Washington State Department of Ecology

Publication Summary

Title

Verification of 303(d)-listed Sites in Northwest, Central, and Eastern Regions of Washington State

Month-Year Published

July 2004

Online Availability

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Short Description

Five waterbodies located among three of the Department of Ecology′s management regions, Northwest, Central, and Eastern, were re-assessed for violations of water quality standards during the fall and winter of 2003. The resulting data were needed to determine if these sites should remain on the federal Clean Water Act Section 303(d) list of impaired waterbodies. Sampling from these waterbodies included sediment bioassay toxicity or fish tissue chemistry.

(Also see abstract below)

Publication Number

04-03-035

Author(s)

Era-Miller, B.

Print Availability

Request from the program.

Number of pages

45 + app. (126 total)

Keywords

303(d), creek, fish, lake, river, sampling, section 303, Spokane River, study, toxic, water, Wenatchee River

Subject Waterbodies

Puget Sound,
Soos Creek System,
Wenatchee River,
Icicle Creek,
Spokane River

map of Washington state showing locations of subject waterbodies

Related Publications

Title

Relationship

Washington State Toxics Monitoring Program: Toxic Contaminants in Fish Tissue and Surface Water in Freshwater Environments, 2001

part of a series

Quality Assurance Project Plan: Verification of 303(d) Listed Sites in Northwest, Central, and Eastern Regions of Washington State

similar topic

Abstract

Long Description

Five waterbodies located among three of the Department of Ecology′s management regions, Northwest, Central, and Eastern, were re-assessed for violations of water quality standards. Due to water quality violations, these waterbodies were previously listed or were proposed for listing on the current 2002/2004 Section 303(d) List of the federal Clean Water Act.

The following recommendations for the 303(d) List were made, based on the findings of this re-assessment study:

Northwest Region: List Shilshole Bay for total PCBs in fish tissue (a new listing), but de-list it for dieldrin in fish tissue. Continue listing Mill Creek based on sediment bioassay toxicity.

Central Region: List the Wenatchee River for total PCBs and 4,4′-DDE in fish tissue, but de-list it for alpha-BHC, 4,4′-DDD, and 4,4′-DDT in fish tissue. List Icicle Creek, a major tributary to the Wenatchee River, for total PCBs in fish tissue.

Buffalo Lake, located in the Central Region, was selected as the reference site for the Spokane River (Eastern Region) sediment toxicity listing. Buffalo Lake sediments were found to have toxicity, but due to insufficient data, the lake is recommended for Category 2 (Waters of Concern).

Eastern Region: Continue listing the Spokane River for sediment bioassay toxicity.

Link to EIM data for User Study ID BERA0001

This page last updated February 2, 2009

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