Total Maximum Daily Load Effectiveness Monitoring in Washington State Fresh Waters

Welcome to the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Effectiveness Monitoring website. The Environmental Assessment Program (EAP) maintains a staff of environmental engineers, scientists and biologists that conduct technical studies on TMDL s and effectiveness monitoring following TMDL implementation activities. The Freshwater Monitoring Unit has conducted TMDL effectiveness monitoring since 2002.

TMDL Process

The TMDL clean-up process begins with the development of a scientific study, which culminates in a technical report by the Department of Ecology analyzing the pollution parameters identified in the Section 303(d) list of impaired water bodies. Community involvement is encouraged during this period as pollution control strategies are reviewed and converted into feasible solutions and activities. These are technology-based solutions that are economically feasible and capable of early implementation. These implementation activities are on-going until periodic follow-up monitoring indicates compliance with state water quality standards.

TMDL Effectiveness Monitoring

TMDL effectiveness monitoring is a fundamental component of any TMDL implementation activity. It measures to what extent the waterbody has improved and whether it has been brought into compliance with the state water quality standards. The benefits of TMDL effectiveness evaluation include:

a measure of progress toward implementation of recommendations (i.e. how much watershed restoration has been achieved, how much more effort is required);
more efficient allocation of funding and optimization in planning and decision-making (i.e. identifying recommendations or restoration activities that worked, which restoration activity achieved the most success for the money spent); and
technical feedback to refine the initial TMDL model, best management practices, nonpoint source plans, and permits.

TMDL Effectiveness Monitoring Reports

#	title	month year
10	Willapa River Fecal Coliform Bacteria Verification Study - Water Quality Monitoring Report	August 2007
9	Lower Yakima River Suspended Sediment Total Maximum Daily Load Study: Water Quality Effectiveness Monitoring Report	2006
8	Dungeness River and Matriotti Creek Post-Total Maximum Daily Load Data Review	December 2004
7	Water Temperature, Specific Conductance, pH, and Dissolved-Oxygen Concentrations in the Lower White River and the Puyallup River Estuary, Washington, August-October 2002	July 2003
6	Symposium Article: Total Maximum Daily Load Effectiveness Monitoring Strategy for Washington State	July 2003
5	Effectiveness Monitoring for Fecal Coliform Total Maximum Daily Loads in Pipers Creek	June 2003
4	Effectiveness Monitoring for Dioxin Total Maximum Daily Loads in Western Washington	January 2003
3	Effectiveness Monitoring for Total Phosphorus Total Maximum Daily Loads in Fenwick and Sawyer Lakes	December 2002
2	Concentrations of Dissolved Oxygen in the Lower Puyallup and White Rivers, Washington, August and September 2000 and 2001	June 2002
1	The Use of 2,4-D for Selective Control of an Early Infestation of Eurasian Watermilfoil in Loon Lake, Washington	2001

Study locations

statewide scope

Current Efforts

Effectiveness monitoring efforts are currently underway in the Snoqualmie and Skokomish basins, the Union River, and the lower Dungeness basin.

The TMDL leads, watershed coordinators and TMDL effectiveness monitoring staff are engaged in, but not limited to, the following activities:

Project partnership development both internally and externally.
Preparation of detailed implementation plans for approved TMDLs.
Implementation of best management practices or restoration activities on selected watersheds.
Preparation of quality assurance project plans for selected projects.
Quality Assurance Project Plan review for both internal and external clients.
Conducting field monitoring.
Data analysis and report preparation.
Tracking TMDL effectiveness monitoring efforts.
Developing and refining the TMDL effectiveness monitoring strategy.

Additional Information

Reports from other Ecology monitoring efforts involving TMDLs and ambient monitoring are available through Ecology’s Environmental Assessment Program Publications page and are categorized by year or categorized by watershed.

Contacts

For more information about these TMDL effectiveness monitoring efforts, or comments about this website, contact any of the following staff:

Western Washington	Central Washington	Eastern Washington
Debby Sargeant	Chris Coffin	Jim Ross
(360) 407-6772	(509) 454-4257	(509) 329-3425