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                  MARYLAND'S TARGETED WATERSHED PROJECT: TRACKING
                       PROGRESS AND MEASURING SUCCESS IN GERMAN
                                                    BRANCH








                                            STATE OF MARYLAND
                                           COOPERATIVE PROJECT


                                DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
                                      DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
                                         OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
                                 DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
                                        OFFICE OF STATE PLANNING




                                                FEBRUARY 1995


                                              Task 6 Final Report
                                  Maryland Coastal Zone Management Program
                                               Grant # NA370ZO359




















                                   STATE OF MARYLAND


                             WATERSHED TARGETING PROJECT



              MARYLAND'S TARGETED WATERSHED PROJECT: TRACKING
                   PROGRESS AND MEASURING SUCCESS IN GERMAN
                                          BRANCH







                                       JOHN L. McCOY


                                      STUART LEHMAN


                                       JEFFERY OPEL


                                      NILES PRIMROSE










                  FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT WAS PROVIDED IN PART BY THE COASTAL
             RESOURCES DIVISION, TIDEWATER ADMINISTRATION, MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF
               NATURAL RESOURCES, THROUGH A COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
             IMPLEMENTATION GRANT FROM THE OFFICE OF OCEAN AND COASTAL RESOURCES
                                    MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL
                           OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION.









                                            ft;W-ENOT Of 704








             Maryland's Targeted Watershed Project: Tracking Progress and Measuring Success in
             German Branch.
             John L. McCoy', Stuart Uhman', Jeffery Opel', and Niles Primrose'.

             INTRODUCTION


             The Targeted Watershed Project is a multi-agency, state initiative to improve water
             quality, restore living resources and provide a detailed assessment of the water quality
             and assessment impacts of these efforts in several tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay.
             The project is using water quality and living resources monitoring programs to
             characterize water quality and living resources in the streams, guide restoration activities,
             and to monitor the effectiveness of these restoration activities.

             The project is set up in four phases. The first phase involved planning, initiating the
             project, and recruiting the cooperators. The second phase involved selecting the basins to
             be targeted. The third phase is the implementation of the control measures and the
             assessment of the project. The final phase of the project will involve reporting and
             disseminating the results.

             The project is currently in the assessment and implementation phase. Water quality and
             living resource assessment and monitoring plans and implementation plans have been
             developed in each of the watersheds. Restoration activities are focused on water quality
             problems identified by water quality data collected prior to the project or through the
             project's water quality assessment program.

             The data being generated by the Targeted Watershed Project's implementation tracking
             program is being used to document progress towards implementation and restoration
             goals set by the restoration plans. The results of the water quality and living resource
             monitoring program are being used for several purposes; 1.) to establish baseline water
             quality and biotic conditions in the watersheds, 2.) to estimate pollutant loads for each
             watershed, 3.) to evaluate water quality trends in each watershed over time, 4.) to detect
             any changes in biotic conditions in each watershed during the project. Jmprovements in
             water quality and/or biotic conditions within each watershed relative to baseline
             conditions or as measured with a trend analysis are the measures of success for this
             project.

             German Branch is one of four watersheds selected by this project for restoration
             activities. The watershed is a 12,100 acre sub-basin of the Choptank River, in
             Maryland's coastal plain. The primary landuse in the watershed is row crop agriculture.
             The stream suffers from excessive nutrient and sediment loads. This paper will focus on
             the methods and results of the project's implementation, water quality, and living
             resource evaluation programs in German Branch.

             1. Maryland Department of the Environment, Baltimore MD, 21224
             2. Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Annapolis MD, 21401
             3. Maryland Department of Agriculture, Annapolis MD, 21401










             METHODS


             Implementation Trac"n

             USDA and MDE are the lead implementation agencies in the German Branch
             watershed. The USDA German Branch Hydrologic Unit Project and a Chesapeake Bay
             Implementation Grant to MDE are the primary implementation funding mechanisms.

