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AUGUST 26, 1991 MINUTES "f 13@@@ta "WORLD'S LARGEST RESORT CITY" CITY COUNCIL J-@S W W I:Ll@.-, .,,.ill LO@l@ R J.1@S, -@,l CITY COUNCIL AGENDA "@l;llll .11@, IIR@- 1111, @ll S P E C I A L S E S S I 0 N AUGUST 26, 1991 TOUR OF SOUTHERN WATERSHEDS 3:00 PM MEET AT FLAG SQUARE ITEM 1. SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION - Council Chamber - 7:00 PM A- CALL TO ORDER - Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf B. READING OF MAYOR'S CALL TO SPECIAL SESSION C. ELECTRONIC ROLL CALL OF CITY COUNCIL D. JOINT CITY COUNCIL and PLANNING COMMISSION WORKSHOP 1. SOUTHERN WATERSHEDS Dr. Richard Wayne Skaggs Professor of Agriculture and Biological Engineering North Carolina State University E- RECESS TO EXECUTIVE SESSION F. ADJOURNMENT "WORLD'S LARGEST RESORT CITY" CITY COUNCIL V- A-@ RO@@@l I --l K, PIR-@, JR, A@ CITY COUNCIL AGENDA .-IIIPIL 17@"F@R LE@l. L@ "LLEI, Ii,, IIRI;Illl VIR@1111 111,@-- RIII iill@,[l -ITII. CMCII,@, i,, Cl@h S P E C I A L S E S S I 0 N AUGUST 26, 1991 TOUR OF SOUTHERN WATERSHEDS 3:00 PM MEET AT FLAG SQUARE ITEM 1. SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION - Council Chamber - 7:00 PM A. CALL TO ORDER - Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf B. READING OF MAYOR'S CALL TO SPECIAL SESSION C. ELECTRONIC ROLL CALL OF CITY COUNCIL D. JOINT CITY COUNCIL and PLANNING COMMISSION WORKSHOP 1. SOUTHERN WATERSHEDS Dr. Richard Wayne Skaggs Professor of Agriculture and Biological Engineering North Carolina State University E. RECESS TO EXECUTIVE SESSION F. ADJOURNMENT M I N U T E S VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL Virginia Beach, Virginia August 26, 1991 The SPECIAL SESSION of the JOINT VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL and PLANNING COMKSSION WORKSHOP relative the SOUTHERN WATERSHEDS was called to order by Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf in the Council Chamber, City Hall Building, on Monday, August 26, 1991, at 7:00 P.M. Prior to the SPECIAL SESSION, the City Council and Planning Commission Members made a tour of the WATERSHEDS commencing at 3:00 P.M. Council @lembers Present: John A. Baum, James W. Brazier, Jr., Robert W. Clyburn, Vice Mayor Robert E. Fentress, Louis R. Jones, Paul J. Lanteigne, Reba S. McClanan, Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf, Nancy K. Parker and William D. Sessoms, Jr. Council Members Absent: . liarold Heischober Planning Commissioners Prese,t: Thomas F. Betz, Jr., Richard S. Browner, E. R. Cockrell, Jr., Vice-Chair J,dith Dockery, Barbara J. Ferguson, Donald H. Horsley, Howard S. Myers, Oscar E. Northern and Barnett Thoroughgood Planning Commissioners Abse,,t: Chairman Daniel J. Arris and Donald F. Reid - 2 - Item I.B. ITEM # 34797 In accordance with the City Charter, Section 3.06, the CitY Code, Section 2-21, and by the authority vested in me as Mayor of the City, I hereby call a SPECIAL SESSION of the VIRGINIA BEACH CITY C)OUNCIL to meet with the PLANNING comISSION in the Council Chamber, City Hall Building, on Monday, August 26, 1991, at 7:00 P.M. The purpose Of the meeting shall be a WORKSHOP a,d PRESFNTATION by Dr. Richard Wayne Skaggs, Professor of Agriculture and Biological Engineering - North Carolina State University, concerning water management and the Southern Watershed,. Respectfully, s/Meyera E. Oberndo,f Mayor" MEYERA E. OBEANDORF MUNICIPAL CENTER MAYOA VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA 23456-9000 (804) 427-4581 July 18, 1991 HONORABLE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL In accordance with the City Charter, Section 3.06, the City Code, Section 2-21, and by the authority vested in me as Mayor of the City, I hereby call a SPECIAL SESSION of the VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL to meet with the PLANNING COMMISSION in the Council Chamber, City Hall Building, on Monday, August 26, 1991, at 7:00 P.M. The purpose of the meeting shall be a WORKSHOP and PRESENTATION by Dr. Richard Wayne Skaggs, Professor of Agriculture and Biological Engineering - North Carolina State University, concerning water management and the Southern Watersheds. The deta! Is of a tour of the Watersheds prior to the Special Session will be forthcoining from Louis Cullipher, Director, Natural Resources. Respectfully, Meyerz,@0b,arndorf Mayor MEO/bh cc: Aubrey V. Watts, Jr., City Manager Leslie L. Lilley, City Attorney Ruth Hodges Smith, CMC/AAE, City Clerk Pam Lingle, Director of Public Information Virginia Beach City Council Received Notice Councilman John A. Baum Councilman James W. Brazier, Jr. Councilman Robert W. Clyburn Vice Mayor Robert E. Fentress Councilman Harold Heischober Councilman Louis R. Jones Councilman Paul J. Lanteigne Councilwoman Reba S. McCianan Councilwoman Nancy K. Parker Councilman William D. Sessoms, Jr. 3 Item SOUTHERN WATERSHEDS BRIEFING ITEM # 34798 Louis E. Cu IIlp her, D!rector - Natural Resources/Rural Services, advlsed the speakerS Dr. Richard Wayne Skaggs, and Dr. Robert 0. Evans, are guests shartng research conducted at North Carolina State University. They are not consultants and are not being paid. Dr. Skaqas has received many awards and has been na,ed a Williams Neal Reynolds Professo--r- Dr. Skaggs has recently been elected to the National Academy of Engineering and Is a native of Kentucky earning a B. S. and M.S. In Biological and Agricultural Engineering for the University of Kentucky and Ph.D. from Purdue University. He has been on the taculty of the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at North Carolina State University since 1970. Dr. Skaggs has directed the studies for over 20 Ph.D students and numerous others who have earned Master?s Degrees. Dr. Robert Evans is a native of Chowan County, North Carolina, near Edenton. His parents are stil I farming. Dr. Evans earned al I three degrees from North Carolina state University. Currently he is the Extension Biological and Agricultural Engineer for North Carolina with research and educations programs focused on water management. Doctors Evans and Skaggs have worked very closely on many of the research projects. Mr. Cullipher advised conditions in Eastern North Carolina are very similar to the conditions in Virginia Beach. Dr. Skaggs presented information obtained in research over the past twenty- years in North Carolina on drainage, controlled drainage and water quality, as well as related issues on the use of wetlands for filters of water from agricultural drainage Environmental Impacts of Water Table Control Drainage In the Unites States Million Ac Total Gropland 420 Cropland Needing Drainage 106 (25%) Drainage In North Carolina Total Cropland 5.6 Cropland needing drainage 2.3 (40%) In Virginia Beach, it appears 80 or 90% of Cropland requires drainage as is the case in the Eastern North Carolina counties. Dr. Skaggs reiterated the reasons for drainage: Trafficability and protection of crops from excessive water conditlons. More Intensive drainage Is needed in the Spring than during the growing season. Drainage Is provided In Eastern North Carolina and Virginia with open ditches to provide both surface drainage and subsurface drainage. Water enters these ditches as It goes through the profile and the surface. Another way of providing the drainage Is to utilize drain tubing (buried pipe) that al lows water to leave by subsurface methods. The piping is perforated. Clay tile has been used for years and plastic tublng for the last twenty-five or so years. The subsurface drainage Is usual ly a slow event and lowers the water table. When the surface drainage is poor, water is ponded in the fields, as it does not have a place to flow off the surface. By utilizing hoe drains, (PTO) power take-off drains or forming the surface, the water can be removed. There are two methods of drainage: subsurface or surface. The same fields that require drainage from trafficability and protection of the crops also suffer in many years from drought. Controlled drainage has been used In North Carolina to prevent some of the overdrainage. 4 SOUTHERN WATERSHEDS BRIEFING ITEM # 34799 (Continued) Dr. Skaggs displayed a chart indicating Variation In Raintall, monthly Rainfall and PET, Inches 1981. The Brown Bars indicate rainfall. The Green Bars in dlcate the potentlal rate that ,ter wl II evaporate or transpire (PI ant and soil losing water to the atmosphere). In all the months rainfall was less than the potential of evapotranspiration (PET). Use of the controlled drainage would conserve this water and stretch It out over the growing season. In 1983, during the months of Apr II and May there wal ample rain taII and in June al most enough rainfal I to meet potential of evapotranspiration (PET), so some water could have been saved from those months, but if too much was saved, there might have been two much water in the fields. Thus it must be managed to conserve the water, but not so high the crops are drowned. in July there was less then an inch of rainfall and 511 were needed to meet PET. Proper management with controlled drainage would have yielded benefits. In 1985, rainfall occurred almost equal to PET each mon-th. Still, there were drought periods and management could have yielded some benefits. Therefore, the farmer does not always recognize a benefit from this practice. It managed wrong, It could very wel I have a negative benefit. In 1989 it was wet al I summer long and In July there were 411 more of rainfal I than needed. Therefore, there was runoff in every month and the management of the practice to satisfy the agricultural needs Is an Important component of the total system. Impacts of Drainage For Land Conversion To Improve Crop Production In the 1970's, there was an abundance of land conversion. Studles were developed in Eastern North Carol ina to determine the effect of changing one particular land use to agricultural land use and the drainage practices required. Run-otf rates, water quality and pollutant flows were measured from native vegetation and from agricultural fields. When native vegetation Is converted to agricultural use, the peak rate of run-off is increased approximately 5 times. The total run-off during the year is also Increased. The