Soque
Watershed Protection
Plan

Prepared by the
Funding for this project is provided
by a U.S. EPA CWA § 319(h) grant
Administered by the
Environmental Protection Division
Watershed Protection
Plan
Prepared by the
March 2008
Lead Organization: City of
Project Manager:
Partners:
GA DNR Wildlife Resources Division GA
Forestry Commission
Habersham Co. Chamber of Commerce City of
GA Poultry Federation
City of
Natural Resources Conservation Service City of
Fieldale Farms Chestatee-Chattahoochee RC&D
GA Soil & Water Conservation
Commission GA
Mountains RDC
Habersham / White Co Homebuilders
Association

TABLE OF
CONTENTS
PAGE
List of Figures
... iii
List of Tables
. iii
Executive Summary
. iv
Introduction
... 1
Watershed Conditions.
3
Pollutant Sources and Causes
.. 7
Pollutant Load Reductions
. 9
NPS Management Measures
. 11
Educational
Component
.
18
Implementation Schedule
19
Interim Milestones
. 20
Monitoring Plan
. 21
Additional Recommendations
. 22
Technical and Financial Assistance
Needed
23
References
. 28
LIST OF
FIGURES
Page
Figure 1. Location
of
Figure 2.
Subwatersheds of the
Figure 3. 303(d) listed
stream segments
..
5
Figure 4.
Landcover in the
Figure 5.
Bacterial sample locations
.. 8
Figure 6. NPDES permitted discharges and priority sites
for corrective action
(bacterial)
. 16
Figure 7. Priority sites for corrective action (sediment
dirt roads and
streambank erosion)
. 17
LIST OF
TABLES
Page
Table 1. Stream segments not supporting designated
uses in the
Watershed
. 2
Table 2. Area and
landcover for subwatersheds of the
Table 3. Bacterial
sample sites by subwatershed
. 7
Table 4. NPS fecal coliform production loadings
entire
Watershed
. 9
Table 5. Bacterial load reductions needed to meet
water quality standards by
subwatershed
. 9
Table 6. Suspended
sediment load and yield by subwatershed
. 10
Table 7. Three
year implementation project budget
. 25
Table 8. Roles and
responsibilities of participating partner organizations
27
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
The
As
in much of
The
Soque River Watershed Partnership (the Partnership) was formed to take
advantage of the opportunity for local protection of water resources and in
response to water quality concerns and the anticipated impacts of rapid growth
in the watershed. The Partnership is
comprised of numerous local and state agencies and organizations and is guided
by a Steering Committee of stakeholders and a Technical Advisory Committee of
scientific and resource professionals.
Partnership formation was driven by a concern for the sustainability of
local water supplies and the identification of impaired waters in the watershed.
Recent
surveys by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GAEPD) and the United
States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) identified stream segments in
the watershed that do not meet state water quality standards. These stream segments have subsequently been
placed on the States 303(d) list of impaired waters. Specifically, two segments of the
In
recognition of these water quality impairments from NPS pollution, the
Partnership applied for and received CWA §319(h) funding from the USEPA and
administered through GAEPD. The funding
was to complete a comprehensive watershed assessment to document current
biological, chemical, and physical conditions in the watershed. The data was then used to draft this
watershed protection plan for use by citizens and municipalities to make
informed decisions about the future use and protection of water resources in
the watershed.
INTRODUCTION
The Soque
River Watershed comprises 160 square miles, or 57% of the land area of
The
headwaters of the river flow from National Forest lands off of Tray Mountain
and run together in the Blue Ridge Physiographic province (Level IV ecoregion
66d Southern Crystalline Ridges and Mountains) to form the main-stem of the
Soque. The river continues down through
the Piedmont (Level IV ecoregion 45a Southern Inner Piedmont) to the confluence
with the

Figure
1. Location of
The river serves as the water supply for
the City of
In response to problems already identified in several
stream segments and threats from rapid development and other sources, a broad
coalition of groups, known as the Soque River Watershed Partnership, joined
together to perform a watershed-wide assessment of surface water quality. This
assessment has was funded by a 319(h) grant awarded to the City of
Clarkesville, which began in 2004 and concluded in March, 2008. The purpose of
that first-round 319 grant-funded project was to gather data needed to complete
a Watershed Protection Plan, through which the Partnership can address the
highest priority threats to water quality and watershed integrity.
Measures to eliminate pollution sources that have
contributed to the designation of four stream segments in the watershed as
Impaired Waters by the State of
Table 1. Stream segments
not supporting designated uses in the Soque River Watershed
|
Waterbody |
Reach Location |
Criterion Violated |
Potential Cause |
Designated Use |
Extent |
|
|
Goshen
Creek to SR 17, Clarkesville |
Fecal
Coliform |
|
Fishing |
29 miles |
|
|
SR 17,
Clarkesville to |
Fecal
Coliform |
Urban
Runoff |
Fishing |
6 miles |
|
|
Law
Creek to |
Biological
Impairment Macroinvertebrate from Sediment |
Pollution |
Fishing |
5 miles |
|
|
Reservoir
No. 12 to Law Creek |
Biological
Impairment Fish from Sediment |
|
Fishing |
4 miles |
Source: State of
All
watershed protection and management strategies detailed in this plan should be
evaluated and adapted to best meet local needs and ensure progress towards the
attainment of water quality standards.
Furthermore, action should not be limited to the contents of this
plan. Other alternatives should be
considered as additional information or resources become available.
WATERSHED
CONDITIONS
For the
purpose of this plan, the Soque River Watershed has been further divided into
tributary sub-watersheds (Figure 2).
This division will enhance the identification, prioritization, and
implementation of protection efforts and corrective actions. A summary of landcover for sub-watersheds
(and for the entire Soque River Watershed) used in this plan is included in
Table 2. Subwatersheds will be listed in
all tables in the order in which they enter the main-stem of the river from
north to south.
Table
2. Area and landcover for subwatersheds
of the Soque River