Black Warrior Clean Water Partnership
North River Project Committee (Lower Sub Basin)
Draft Minutes April 15, 2013
Alabama Dept of Public Health
2350 Hargrove Road East
Tuscaloosa, AL 35405
Attendees
Abner Patton (Chair)-Patton Geologics
Mary W. Pitts (Watershed Coordinator)
Rodney Barnes – AL DOT
Bennett Bearden – GSA
Stuart McGregor-GSA
Shawn Carter-North River Intern
Todd Hester – Ala Museum of Natural History
Jim Jeter – Ala Forestry Commission
Kathleen Kilpatrick-Citizen T-Town Green
Roy Walton – Alabama Power
Barry Ambrose-Ala Dept of Health
Scott Sanderford-City of Tuscaloosa
Kevin Turner-City of Tuscaloosa
Randy Mecredy – Univ of Alabama
Len Simmons – Alabama Power
Laurie Johns – Citizen
Amanda Espy-Brown – Ala Museum of Natural
History
B.J. Diltz – Tuscaloosa Health Dept
Allie Sorlie – Ala Museum of Natural History
Meeting Package
 Meeting Summary – March 18, 2013
 North River Watershed Management Plan – Coordinator Report.
 ACWP Project: USDA/NRCS Watershed Prioritization Preliminary Results, Methodology,
Recommendations
 North River WMP Implementation Project Timeline as of 4/10/13
 North River WMP Load Reductions as of 3/31/13
Open
Chairman, Abner Patton called the meeting to order. Meeting Summary from March 18, 2013
reviewed. (1st: Bearden, 2nd Ambrose)
Old Business
 North River WMP Implementation Plan Update (North River Project Committee)
 Coordinator Report Attached
 Reporting: Semi-Annual report to ADEM (March 31, 2013) is posted on the Alabama
Clean Water partnership website at www.cleanwaterpartnership.org
 UA Interim WMP Class
o 8 students registered. Students will draft a watershed management plan for Carrol’s
and Cribbs Mill Creek
New Business:
 Match Reporting: Kellie encouraged North River partners to turn in any paperwork to
document match for the North River grant.
 STEP-L Modeling: The Committee was presented the North River WMP Load Reductions
as of 3/31/13 as reported to ADEM. The report includes the methodology and source of data
for the calculation. STEP-L modeled results show that the BMPs installed is projected to
reduce sediment (tons per year) in the Deadwater Creek Watershed by 28.6% and Binion
Creek Watershed by 73.5%.
Reports:
 Cribbs Mill Creek: Lauie Johns reported that she and Kathleen Kilpatrick are developing a
group to address issues on Cribbs Mill Creek and provide public education
Announcements
North River Watershed Management Plan
Coordinator Report – April 15, 2013





BMPs in Fayette and Tuscaloosa Counties
o 24 remaining Clear and Deadwater Creek BMPs to be scheduled
o Proposed large-scale BMP in Tuscaloosa County off Holly Spring Road
Geological Survey of Alabama
o Report on Bridge Crossings draft has been circulated to authors for review. Awaiting
final revisions and contributions
City of Berry and Bays Lake
o All historic water quality data has been compiled and is available for review
o Weyerheuser discussions on-going regarding Source Water Protection Plan and
Ecological Service Research – anticipated Summer 2013 field work
Public Forum/Watershed Festival/Lake Clean Up – April 2013
o Public Forum
 Participants set up and meal a great success
 Low public attendance (16 signed in)
 Councilwoman Cynthia Almond in attendance
o Watershed Festival
 6 schools represented, 16 class groups, approximately 400 children
 18 Northside Volunteers, 20 Univ of Ala Volunteers
 10 Educational Stations
 Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox opened the event
o Clean Our Lake
 Over 100 participants
 One boat landing – Binion Creek
Website Update
o Shawn Carter, UA Geography major continues to add information and update as
needed
o Input and feedback requested from partners
o Bays Lake data compiliation
North River WMP Load Reductions
As of March 31, 2013
Load Reduction Model
Load and load reduction numbers were developed utilizing STEPL Version 4.0 developed by TetraTech (2006).
(STEPL employs simple algorithms to calculate nutrient and sediment loads from different land uses and the load
reductions that would result from the implementation of various best management practices (BMPs). STEPL
provides a user-friendly Visual Basic (VB) interface to create a customized spreadsheet-based model in Microsoft
(MS) Excel. It computes watershed surface runoff; nutrient loads, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and 5-day
biological oxygen demand (BOD5); and sediment delivery based on various land uses and management
practices. For each watershed, the annual nutrient loading is calculated based on the runoff volume and the
pollutant concentrations in the runoff water as influenced by factors such as the land use distribution and
management practices. The annual sediment load (sheet and rill erosion only) is calculated based on the
Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and the sediment delivery ratio. The sediment and pollutant load reductions
that result from the implementation of BMPs are computed using the known BMP efficiencies.
Watershed Data
Input data for the STEPL Watershed characteristics was obtained utilizing the STEPL On-Line Data Access System
(http://it.tetratech-ffx.com/steplweb/STEPLdataviewer.htm). Source data for the information obtained for
selected HUC12 subwatersheds (based on USDA-NRCS, USGS, and USEPA) include:
 Landuse area (in acres) for selected HUC12 subwatershed(s) (based on NLCD, 2001)
 Agricultural animals distribution for selected HUC12 subwatershed(s) (based on USDA Census of Agriculture,
2007)
 Septic system data for selected HUC12 subwatershed(s) (based on septic system surveys by National Small
Flows Clearinghouse in 1992 and 1998)
 Hydrological soil group for selected HUC12 subwatershed(s) (based on STATSGO database)
Best Management Practices
As of March 15, 2013, a total of 18 stormwater detention basins have been installed in and around dirt road
stream crossing in the Deadwater Creek Watershed (HUC031601120401) and the Binion Creek Watershed
(HUC031601120410).
