Section 319
NONPOINT SOURRE PROGRAM SUCCESS STORY
v
Trout Waters Restored from Acid Pollution
Waterbodv Improved Tw° streams- Su9ar Creek and Dogway Fork, designated
as trout waters by West Virginia, were affected by acid rain
deposition and did not meet the state's water quality standards for pH. The state listed both
streams on its section 303(d) (impaired waters) list in 1998, 2002, and 2004.
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WV DNR) applied limestone sand into both
streams to neutralize the acid in the waters. This treatment helped bring the streams' water
pH back into compliance with water quality standards. The state removed sections of both
streams from its impaired waters list in 2006.
Problem
Sugar Creek is a tributary of the Williams
River in Pocahontas County. Dogway Fork is
a tributary of the Cranberry River, spanning
Pocahontas and Webster Counties, in the
southeastern part of the state. Both ultimately
drain to the Gauley River. For both streams,
their most sensitive use designations are
Trout Waters—waters that sustain year-
round trout populations—and Water Contact
Recreation, including swimming and fishing
uses.
Sugar Creek and Dogway Fork were origi-
nally listed on West Virginia's 303(d) List of
Impaired Streams in 1998 with pH water
quality violations. The pH readings were typi-
cally 3.7 in Sugar Creek and 3.8 in Dogway
Fork. The state's water quality criterion for the
streams' use designations specifies a pH of
6.0-9.0.
limestone sand helps raise the water's pH
and neutralize the acidity. WV DNR is able to
finance the long-term restoration of such acid-
impacted water quality problems through fund-
ing set up through a portion of license fees and
various legal settlement proceeds.
Results
The limestone sand treatment raised the pH
of the streams. Recent water quality monitor-
ing has shown that the typical pH reading in
Sugar Creek is now 6.4, and in Dogway Fork it
is 7.0. After the limestone treatments, WV DNR
began stocking trout and has maintained trout
life in the streams. In total, 2.5 miles of Sugar
Creek and 6.8 miles of Dogway Fork have been
restored to viable trout fisheries.
Partners and Funding
Project Highlights
West Virginia's Department of Environmental
Protection (WV DEP) identified these acid-
impacted streams for water quality restoration
efforts. WV DNR deposited fine limestone
granules into the streams. Adding alkaline
WV DNR uses license fees and funds invested
from various legal settlements for their lime-
stone sands treatment program. WV DEP is
the state's water quality management agency
and assists WV DNR in identifying opportuni-
ties for restoration. WV DEP's Nonpoint Source
Program has since worked with WV DNR to
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target stream restoration projects on priority
nonpoint source pollution control sites in the
Upper Buckhannon watershed.
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Jul-03 Aug-03 Sep-03 Oct-03 Nov-03 Dec-03 Jan-04 Feb-04 Mar-04 Apr-04 May-04 Jun-04
Date
-
pH data f rom WV
for Sugar Creek
mile point 0.2.
6.00
5.00
•Q. 4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
0.00
e
0999999
— D) D) Q. Q. Q. f!
= 330)0)0)"
Date
pH data from WV
for Dogway Fork
mile points 0.0
and 1.80.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Off ice of Water
61 Washington, DC
EPA841-F-07-001H
June 2007
For additional information contact:
Steve Brown
WVDNR
304-637-0245
stevebrown@wvdnr.gov
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