             The Hydrologic Unit Project uses cost share funds as an incentive to encourage farmers
             to adopt water quality oriented BMP's. Through accelerated technical and financial
             assistance and a concentrated information and education program, the project expects to
             treat 80 percent of the 8,800 acres of cropland in the watershed and develop plans for all
             of the agricultural land in the watershed. The major systems and practices projected to
             be implemented are:

                                 Conservation Farm Plans                  7,000 acres
                                 Integrated Crop Management               7,000 acres
                                 Riparian Vegetation, Stream
                                 Protection and Cropland Conversion       250 acres
                                 Sediment Control Structures              50 acres
                                 Timber Stand Improvement                 500 acres
                                 Cover Crop                               1,000 acres

             The Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant is an EPA grant to assist in the i&P+1Ye
             restoration of water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. EPA, MDE and
             DNR have committed approximately $88,000 towards developing a wetland restoration
             projects in the German Branch watershed as part of the Targeted Watershed Project.
             One project to restore a 1.5 acre wetland has been constructed.

             Progress in BMP implementation is tracked through cost share accounting and Soil
             Conservation and Water Quality Plan (SCWQ plans) completion and implementation
             verification. The cost-share program reports payments to farmers upon completion of
             practice installation. This data is used to track BMP practice implementation. Acres
             covered within completed SCWQP's are tallied and used to track conservation planning
             progress. Spot checks and surveys are used to determine the extent of implementation of
             completed farm plans.

             Water Qualfty Monitoring Program

             The goal of the monitoring program is to be able to characterize water quality, habitat
             value and productivity and detect changes in water quality that result from various
             implementation activities in the German Branch watershed.

             The water quality assessment and monitoring plans have four components; finfish
             sampling, macroinvertebrate sampling, water quality sampling, and hydrologic
             characterization. The water quality sampling and hydrologic characterization can be









             further subdivided into two categories, water quality samples collected manually during
             predominately baseflow conditions and water quality samples collected by automated
             water quality sampling stations during stormflow conditions. Flow data can be similarly
             subdivided into two categories, flow data collected manually or read from a staff gauge
             and flow data collected continuously by automated stations. An automated water quality
             sampling and discharge monitoring station was established at the outlet of German
             Branch (Figure 1).

             Water Chemistry

             Water quality samples and flow measurements are collected monthly at each monitoring
             station in the German Branch watershed. Water quality samples were collected
             manually using standard sample handling techniques (Marshall et al. 1992).

             The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center was contracted to conduct the storm
             event based water quality monitoring at the outlet of German Branch. The storm event
             water quality data collected at the outlet of the German Branch watershed was collected
             as weekly grab samples and flow weighted weekly composites. The sample collection
             and preservation techniques used by the Smithsonian are described by Correll (1981).

             Citizen monitors were recruited to conduct monitoring weekly at each station in the
             watershed. Citizen monitors used colorimetric test kits to test for dissolved oxygen, pH
             and turbidity. The monitors also collected data on air temperature, water temperature,
             rainfall and stage height.

             Benthic Macroinvertebrates

             Benthic macroinvertebrate sampling was conducted at each station in the watershed in
             the spring and fall according to EPA Protocol 11 Rapid Bioassessment Protocols (Plafkin
             et al., 1989). The procedure was modified as described by Marshall et al. (1992).
             The data was used to calculate an index of biological integrity (1131).

             In conjunction with the macroinvertebrate sampling, a habitat assessment was made.
             Various physical features of the adjacent watershed, riparian zone, banks, and channel,
             visible from the sampling site were scored (Plafkin et al. 1989). The scores were used to
             develop a habitat assessment index (HAI). The HAI was used with the ICI to develop a
             relationship between habitat and the benthic community structure in the stream.

             Finfish


             Fish were collected at each station in the watershed during the spring and fall. The
             finfish sampling procedures are described by Marshall et al. (1992)

             The finfish data was used to calculate an IBI modified for use in Maryland's coastal
             plain streams (Fischer et al. 1992). The index was developed to assess biological quality
             in streams by measuring species composition, trophic composition, fish abundance, and











         Figure 1:














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                                Watershed mao of German Branch showing monitoring stations




         health. In the piedmont streams species richness, trophic structure, and feeding
         strategies were used to evaluate conditions.

