Wake County - Falls Lake Program Stormwater Engineering Non-Regulatory Approaches to Watershed Protection in Urban and Rural Areas Kurt Smith Watershed Program Wake County Environmental Services Mitch Woodward Area Specialized Agent Watersheds and Water Quality NC Cooperative Extension Service NC State University College of Agri. And Life Sciences
A Collaborative Effort - Wake County Environmental Services - NC Division of Water Quality - Army Corps of Engineers - EPA - NC State University - Wake County Cooperative Extension - Natural Resource Conservation Service - Wake County Soil and Water Conservation - Free-Rain - Real-escapes (Private Sector) - Private Landowners/Homeowners Association - NC Horse Council (Non-Profit)
Wake County, North Carolina
Falls Lake Watershed Drinking water supply for approximately 450,000 residents Major recreational and economic resource Impaired for chlorophyll a and for turbidity. 1997 Neuse Rules 2010 Falls Lake Rules Falls Reservoir Water Supply Nutrient Strategy to address excess nutrient inputs to Falls Lake.
Regulation: Neuse Rules Rules Adopted: Point Sources Urban Stormwater Agriculture Nutrient Management Riparian Buffers GOAL: 30% N Reduction in 5 Years (1998-2003)
Neuse Stormwater Rule 10 municipalities & 5 counties local programs: New development: Load target (3.6 lbs/ac/yr) equates to 30% Offset payment option to EEP or private banks Public Education Illicit discharge elimination Identify retrofit opportunities
Mandatory Agricultural Practice 50 foot riparian buffer OR Nutrient management* and 20-foot forested riparian buffer OR 30 feet vegetated buffer OR Nutrient management* Nutrient mgt. education *Must Meet NRCS 590 Standard
Falls Lake Recent History 2004 Re-focus on lake s condition Water Quality Impairment identified EPA 303d List Chl-a (Entire Lake) & Turbidity (Above I-85) Overall goals challenge current technology Unprecedented reduction goals 40% TN and 77% TP relative to 2006 baseline (In addition to existing Neuse 30% N reduction goals) August 2011 - LG submit local programs to DWQ for approval July 2012 - LGs adopt and implement local program
Percent of Data Exceeding Chl-a Standard in Falls Lake I-85 Station ID % over 40 ug/l ELL10 84.0% LC01 21.1% LLC01 39.0% NEU010 53.0% NEU013B 53.0% NEU0171B 25.0% NEU018E 16.0% NEU019C 4.0% NEU019E 16.0% NEU019L 12.0% NEU019P 9.9% NEU020D 9.9% NC-98 NC-50
Project Site Determination Examine Existing Data (NCSU) Determine Data Gaps Gather More Data (Begin Wake County Monitoring Program) Identify Project Site (Black Horse Run $180,000.00 EPA Grant)
Manure Composter
Stormwater Improvements to Upper Barton s Creek
Rainwater Harvesting Systems
Stream Crossings For Horses
Stormwater Engineering Automatic Watering Devices for Horses
Establishment of Rain Gardens
Pasture Renovation
Livestock Exclusion Fencing
Steam Restoration and Bank Stabilization 350 Feet
Pre and Post Project Monitoring of Black Horse Run Project
Expected Results: Manure Composter Manages: 1,309 lbs of manure generated nitrogen 374 lbs of manure generated phosphorus AND No Longer Reaching Upper Barton s Creek, Falls Lake: 15 tons of Sediment per year 262 lbs of Nitrogen 75 lbs of Phosphorus
Nutrient Management Education One-day training (~ 6 hr) 1: How water moves 2: Water quality problems 3: Sources of nutrients 4: BMPs 5: Intro to nutrient mgt 6: Soil testing 7: Commodity based nutrient management
Types and Numbers of Individuals Trained Type of Applicator Numbers Agriculture ~ 1400 Lawn Care ~ 500 Container Nursery ~ 50
I liked it, it was very educational. I got an idea of how easy nitrogen runoff can be into the river. Participants were generally positive.. It made me more aware of the need to watch what we are doing, not to over fertilize due to the environment and the economics, especially as I have land near the river.
