Water Quality in the LaPlatte, Thorp, Kimball, Holmes Watersheds Shelburne, Charlotte and Hinesburg November 2013

HISTORY
Activities of LaPlatte Watershed Partnership, South Chittenden Riverwatch, Lewis Creek Association Monitoring and Special Studies LaPlatte Watershed Water Quality monitored 2004 to Present Particle Sizing at Falls Road 2005 to 2008 Fluvial Geomorphology: Phase I whole Watershed 2004 Phase II LaPlatte River in Hinesburg 2006 Phase II McCabes Brook 2011 Installed staff gages at sentinel sites on LaPlatte River and McCabes Brook 2011 Focus on monitoring during high flows 2012 to Present Thorp, Kimball, Holmes (TKH) Watersheds and Direct Drainage (DD) to Lake TributariesWater Quality monitored Thorp & Kimball-2008 to Present Holmes- 2009 to Present Fluvial Geomorphology: Phase I partial TKH Watershed & DD Tribs - 2006 to 2009 Phase II partial TK Watersheds- 2007 to 2009 Installed staff gages at sentinel sites on the Kimball and Thorp Brooks- 2010 Focus on monitoring during high flows- 2012 to Present Technical and Planning Reports Impervious Analysis and Stormwater Planning, Hinesburg and Charlotte, 2005 Water Quality in Munroe Brook Watershed, 2005 to 2008 LaPlatte Watershed Corridor Plans - Hinesburg 2007, Charlotte Shelburne 2009 LaPlatte Watershed Stormwater Plan, 2010 LaPlatte Watershed Culvert Plan, 2010 Thorp Kimball Water Quality Plan, 2011 Shelburne Stormwater Mitigation Plan, 2013
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SUMMARY OF WATER QUALITY FINDINGS

Nutrients and Sediment in the LaPlatte River Hot Spot Hinesburg STP to Charlotte Town Line Erosion source of suspended sediment and phosphorus o Correlates with Fluvial Geomorphology o Consistent with USGS SPARROW Model projections The highest contributions to nutrient and sediment loadings occurs between the Hinesburg STP and Carpenter Road in Charlotte At low flows, the river acts as a sink between Carpenter Road and Falls Road in Shelburne There appears to be a critical flow of about 70 cfs measured at Falls Road based on sediment phosphorus burdens and sediment particle sizing, which are supported by sediment and phosphorus loading data Frequent high Escherichia coli counts in the LaPlatte River from its mouth to the Hinesburg STP and Mud Hollow Brook for 3 miles from its confluence with the LaPlatte River provide the basis for the establishment of an E. coli TMDL

Nutrients and Sediment in McCabes Brook Hot Spot Lime Kiln Road to Vermont Teddy Bear access road Source of agricultural runoff Nutrient and sediment concentrations increase over this section of the stream. Note: turbidity may decrease even as TSS Concentrations increase Areal nutrient and sediment loadings at Vermont Teddy Bear impacted by agricultural land use in the upper portion of the watershed are in general higher than loadings measured at Harbor Road which are impacted by drainage from the mixed rural-urban downstream portion of the watershed

Recovery Zone Vermont Teddy Bear access road to School Street Neighborhood Concentrations of sediment and nutrients generally decrease at low to moderate flows, but can steadily increase at high flows Loading data indicate that this section of the stream can act as a sink for sediment and nutrients under some conditions, especially at low flows

Hot Spot Shelburne Town and School Street Neighborhood Land use includes rural forest and fields and urban areas including the School Street Neighborhood and Shelburne Town Sediment and nutrient concentrations increase over this section of the stream Sediment and nutrient loadings are higher at Harbor Road than at the Vermont Teddy Bear access road Areal nutrient loadings from the downstream watershed drainage between Vermont Teddy Bear and Harbor Road are generally lower than from the upstream agricultural drainage, but may at times be higher, probably depending on distribution of rainfall during rain events Areal sediment loadings from the downstream watershed drainage between Vermont Teddy Bear and Harbor Road are often higher than from the upstream agricultural drainage, particularly at high flows Nutrients and Sediment in Thorp Kimball Holmes Brooks Establishing a water quality baseline for small direct to lake watersheds which are often in agricultural use Insufficient data are currently available to make reliable comparisons with similar watersheds. But based on the limited TK phosphorus data available for 2013, loadings calculated on an areal basis suggest that they are lower than in the more intensively agricultural upper McCabes Brook watershed

CONCLUSIONS
Loading rates provide a basis for assessing significant sources of sediment and nutrients and their comparative importance Loading rates provide a basis for comparing the relative importance of land use and watersheds as sources of sediment and nutrients Concentration data may not be a dependable basis for assessing water quality and factors impacting on it. Loading rates complete the picture Although loading data, as well as particle sizing data, collected over between 2011 and 2013 are limited, the results of monitoring in the LaPlatte Watershed indicate their value as an assessment tool and as a tool for planning an effective monitoring program Loading data can provide a tool for planning efforts to control nutrient discharges to Lake Champlain

Over time, loading data may be expected to provide a means measuring the impacts of efforts to limit nutrient loadings on Lake Champlain Loading Rates taken on high flow days better reflect total nutrient and sediment loads transported downstream and into Lake Champlain. Example: flows in excess of 20 cfs in McCabes Brook at Vermont Teddy Bear may carry more than 50 times the daily phosphorus load as when flows are below 1 cfs, more than 12 times the phosphorus load as when the flows are between 1 and 5 cfs, or 5 times the phosphorus load as when the flow is between 5 and 20 cfs. Over 133 days between May 27 and September 15, 2013, flows exceeded 20 cfs on 7 days and fell between 5 and 20 cfs on 20 days, fell between 1 and 5 cfs on 49 days, and were below 1 cfs on 57 days.

CONSTRAINTS
Difficulty in mobilizing samplers at last minute In the spring when flows tend to be highest, inundation of the floodplain in Hinesburg can make access to the stream impossible Winter ice and high flows can alter stream profiles and dislodge or shift staff gages. Costs of resetting gages are around $500 each. Costs of recalibrating gages are substantially more

RECOMMENDATIONS
Sampling should be conducted when flows at Falls Road exceed 70 cfs, targeting flows as follows: o >200 cfs o >500 cfs Resume particle sizing on the LaPlatte River, extend to Hinesburg STP and Carpenter Road Continue monitoring flows for calculation of sediment and nutrient loadings Investigate possibility of establishing permanent staff gages at bridges and culverts at Carpenter Road, Teddy Bear access road, and Harbor Road Obtain funding for program including maintaining and periodic recalibration of staff gages In partnership with the DEC LaRosa Program, coordinate with Lake Iroquois Association and WNRCD water quality study groups.