         RESULTS


         Implementation

         The implementation of BMP's in the German Branch watershed has exceeded most of
         the goals set by the project. SCWQ plans have been written covering a total of 11,700
         acres in the watershed (Figure 2). Integrated crop management has been implemented
         on 7,994 acres. Sediment control practices, including grade stabilization structures, grass
         waterways, and critical area plantings, have been implemented to serve 8,594 acres in the
         watershed. Of all the practices, cover crop plantings and timber stand management, lag
         behind the goals set for the project.

         Water Chemistry

         Weekly mean nutrient concentrations and weekly mean flow data from 7/90 through
         10/93 are presented in Figure 3. In order to separate the effects of natural variations in
         flow from the changes in pollution control, a log-linear regression was used to adjust the
         concentration data to remove the effects of changes in flow and season. Residuals of the
         flow v.s. concentration model were analyzed for time trends to identify trends in the data
         due to effects other than flow variability. The results of the analysis indicate that
         phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations have increased over the last three years (Table
         1).


         Table 1.
              Time Trends in Flow and Season Adjusted Data


                   CONSTITUENT                    TIME TREND


                       TKN                             +

                    N02+NO3-N                          +

                      NH4-N                            +

                     TOTAL N                           +

                     TOTAL P                           +

                       P04                             +

                    SEDIMENT                         NONE




              Annual and weekly loads have been computed using the concentration and flow data at
              the automated site. Total annual loads are presented in Table 2. Nitrogen and
              sediment loads have risen over the last three years with total flow.

              Table 2.


                     Annual Loads Discharged By German Branch (Metric Tons/yr.)
                     Parameter              June 1990 - 199.1 T June 1991--1992TJune 1992 -
                 Total Flow (m'/yr)            17061733                17481956           22946363

                     Total P                      3.36                   4.57              4.28

                          P04                     1.89                   2.64              2.49

                  Organic Carbon                  151.68                 166.55            223.96

                          N03                     59.17                   58.52            79.36

                          NH4                     2.68                   2.91              3.60

                         TKN                       16.33                  19.21            22.24

                      Sediment                    470.77                 513.67            574.76
                        Total N                    75.50        1         77.73        1   100.56

                       Total N = (TKN + N03)

              Benthic Macroinvertebrates


              The calculation of a biological score using the RBP methods requires the use of a
              reference for comparison. Rather than use a single sample from one year as a reference
              for all samples, or have different references for each year, a composite reference sample
              was constructed. The best station from each sampling period (total of 9), as determined
              from the biotic index, was combined to create a composite reference macroinvertebrate
              community. The reference RBP metrics were calculated from this reference community.
              The RBP metrics from all stations from 1989 through 1993 were compared to the
              reference values to produce biological scores. The annual average biological score
              metrics are presented in Figure 4. The metrics show a tendency towards improvement
              over the past four years.

              The habitat quality was a little harder to quantify. The exclusion of livestock from the
              riparian zone at one site in the watershed during the summer of 1993 has allowed a
              considerable amount of revegetation to occur in the riparian zone and improved habitat
              conditions along the stream bank adjacent to this site. A stream blockage at one site in
              the watershed has pooled water in stream segment that was previously dominated by
              shallow water and gravel bars. Both of these changes positively impacted habitat scores
              in the watershed. Overall the RBP scores suggest an
              improvement in water quality within the watershed.










