The Toussaint River Watershed TMDL
Background
The Toussaint River Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report was approved by U.S. EPA on September 22, 2006. The report is the twenty-third Ohio TMDL project approved by U.S. EPA under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. 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 Toussaint River is a tributary to western Lake Erie, draining 143 square miles in Wood, Ottawa, and Sandusky counties. Topography in the watershed is very flat, and the soils are largely artificially drained glacial tills and clayey lake deposits. Seventy-seven percent of the land cover is row crop agriculture while 11% and 5% constitute pasture and forest covers, respectively. The remaining land cover includes urban/residential, open water and wetland. The Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is located here, and wetlands are a large part of the region’s natural history.
Ohio EPA surveyed the status of the water quality in this watershed in 2003. The biological and water quality study was published in 2005 and is available under Supplemental Information below. The primary causes of water quality problems in the Toussaint watershed are nutrient enrichment, organic enrichment, siltation, habitat alteration, and flow alteration.
TMDLs are established for phosphorus, sediment, and habitat. Some of the recommended solutions to address the impairments include reduction of nutrient contributions from nonpoint sources, public education about watersheds and water quality issues, conservation farming practices, centralized treatment for an unsewered community, septic system improvements, post-construction storm water controls, and habitat protection and restoration.
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
The following documents provide background information on the Toussaint River watershed.
For more information contact:
Katie McKibben
Ohio EPA
Northwest District Office
347 North Dunbridge Road
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
e-mail: katie.mckibben@epa.state.oh.us
telephone: (419) 373-3013
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