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Department of Ecology News Release - August 2, 2006
06-141
SPOKANE - A detailed plan for how to cool down the water and reduce bacteria in the rivers and streams of the Colville National Forest is out for public review until Sept. 8, 2006.
This is the last stage of the process to create a water-quality improvement plan for the forest. A study with a general plan for solving water-quality problems was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in August of 2005.
The document now out for review takes the plan one step further, adding significantly more detail to what needs to happen to clean up the streams.
The new plan specifies that the Colville National Forest will conduct additional water-quality monitoring and make improvements in grazing areas, such as providing water for livestock away from streams. The forest also will educate forest visitors about keeping the water clean, and take specific actions to reduce harm from road building and timber harvesting.
The original Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) study showed that bacteria and high temperatures are the main reasons the water fails to meet water quality standards in the Colville National Forest.
The study and a general water quality improvement plan (sometimes called total maximum daily load or TMDL) outlined the amount of pollutants that the rivers and streams can accept and still meet water-quality standards. Fecal coliform bacteria must be reduced by four to 74 percent, depending on the exact location.
Thirty-seven segments of streams have temperatures too high to sustain healthy fish. The report found that forest streams need approximately 80 percent shade to have temperatures low enough to meet water-quality standards.
Comments should be sent to Karin Baldwin at 4601 N. Monroe St., Spokane, WA 99205 or via email at kbal461@ecy.wa.gov . Copies of the plan can be obtained at Colville National Forest Ranger District offices, from Ecology, or on the Web at: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/tmdl/colville_nf.html .
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Contact:Jani Gilbert, public information manager, 509-329-3495; cell, 509-990-9177
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
