Recommendations The PTRC embarked on a one-year planning effort to assess the needs and concerns in this watershed of the headwaters of the Yadkin River. It features assessments of historic and current land uses and utility operations, computer -based assessments of watershed conditions, and interviews with many stakeholders on W W ,, I , ; , 0 -_.:. .0 In the Elkin and Jonesville Water Supply Protection Plan, the PTRC makes the following recommendations: • ImDlement the Watershed Plan at a Regional Scale o This watershed is nearly 400-square miles in size and crosses six political jurisdictions. Most of the watershed is in Wilkes County, but the Towns of Elkin and Jonesville rely upon the water. Working across these political boundaries to develop programs specific to the residents, farms, businesses, and ecosystems of this region is necessary for the long-term health of these water systems. An apolitical entity like the Yadkin Valley Heritage Corridor Partnership would be the best home for a watershed coordinator to work with all of these partners and implement this plan. • Improve Local Water Quality Monitoring o There is very little water quality data available for this watershed. More and better data can allow stakeholders to identify sources of pollution and high -value ecological and recreational areas. Coordination with NC DENR, especially on the value of citizen data collected by the Elkin Valley Trails Association and the Yadkin Riverkeeper, is needed to create new, strategically -placed water quality monitoring stations in these watersheds. o The NC DWR Source Water Protection Unit has developed a comprehensive list of potential water contaminants for the entire state. These include highly regulated sources such as wastewater treatment plants, legacy sources of pollution like Superfund sites that were regulated after they were identified, and sites such as underground storage sites that are inspected less than once a year. However, the Elkin & Jonesville Water Supply Protection Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY stakeholders are concerned that there are multiples sites throughout the watershed where potentially hazardous materials may be buried. • Develop Sustainable Utility Management o Both Elkin and Jonesville have restored their water utilities to decent financial health following large structural and financial concerns in the early 2000's. However, both towns have systems designed for industrial use that are now being supported largely by residents. Working with non-profit and academic partners to ensure the long- term health of these utilities is a sound investment. This is also a necessary step to resolve the growth of vegetated mats in Jonesville's water treatment settling ponds. o None of the communities involved in this project have programs to address non - point sources of pollution like stormwater or agricultural runoff. If the towns complied with national stormwater regulations, they could comprehensively address their needs at a low cost. The counties could also have a program to educate rural landowners about best practices to minimize pollution runoff from lawns and farms. The PTRC's program Stormwater SMART can satisfy many of these needs. o The counties' Soil and Water Conservation District and Cooperative Extension staffs have created highly effective programs that can improve farm efficiency while reducing environmental impacts. However, these programs —such as no -till equipment sharing — are used at capacity. Similarly, federal and state cost -share assistance programs that can institute best practices on farms have waiting lists for their use. Greater financial and material support is needed for the organizations and the programs that they administer. • Develop Long -Term Water Quality Management o Big Elkin Creek and the Yadkin River are both plagued by seasonal high sediment levels that degrade fisheries and aquatic habitats and fill Elkin's municipal reservoir. A regional strategy for managing these sources of sediment includes interjurisdictional cooperation on outreach and cost -assistance programs, but also the education of watershed residents on what development, agricultural, and forestry practices are legal and which are not. The Neuse Riverkeeper established a Muddy Water Watch to empower residents to address underregulated development; a similar program for agriculture and, especially, forestry in this basin would both improve the education of watershed residents and make regulators