The Grand River (lower) Watershed

The Grand River (lower) Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report was approved by U.S. EPA on April 12, 2012.  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.

The Grand River (lower) watershed is located in northeast Ohio in Lake, Ashtabula and Geauga counties and drains 287 square miles.  The river flows into Lake Erie at Painesville.  The Grand River downstream from Mill Creek transitions from a low-gradient swamp stream to a higher-gradient bedrock stream near Mechanicsville.  Jefferson, Chardon and Painesville are the three largest communities in the watershed.  Land use in the lower Grand River watershed transitions from urban/suburban on the western edge to rural and agricultural in the eastern two-thirds.  There is significant development pressure in this watershed.

Ohio EPA conducted water quality monitoring in 2003 and 2004.  The Grand River and some of its tributaries displayed very good quality, while tributaries in the urbanized and agricultural portions of the watershed were generally of a lower quality.  Aquatic life uses were supported at 77% of sites; 20% of sites partially attained and 10% did not attain.  Most of the biological impairment was caused by flow regime alterations from urbanization.  There were also some natural causes and sources, such as low flow or homogeneous (bedrock) substrates.  Nutrients contributed to impairment at several sites.  About 71% of the sites failed to meet bacteria water quality standards.  Probable sources of bacteria included agricultural land practices such as inadequate manure management, unrestricted cattle access to streams, and sewage discharges in unsewered areas with inadequate or failing home sewage treatment systems.

TMDLs were calculated for total phosphorus, flow regime and E. coli bacteria.  The flow regime TMDL is the first of its kind in Ohio (see Sections 7 and 9.6 of the main report for more information).  No reductions to point source loads of bacteria or nutrients are recommended.  Recommendations to address nonpoint sources of pollution include increased inspections and subsequent enforcement actions regarding HSTS that are not running properly.  Effects of hydrologic alteration and pollutants from urban runoff and storm water can be reduced by installing best management practices that retain or infiltrate storm water on-site at construction and post-construction locations.  Agricultural runoff can be addressed through conventional management practices that are designed to abate pollutant loading from cropland landscapes.  Livestock that have access to streams should be provided with alternative water supplies and fencing installed to prevent their access to the streams.  It is also recommended that riparian corridors be preserved wherever possible.

The TMDL Report

• TMDL report without appendices [PDF 9,275K]
  • Appendix A:  HUCs and Ohio EPA Sample Stations [PDF 29K]
  • Appendix B:  Additional Ohio EPA and USGS Data [PDF 34K]
  • Appendix C:  Metals Data Summary and Analysis [PDF 33K]
  • Appendix D:  Model Calibration, Validation and Uncertainty [PDF 128K]
  • Appendix E:  Graphical Summary of Ohio EPA Temperature Grab Samples [PDF 19K]
  • Appendix F:  Published Pollutant Concentrations and Loads in Runoff [PDF 18K]
  • Appendix G:  Load Duration Curves [PDF 691K]
  • Appendix H:  Chardon WWTP E. coli Decay Calculations [PDF 16K]
  • Appendix I:    Implementation and Reasonable Assurances [PDF 144K]
  • Appendix J:   SUSTAIN Modeling Results [PDF 3,626K]
  • Appendix K:  Responses to Public Comments [PDF 441K]

 Many of the documents referenced in the TMDL report can be found on the Forms and Publications page.

Supplemental Information

The following documents provide background information on the Grand River (lower) watershed.  Ohio EPA is not requesting comments on these documents.

• Grand River (lower) Watershed TMDL Fact Sheet [PDF 624K]
• Grand River (lower) Watershed TMDL and Surrogate TMDL Fact Sheet [754 K]
• Biological and Water Quality Study of the Grand River Basin 2003 - 2004, Hydrologic Units 04110004 050 and 04110004 060, 2006. Ashtabula, Geauga, and Lake Counties, Ohio. [PDF 3,205K]
• A fact sheet [PDF 135K] describing the project and possible effects on MS4 programs in the Grand River (lower) Watershed TMDL was released in November 2010.  A public meeting on the project was held on January 20, 2011.  Two presentations were given by the consultant working on the project, provided below in Adobe format:
  • Introduction to TMDLs and the SUSTAIN Model [PDF 4,288K]
  • SUSTAIN Model Pilot Projects [PDF 9,554K]

For more information contact:

Beth Risley
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Division of Surface Water
P.O. Box 1049
Columbus, Ohio  43216-1049
beth.risley@epa.state.oh.us
 

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