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Municipal otal Maximum Daily Load Implementation Program Helps
Restore Upper Butler Creek
WafprhnHv lmnrn\/pH Because of elevated fecal coliform levels, 9 miles of Upper Butler
Creek were added to the Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d)
list of impaired waters in 2010. In 2012-2014, the city of Augusta partnered with the Southeastern
Natural Sciences Academy to conduct a total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation program
to address fecal coliform impairments in Lower Butler, Rocky and Reed creeks in the Butler Creek
watershed. Activities included education, outreach, sediment sampling, water quality monitoring
for bacteria, and macro invertebrate sampling within the Butler Creek watershed. Implementing an
expanded monitoring program in a 9-mile segment (Upper Butler Creek) yielded data showing that
the segment meets water quality standards for fecal coliform. Therefore, the Georgia Environmental
Protection Division (GAEPD) recommended that this section of Upper Butler Creek be removed from
the state's list of impaired waters, as reported on Georgia's 2016 Integrated Report.
Problem
Butler Creek is on the south side of the city of Augusta
in Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia (Figure 1).
Watershed characteristics include low-density urban
land use. Portions of a 12-mile riparian greenway
provide connectivity for the movement of wildlife
through a state-owned wildlife management area and
the Phinizy Swamp Nature Park. The 9-mile segment
(Boardmans Pond to Phinizy Ditch), known as Upper
Butler Creek, was placed on Georgia's 2010 list of
impaired waters for not meeting water quality stan-
dards for fecal coliform based on 2007 data. The TMDL
evaluation determined nonpoint sources and urban
runoff were causes of bacteria loadings and estab-
lished a required 49 percent bacteria load reduction.
Story Highlights
The TMDL implementation program identified critical
areas of fecal coliform/Escherichia coli concentrations
in the Butler Creek watershed with attention to areas
that were impervious to water infiltration and prone
to generating polluted runoff. The city of Augusta also
identified creek sections that contributed loading but
did not have distinctly observable problematic issues
(e.g., broken sewer pipes, failing septic systems) upon
additional visual inspection.
Figure 1. Butler Creek water quality monitoring locations.
Public education strategies targeted specific human
awareness of issues such as septic system mainte-
nance, pet waste management, and storm drainage
system fundamentals and protection. Numerous
messaging methods were used in the geographic
areas identified as contributing the greatest bacteria
loads, including flyers, posters, social media and news
articles, speaking engagements, a YouTube video, a
hands-on "Emriver Stream Table" model displayed
at park and public events, a "Creekwalk Community
Education Program" and an educational field trip. A
"Water Fun Block Party" designed to target a specific
Butler Creek Watershed
Legend
O Baseline MS4 monitoring sit
O Additional monitoring sites
Watershed boundary
Butler Creek-

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Upper Butler Creek Fecal Coliform
Geometeric Means
250
200
f»
,=> 100
w
50
0
Winter 2013 Spring 2014 Summer 2014 Fall 2014
(December) (March) (June) (September)
Figure 2. Upper Butler Creek data collected in 2013-2014 show that fecal
coliform levels meet the water quality standard.
residential community about septic system main-
tenance cycled 30 neighbors through educational
activities designed for families. Participants correctly
selected more signs of a septic system malfunction
in post-education surveys, indicating the potential
for on-the-ground nonpoint source pollution control
practices in septic system management.
Educational efforts appear to be paying off. The septic
sludge delivery data collected by the Augusta waste-
water treatment plant over a 3-year period showed a
steady increase in volume delivered by septage truck
to the wastewater treatment plant. This increase could
be due to increased pumping frequency as a result of
the campaign to educate the public on septic system
management.
Results
Expanded fecal coliform//:. coli monitoring imple-
mented In July 2012 doubled the number of sites pre-
viously monitored under the municipal separate storm
sewer system (MS4) permit to provide additional data
on areas of high bacteria loading (see Figure 1). As
a result of Increased sampling and encouragement
to sample in strict adherence to a GAEPD-approved
Sampling and Quality Assurance Plan, Augusta was
able to demonstrate that Upper Butler Creek met
state water quality standards for fecal coliform in
2013-2014 (Figure 2). The creek is meeting bacteria
water quality standards for its fishing designated use,
which requires that fecal coliform levels not exceed
200 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters of water
(cfu/100 ml_). As a result, GAEPD removed the fecal
coliform impairment of the 9-mile stretch of Upper
Butler Creek (from Boardmans Pond to Phinizy Ditch)
from the state's list of impaired waters, as reflected in
Georgia's 2016 Integrated Report.
Partners and Funding
The Clean Water Act section 319 program provided
$86,346 and Augusta Engineering Department
stormwater management general funds pro-
vided $57,652 in match. The Augusta Engineering
Department collected monitoring data while the
Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy, the Phinizy
Center for Water Sciences Education Department
and the Phinizy Swamp Nature Park designed and
conducted public education and outreach activities.
Other groups involved with project coordination
included Georgia Master Naturalist, Georgia Adopt-A-
Stream, Augusta Utilities Department, Georgia Regents
University and Central Savannah River Area Fly Fishers.
0
PRO^°
s
©
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA 841-F-19-Q01C
January 2019
For additional information contact:
Veronica Craw
Georgia Environmental Protection Division
404-651-8532 • veronica.craw@dnr.ga.gov

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