Publication Summary

This is the plan for the Innovative Temperature Total Maximum Daily Load Pilot Study.

This study will produce two temperature Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reports that will be posted to the Internet. These reports will be for (1) Salmon Creek in Clark County, and (2) Squalicum and Padden Creeks in Whatcom County.

The study will also produce a guidance document to assist Ecology staff in calculating near-stream shade targets for temperature TMDL studies.

Temperature TMDLs are significant because high-stream temperatures are a major environmental stressor to Washington′s cold-water fish.

Ecology′s current practice of conducting site-specific temperature modeling for each temperature TMDL is time-consuming and expensive. The result of this work is nearly always to recommend full system-potential shade.

The approach described in this document will allow temperature TMDLs to be developed much faster and at a lower cost. The goal is to put TMDL implementation measures in place more quickly than under the traditional TMDL approach.