next step Is conversion frorn aaricultural land to suburban use with paved streets. The run-off will further increase depending on water management utilized. Drainage and conversion to agriculture also Increases sediment and nutrient loses. Dr. Skaggs displayed a slide of two ninety-acre watersheds in Buford County. One of which was drained with open ditches containing mo-stly surface drainage. In the other watershed, subsurface drains were utilized at about 100-foot spacings (two placed between each ditch). Subsurface drainage intensity was thus Increased. The drainage activity was Increased and the peak outflow rates were decreased at the mouth of the watershed by a factor of two. With the installation of better subsurface drainage, the water tables are lowered. When rainfall occurs, there Is more room for storage and water Is released more slowly through the profile over longer periods of time. The rate that water leaves the field is less. Dr. Skaggs displayed a chart depicting the Eftect of Design on Surface Runoff and Drainflow. Improved subsurface drainage Increases nitrate loses and reduces phosphorous loses. This premise Is supported by twenty-six studies in eleven states and three provinces In Canada, as well as several foreign countries but there are exceptions. Controlled drainage, If managed properly, can be used to Increase yields and to conserve water. It will not always increase yfelds; and, i f not managed properly will cause decreased yields. From 1983 to about 1987, there have been, depending on the situation, f[ve to ten percent and, In some cases, as high as twenty to twenty-five percent increases In yield. It also has an effect on the water quality. - 5 - SOUTHERN WATERSHEDS BRIEFING ITEM # 34799 (Continued) Since 1974, there have been a number of studies relative research stations, farmer operated fields, large and small systems. Dr. Evans has compiled the results of these studies of fourteen (14) different soils. Dr. Skaggs displayed a chart of a summarization of approximately eight or nine separate studles depicting average results. The chart reflect, three different categories: Undeveloped (Natural Vegetation), Subsurface Drainage Systems and Surface Drainage Systems. The Green Bar indicates the total nitrogen lost without r,ontrol (just conventional drainage) and the Orange Bar the total nitrogen lost with controlled drainage. in some cases by utilizing controlled drainage, there has been more than 50% reduction of nitrogen lost. The Phosphorous output Is also reduced with controlled drainage by twenty-five to thirty percent. Dr. Scaggs advised the status In North Carolina. There are approximately 175 - 200,000 acres of controlled drainaae with 30-35,000 acres of subirrigation with the addition ot 20-25 000 acres pe-r year. Controlled drainage has been accepted as a Best Management @ractice. Cost-share funds are availabl,. Nitrate outflows have been reduced by approximately 1-1/2-MILLION pounds per year on these 175- 200,000 controlled drainage acres. However, 2-MILLION pounds Is still being lost on these same lands. More Is needed to be learned regarding the system to co-ordinate the water management practices with the fertility and pest management practices. Dr. Scaggs advised the following CONCLUSIONS: Environmental Impacts of water type management practices can not be simply and clearly stated. They depend on: site, soil, crop, climatologlcal factors, fertility and cultural practices, as well as quality and nature of the receding waters. The rate and route of water draining from the land can be controlled by design and management. Design and operation of water table management practices to satisfy both agricultural and environmental objectives is a challenge to the current scientific and technological base. GOAL Design and operate Water Table Management Systems to satisfy both agrlcultural and envtronmental objectives. Dr. Skaggs advised his Research Department has a good knowledge base of conventional drainage systems with a fair data base for controlled drainage; however, the data base for environmental effects of various management strategies for subirrrgation is in a poorer state. It Is unknown the method to best manage fertility practices with these various water management alternatives. A field has been establlshed at the Tidewater Experiment Station In Plymouth, North Carolina, to study these details in a heavily Instrumented sltuation. Dr. Skaggs referenced the use of Wetlands to filter or treat agricultural drainage water. There was real concern about outletting this pump drainage water which might be 100,000 gallons per minute directly Into streams and estuaries. It was suggested rather than outletting those drainage waters from the pumps directly Into the streams and estuaries to dump the drainage waters Into the swamp and let it trickle through the wetland to the receiving stream In a slower fashion. This practice was evaluated in a research project over a three-year period. Two sites were established where trails were manually chopped and water was sampled with run-off rates measured in the buffer area. Through this research and utilizing a 20-year simulation period, It was found In this butter area approximately 82.1% of the nitrate nitrogen could be removed, about 81.4% of the phosphorus and 92% of the sediment. 