Christina River Basin

(Proposed by the University of Delaware, Institute for Public
Administration, Water Resources Agency, January 15, 1999)
Mission Statement

The mission of the Christina Basin Water Quality Management Strategy is to conduct a cooperative, interstate effort to implement programs to protect and improve the water quality of streams, waterways, and groundwater in the Brandywine, Red Clay, White Clay Creeks, and Christina River watersheds of Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

Background

The Christina Basin is a diverse, suburbanizing watershed situated in the Delaware River Basin. Most of the Christina Basin is occupied by 3 land uses of similar proportions – Urban/Suburban (34%), Agricultural (31%), and Open Space/Forested Lands (35%). The watershed is well known as the home of 2 Revolutionary War battles, the Brandywine style of art, the largest concentration of mushroom growers in the U.S., and the corporate home of chemical and credit card industries. In addition, the watershed is the home for over .5 million people near the Cities of Newark and Wilmington, Delaware and West Chester, Downingtown, and Coatesville, Pennsylvania. Due to its pastoral quality and proximity to job centers, the Christina Basin is undergoing development pressure. The Christina Basin is largely a rural yet suburbanizing watershed, which indeed is a microcosm of many small watersheds in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. The Christina Basin occupies 565 square miles and includes 4 major watersheds: Brandywine Creek (325 sq. mi.), Red clay Creek (54 sq. mi.), White Clay Creek (107 sq. mi.), and the Christina River (78 sq. mi.). The Basin includes 38 subwatersheds ranging from 4 to 33 square miles.

The streams of the Christina Basin flow through 3 States – Pennsylvania (400 sq. mi./71%), Delaware (157 sq. mi./28%), and Maryland (8 sq. mi./1%) and include 5 Counties; Chester County, PA (388 sq. mi./69%), Delaware County, PA (9 sq. mi./2%), Lancaster County, PA (3 sq. mi./1%), Cecil County, MD (8 sq. mi./1%), and New Castle County, DE (156 sq. mi./28%) .

Within the 5 counties, the Christina Basin includes 57 local municipal governments and large towns such as; Wilmington, DE, Newark, DE, Avondale, PA, West Grove, PA, Kennett Square, PA, Downingtown, PA, Coatesville, PA, and West Chester, PA.

Existing Uses

The waters of the Christina Basin provide 75% of the public water supply for residents and businesses of New Castle County, Delaware, and 40% of the water supply for Chester County, Pennsylvania. The streams and wells provide 100 million gallons per day to over 0.5 million people in the 3 states. Public water suppliers in the Basin include:
Artesian Water Company
City of Newark
United Water Delaware
City of Wilmington
West Grove Borough
Avondale Borough
Kennett Square Borough
Downingtown Municipal Utilities Authority
City of Coatesville Authority
Philadelphia Suburban Water Company

In addition to water supply, the streams of the Christina Basin provide many ecological and recreational uses including:

Over 2, 700 trout stamps are sold to Delaware fisherman annually.
In Delaware, 30,000 trout are stocked annually.
Many canoeists and kayakers ply their craft between landings along the Brandywine Creek.
Thousands of people visit the Marsh Creek State Park, Brandywine Creek State Park, and the White Creek Bi-State Preserve for recreational pursuits. Delaware mariners residing in the Basin own 8,400 registered boats.

According to State surface water quality standards, the streams in the Christina Basin provide the following designated uses:
Delaware
Public, agricultural, and industrial water supply
Primary and secondary contact recreation
Fish, aquatic life, and wildlife
Cold Water Fish (Put and Take Trout)
Water of exceptional recreational and ecological significance

Pennsylvania
Potable, industrial, and livestock water supply
Irrigation
Water contact sports and aesthetics
Boating and Fishing
Wildlife Water Supply
Trout Stocking and Migratory Fishes
Cold Water and Migratory Fishes
High quality or exceptional value waters

Potential Pollutant Sources

Based on the May 1998 watershed inventory conducted for the Christina Basin Water Quality Management Strategy, the potential sources of pollutant loads in the watershed include (in alphabetical order):

Delaware
Combined Sewer Overflows 39 CSO’s
NPDES Wastewater Discharges 10 Outfalls
Roadways 2% of watershed in DE
Solid Waste/Hazardous Waste/Superfund Sites 135 Sites identified
Underground Storage Tanks 95 sites identified
Urban/Suburban Runoff 53% of watershed in DE

Pennsylvania
Agriculture 40% of watershed in PA
NPDES Wastewater Discharges 62 Outfalls
Roadways 2% of watershed in PA
Urban/Suburban Runoff 27% of watershed in PA

