DRAFT Tucannon River and Pataha Creek TMDL Study
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Tucannon River and Pataha Creek Temperature Total Maximum Daily Load Water Quality Improvement Report and Implementation Plan April 2010 - DRAFT Publication No. 10-10-019 Publication and Contact Information This report is available on the Department of Ecology’s website at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/1010019.html For more information contact: Jon Jones Water Quality Program N. 4601 Monroe Spokane, WA 99205-1295 Phone: 509-329-3400 Washington State Department of Ecology Eastern Regional Office Water Quality Program 4601 N. Monroe St. Spokane, WA 99205-1295 Phone: 509-329-3481 Washington State Department of Ecology - www.ecy.wa.gov/ o Headquarters, Olympia 360-407-6000 o Northwest Regional Office, Bellevue 425-649-7000 o Southwest Regional Office, Olympia 360-407-6300 o Central Regional Office, Yakima 509-575-2490 o Eastern Regional Office, Spokane 509-329-3400 Cover photo: Cover photo of Tucannon River taken by HDR, 2005 Project Codes and 1996 303(d) Water body ID Numbers Data for this project are available at Ecology’s Environmental Information Management (EIM) website at www.ecy.wa.gov/eim/index.htm. Search User Study ID, TUWS35TM. Study Tracker Code (Environmental Assessment Program) is 07-062. TMDL Study Code (Water Quality Program) is TUWS35TM. Numbers: WA-35-2010 Any use of product or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the author or the Department of Ecology. To ask about the availability of this document in a format for the visually impaired, call the Water Quality Program at 360-407-6404. Persons with hearing loss can call 711 for Washington Relay Service. Persons with a speech disability can call 877-833-6341. Tucannon River & Pataha Creek Temperature Total Maximum Daily Load Water Quality Improvement Report and Implementation Plan by Dustin Bilhimer Donovan Gray Jon Jones Water Quality Program Eastern Regional Office Washington State Department of Ecology Olympia, Washington 98504 This page is purposely left blank Table of Contents Page List of Figures and Tables................................................................................................................v Figures .................................................................................................................................................... v Tables ..................................................................................................................................................... v Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... viii Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... ix What is a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) .............................................................................1 Federal Clean Water Act requirements .................................................................................................. 1 TMDL process overview ........................................................................................................................ 2 Elements the Clean Water Act requires in a TMDL .............................................................................. 2 Streamlined approach to TMDL development ....................................................................................... 2 Who should participate in this TMDL? .................................................................................................. 3 Why Ecology is Conducting a TMDL Project in this Watershed ....................................................5 Impairments addressed by this TMDL ................................................................................................... 5 Water Quality Standards and Beneficial Uses .................................................................................9 Watershed Description ...................................................................................................................11 TMDL Analysis .............................................................................................................................13 Loading capacity .................................................................................................................................. 13 Load and Wasteload Allocations ...................................................................................................15 Wasteload allocations ........................................................................................................................... 15 Load allocations ................................................................................................................................... 17 Seasonal Variation .........................................................................................................................21 Reserve capacity for future growth ...................................................................................................... 21 Margin of Safety ............................................................................................................................21 Recommendations ..........................................................................................................................21 Implementation Plan ......................................................................................................................23 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 23 Recommended actions .......................................................................................................................... 23 Reasonable Assurance ...................................................................................................................39 Monitoring .....................................................................................................................................39 Funding Opportunities ...................................................................................................................40 Tucannon River & Pataha Creek Temperature TMDL Water Quality Improvement Report Page iii - DRAFT Summary of Public Involvement Methods ....................................................................................41 Next steps ............................................................................................................................................. 41 References ......................................................................................................................................43 Appendix A. Glossary, Acronyms, and Abbreviations ............................................................ A-45 Appendix B. Response to Public Comments ............................................................................B-51 Appendix C: Overview of Stream Heating Processes ..............................................................C-53 Appendix D: Data Summaries ................................................................................................. D-67 Appendix E: Ecology Study Results and Discussion ............................................................... E-99 Appendix F: Model Calibration and Assumptions ................................................................. F-117 Appendix G: System Potential Shade and Load Allocations ................................................. G-125 Appendix H: Planned Implementation Actions ..................................................................... H-137 Appendix I: Implementation Responsibilities Tracking Sheet ............................................... I-139 Tucannon River & Pataha Creek Temperature TMDL Water Quality Improvement Report Page iv - DRAFT List of Figures and Tables Figures Figure 1. Map of the Tucannon/Pataha watershed ........................................................................11 Figure 2. Shade modeling process steps. ..................................................................................... 13 Figure 3. 7-day average daily maximum stream temperature for Pataha Creek and Pomeroy STP effluent. ................................................................................................. 15 Figure 4. Percent shade deficit load allocations for Tucannon River and Pataha Creek and the TMDL compliance area. ................................................................................. 18 Figure 5. Areas of groundwater/surface water interactions and daily maximum stream temperatures during July 13, 2005. .............................................................................. 19 Figure 6. