| What is a Watershed? |
A watershed is a basin-like landform defined by
highpoints and ridgelines that descend into lower
elevations and stream valleys. A watershed carries water
"shed" from the land after rain falls and snow melts.
The Nippersink Creek Watershed, as shown below,
encompasses over 200 square miles of land in northeast
McHenry County, as well as portions of Kenosha County
and Walworth County in Wisconsin.
Any precipitation that falls into the area bounded in
red will generally flow downhill to towards Nippersink
Creek, and eventually towards the Fox River. While some
of this precipitation will evaporate before reaching a
stream, or infiltrate into the ground, the majority of
the runoff from precipitation is flowing through the
creeks of the Nippersink Watershed. |
| For more information, visit:
EPA Website
USGS Website |
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| Which Nippersink Subwatershed do I
live in? |
For planning purposes, watersheds are often broken
down into smaller units, called “subwatersheds”. As
land use issues and conditions can vary widely across a
watershed, the use of “subwatersheds” as planning units
can allow more of a localized focus on potential water
quality issues and solutions.
The map shown below will let you roughly approximate
where in the Nippersink Creek Watershed your property is
located. You can then go to the
nippersink.org website to download
the report and maps for your subwatershed. The
subwatershed map can also be viewed
HERE. |
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| Where can I find the maps and
reports for the Subwatershed I live in? |
|
CLICK HERE to go to a webpage where
you can download, by chapter, the entire Nippersink
Creek Watershed Plan (NCWP). The webpage also allows
you to download maps showing the various resources and
features of each subwatershed, as well as maps showing
where specific water quality projects recommended in the
2008 NCWP are located. |
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| What is a Watershed Plan? |
| A watershed plan is a comprehensive study of all the
activities and sources of pollution on the land that
drains rain and snow melt to a specific stream. The plan
identifies information about the levels of pollution in
the stream, the potential sources of the pollution and
the amounts each source contributes. Also included are
steps that can be taken to reduce the levels of
pollution and flooding and who can take action to
perform these steps. Everyone who lives or works in the
watershed should participate in developing and
implementing this plan so that all concerns about the
water in the stream are discussed, investigated, and
addressed to ensure clean water for everyone to use.
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| How was the Nippersink Creek
Watershed Plan created? |
| A watershed plan for Nippersink Creek was completed
in 1996 by the Nippersink Creek Watershed Planning
Committee. The Watershed Planning Committee is comprised
of a diverse group of landowners, farmers, environmental
groups, and business people, with technical assistance
provided by various resource agencies and consultants.
The 1996 plan provided a summary of watershed history,
physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the
watershed at that time, and an outline for general
watershed protection guidelines, and recommendations for
restoration and protection of natural resources
throughout the watershed. While a valuable document that
still provides a wealth of background information, the
1996 plan had become outdated, as it: |
• only provided a
general “road map” to protect the natural resources of
the watershed
• only identified perceived
needs in the watershed at the time (1990s – primarily
agricultural issues)
• did not address the growth
pressures that are present today
• does not identify specific
projects, prioritization, or the cost to implement them
• does not clearly define
responsibility for implementation or sources of funding |
Result: The 1996
Nippersink Creek watershed plan did not meet all the
current requirements set by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency for funding the future
implementation of watershed projects.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) plans
and implements non-point source management programs,
under authorization granted by Section 319 of the
Federal Clean Water Act. A Watershed Plan that meets
USEPA guidelines are eligible to apply for Section 319
grant funds (administered through the Illinois EPA) to
assist watershed stakeholders in implementing activities
to help mitigate non-point source pollution in the
watershed.
A Section 319 grant was awarded by the USEPA / IEPA to
allow the 1996 Nippersink Creek Watershed Plan to be
updated to meet new implementation funding guidelines,
as well as to adapt to on-going changes in watershed
land uses. This planning process was again overseen by
the Nippersink Creek Watershed Planning Committee, a
sub-committee of the McHenry County Soil and Water
Conservation District.
