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HomeMy WebLinkAbout090208 Elizabeth River WatersheElizabeth River Watershed Restoration and Conservation Action Plan Clay Bernick Department of Planning Environmental Management Center September 2, 2008 Briefing Objectives ? The Elizabeth in Virginia Beach ? City Initiatives and Activities ? City Coordination with River Partners ? The Elizabeth River Action Plan ? Request Council to Formally Adopt a Resolution in Support of the Action Plan The Elizabeth in Virginia Beach ? Approximately 9,400 acres ? Less than 5% of City Area ? Over 20% of City Population ? 42 Major BMPs ? Approximately 200 stormwater outfalls (more per capita and per acre than the Lynnhaven) ? Location of some of earliest Historic Sites and Activities in the City The Elizabeth in Virginia Beach ? Water Quality Impairments ? Aquatic Life –TBT (Tributylstanne), Estuarine Bioassessments, Dissolved Oxygen ? Recreation -Enterococcus ? Open-Water Aquatic Life –Dissolved Oxygen ? Fish Consumption -PCB in Fish Tissue City Initiatives and Activities ? Water Quality TMDLs ? Clean Waters Task Force ? Green Ribbon Committee ? Public Works ? ? Stormwater Retrofit Projects ? Stormwater Plans Public Utilities ? ? Sanitary Sewer System Upgrades City Initiatives and Activities ? Open Space City Scenic Waterway ? Parks and Recreation ? ? Land Acquisition ? Greenways Planning Planning ? ? Chesapeake Bay Gateways Designation ? Elizabeth River Nature and Canoe Trails ? Historic Kempsville Plan City Initiatives and Activities ? Education and Awareness ? Clean Community Commission Adopt Programs –Waterways, Parks, Others ? ? Public Works Waterway Markers ? ? Planning Trail Maps and Guides ? Handout Materials ? City Initiatives and Activities ? Regulatory Programs ? Planning Wetlands Board ? Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Board ? Development Review Process ? ? Public Works State Stormwater Permit ? City Coordination with River Partners ? Federal Government ? U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ? Environmental Restoration Study ? NOAA ? Commonwealth of Virginia ? DEQ ? VMRC ? VDCR ? SHD ? Regional Entities ? Hampton Roads PDC ER Steering Committee ? HRSD ? Port Authority ? Watershed Communities ? Chesapeake ? Norfolk ? Portsmouth ? Community Organizations ? Elizabeth River Project ? Action Plan ? Wetlands Watch Resolution ? Indicate City Support of Action Plan ? Commit to Continue Activities with other River Partners ? Coordinate Action Plan with City’s Plans and Policies ? Comprehensive Plan ? Outdoors Plan Achieving The River of the Future Briefing to Virginia Beach City Council September 2, 2008 Elizabeth River Watershed Lafayette River Most of us work Mainstem or play on this river… The dominant Portsmouth Virginia Beach natural feature uniting four cities Chesapeake The Elizabeth River Project -15 years of river restoration - Mission: Restore the Elizabeth River to the highest practical level of environmental quality with government, business, & community partnerships. Win-Win Partnerships Win-Win Partnerships 1.Established Green Ribbon Committee 2.Conservation of Avalon Woods parcel (13.15 acres) 3.Establishment of Elizabeth River Nature and Canoe Trail 4.Continued participation on the Elizabeth River Steering Committee 5.Partners on the Clean Waters Task Force 3nd Revised Watershed Action Plan Prepared by Watershed Action Team 2008: 100 plus diverse stakeholders ? Hon. Harry Diezel & Clay Bernick ? Consensus: river’s worst problems ? Consensus: “affordable, acceptable, ? effective”solutions Vision Our legacy will be a clean river that is safe ? for fishing and swimming, Vision Teeming with wildlife; ? Vision While ? sustaining a thriving economy , Vision So that our ? children and grandchildren will know that we had them in mind. Action 1 The goo must go! Clean up the bottom of the Elizabeth River. Elizabeth River sediment contamination, the highest PAH levels in the Chesapeake Bay (Over 463 times average for bay) 2020 “Goo”Goals ? Make the “mummichog”well again as a symbol for reducing contamination to non- toxic