more aware of issues in these areas. • Develop an Ecotourism Economy o The communities included in this watershed have many valuable natural assets that have already delivered revenue. Using the NC Wildlife Resource Commission's Green Growth Toolbox can instruct these communities on how to grow and protect these valuable economic resources. This includes the development of trout fisheries and hatcheries as well as blueways, greeways, and hiking trails. Elkin & Jonesville Water Supply Protection Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Present & Future Watershed Needs Both the Yadkin River and Big Elkin Creek are rated "Good" or "Good -Fair' by the NC DENR. Generally speaking, these are safe and healthy water supplies for the roughly 8,000 people who rely upon them. However, well -documented high sediment levels plague these waters in the late winter through summer. This study determines that most of these impacts come from a few farms and timber operations that are failing to using best practices. These impacts are due to a lack of enforcement capacity by the staff at the NC DWR and an unawareness of local residents on what proper and improper farming and timber operations look like. The Yadkin Riverkeeper and the EVTA have both expressed interest in addressing these needs and developing a relationship with the enforcement staff at the NC DWR regional office in Winston- Salem. The watersheds for both water supplies are somewhat naturally unstable due natural conditions, making the use of best practices for homes, farms, and development all that much more important. These natural conditions, which can create high runoff rates, can be seen in Appendix C. While the Yadkin River has been known as the "Muddy Yadkin", this may be due to these natural conditions and a lack of management. We now have an opportunity to use resources like this plan and the Green Growth Toolbox to grow and prosper in ways that don't produce pollution. Such practices require education and programming through public support. CLASS3 STREAMS IN THE ELKIN & JONESVILLE WATERSHEDS rW Investments in best practices for both the towns and rural residents will require education on why and how these practices are helpful. Such education is more necessary when new investments in stream restoration and stormwater management projects are discussed. A sustained presence in the communities of Jonesville, Elkin, and the three counties that surround them is needed to present a consistent message to residents and coordinate the activities of the watershed's many players. The PTRC has identified opportunities for collaboration and investment by scanning the buffer conditions on 100 feet of either streambank of every water body in these watersheds. It rated them on a scale from 1 (healthiest) to 5 (no buffer) in to identify areas where the highest needs for improving and protecting water quality conditions Elkin & Jonesville Water Supply Protection Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY are within the watershed. With limited finds available, informed decisions must be made on how to most effectively ensure the health and safety of Elkin and Jonesville's waters. The average score of the streams was then collected at a small catchment scale and these catchments were ranked based upon their need for investment (score value; Appendix D). A project atlas that identifies these different streams is featured in the plan, and includes the fifteen most in need of restoration and the fifteen catchments most in need of permanent protection due to excellent local conditions. Elkin & Jonesville Watershed Suwmary Both Jonesville and Elkin have healthy water supply watersheds that have some persistent concerns such as water leaks in their infrastructure, unknown buried contaminants and seasonal concerns, namely sedimentation from upstream practices that fill up reservoirs and muddy the Yadkin River. Many of these seasonal sources can be addresses, which is the main focus of the project atlas. The towns and counties are making great efforts to address the other needs of the watersheds, but will need to invest in a regional education and outreach effort to unite all of the watershed residents in a future of stewardship, ecotourism, and best practices for all timber operations, farms, and homes. The streams that are being degraded by poor forestry practices can be dealt with directly - they are violating state law for failure to use forestry practice guidelines. A combination of