Water Quality

According to the May 1999 water quality assessment prepared by the DNREC for the Christina Basin Water Quality Management Strategy, the streams of the watershed suffer from impaired water quality due to the following problems:

1.Nutrients – 160 stream miles are impaired due to higher than desired nitrogen and phosphorus loads, which deplete
dissolved oxygen levels.
2.Toxics (metals) – 100 stream miles are impaired due to elevated zinc levels.
3.Bacteria (pathogens) – Concentrations along 395 miles of streams frequently exceed the primary
recreation standards for swimming of 100 colonies per 100 milliliters.
4.Fish Consumption Advisories – Health warnings advising against the consumption of fish have been posted along 82 stream miles due to PCB contaminated sediment and high PCB levels in fish tissue.
5.Sediment –The streams are degraded by high sediment loads which range between 300 to 1000 pounds per acre annually depending on the subwatershed.
6.Stream Habitat – While biological diversity of the streams has been improving, the DNREC indicates that 39% of the nontidal streams in the Piedmont have poor habitat due the increased frequency and rate of runoff from urban/suburban development and rural activities.

Goals

To protect and improve water quality, the Christina Basin Water Quality Management Strategy hopes to achieve the following 6 goals:
Goal No. 1 – Nutrients
Substantially reduce nutrient pollutant loads to meet the fishable Delaware and Pennsylvania water quality standards in
accordance with the future Christina Basin Total Maximum Daily Loads.
Problem
Nutrients – 160 stream miles are impaired due to higher than desired nitrogen and phosphorus loads, which deplete
dissolved oxygen levels.

Goal No. 2 – Toxics
Remediate the existing sources of zinc to reduce toxics loads in accordance with Delaware and Pennsylvania water
quality standards and the Christina Basin TMDL.
Problem
Toxics (metals) – 100 stream miles are impaired due to elevated zinc levels.

Goal 3 – Bacteria
Reduce bacteria loads to the streams to meet the swimmable primary recreation water quality standards of both States.
Problem
Bacteria (pathogens) – Concentrations along 395 miles of streams frequently exceed the primary recreation standards
for swimming of 100 colonies per 100 milliliters.

Goal No. 4 – Fish Consumption Advisories
Cleanup the hazardous waste sources of PCB’s to reduce loads and ultimately lift the fish consumption advisories.
Problem
Fish Consumption Advisories – Health warnings advising against the consumption of fish have been posted along
82 stream miles due to PCB contaminated sediment and high PCB levels in fish tissue.

Goal 5 – Sediment
Reduce total Sediment Loads from land and stream erosion sources by 50% to 200 pound per acre annually.
Problem
Sediment –The streams are degraded by high sediment loads which range between 300 to 1000 pounds per acre
annually depending on the subwatershed.

Goal No. 6 – Stream Habitat
Improve stream habitat to a "good" rating in the Delaware portion of the Christina Basin and to a biological diversity
index above "?" in the Pennsylvania portion of the Basin.
Problem
While biological diversity of the streams has been improving, the DNREC indicates that 39% of the nontidal streams in the Piedmont have poor habitat due the increased frequency and rate of runoff from urban/suburban development and rural activities.

Implementation

The Christina Basin Water Quality Management team hopes to address water quality problems through a 6-point plan:
1. Watershed Coordination
2. Monitoring and Modeling
3. Public Education/ Outreach and Involvement
4. Urban/ Suburban BMPs
5. Rural BMPs
6. Urban/Suburban BMPs and Rural BMPs

Table CB1 lists the actions and deeds needed to address water quality issues. These actions are organized under the 6 categories
of the 6-point plan, and will address an array of water quality problems identified in the Christina Basin. Table CB2 defines water
quality problems and identifies the actions that are designed to address these water quality issues.

CB TRIBUTARY
ACTION TEAM

EPA WATERSHED INITIATIVE GRANT

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

MEETING SCHEDULE

REPORTS

BASIN NEWS

GIS MAPPING

STATUS OF THE CHRISTINA BASIN

EPA CHRISTINA
RIVER SUMMARY

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

TOP 10 FACTS

CASE STUDY
OF THE
CHRISTINA
BASIN

Christina River Basin - Home Page

EPA Administrator Christie Whitman Announces the Selection of 20 Watersheds to Receive
Grants Under the Watershed Initiative and the Christina Basin is one of them!

Mission | Background | Existing Uses | Potential Pollutants| Water Quality | Goals |Implementation