Rain Garden Installations
Project Results 40+ Gardens 13 Workshops -11 Homeowner, 2 Master Gardener Created Local Expertise: Agents - Master Gardeners Landscapers Demonstrations at Fairs and Museum Increased local Interest / Installations Strong Website Support Future opportunities for neighborhood projects
Failures Victims of the Push-Button Gardeners!
Biggest Lesson Learned: In theory, theory and practice are the same, but not in practice.
Take Home Message Most rain gardens installed for reasons other than protecting the environment Cost-sharing increased interest Few homeowners or commercial landscape contractors rain garden installation Maintenance issues will continue to dominate On-going educational and regulatory programs emphasizing promotion, inspection and routine maintenance will be critical to success. We Bring Engineering to Life
Rain Garden Certification Workshop Identified need for training course to teach residential rain garden design, installation, and maintenance to landscapers 1 st workshop offered April 2009 in Wilmington, NC 15+ more workshops offered since, with 300 total attendees 250+ attendees certified by N.C. State University
Workshop Day 1 Schedule: 1. Introduction to Stormwater Management 2. Rain Garden Introduction 3. Rain Garden Siting 4. Rain Garden Design 5. In-class Example 6. Plants for Rain Gardens 7. Rain Garden Construction 8. Inspection and Maintenance 9. Field Tour
Workshop Day 2 Schedule: 1. 30 min review talk 2. 45 min Q&A 3. Exam in class portion (1 hr) 4. Exam field portion (1 hr)
Rain Garden Construction Laying out the boundary Clogging and compaction Tips and tricks for digging, planting, and mulching a rain garden Examples of rain garden construction
Sites: Rain Garden / Cistern
Exam Field Portion
Exam Field Portion
Attendees by Profession 7, 4% 2, 1% 1, 1% 8, 5% 14, 9% 16, 10% 23, 15% 37, 23% 51, 32% Landscaper County or City Gov't State Gov't Technician Landscape Architect Other Engineer Student Federal Gov't
Durham: Turning Education into Action
Stormwater BMP Inspection and Maintenance Key to Acceptance of Stormwater BMP Use & Maintenance: Getting People to Relate
Landscape Maintenance: Many BMPs are Landscape Features
The Mow, Blow, and Go method will not work for BMPs
Is water related recreation important to North Carolina?
Link Between Tourism and Water???
What We Saw. Caked Bioretention with Dead Vegetation
What We Saw Cattails Clogging Drawdown Structures
What We Saw Clogged Permeable Pavement due to Rogue Construction
What We Saw: Cary Stormwater BMPs (2007) Approximately 425 BMPs in Cary According to one of Cary s inspectors: Timothy Grady, RLA: 95% of BMPs failed initial inspection as they require repairs Most repairs are maintenance related: erosion, trash removal, tree removal
Enter the BMP Inspection & Maintenance Certification
www.bae.ncsu.edu/topic/bmp-im
BMPs need Regular inspection of components
BMPs need Specialized mowing not scalping
BMPs need Specialized pruning
BMPs need Plant management
BMPs need Water level management
BMPs need Protection from sediment
BMPs need Regular trash cleaning
BMPs can be damaged by Fertilizer
BMPs can be damaged by Sediment from traffic or outparcels
BMPs can be damaged by Excessive Sediment from upstream
BMPs can be damaged by Sedimentatin Poor grass or mulch maintenance
BMPs can be damaged by Poor vegetation management (Roundup)
BMPs can be damaged by Scalping: Excessive mowing or mowing too low
BMPs can be damaged by Compaction
List of Certified Professionals
How Popular is the Certification? As of Aug. 1, 2011 1571 people have been certified Over 30 classes offered, most sell out
Has it Worked? Cary BMPs (now) ~ 95% pass, as owners better appreciate value of maintenance after investing in repairs
It Works! Teaching how and why stormwater BMPs work Specialized maintenance program for stormwater BMPs developed Students have adopted practices and are incorporating concepts into their designs / maintenance schedules
www.bae.ncsu.edu/topic/raingarden Google: NCSU Backyard Rain Gardens
Questions?