Staffmember Sampling Photo.

Scoping and Priority TMDL Projects

The Clean Water Act established a process to identify and clean up polluted waters. Every two years, all states are required to prepare a list of water bodies (called the 303[d] list) that do not meet water quality standards. (Ecology's Water Quality Assessment Web site provides more information on this process.)  All water bodies identified on the list must attain water quality standards within a reasonable period, either through a water quality improvement plan (also known as a total maximum daily load, or TMDL) or other pollution control mechanisms.

In Washington State, each fall Ecology holds a series of workshops around the state.  During these scoping sessions staff evaluate selected water quality management areas (WQMAs) to choose and prioritize which 303(d)-listed water bodies or watersheds will be addressed in the next state fiscal year. Due to a number of considerations, not all watersheds in the areas of focus can be selected for water quality improvement projects. For the selected water bodies work begins the following fiscal year (state fiscal years are from July - June).

2009 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

FY2009 Proposed Priority Water Quality Improvement Plans

Region* Water Quality Management Area (WQMA) Considered during Scoping Process Priority Water Bodies Proposed for Water Quality Improvement Plans Water Quality  Lead Staff Person Remarks
Primary Location Waterbody(ies) Name(s) Water Resource Inventory Area {WRIAs}
(see Watershed Conditions maps)
Pollution Problems
CRO

Lower Yakima

Yakima County Yakima River - Mainstem 37-39 Conventionals Ryan Anderson
509-575-2642
 
ERO Upper Columbia Ferry County Curlew Lake 60 Phosphorus Karin Baldwin
509-329-3472
QAPP only
NWRO Cedar-Green King County Juanita Creek Beach 8 Fecal Coliform Sinang Lee
425-649-7110
Collaborative fecal coliform source investigation led by city of Kirkland and King County
Des Moines Basin 8 Zinc/Copper Verification study - not a TMDL
Lake Washington 8 PCBs Sediment survey of PCBs in South Lake Washington - not a TMDL
Newaukum Creek 9 Fecal Coliform  
BFO Nooksack / San Juan Whatcom County Squalicum, Padden, & Whatcom Creeks 1 Temperature Steve Hood
360-715-5211
Innovative TMDL
SWRO Columbia Gorge Clark County Salmon Creek 28 Temperature Tonnie Cummings
360-690-4664
Innovative TMDL

FY2007 Proposed Priority Water Quality Improvement Plans

Region* Water Quality Management Area (WQMA) Considered during Scoping Process Priority Water Bodies Proposed for Water Quality Improvement Plans Water Quality  Lead Staff Person Remarks
Primary Location Waterbody(ies) Name(s) Water Resource Inventory Area {WRIAs}
(see Watershed Conditions maps)
Pollution Problems
CRO Upper Yakima

Lower Yakima

Yakima County Yakima River 37-39 Toxics, Pesticides, PCB Ryan Anderson
(509) 575-2642
Set Human Health Criteria
ERO Mid Columbia Garfield County Tucannon/Pataha Creeks 35 Temp, FC, pH,Turbidity Donovan Gray (509) 329-3458 Streamlined TMDL
NWRO Kitsap King County Green River/Newaukum 9 Temp Sinang Lee
(425) 649-7110
KC-DNR Partnership. List FY06; start FY07
Fauntleroy Creek 9 Fecal Coliform NWRO – in House TMDL
SWRO Lower Columbia -- -- -- -- -- No approved projects

 

FY2006 Proposed Priority Water Quality Improvement Plans

Region*

Water Quality Management Area (WQMA) Considered during Scoping Process

Priority Water Bodies Proposed for Water Quality Improvement Plans

Water Quality Lead Staff Person

Primary Location Waterbody(ies) Name Water Resource Inventory Area {WRIAs}
(see Watershed Conditions maps)
Parameter
CRO Wenatchee -- -- -- -- Ryan Anderson
(509) 575-2642
Lower Yakima -- -- -- -- Ryan Anderson
(509) 575-2642
ERO Upper Snake

Lower Snake
-- -- -- -- Donovan Gray (509) 329-3458
NWRO Nooksack and San Juan Whatcom County Drayton Harbor 1 and 2 Fecal Coliform (bacteria) Steve Hood (360)-738-6254

Dave Garland (425) 649-7031

King County South Lake Sammamish Tributaries 8 Fecal Coliform (bacteria)
King, Snohomish counties Snoqualmie River 7 Temperature
SWRO Western Olympic Pierce County Puyallup River 10 Fecal Coliform (bacteria) Cindy James
(360) 407-6276

Back to top of page

 

FY2005 Proposed Priority Water Quality Improvement Plans

See Ecology Publication 05-10-001 for more information

Region* Water Quality Management Area (WQMA) Considered during Scoping Process Priority Water Bodies Proposed for Water Quality Improvement Plans Water Quality Lead Staff Person
Primary Location Waterbody(ies) Name Water Resource Inventory Area {WRIAs}
(see Watershed Conditions maps)
Parameter
CRO Okanogan Yakima County Selah Ditch
(If resources are available)
48 - 51 Fecal Coliform (bacteria), Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen Greg Bohn
(509) 454-4174
Kittitas County Upper Yakima River   Temperature
ERO Crab Creek

Esquatzel

Whitman County Palouse River
(Note: This project has been delayed)

 

36, 42, and 43 Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Fecal Coliform (bacteria), Ammonia, Temperature, Toxic Chemicals Paul Turner
(509) 329-3580
Spokane County Newman Lake   Phosphorus
NWRO Island/ Snohomish Skagit County Samish Watershed 6 and 7 Fecal Coliform (bacteria) Ralph Svrjcek (425) 649-7165
Snohomish County Old Stillaguamish Channel in Stillaguamish River Watershed   Dissolved Oxygen, pH
King, Snohomish Counties Little Bear Creek   Fecal Coliform (bacteria)
SWRO South Puget Sound Clark County East Fork Lewis River 27 Temperature, Fecal Coliform (bacteria) Kim McKee
(360) 407-6407
Lewis, Cowlitz, Skamania Counties Gifford Pinchot National Forest   Temperature

Back to top of page

If you have questions or need more information on the these lists please contact

Diane Dent
WA Department of Ecology
PO Box 47600
Olympia, Washington 98504-7600
E-mail: dden461@ecy.wa.gov
Phone: (360) 407-6616
FAX: (360) 407-6426

 

*  BFO = Bellingham Field Office; CRO = Central Regional Office; ERO = Eastern Regional Office; NWRO = Northwest Regional Office; SWRO = Southwest Regional Office

 

Back to top of page

Last updated January 2009