levels. ? Reduce mummichog cancer to background levels. Action 2 Restore and conserve wetlands, shellfish beds and forested shores. Habitat Challenge Severe habitat loss • Loss of 50 percent of tidal wetlands • 2020 Habitat Goals Net gain in wetlands • Retain wetlands despite sea level rise. • Increase tree cover 20 percent. • Restore native oysters, clams and crabs. • Reduce litter. • Habitat Solutions New -Work with the cities to plan ? proactively to limit impacts and reduce causes of sea level rise Dark blue –regular inundation in next 100 yrs Action 3 Restore thriving marine life by increasing dissolved oxygen and reducing excess nutrients as well as toxics in the water. Clean Water Challenge Fish need dissolved oxygen to breathe • Elizabeth –unhealthy levels each summer • Southern Branch –worst on bay • Excess nutrients /algae –key contributor • -The Eastern Branch received a score of Severely Degraded Chesapeake 2020 Clean Water Goal ? Meet federal /state standards & criteria, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, toxics. Action 4 Make fishing and swimming safe for humans by reducing harmful bacteria to acceptable levels. Fishable: Safe for human consumption of fish & shellfish. Swimmable: Safe for human contact. Human Health Challenge VA advises against eating more than 2 meals • per month of most fish (PCBs) Swimming not advised due to bacteria, PAH • Clam & oyster harvest banned due to bacteria. • 2020 Goal: Human Health ? Meet state water quality standards for swimming and commercial harvest of shellfish. Human Health Solutions Convene a diverse stakeholder focus • session to determine how to reduce contaminated sewage from boaters •Is No Discharge Zone appropriate? •Promote state cost-share program to help all marinas build accessible pump out facilities Clean Marinas • “Scoop the poop” • Total Maximum Daily Load allocations • Action 5 Make environmental responsibility the standard for business and development activities in the Elizabeth River watershed. Action 6 Safeguard the river through integrated, protective public policies and regulations. Public Policy Challenge Inconsistent policies among four cities, ? state and federal government Policies do not necessarily reflect latest ? advances 2020 Public Policy Goal ? Well-integrated public policies and regulations promote up-to-date environmental protection of the Elizabeth River at the city, state and federal level . 2014 Public Policy Goal ? Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach adopt consistent, pro-active policies to remove roadblocks and provide incentives for environmentally responsible land-use/conservation. Public Policy Solutions Create a forum for improving the ? integration and efficiency of environmental policies DONE –Hampton Roads Planning District ? Commission Elizabeth River Steering Committee Consider enlisting Center for Watershed ? Protection, or similar group, to provide technical guidance Action 7 Create a river revolution, led by a grassroots citizens of all ages who understand, embrace & promote restoration of the Elizabeth River. 2020 Education Goals 25,000 individuals ? participate in web-based menu of stewardship activities. All 4 city school systems ? add Elizabeth River curriculums. Virtually all schools are ? River Star Schools (150, up from 88 now) Education Solutions Elizabeth River Project and UVA ? establish the Learning Barge as nation’s only floating classroom on a steel barge featuring a living wetland You’re invited! Benefit cocktail ? party to celebrate the new plan Sept. 27, ? 7-10 pm at High Street Ferry Landing The Fishable, Swimmable Plan: Partner Endorsements Media event Monday Sept. 15, 10:30 a.m. ? Multiple agency endorsements ? Virginia Beach Support 1.Endorse plan at media event Sept. 15 2.Implement recommendations from Green Ribbon Committee 3.Begin planning for sea level rise 4.Help plan additional wetland restorations & tree conservation projects in E. Branch 5.Consistent policies with other cities 6.Stormwater improvements/TMDLs Thank you Virginia Beach for leading the greening of Tidewater www.elizabethriver.org Questions ?