6 SO WATERSHEDS BRIEFING ITEM #34799 (Continued) A study was also conducted on the ANALYSIS OF STORMWATER INFILTRATION PONDS ON THE BARRIER ISLANDS. North Carolina ADOPTED an Ordinance which stated there would be infiltration ponds to treat run-offs from the surfaces of de,elopments that are in excess of two (2) acres. The pond had to have a capacity to treat the first 1-1/2" of rainfall. This study was conducted over a three-year period on two infiltration ponds. If the criteria of the North Carolina Coastal Stormwater Regulations is met, approximately 84% of the run-off water would be treated. Studies on the hydrologic effects of forest drainage are also being conducted. The City has exempted themselves in their highway construction programs from the provisions of the SOUTHERN WATERSHED MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE. Assistant City Attorney Macali advised if the Planning Commission and the City Council did not wish the City to be exempt, the City would not be. Dr. Evans advised there were problems developing in the Chowan River and two Watersheds in the Piedmont Area. The State began studying the problem in the early 1980's, and it was determined certain agricultural activities contributed to the water quality problems. An agricultural cost-share program was developed in 1983 and has gradually expanded to the point now that there is somewhere around $8 to $9-MILLION for cost-share Best Management Practices. There is a technical committee that evaluates and identifies practices which would be suitable for certain regions of the State. These are entirely State funds provided through direct assistance for the practices themselves, as well as technical assistance for the design and installation of these practices. These cost-share funds are from the General Fund. Concerning whether funding of this nature could be derived through the Storm Water Management Utility Act, Assistant City Attorney Macali advised the Storm Water Utility revenues could be utilized for purposes which are consistent with the Storm Water Management Act. Surface water and groundwater standards have been established in North Carolina. Concerning the standards on the purity of the aquifer ground water, Mr. Cullipher advised there are drinking water standards and the State Water Control Board has established some surface water standards, but they are difficult to apply concerning the watersheds and some are rather vague. The Environmental Protection Agency is primarily concerned with drinking water standards. Gathering sufficient data is extremely vital in making decisions relative the Southern Watersheds. Mr. Cullipher advised Public Works, through Stormwater Management and NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System), has been mandated to accumulate certain data mostly concentrating on drainage outfalls. Therefore, the City will derive data from these studies. This is primarily in the northern part of the City. However, there has been sampling conducted in the Southern Watersheds. Concern was expressed concerning flooding in developments resulting from heavy rains and pollution resulting from Oceana Naval Base. Dr. Skaggs will forward charts utilized in his presentation. Chuck Traub, 784 Glasgow Court, Phone: 340-0956, registered to speak and inquired in Dr. Skaggs' judgment what measures and techniques were best suited to protect the water quality in both the agricultural and residential settings in the areas visited on the tour of the Southern Watersheds. Dr. Skaggs advised controlled drainage, if operated and managed properly, would have substantial water quality benefits. The emphasis on water management techniques for water quality depends on what is going into the receiving waters. If it is phosphorus, sediment outfalls should be reduced. Drainage intensity should be increased. If it is nitrogen, controlled drainage should be utilized and hold the water levels as high as possible. - 7 - SO WATERSHEDS BRIFFING ITEM # 34799 (Continued) Mayor Oberndorf requested inforfflati,,, concerning how the SOUTHERN WATERSHFDS MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE is assisting in the Planning and plotting of the development which is coming in a portin Of the Southern Watershed. The Ordinance needs to address the flooding in subdivisions, drainage basins which some homeowners believe are lakes and erosion of the slopes on the drainage canals built in many subdivision North of the Green Line. Mayor Oberndorf expressed appreciation to Mr. Cullipher, Dr. Skaggs and Dr. Evans who, without cost to the City, so generously shared their research experience and knowledge. 8 Item I.F. ADJOURNMENT ITEM 34800 Upon motion by Councilman Baum and BY CONSENSUS, city Council and Planning Commission ADJOURNED the Meeting at 9:35 P.M. B. 'Iy 0. CMC Chief Dpu ty City Clek - th Hd 9. Smith, CMC AAE ,ty Cl.,k CitY Of Virginia Beach Virginia