The Powell Creek Watershed TMDL
Background
The Powell Creek Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report was approved by U.S. EPA on June 18, 2009. TMDL reports identify and evaluate water quality problems in impaired water bodies and propose solutions to bring those waters into attainment with water quality standards.
Powell Creek is a tributary to the Auglaize River, draining 98 square miles in northwestern Ohio near the Defiance. The Powell Creek watershed lies within the former lakebed of the Great Black Swamp and has fine grained, poorly drained soils. Land use in the watershed consists of 83 percent row crop, eight percent forest, five percent open developed land.
Water quality monitoring in 2000 identified pervasive impairments of aquatic life uses. Primary causes of impairment are nutrients, sediment, organic substances and poor habitat quality. Sources are run-off from agricultural landscapes, channel modification, Continental’s WWTP and failing septic systems. TMDLs are calculated for total phosphorus, nitrate, biological oxygen demand, and total suspended solids. TMDL recommendations include:
- agricultural conservation practices for abating sediment, nutrient and manure pollution
- local health departments identify and address septic system failures and provide educational opportunities
- stream setbacks, controls for subsurface drainage, less damaging channel maintenance, and stream restoration to improve or protect habitat quality.
The TMDL Report
Many of the documents referenced in the TMDL report can be found under Forms and Publications on the Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water Web page.
Supplemental Information
For more information contact:
Gregg Sablak
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Division of Surface Water
P.O. Box 1049
Columbus, Ohio 43216-1049
e-mail: gregg.sablak@epa.state.oh.us