EPA Targeted Watershed Initiative: Susquehanna River Headwaters, NY and PA

Quarterly Progress Report Number 3 (1 March 2004 through 31 May 2004)

30 June 2004

  Synopsis: This quarter continued to be active with integrating all of USC's projects into helping New York State develop its Tributary Strategy for the Chesapeake Bay . As stated in Report #2, the USC will integrate TWI projects into the strategy because the Tributary Strategy will become the overall implementation plan for New York 's portion of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The USC met and reviewed the TWI on 19 March 2004. The results of that meeting were to develop an amendment to the original plan of work to maximize the installation of riparian buffers and increase road ditch demonstration projects. Specifics of these changes are included elsewhere in the report. Jim Curatolo, USC Watershed Coordinator and Chris Yearick, USC GIS Specialist, both gave presentations at the 2004 15 Annual NEIWPCC NPS Pollution Conference in Lake George on 27 May “Planning for Water Quality”. The topic was building partnerships and promoting information exchange on the web; the presentation relied heavily on TWI related projects. We expect to make great progress on all projects during the 2004 field season.

Attachment # 1:

MEMO

To: Cyndy Kopitsky and Michele Junker

From: Jim Curatolo, USC Watershed Coordinator

Date: 15 April 2004

Re: Changes in Cooperative Agreement WS –9829700

The USC recently met and discussed how to best maximize its riparian buffer, natural stream design and road ditch work under the Targeted Watershed Initiative. The attached budget and budget detail reflect a better grasp of funding needs while still supporting all original projects. We request a realigning of funds to do the following:

1. Project 4 – Promoting Farm Stewardship through Riparian Buffers

The USC would like to increase the support of County Soil and Water Conservation District staff so they can be fully engaged in New York State 's brand new “Conservation Reserve Enhanced Program” (CREP). The NY CREP will support implementation of 40,000 acres of riparian buffers. By using TWI funding to train and support staff to deliver this program the USC will leverage much greater on-the-ground riparian buffers. The timing of the TWI and the new CREP program could not have been better to maximize implementation efforts.

a. We request a transfer of some of the funding from Project 5 to augment Project 4, while still leaving enough funds to carry out Project 5 objectives, but with less demonstration projects and staff support.

b. We also request that the funding in Project 4 that is dedicated to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (PA buffer establishment) remain the same but also be used to support staff time in addition to direct buffer installation because the PA CREP has also been expanded. Thus change will be more cost effective, because PA CREP funds can be used for the buffers and the WI funds will be available to support staff, if needed.

c. With changes a and b we will be able to increase our riparian buffer goal to 18 miles of buffer,

d. The exact breakdown of funding and deliverable changes is presented in a revised budget, budget detail and deliverables table. We will also reduce the Management line item to supplement the budget projects 4 and 6.

e. The work plan specifics for the Riparian Buffer are as follows:

1. A project is defined as riparian buffer implementation on a site.

2. A project can be a (1) USDA CREP or a (2) USDA CRP or (3) one following CBF protocols or (4) a project that is not in category 1-3, but implements riparian buffers. Projects under (4) will need to be reviewed by the USC Watershed Coordinator and approved by the USC Executive Committee to ensure they meet the WI Work Plan (this should not be a problem and will be a very expeditious process).

3. All projects will include an easement agreement. For those “special projects” agreements (#4) you could use one similar to the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Fish and Wildlife Restoration Agreement . It is very simple and with a few changes, can meet our needs. No Targeted Watershed funds will be used for payment of easements.

4. Each “Buffer Lead” can use two of its projects per year as “training projects”. The “training project” is for staff either doing the training or being trained. A project is defined as 32 hours of staff time dedicated to some aspect of teaching/learning about buffer work either as trainer or trainee. It need not be all focused on one site. It is basically 64 hours each Buffer Lead can designate toward training that best fits their individual needs.

5. Deliverables reporting: Each project will describe the type of riparian buffer installed, including other associated practices such as stream crossings. The buffer location will be reported, at least to the 11 digit HUA level and the buffer size, including length and width. In addition a Riparian Buffer Basin Strategy will be developed that describes how buffers can best be developed throughout the basin, the various funding sources and how this effort will integrate into other state initiatives such as the NY Tributary Strategy for the Chesapeake Bay .

2. Project 5 – Study of Stream Restoration using Natural Stream Design

This project will emphasize the training aspects of natural stream design. We will also emphasize data collection to understand how a stream functions in order to determine what type of treatment would best suit the site.