            'FIGURE 2
                                CUMMULATIVE ACRES UNDER CONSERVATION FARM PLANS
                                            IN THE GERMAN BRANCH WATERSHED
                                                           1991 -1994
                  14,000



                  12,000
                                                                         All


              C)  10,000                                                                                   N
              w
              z
              z                                                                                    80
                   8,000                                                                       'PLANS
              a_                                                             71
              U)
                                                                          P
              W,                                                            LANS
              Ir                                                                                 100%
              C)                                                                                             N\
                                                                                                           \X
                                                        57
              <    6,000
                                                                            89%                              N
                                                    PLANS
              0
              1--.14,000                              71%
                              PLANS
                   2,000        38%

                       0
                                 1991                  1992                  19931                 1994
                                                                   YEAR






          1GTMeE.3


            WEEKLY MEAN CONCENTRATION AND FLOW IN THE GERMAN BRANCH WATERSHED 1990-1993



                        WEEKLY HEAR CONCENTRATION        TP UG/111.                                               WEEKLY   MEAN P04 CONCENTRATION UG/VL

          1p                                                                                  P04
          .1100,

          1000.
          900                                                                                 400'
          Soo-

          IGO
          600                                                                                 Soo
          500
          400                                                                                 200

          300
          zoo                                                                                 100

          Too
          a.,
          IIFES90 31AUCIO   19MAR9 I   05OCTSI     21APR91    08MOV92   27VAY93 ISDECIS         12FE390   SIAUGIO    19MARS I   QSOCTI I   -21APR92   OBNOV92     279;Y93 I3OEC9S
                                              -DATE                                                                                     DATE

                 WEEKLY MEAN TOTAL XItRdGEH CONCENTRATION UG/ML                                                WEEKLY MEAN NQS@XQZ COMCEMERAfIOX'S UG/VL

          TH                                                                                    Hai
          11000                                                                               Saco-

          11000
                                                                                              logo
          10000
          9000                                                                                6000

          3000                                                                                5000
          7000
                                                                                              4000
          6000
          $::a                                                                                Saco
          40
          Saco                                                                                1000.

          2000 1,                                                                             1000
          12TESSO SIAUG90    19MARS I   05OCT91    22APRIZ     04HOY12   Z79AY93 IIOEC93          IZFESSO  31AUG90    19UAR9 I   05OCT91    22APRSZ    O&MOV97    17VAY33 130ECS!
                                                DATE                                                                                    DATE


                     WEEXLY. MEAN SEDIMENT COXCEN.TRA-r.ION VG/UL                                             FLOW-WEAK DAILY Ot5CHA9GE_CU8IC.VtTERS/WX

          SE2
          140,                                                                                socooool
          ISO.
          120,
          110.
          100,
          90                                                                                  Iacocca,
          so
          70
          64
          so                                                                                  Iacocca"
          44
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          29                                                                                                                                 fi@ 4
          to
          a, T_
          12FE390 31AUG90   19VARSI    05OCT91     ZIAFR92    08HOY92   ZIMAY93 13DEC33             12FE339   3 IAUG70   ISMARSI 05OCTSI     22APR92 OTINOY12 21VAT9313DECS!
                                               DATE                                                                                       OATE
                                                                                                  L!




      FIGURE 4 1 GERMAN BR. MACRO INVERTEBRATE SCORES
                                        AVERAGE ANNUAL VALUES
       Lli
            100

       LLJI
       rr    go-
       Lij
       LL
       W     80
       cc_
       w
       F--   70-

       0     60-


             50-


       LL
             40-
       0@0
             30-
       U)

       LLJ   20-
                             05

             lo-
       U)
       0      0                                              Zl
                            RT 405         WILDCAT       HOPE/ROE         DEVER           RT304
                                                         STATION


                                                1990      1991      1992      1993





             Finfish


             The number of species collected in German Branch ranged from a minimum of 4 species
             at station 2 in the fall 1989, to 17 species at station 5 in the fall of 1990. Species
             composition varied spatially and temporally in German Branch with the exception of
             station I which remained fairly stable. Samples collected at station 2 indicated some
             improvement in species composition through the period of study. The fall 1990 sample
             at station 2 was exceptional with an additional 10 species. The increase in species may
             be related to elevated flows which began in spring 1989 and continued into 1990.
             Relatively good recruitment and/or habitat availability may have resulted from these
             flow conditions. Species composition also increased at stations 3-5 in fall 1990, but was
             subsequently variable.

