Reducing Non Point Sources of Pollution and Improving Water Quality in the Lick Creek Watershed
Grant
Overview
abstract
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Lick Creek is listed as "biologically impaired" and is a tributary to the nutrient sensitive waters of Falls Lake. The suspected pollutants of concern for Lick Creek include fecal coliform bacteria, oxygen demanding substances, and turbidity. Therefore, reducing nutrient, fecal indicator bacteria and sediment transport to Lick Creek and Falls Lake would greatly improve water quality. Prior studies have shown that natural and constructed wetlands are very efficient at treating nutrient, sediment, and/or bacteria from various sources including stormwater (Hogan and Walbridge, 2007; Humphrey et al., 2014), wastewater (Humphrey et al., 2013), and agricultural runoff (Fink and Mitsch, 2004; Etheridge et al., 2015). A major goal listed in the Lick Creek Watershed Restoration Plan (LCWRP) is "to restore riparian habitat in the watershed" and "protect habitat and water quality functions by protecting critical lands such as wetlands and floodplains". The LCWRP also specifically states that "extensive impacts to streams and wetlands from active construction sites were observed" and there was a need "to mitigate suspicious discharges from septic systems or onsite wastewater treatment systems". We seek to improve water quality in Lick Creek by reducing sediment, nutrient and bacteria transport to the creek from tributaries draining urban and urbanizing neighborhoods within the watershed. Stormwater runoff is causing severe erosion of tributary streams and a wetland adjacent to Lick Creek. We will stabilize eroding segments of tributary streams and gullies, enhance existing wetlands adjacent to Lick Creek, implement stormwater runoff controls such as rainwater harvesting, rock check dams, drainage way bioreactors, and improve the performance of septic systems (pumping tanks, replacing drainfields, etc). These improvements should reduce nutrient, pathogen and sediment transport. Project investigators have been working in the target watershed for more than 2 years, have developed good relationships with property owners, and would like to continue efforts to improve water quality by reducing the delivery of non-point source pollution to the impaired waters of Lick Creek. We will present data from the project at numerous state and national venues such as the NC Onsite Water Protection Conference, NC WRRI conference, and Soil Science Society of America Conferences.
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Lick Creek is listed as ?biologically impaired? and is a tributary to the nutrient sensitive waters of Falls Lake. The suspected pollutants of concern for Lick Creek include fecal coliform bacteria, oxygen demanding substances, and turbidity. Therefore, reducing nutrient, fecal indicator bacteria and sediment transport to Lick Creek and Falls Lake would greatly improve water quality. Prior studies have shown that natural and constructed wetlands are very efficient at treating nutrient, sediment, and/or bacteria from various sources including stormwater (Hogan and Walbridge, 2007; Humphrey et al., 2014), wastewater (Humphrey et al., 2013), and agricultural runoff (Fink and Mitsch, 2004; Etheridge et al., 2015). A major goal listed in the Lick Creek Watershed Restoration Plan (LCWRP) is ?to restore riparian habitat in the watershed? and ?protect habitat and water quality functions by protecting critical lands such as wetlands and floodplains?. The LCWRP also specifically states that ?extensive impacts to streams and wetlands from active construction sites were observed? and there was a need ?to mitigate suspicious discharges from septic systems or onsite wastewater treatment systems?. We seek to improve water quality in Lick Creek by reducing sediment, nutrient and bacteria transport to the creek from tributaries draining urban and urbanizing neighborhoods within the watershed. Stormwater runoff is causing severe erosion of tributary streams and a wetland adjacent to Lick Creek. We will stabilize eroding segments of tributary streams and gullies, enhance existing wetlands adjacent to Lick Creek, implement stormwater runoff controls such as rainwater harvesting, rock check dams, drainage way bioreactors, and improve the performance of septic systems (pumping tanks, replacing drainfields, etc). These improvements should reduce nutrient, pathogen and sediment transport. Project investigators have been working in the target watershed for more than 2 years, have developed good relationships with property owners, and would like to continue efforts to improve water quality by reducing the delivery of non-point source pollution to the impaired waters of Lick Creek. We will present data from the project at numerous state and national venues such as the NC Onsite Water Protection Conference, NC WRRI conference, and Soil Science Society of America Conferences.
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