Nevada 2008-10 Water Quality Integrated Report with EPA Overlisting
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Nevada 2008-10 Water Quality Integrated Report With EPA Overlisting Prepared in accordance with the requirements of Sections 303(d)/305(b)/314 of the Clean Water Act May 2013 San Juan Creek in the Humboldt River Basin Prepared by: Nevada Division of Environmental Protection Bureau of Water Quality Planning 901 South Stewart Street, Suite 4001 Carson City, NV 89701 Nevada 2008-10 Water Quality Integrated Report Table of Contents Section 1.0 - Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 Section 2.0 - Background ................................................................................................................ 2 2.1 Topography and Hydrogeography ....................................................................................... 2 2.2 Climate and Precipitation ..................................................................................................... 2 2.3 Surface Water ....................................................................................................................... 2 Section 3.0 - Water Quality Control Programs ............................................................................... 5 3.1 Water Quality Standards ...................................................................................................... 5 3.2 Nevada’s Water Pollution Control Program for Point Source Discharges. ......................... 6 3.3 Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Program .............................................................. 7 3.4 Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund ............................................................................ 8 3.5 Total Maximum Daily Load Program .................................................................................. 9 Section 4.0 - Surface Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment ................................................. 9 4.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 9 4.2 Data Sources ....................................................................................................................... 10 4.3 NDEP Monitoring Data ..................................................................................................... 12 4.4 Other Sources of Monitoring Data .................................................................................... 12 4.5 Assessment Methodology .................................................................................................. 13 Section 5.0 Assessment Results ................................................................................................... 22 5.1 Category Summary ............................................................................................................ 22 5.2 Beneficial Use Summary ................................................................................................... 25 5.3 Category 5 Waters (303(d) List) ........................................................................................ 27 5.4 Delisted Waters .................................................................................................................. 29 5.5 TMDLs ............................................................................................................................... 29 Section 6.0 - Public Participation .................................................................................................. 30 Section 7.0 - References ............................................................................................................... 31 Nevada 2008-10 Water Quality Integrated Report with EPA Overlisting Page i May 2013 List of Tables Table 1. Summary of Nevada Waterbodies ................................................................................... 4 Table 2. Sources of Data Used for the 2008-10 Integrated Report ............................................. 13 Table 3. Minimum Number of Exceedances to Categorize a Standard as Not Met .................... 16 Table 4. Summary of Waterbody Segments Evaluated in the 2008-10 Integrated Report ......... 22 Table 5. Summary of Assessment Results – Streams .................................................................. 24 Table 6. Summary of Assessment Results – Lakes and Reservoirs ............................................ 24 Table 7. Summary of Assessment Results – Wetlands ................................................................ 25 Table 8. Summary of Beneficial Use Status for Streams ............................................................. 26 Table 9. Summary of Beneficial Use Status for Lakes and Reservoirs ....................................... 26 Table 10. Summary of Beneficial Use Status for Wetlands ........................................................ 27 Table 11. Causes of Impairment (Category 5 - 303(d) List) ........................................................ 28 List of Figures Figure 1. Nevada Hydrographic Regions and Basins .................................................................... 3 Figure 2. Water Quality Sample Sites Used in the 2008-10 Integrated Report .......................... 11 Figure 3. Waters Assessed for the 2008-10 Integrated Report .................................................... 23 List of Attachments Attachment 1 – Waterbody Changes Between the 2006 and the 2008 – 2010 Integrated Reports. Attachment 2 –Assessment Sampling Stations Attachment 3(a & b) –2008-10 Waterbody Assessment Results Attachment 4 –Category 5 Waters (303(d) List) Attachment 5 –Delisted Waters Attachment 6 –Approved TMDL List Nevada 2008-10 Water Quality Integrated Report with EPA Overlisting Page ii May 2013 Abbreviations and Acronyms The following abbreviation and acronyms appear throughout this document and the Attachments: A Acres AA Annual Average ADB Assessment Database AGM Annual Geometric Mean AQL Aquatic Life BLM United States Bureau of Land Management BWQP Nevada Bureau of Water Quality Planning CFR Code of Federal Regulations CWA Clean Water Act DRI Desert Research Institute EAV Water of Extraordinary or Aesthetic Value EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency EWQ Enhancement of Water Quality F Fully Supporting °F Degrees Fahrenheit FC Fish Consumption FDA United States Food and Drug Administration FM Freshwater Marsh I Insufficient Information IND Industrial Supply IR Integrated Report IRR Irrigation MCL Maximum Contaminant Limit MDS Municipal or Domestic Supply MGD Million gallons per day N Not Supporting NAC Nevada Administrative Code NDBU No Designated Beneficial Use NDEP Nevada Division of Environmental Protection NDH Nevada Division of Health NDOW Nevada Department of Wildlife NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NPS Nonpoint source NRS Nevada Revised Statute PWL Propagation of Wildlife RMHQ Requirement to Maintain Higher Quality RNC Recreation Not Involving Contact with Water RWC Recreation Involving Contact with Water TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load TMWRF Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility USGS United States Geological Survey X Not Assessed WLS Watering of Livestock WQS Water Quality Standard Nevada 2008-10 Water Quality Integrated Report with EPA Overlisting Page iii May 2013 Section 1.0 - Introduction In 1972, Congress passed Public Law 92-500, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, commonly known as the Clean Water Act (CWA). The goal of this act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters. The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) implements the CWA in Nevada, with oversight from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Every two years, Nevada is required by the CWA to conduct a comprehensive analysis of water quality data associated with Nevada's surface waters to determine whether state surface water quality standards are being met and designated uses are being supported. These reports are submitted to the EPA for approval. Once approved this information is used to guide water resource management decisions. Past waterbody assessments resulted in two products: the Section 303(d) List and the Section 305(b) report. Section 305(b) reporting often allowed for greater flexibility in regards to data age and quantity whereas, the Section 303(d) Lists only reported known beneficial use impairments based on high quality data of sufficient quantity to make confident assessments and decisions. Although the programs overlapped, interpretations and comparisons between the two assessments may have been misleading and not afforded water quality managers the ability to accurately describe the status of a single waterbody or the State’s overall water quality. For these reasons, EPA has encouraged states to adopt an integrated reporting process. The use of a single report creates consistency in the beneficial use assessments and determinations of whether a waterbody is “impaired” or “supported” for assigned beneficial uses. On March 1, 2009, EPA provided guidance for the 2010 waterbody assessments and reporting requirements for Sections 303(d), 305(b) and 314 of the CWA. NDEP has developed the Nevada 2008-10 Water Quality Integrated Report for use by the public, other entities, and for NDEP water quality management planning purposes. Due to delays in the 2008 Integrated Report, the 2008 and 2010 reporting cycles were combined for this 2008-10 Integrated Report. Nevada 2008-10 Water Quality Integrated Report with EPA Overlisting