increased enforcement by NC DWR staff and reporting by residents under the guidance of the EVTA and/or the Yadkin Riverkeeper, similar to the Muddy Water Watch that effectively addressed a lack of enforcement of stormwater and sediment management at construction sites in the Neuse River basin can effectively address these water supply stressors. The poor agricultural practices are challenging to address. Except for large, permitted farms, there are few regulatory mechanisms to require farmers to protect water quality for their downstream neighbors. There are a variety of cost -share and assistance programs that can support these landowners in improving their agricultural practices to protect the environment while not cutting into their profits. However, these programs and staff are underfunded at both the federal and state levels. According to staff, many of these programs have waiting lists that go back years. Without regulations and/or financial assistance, many of these farmers simply cannot afford to make the investments required to restore healthy water quality and stream buffer conditions. This project highlighted these frustrations among the soil and water conservation district and cooperative extension staffs. These mapping efforts and the extremely hard work of others have yielded many opportunities for the Towns of Elkin and Jonesville, the NCDWR, the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, the Farm Bureau, and federal partners to invest in to ensure healthy and safe water supplies for the foreseeable future. The projects that can yield the highest benefits for the watershed are highlighted in the plan's Project Atlas. With an investment in coordinating all of these activities and partner organizations, this plan can be implemented and the long-term water supply of Elkin, Jonesville, and any future users ensured while also protecting habitats of the ecosystems that are likely to support the local economy in the future. Elkin & Jonesville Water Supply Protection Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY APPENDIX A Elkin Water Supply Watershed Agricultural Map - Yadkin Riverkeeper Data ALLEGH Y C Y HE COUNTY J SURRY COUNTY - , ♦ + _ s( ♦ ♦ - 7 �♦ •! ♦ 1 } q ♦ ♦♦ AL _ f Ao L%r ♦ �r A A. ♦ .. ♦ ♦ - 4 ♦ ' Elkin _ 1„ 16 ♦ ♦ ♦♦ - ♦ L*_ ♦♦ 268 tea' ♦ , ♦ _ _ ♦ ♦ '� •,�.� i Jonesville WILKES C('3UN=Y N�� - ♦ ♦ R nda ♦ 268 k ♦ � ♦ .♦ ♦ —� ♦ dOver ♦ k 1 1 w° ♦ North Wilkesboro ♦ I ' - ♦ J^ $ ` A tv _ Wilkesboro 421 Y KW COU Seett��aKe ♦ r Animal Operations 268yce u� Cattle ♦ 116 Livestock - Poultry SymbollD �r.�`"�✓�T o Yadkin Riverkeeper Data VoluntaryAg District A�LEXANDER COUNTY , 16 Farmland Elkin Creek Watershed QYadkin River Watershed HEOMON r TaEau 0 075 15 3 45 6 RLGIOV.4L COUNCIL Mues Elkin & Jonesville Water Supply Protection Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY APPENDIX B 221 Elkin & Jonesville Water Supply Watershed Natural Heritage Areas Bullhead Mountain Bulhead Mountain AL $EG HANY C DU NTY ' Blue'Ridge a rl<way � /my- / Mitchell River Game Landr Stone Mounta COUNTY— _ U R C TY Thurmond Chatham Game Land 4 _ 1 _ o r. /' FCKES C UNTY �� `� Ronda 16 26e Co m+ 15 d n YadKin '�7f2i�eY 12 x f�a 13 (y North Wilkesboro . 18 Fishing 21 19 17 421 W. Kerr Scott Reservoir (wlkesboro; Y KIN N 'µe � 268 C` Natural Heritage Element Occurances 1 22 Dedicated Natural Preserves Significant Natural Heritage Areas 76 Parks & Managed Areas Federal Parks ;cANDEV ; State Parks (' Elkin Creek Watershed QJonesville Intake Watershed �ttrGI lonT`relno 0,5 ,5 45 L2P ,LONAL COUWCIL Mlles + Elkin & Jonesville Water Supply Protection Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY APPENDIX C Elkin & Jonesville Water Supply Watershed Floodplains & Elevation `J RLLEGHnNYCONNTY �1{ ALLEGHMY COUNTY SURRY COUNTY SH COUNTY l `1 r Ate[.... Ell 3' `3 -�r-4 f ... 1 � - 14i. r . oi- �..�� �. _ -cif•' - �� �YRCKIN COl3NTY �Sco,t t r tt r,,, 1 i IRECELL CC—N• ` J 5\ Flood Zone Steep Slope 20% or greater it Elevation (Feet): nL�=r•r.c�r so�r,�v High : 5210 i i Low 634 r f Elkin Creek Watershed Q Jonesville Intake Watershed Miles Elkin & Jonesville Water Supply Protection Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY APPENDIX D JPUElkin Water Supply Watershed Stream Health ALLE&11ANY CauN TY 3HECOUNTY ! e � SURRYL'OUNTY I - f - a a p N • WILKESC0UN CI I_ .. 'e J... IkMAsbi YADKIN COUNT, tvlean Stream Health Z By Cate hm ent Most Healthy i ALEXANUER CRUNTV Least Health+, Elkin Creek `Natersried=Jonesville lntake'vb'atershed