Crater Lake Outstanding Resource Water Designation – Support Document
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Crater Lake Outstanding Resource Waters Designation Support Document Date: July 1, 2020 Oregon Department of Environmental Quality 700 NE Multnomah St. Suite 600 Portland, OR 97232 Phone: 503-229-5696 800-452-4011 Fax: 503-229-6124 Contact: Debra Sturdevant www.oregon.gov/DEQ DEQ is a leader in restoring, maintaining and enhancing the quality of Oregon’s air, land and water. ORW Crater Lake Report July 1, 2020 This report prepared by: Oregon Department of Environmental Quality 700 NE Multnomah St. Portland, OR 97232 1-800-452-4011 www.oregon.gov/deq Contact: Debra Sturdevant 503-229-6691 Alternative formats: DEQ can provide documents in an alternate format or in a language other than English upon request. Call DEQ at 800-452-4011 or email [email protected]. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality ORW Crater Lake Report July 1, 2020 Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................... 1 1. Introduction and Background .............................................................................................................. 2 1.1 Brief History ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Outstanding Resource Waters ........................................................................................................................... 2 2. Crater Lake ............................................................................................................................................ 3 2.1 Description and Location .................................................................................................................................. 3 2.2 Water Quality .................................................................................................................................................. 5 2.3 Water Quality of Oregon Lakes ........................................................................................................................ 7 2.3 Ecological and Research Value ...................................................................................................................... 11 2.4 Recreational Value .......................................................................................................................................... 12 2.5 Importance to Native American Tribes ........................................................................................................... 13 3. Lake Management ............................................................................................................................... 13 4. Proposed Rule....................................................................................................................................... 14 5. References ............................................................................................................................................. 14 Appendix A, Federal ORW Regulations ................................................................................................ 15 List of Figures Figure 1: Location of Crater Lake in Oregon............................................................................................... 3 Figure 2: Location of Crater Lake in Oregon. [Source: National Park Service brochure] ............................ 4 Figure 3. Detail of Crater Lake in Oregon. [Source: http://www.craterlakeinstitute.com/what- to- do/directions-and-maps/more-of-crater-lake/] .............................................................................................. 4 Figure 4 Crater Lake Secchi depths from 1978-2018. Figure taken from the State of the Lake .................. 5 Figure 5: Nitrate dynamics in Crater Lake: Concentration throughout the water column. Figure taken from the State of the Lake Report, 2018 (NPS, 2019). .......................................................................................... 6 Figure 6: Chlorophyll fluorescence in Crater Lake from January 2017 until January 2018. Stratification is represented by the vertical dotted white line. ............................................................................................... 7 Figure 7: Secchi Depths of Selected Oregon Lakes. ............................................................................... A-10 Figure 8:. Secchi Depths from the 2007 National Lakes Assessment .................................................... A-10 Figure 9:. Endemic Mazama newt in Crater Lake (NPS photos). ........................................................... A-12 List of Table Table 1: Trophic Status of Significant Publicly Owned Lakes ..................................................................... 7 Table 2: Water Quality Data for Selected Oregon Lakes (median values unless otherwise indicated) ........ 9 Oregon Department of Environmental Quality ORW Crater Lake Report July 1, 2020 Executive Summary Crater Lake is located in Klamath County, in south central Oregon. Crater Lake is the centerpiece of Oregon’s only national park. Located in a volcanic caldera, it is the deepest lake in the United States and is exceptionally clear and pristine. In addition to its outstanding water quality, the lake is important for long-term research and recreation, and has great cultural significance to local Native American tribes. The Northwest Environmental Defense Center (NEDC) submitted a petition to the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission (the commission) and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Director Richard Whitman, dated April 22, 2019.The petition asked the commission to adopt rules designating Waldo Lake, another extremely clear lake in Oregon, an Outstanding Resource Water (ORW). In July 2019, the commission granted the petition and directed DEQ to initiate the requested rulemaking. At the same time, the commission directed DEQ to also initiate rulemaking to designate Crater Lake an Outstanding Resource Water. Outstanding Resource Waters are high quality waters that have extraordinary or unique character or ecological value, or are critical habitat areas, such that they constitute an outstanding state or national resource. Oregon must protect the special water quality and ecological values of these waters under its antidegradation policy. Therefore, the proposed rules include a policy to protect Crater Lake’s current high water quality and exceptional ecological values. The proposed rule amendments would prohibit new or expanded permitted wastewater discharges and limit activities that would degrade the current water quality. Exceptions are allowed to respond to emergencies and for restoration or enhancement activities. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality 1 ORW Crater Lake Report July 1, 2020 1. Introduction and Background This document provides supporting information for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s proposal to designate Crater Lake an Outstanding Resource Water and adopt a rule to protect Crater Lake’s existing high water quality, ecological and recreational values. Crater Lake, the centerpiece of Oregon’s only national park, is unique. Located in a volcanic caldera, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and is exceptionally clear and pristine. Based on the outstanding quality of its water, the importance of the lake for long-term research and recreation, and the lake’s cultural significance, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission directed DEQ to initiate a rulemaking to designate Crater Lake an ORW. DEQ is working with the Crater Lake National Park staff and other stakeholders to develop proposed rules and supporting information. In adopting the rules, DEQ must consider the statutory mandates and General Management Plan for Crater Lake National Park, in addition to federal and state water quality regulations. DEQ is making this support document, together with the proposed rule language and the fiscal impact statement, available for public comment. Following public comment, DEQ will make a recommendation to the commission about whether to designate Crater Lake an ORW and about the proposed water quality protection rule to accompany the designation. 1.1 Brief History In April 2019, NEDC and several co-petitioners submitted a petition to the commission requesting that the commission designate Waldo Lake, another extremely clear Oregon lake, an ORW. There was a large amount of public support for the Waldo Lake ORW designation. In July 2019, the commission granted the petition and directed DEQ to initiate a rulemaking process to consider the proposed rules. At the same time, the commission directed DEQ to include the designation of Crater Lake as an ORW in the rulemaking process. The citizen petition and the DEQ Staff Reports for Waldo Lake and Crater Lake may be found on the following website: https://www.oregon.gov/deq/wq/Pages/WQ-Standards-ORWO.aspx. Oregon’s first, and only ORW to date, is the North Fork Smith River in southwest Oregon. The commission designated this ORW in 2017 in response to a citizen rulemaking petition. The rule language proposed for Crater Lake is similar to the language adopted for the North Fork Smith River and proposed for Waldo Lake, but has been revised. 1.2 Outstanding Resource Waters Oregon’s water quality standards define three classifications of state waters: water quality limited, high quality, and outstanding resource waters. As stated in Oregon Administrative