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| Title | A Case Study Evaluating a Change to the Surface Water Quality Standards from "Class-based" to "Use-based" within the Columbia Basin Project Area | |
| Month-Year Published | October 1999 | |
| Online Availability |
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| Short Description |
This study examines the effects of changing the organization of the surface water quality standards from the current "class-based" system to a "use based" system within the Columbia Basin Project. (Also see abstract below) | |
| Publication Number | 99-27 | |
| Author(s) | Weaver, D | |
| Print Availability | ||
| Number of pages | 80 | |
| Keywords | basin, case study, change, quality, standards, study, surface water, water, water quality, water quality standards | |
| Abstract | Long Description |
This study examines the effects of changing the organization of the surface water quality standards from the current "class-based" system to a "use based" system within the Columbia Basin Project. Several shortcomings of the current class-based standards were identified. For water bodies within the Project there is inconsistent classification (essentially identical waters are classified differently), incorrect assignment of uses that do not exist for a water body, and incorrect assignment of uses and criteria that may be either unattainable or not protective of existing uses. The use-based approach allows uses and criteria to be assigned based on their actual presence or attainability. This approach is more flexible than the current class-based system because existing and attainable uses and criteria assigned to a given water body may be blended from one or more of the existing classes, resulting in more accurate surface water quality standards. |
This page last updated August 11, 2011
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