Table 1 Installed BMPs in the North River Watershed as of 3/15/13
Site #
HUC12
Owner/Road
Latitude
Longitude
1
1
Deadwater
Milton Smith Road
33.67093n
87.67322w
2
2
Deadwater
Tucker Culvert
33.66194n
87.66163w
3
3
Deadwater
Tucker Bridge
33.65971n
87.65718w
4
4
Deadwater
Hershell Henry Road
33.72840n
87.65812w
5
5
Deadwater
Lowery Road
33.68956n
87.66349w
6
6
Deadwater
Hershell Henry Road
7
7
Deadwater
Hershell Henry Road Downstream
33.72799n
87.65921w
8
7
Deadwater
Hershell Henry Road Upstream
33.72789n
87.65913w
9
8
Deadwater
Cassell
33.72953n
87.66210w
10
9
Deadwater
Susan Moore
33.73660n
87.67344w
Site #
HUC12
Owner/Road
Latitude
Longitude
11
10
Deadwater
Clear Creek Road
33.75074n
87.69260w
12
11
Deadwater
Deer Creek Road
33.77274n
87.66780w
13
12
Deadwater
Deavours Hill
33.75365n
87.63068w
14
13
Deadwater
Clear Creek
33.74175n
87.65399w
15
1
Binion
Harless Road
33.41578n
87.65240w
16
2
Binion
Harless Road
33.40843n
87.66203w
17
3
Binion
Harless Road
33.40787n
87.66250w
18
4
Binion
Harless Road
33.40794n
87.66274w
19
5
Binion
TD Norris Property
33.42104n
87.64867w
Figure 1 Deadwater Creek BMP Locations
Figure 2 Binion Creek BMP Locations
Load and Load Reductions
The “Gully and Stream Bank Erosion” tool was used to calculate pollutant load from gully and streambank
erosion and potential load reductions due to the BMPs implementation. Separate load and load reduction
calculations were made for Deadwater Creek and Binion Creek Watersheds. To obtain a “best estimate” of
modeled sediment reduction, the top width of the gully was considered to be from the center crown of the dirt
road to the far edge of the right of way. On the Binion Creek Watershed sites some of the top of the gully
widths are 50 feet because drainage ditches on each side of the road (from ROW edge to ROW edge) are routed
through a single BMP. Otherwise the 25 foot width is from the centerline of the dirt road to the edge of the
ROW.
Measurements of sediments collected from November 2011 through March 2013 have provided data which was
utilized to calculate sediment capture. The calculations were performed by measuring the accumulation in feet
on staff gages installed in the collection structures, multiplying the accumulation in feet by the area of the
impoundment in square feet to determine the cubic feet of sediment. A value of 100 pounds per cubic foot of
sediment was assigned to the material. Therefore, one cubic yard of material (27 cubic feet) weighs 2,700
pounds. Total cubic yards were multiplied by 2,700 for total pounds, and then total pounds were divided by
2,000 to determine tons.
Deadwater Creek Watershed
Actual Sediment Capture Measurements: From November 2011 through December 2012 the 13 impoundments have
captured and removed 37 tons of material from streams in the Clear Creek Drainage Basin in Fayette County, Alabama.
Modeled Results
N Load (no
P Load (no
BOD Load
Sediment
N Reduction P Reduction
BOD
Sediment
BMP)
BMP)
(no BMP)
Load (no
Reduction
Reduction
BMP)
lb/year
lb/year
lb/year
t/year
lb/year
lb/year
lb/year
t/year
54817.4
15230.8
147544.1
8073.9
3141.1
1209.3
6282.2
2309.6
Sediment
N Load
P Load
BOD (with
Load (with
%N
%P
%BOD
%Sed
(with BMP)
(with BMP)
BMP)
BMP)
Reduction
Reduction
Reduction
Reduction
lb/year
lb/year
lb/year
t/year
%
%
%
%
51767.3
14021.5
141261.9
5764.3
5.7
7.9
4.3
28.6
Binion Creek Watershed
Actual Sediment Capture Measurements: Four BMP’s were installed in Tuscaloosa County along Harless Road in
November 2012. Permission was obtained from the property owner for construction of the impoundments on their
property. The impoundments are within the Gin Creek drainage basin which is a tributary to Binion Creek. From November
2012 through December 2012 the four BMP’s along Harless Road have captured and removed 70 tons of sediment from Gin
Creek. The BMP on T.D. Norris property was recently installed and no actual data measurements have been made.
Modeled Results
N Load (no
P Load (no
BOD Load
Sediment
N Reduction P Reduction
BOD
Sediment
BMP)
BMP)
(no BMP)
Load (no
Reduction
Reduction
BMP)
lb/year
lb/year
lb/year
t/year
lb/year
lb/year
lb/year
t/year
11404.7
3823.5
26830.0
3624.0
4905.1
1888.5
9810.2
2665.8
Sediment
N Load
P Load
BOD (with
Load (with
%N
%P
%BOD
%Sed
(with BMP)
(with BMP)
BMP)
BMP)
Reduction
Reduction
Reduction
Reduction
lb/year
lb/year
lb/year
t/year
%
%
%
%
6499.6
1935.1
17019.8
959.1
43.0
49.4
36.6
73.5