Ohios Nutrient Reduction Strategy Ohio EPA Division of

Ohio’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water George Elmaraghy, Chief, P. E. Photograph by Peter Essick, Lake Erie in 2011, National Geographic

GOAL To reduce impact of nutrients on water quality

Background • State nutrient reduction strategies part of Mississippi River Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force 2008 Action Plan • Ohio decided on state-wide strategy – Grand Lake St. Marys & Lake Erie blooms • Strategy will be used to direct funding & Agency resources

Timeline • Ohio submitted draft strategy framework to U. S. EPA Region 5 in Nov 2011 • 2011 -2012 Two Workgroups met & compiled final recommendations – Directors’ Agricultural Nutrients and Water Quality Working Group – Point Source & Urban Runoff Nutrient Workgroup • Finalizing strategy & submitting to U. S. EPA June 2013

Structure • Assessment of current efforts, outlines path forward • Follows basic framework for state nutrient strategies as laid out in U. S. EPA’s 2011 guidance • Incorporates workgroup recommendations as appropriate

Strategic Principals • Implement TMDLs and watershed plans • Align resources to Ohio’s water quality goals • Fund projects that eliminate impairments and restore waters • Protect high quality waters

Priorities • General criteria for prioritizing watersheds – Largest contributors of phosphorus to Lake Erie and Ohio River – Watersheds with Total Maximum Daily Load studies – Watersheds with watershed action plans – Downstream impacts (hypoxia for example)

Ohio’s Priority Watersheds Maumee River Sandusky River Cuyahoga River Great Miami River Scioto River Wabash River

(from USGS SPARROW model output, USEPA web page)

Load Reduction Goals • Ohio has completed 222 nutrient TMDLs in priority watersheds (basins listed on previous slide) since 2002 • Serve as our measuring stick

Nutrient Sources (Where We Will Find Load Reductions) • Point Sources – Municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants • Nonpoint Sources – Agricultural – Urban & Suburban storm water

Point Sources • Phase in water quality based effluent limits for phosphorus derived from TMDL/WLA calculations – In general, P limits only if receiving stream is impaired or threatened • Start with limit of 1 mg/l P or current load • allow exploration of trading or other options – P limits not imposed if water quality improvement not expected

Initial P NPDES Limits for POTWs >1 MGD Condition of Water LEB ORB Guidelines for Initial NPDES Permit Content Not impaired for nutrients Limit at 1. 0 mg/l at design flow, per longstanding Lake Erie policy Impaired for nutrients Limit at lower of 1. 0 mg/l at design flow or existing permitted load (with trading option, habitat fixes). POTW to minimize P discharge by optimizing existing treatment Not impaired for nutrients Include existing effluent load in TMDL WLA. No P limit; monitoring Impaired for nutrients Limit at lower of 1. 0 mg/l at design flow or existing permitted load (with trading option, habitat fixes). POTW to minimize P discharge by optimizing existing treatment

Initial P NPDES Limits for POTWs <1 MGD Design Flow (MGD) 1. 0 to 0. 15 To 0. 025 Less than 0. 025 Condition of Water WLA and NPDES Permit Content Not impaired for nutrients Include load in TMDL WLA. Monitoring Impaired for nutrients (P); source is predominant contributor Impaired for nutrients (P); source is one of multiple contributors Not impaired for nutrients Limit at 1. 0 mg/l at design flow Impaired for nutrients; source is predominant contributor Impaired for nutrients; source is one of multiple contributors Any situation Limit at 1. 0 mg/l at design flow if P limits will improve biology. Monitoring if no limit Include load TMDL WLA. Monitoring Include load in TMDL WLA. Monitoring

Nonpoint Sources • Key point – doing more of the same will not fix today’s problems • Strategic framework – Reduce nutrient loadings – Improve assimilative capacity of streams

Broad Strategies for Ag NPS • Upland management – Limit nutrients to agronomic needs • Livestock management – Improve manure management • Drainage water management – Reduce rate & amount of runoff • Riparian management – Install effective buffers • Groundwater protection measures • Outreach & education – 4 Rs

Ag NPS Cont. • Target conservation funding in small area (HUC 12) to effective conservation practices • Will require real adjustments to federal, state and county level programmatic thinking

Nutrient Reduction Demonstrations Sandusky River - Loss Creek Subwatershed Project Partners Crawford County SWCD Ohio State Extension Sandusky Watershed Coalition Ohio EPA US EPA – Great Lakes Office Funded under provisions of an FY 11 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant to Ohio EPA Engaging agriculture in innovative ways to reduce phosphorus loss to the Sandusky River

Nutrient Reduction Demonstrations Maumee River - Powell Creek Subwatershed FY 12 US EPA Great Lakes Initiative Grant to Ohio EPA Partnership with Defiance SWCD, Defiance Health Dept. & ODNR Implementing Powell Creek TMDL by engaging agriculture to implement nutrient reduction activities in highly targeted ways

Urban & Suburban Nonpoint Source • Gray solutions are out, green infrastructure is in • Encourages specific practice examples in following categories: – Low impact development & other green design strategies – BMPs to slow down, store and infiltrate runoff from impervious surfaces – Sediment control BMPs

Urban Nutrient Reduction Demonstrations Cuyahoga River – Cuyahoga County GLRI FY 10 and FY 12 GLRI-SWIF Grant Program More then 30 NPS management projects have been funded with GLRI & SWIF grants and many are already completed

Accountability and Verification Measures • Ohio will provide accountability & verification of progress by tracking: – Restoration of beneficial uses in targeted watersheds – Impact of nutrients on water quality and beneficial uses – Annual nutrient loading estimates for six priority watersheds and point sources – Implementation actions

Nutrient Water Quality Criteria • March 2013 – released the rulemaking notice of Early Stakeholder Outreach – Includes criteria for streams, rivers & lakes (does not include large rivers) – Initial feedback in support of Ohio’s approach • Expect to continue rulemaking process through 2014

Questions? George Elmaraghy, Chief, P. E. Division of Surface Water 614 -644 -2001 george. elmaraghy@epa. ohio. gov www. epa. ohio. gov/dsw For more information on nutrient strategy, go to: http: //epa. ohio. gov/dsw/wqs/Nutrient. Reduction. aspx