             Of the various trophic guilds represented at the German Branch stations, in each
             sampling period, insectivorous individuals were dominant, followed in decreasing order
             by generalists, omnivores, piscivores, and filter feeders. Proportions were 74%, 20%,
             3%, 2% and 1% respectively. The macroinvertebrate community appears to be the
             major food source supporting the fish community dominated by insectivores. The
             proportion of insectivores collected at station 1 decreased in fall 1992. Discharge was
             deficient overall during 1992 and may have impacted macroinvertebrate abundance at
             this headwater station. A gradual increase in proportion of generalists and a decrease in
             proportion of insectivores occurred at station 5 for unknown reasons.

             The proportion of pollution tolerance classifications for species in German Branch
             stations and all years combined included intermediate, intolerant, and tolerant
             individuals at 72%, 15%, and 13% respectively. Species of intermediate tolerance
             represent a large proportion of finfish populations in German Branch. Proportions of
             individuals classified as intolerant in German Branch is dependent upon abundance of
             rosyside dace (C. funduloides). This species was collected at all stations. Species in
             classified as pollution tolerant were slightly more abundant than intolerant individuals in
             German Branch.


             DISCUSSION


             The Targeted Watershed Program was designed to demonstrate the impact of
             coordinated management activities on water quality and living resources. The various
             segments of the assessment and implementation phase of the program have been set up
             to track implementation and changes in water quality.

             The results of the implementation tracking program indicate that the majority of the
             implementation goals set in the program have been met. This is a function of the
             interest in the project among farmers in the watershed and a very visible Soil
             Conservation District. SCWQ plans have been developed for all of the farms in the
             watershed. The implementation of the plans is about 80% for structural practices and
             50% for agronomic practices. Through SCWQ plans and integrated crop management
             SCS and the District estimate that 15,779 tons of soil have been prevented from leaving
             the farm and 225,793 lbs of nitrogen and 144,194 Ibs of phosphorus have been saved
             over the last three years.





             The water quality monitoring program was designed to measure the result of these
             savings instream as either changes in concentration, loading reductions or as changes in
             the biological community. To date the program has begun to detect changes only in the
             biological community. The benthic macroinvertebrate and finfish communities appear to
             be responding to changes in either habitat or water quality. The water quality results
             indicate that nutrient concentrations are still increasing. This eliminates nutrients as a
             cause for the response. The habitat monitoring results indicate that there have been
             improvements in instrearn and riparian habitat that would affect the benthic community
             in German Branch. The water quality data also indicates that flows have increased. The
             results of the finfish monitoring suggest that the elevated flows have had a positive
             influence on the finfish community. The benthic community maybe responding to the
             same changes in habitat that the finfish appear to be responding to. Unlike the
             chemistry data where we can factor out flow effects from anthropogenic effects on
             nutrient concentrations we still lack the method for doing this with the biological data.

             LITERATURE CITED


             Correfl, D.L. 1981. Nutrient mass balances for the watershed, headwaters intertidal zone, and
             basin of the Rhode River Estuary. Limnol. Oceanogr. 26:1142-1149.

             Fisher, Steven A., et al. 1992. A pilot study for assessing environmental degradation in Maryland
             coastal plain streams by using biotic integrity and qualitative habitat indices. Unpublished
             report. .

             Marshall, Douglas., John Christmas, Stuart Lehman, David Jordahl, John McCoy, Michael
             Haddaway, Fred Paul, and Niles Primrose. 1992. Sawmill Creek: Baseline Monitoring Report
             October 1989-September 1990. Maryland Targeted Watershed Program. Maryland Department
             of Natural Resources. WGM-TAR-92-2.

             Plafkin, James I., M.T. Barbour, Kimberley D. Porter, Sharon K. Gross, and Robert M. Hughs.
             1989. Rapid bioassessment and protocols for use in streams and rivers: Benthic
             macroinvertebrates and fish. US Environmental Protection Agency. Assessment and Watershed
             Protection Division. EPA/444/4-89-001.







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