We will still address all of the deliverables, but at a smaller scale reflecting the shift of funding and emphasis on riparian buffers.

3. Project 6 – Road Program

Demonstration projects are very important training tools to educate local highway personnel on correct restoration practices. We will increase our road ditch demonstration funding slightly so that each of 11 counties can support at least one road ditch restoration project. The modified budgets reflect this suggested change.

Attachment #2

Ongoing work on Project 7. Increasing Local Capacity through a College Internship/Research Program associated with the EPA Watershed Initiative by personnel from Binghamton University from March 2004 - May 2004 included:

Wetlands Related (Project 3)

1) Hydrological and Numerical Assessment of Rainfall-Runoff Response for the Headwaters of Catatonk Creek, Tioga County , NY (Glen Hunsinger)

• Laboratory analysis for metals and nutrients from samples collected in 2003 has been completed
• Stream stage measurements within subwatersheds initiated in summer 2003 are ongoing, rating curves developed for measurements made to date, used for input for modeling work
• Modeling of the predicted effects from wetland construction ongoing
• Presentation of results at the Great Lakes Research Consortium in Syracuse NY , March 15 th 2004, the USC meeting on March 19 th , 2004, and the American Geophysical Union in May 2004
• data analysis for completion of MA thesis is in process, preparations for defense of MA thesis in July 2004

2) Nutrient Accumulation and Retention By Wetland Plants (Nate Munley)

• Completed nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) analyses of wetland plants from a greenhouse experiment designed to test the effects of using different combinations of plant species to maximize nutrient accumulation during the growing season.
• Data has been summarized, and initial statistical analyses of experimental data (biomass, tissue N, and tissue P) completed
• First draft of M.S. thesis completed(to be defended in July 2004).

3) Water and Nutrient Flux in Natural and Constructed Wetlands near the Inflow of the Otselic River to the Whitney Point Reservoir, Broome County , NY (Dave Heuer)

• Field operations resumed in March 2004. Water levels were measured at 18 piezometer nests and in the surface water ponded in the wetlands. Water samples were collected at the piezometers, the surface water, and the Otselic river up and down stream from the wetlands.
• laboratory analysis for metals and nutrients ongoing
• data analysis for completion of MA thesis is in process

4) Initiation of Baseline Limnological Survey of Whitney Point Reservoir, Broome County , NY (Pete Homyak)

• sampling for pilot study completed March 2004
• analyzed for dissolved inorganic N and P, total P, pH, and specific conductance
• data summary of N, P, temperature, pH, and specific conductance submitted in a report to Department of Biological Sciences in May 2004

Riparian Buffers (Project 4)

5) Nutrient Export Study from Watersheds (Weixing Zhu)

• studying nutrient exports from 22 watersheds in the Upper Susquehanna River Basin in south central NY
• monthly sampling from mouths of streams from March –December 2004
• sampling from watersheds with varying land use (forest, agriculture, urban)

6) Riparian Restoration Project (Artem Tryger)

• six species of shrubs (240 total shrubs) planted along Unadilla River in Chenango County to study riparian retention of farm runoff
• installation of piezometers at two depths (50 and 150 cm) to monitor water depth fluctuation and to obtain subsurface samples for nutrient analysis

7) Nutrient dynamics in soils having agricultural land use along the Catatonk Creek valley near Candor, NY. (Jean Joliceuer)

• Equipment was installed at three sites on Mr. B. Amman's farm in May. The sites include two soil types (Howard and Tioga) and two land uses (corn and alfalfa).
• Measurements of soil moisture and soil matrix potential with depth, rainfall and evapotranspiration are ongoing. Soil water samples are being collected at each site, as are samples of groundwater at a deep and a shallow well at the farm, and stream samples at three points along the Catatonk Creek.
• Laboratory analysis of samples has been started.

Sediments (Projects 5 and 6)

8) Artificial Flooding and Sediment Movement within Miller Creek, Catatonk Watershed (Ken Hubbard)

•  Poster presentation at the Great Lakes Research Consortium in Syracuse NY , March 15 th , 2004

9) Comparison of the Physical and Chemical Hydrology in the Miller and Sulfur Springs Watersheds, Tioga Co., NY (Erin Wood)

•  Presentation of results at the Great Lakes Research Consortium in Syracuse NY , March 15 th 2004, and at USC meeting on March 19 th , 2004