The most recent watershed planning effort, the
Nippersink Creek Watershed Plan (NCWP), was completed in
2008, which can be viewed on-line at
nippersink.org. |
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| How will the Nippersink Creek
Watershed Plan be implemented? |
The Nippersink Creek Watershed Plan (NCWP), funded
and administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (USEPA) and Illinois Environmental Protection
Agency (IEPA), identified over 150 potential water
quality projects to help preserve and enhance Nippersink
watershed water quality. Once a project has been
identified in a USEPA/IEPA approved watershed plan, it
is eligible for a cost-share grant, which if awarded,
can pay for up to 60% of the project cost. These grants
can be applied for every August 1st, with the funds (if
awarded) available the next summer. These grants can
include the cost of designing and implementing the
project.
The Nippersink Watershed Association was formed to move
the NCWP from a planning phase to implementation, and is
available to work with landowners interested in
protecting and enhancing water quality. However, it
should be emphasized that the watershed planning and
implementation process relies on VOLUNTARY participation
by landowners, and is not a REGULATORY program. Having a
potential water quality project identified on your
property does not require you to implement it. However,
many landowners recognize that implementing recommended
water quality projects can help preserve and enhance
their property values. |
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| What is Point Source vs. Non-Point
Source water polution? |
Point Source water pollution
comes from a readily identifiable source, such as a pipe
discharging its contents into a stream, river or lake.
Non-Point Source (NPS) water
pollution is so named because the pollutants do
not originate at single point sources, such as
industrial or municipal waste discharge pipes. Instead,
NPS pollutants such as fertilizer, road salt, sediment,
pesticides, nutrients and bacteria are carried over
fields, lawns, and streets by rainwater or snowmelt.
These pollutants then enter lakes and streams or seep
into groundwater. While some NPS pollution is naturally
occurring, most of it is a result of human activities.
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| What is a "Best Management
Practice" or BMP? |
| Best Management Practices (BMPs) are effective,
practical, structural or nonstructural methods which
prevent or reduce the movement of sediment, nutrients,
pesticides and other pollutants from the land to surface
or ground water, or which otherwise protect water
quality from potential adverse effects of human
activities. Although it is unrealistic to expect that
all non-point source pollution can be eliminated, BMP’s
can be used to minimize the impact of human activities
on water quality. These BMP’s must be reasonable,
achievable and cost effective. |
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| Why is the 2008 Nippersink Creek
Watershed Plan already being updated? |
| Due to the size of the Nippersink Creek watershed,
it was recognized that not all of the potentially
eligible BMP sites could be identified in the planning
process, and that it would take additional outreach to
identify new potential BMP projects. As a result, the
Nippersink Watershed Association (NWA), which is
responsible for implementing the watershed plan, is
inviting Nippersink Creek landowners who may have an
existing issue in their streamside areas, or on
drainageways leading into the creek, to contact us. If
a water quality or land use issue exists that can be
addressed by an appropriate BMP, then that project can
be included in this NCWBP update, and become eligible
for the 60% cost-share in future funding cycles. |
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| The 2008 NCWP identified a “Best
Management Practice” on my property. What next? |
| If you have viewed the “Recommendations Map” for
your Nippersink subwatershed, and a specific water
quality “Best Management Practice” (BMP) was identified
for your property, the choice is yours as participation
is entirely VOLUNTARY. If you choose to do nothing,
that is your choice as the landowner. However, if you
wish to explore further what would be involved in
implementing a recommended BMP on your property, feel
free to complete the form found
HERE. |
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| The 2008 NCWP didn’t identify a
“Best Management Practice” on my property, but I may
need one. What next? |
| If you have viewed the “Recommendations Map” for
your Nippersink subwatershed, and a specific water
quality “Best Management Practice” (BMP) was NOT
identified for your property, it is recognized that
there may still be a water quality issue occurring that
may need to be addressed. Again, the choice is yours as
participation is entirely VOLUNTARY. If you choose to
do nothing, that is your choice as the landowner.
However, if you wish to explore further what would be
involved in determining what could be done to address
this issue, or to possibly have a specific BMP
recommended for your property and added to the current
NCWP Update, feel free to complete the form found
HERE.
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| What Types of Best Management
Practices Are Potentially Eligible for USEPA Section 319
Funding? |
|
Any project that will result in a demonstrable
reduction in Non-Point Source pollutants, such as soil
(sediment), nutrients, or manure / septic system
leachate, to streams, wetlands, or lakes may be
eligible. Practices could include:
• stream
channel, streambank, or shoreline stabilization
• creation of vegetated
buffer strips along streams, lakes, and drainageways
• restoration of wetlands
• creation of water quality
features such as bioswales or rain gardens
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