NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION PROGRAM
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA'S
MICKEY RUN WATERSHED
SPRING 2005
WORKING ON OIL & GREASE REDUCTION GOALS ON
THE WAY TOWARD STREAM RESTORATION
Snapshot:
Mickey Run Watershed
The District of Columbia is fortunate to
have a rich system of rivers and streams flowing
within its boundaries. The three largest of these,
the Potomac River, the Anacostia River, and Rock
Creek, each have within their basins a network of
smaller tributaries that provide habitat for aquatic
life and recreational opportunities for residents.
However, these small tributaries suffer from a
wide variety of problems typical of urban streams.
US Route 50
Many of the small tributaries problems
are a result of the large areas of paved or other-
wise impervious surfaces. Most of these streams
experience unnaturally high flows during storm
events, which result in eroded stream banks and channels. In a recent bioassessment of the District's small streams, over
half were rated severely impaired or polluted, including Mickey Run. Mickey Run is a free-flowing tributary of the Anacostia
River. The lowest mile (.9 mile) of the stream crosses land primarily owned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Na-
tional Arboretum and a small section owned by the National Park Service. Mickey Run joins the tidal Anacostia River up-
stream of Kingman Lake and approximately one mile downstream of the DC-Maryland border. In 1996, Mickey Run was
included on the DC List of Impaired Waters for three parameters: oil and grease, PCBs, and chlordane. In 1998, organics
and bacteria were added to the list of pollutants impairing Mickey Run.
Background:
Land in the Mickey Run Watershed is largely composed of industrial
and manufacturing use. The stream has been historically plagued
by illegal oil and grease dumping. Upstream of the open channel,
there are a number of transportation-related facilities in the water-
shed (gas stations, repair shops, auto dismantlers, etc.), some sus-
pected of not properly disposing of waste oil and other automotive
chemicals. Additional oil and grease from surrounding parking lots,
T roads and bridges flushes into the storm sewer system during rain
S storms.
Aerial photo of the Anacostia River
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DISTRI
CTOFC
COLUMBIA'S MICKEY RUN WATERSHED
Page 2
Cleaning up trash in Mickey Run
Implementation and Outreach:
In 1998, a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) was devel-
oped by the DC Department of Health (DOH), Environmental
Health Administration, for oil and grease calling for a reduction in
point source loads by 89% and nonpoint source loads by 30%.
TMDLs establish the load reduction of a pollutant that is neces-
sary for a water body to meet water quality goals. Because the
automotive repair shops were an easily recognizable source of oil
and grease in Hickey Run, outreach was provided by the DOH
through the Environmental Education Compliance of Auto Repair
Shops (EE-CARS) Program. Local industry was approached with
educational resources, comprehensive surveys, and follow-up
visits under this program. Business and Industry responded and
the amount of oil and grease entering Hickey Run was reduced by
77.4% or 27.0 Ibs/day.
Technological Control:
In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed among the DC DOH, Environmental Health Admini-
stration, the DC Water and Sewer Authority (WASA), and the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in January
2004 for outlining the responsibilities of each organization in the cleanup. The MOU calls for the installation of a
debris/floatables and oil/grease removal system, which would be designed and constructed by the ARS, in collabora-
tion with the DOH and WASA. As effective as outreach has been, the
proposed system will ensure that oil and grease will not degrade
Hickey Run in the future for storm events of half an inch or less. In-
dustry around Hickey Run faces high employee turnover, making tech-
nological control beneficial in protecting the waterbody from the im-
pacts of poor shop management practices, intentional dumping inci-
dents, and infrequent, but significant spills. With the assistance of
Section 319 Nonpoint Source Program funding from the EPA, there is
almost $2.2 million allocated for the design and construction of the
system. Construction is expected to begin in 2006.
_ 3
Restoration Plan:
Canoe trip down the Anacostia River
The DC government, in partnership with ARS, is also developing a restoration plan for the Hickey Run water-
shed. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) finished the comprehensive assessment of Hickey Run and its tribu-
taries in December 2004 and is now preparing a plan intended to mitigate the damage and restore the stream using
natural channel design. The 0.9 miles of Hickey Run stream is presently losing 1100 tones of sediment per year.
Sediment loss is a critical goal of this stream channel rehabilitation. Between the USFWS and EPA 319 funding to
the DOH $234,040 was spent on the creation of the design plans and $115,370 was spent on the assessment.
Implementation of the plan will result in 850 ft. of natural channel design and improved wildlife habitat and stream
functioning.
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NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION PROGRAM
Results:
These implementation
efforts have already re-
duced oil and grease
loading by 88%. The DC
DOH Water Quality Dis-
charge Monitoring Re-
ports (DMRs), conducted
in 2002, indicate that
Mickey Run is achieving
water quality goals for oil
and grease. To meet
water quality goals,
Mickey Run was man-
dated to have less than
lOmg/Lof oil and
grease. As a result,
Mickey Run has been
removed from the 303d
List of Impaired Waters
for oil and grease.
PageS
Mickey Run Oil & Grease 1990-1992
10 mg/L Water
o
o
o
c
o
O
Quality Standard
for Oil & Grease
Jun-90 Aug-90 Sep-90 Nov-90 Apr-91 Jun-91 Aug-91 Oct-91 Feb-92 Mar-92
Sample Date
Mickey Run Oil & Grease WQS Attainment Data
16
14-
0)
E.
c
o
o
O
10 mg/L Water
Quality Standard for
Oil & Grease
Feb- Mar- Apr- May- Jun- Jul-02 Aug- Sep- Oct- Nov- Dec- Jan- Feb-
02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 03 03
Sampling Date
These graphs illustrate the 88% oil and grease reductions that
have led to the delisting of Mickey Run from the 3030(d) List of
Impaired Waters.
Sewer line break along Mickey Run
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Printed on chlorine-free 100% recycled paper with
100** post-consumer fiber using vegetable-based ink.
(fttii (ftt
EPA Region 3
Philadelphia, PA 19103
EPA/903/F/05/004A
April 2005
fioutce pollution
For more information on nonpoint source pollution, TMDLs, and restoration activities
practices, please check out EPA's Region 3 Nonpoint Source Program webpage:
http://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/nps/index.htm
Partnerships and Coordination:
U.S. Department of Agriculture (National Arboretum)
National Park Service
District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority
USDA Agricultural Research Service
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 3
U.S. Department of Agriculture (Agricultural Research Service)
Government of the District of Columbia
Contact Information:
Massive streambank erosion along Mickey Run before restoration work
Lori P. Miller, PE
Environmental Protection Specialist
Lori.P.Miller@aphis.usda.gov
Voice: 301-734-0626
Fax: 301-734-7828
Beltsville, MD 20705-5127
USDA/APHIS/MRPBS/ESD
Safety, Health, and Employee Wellness
Branch
4700 River Road, Unit 124 (Room 2A-
02.05)
Riverdale, MD 20737
www.ars.usda.gov
USDA
Alexi Boado Peter Hill
alexi.boado@dc.gov peter.hill@dc.gov
(202) 535-1798 (202) 535-2691
Government of The District of Columbia
Department of Health, Environmental Health
Administration
Watershed Protection Division
51 N St. NE, 5th Floor, 5030C
Washington D.C. 20002
www.dchealth.dc.gov
* * *
Government of the
District of Columbia
Anthony A. Williams, Mayor
Fred Suffian
suffian.fred@epa.gov
(215) 814-5753
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 3
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
www.epa.gov/region3
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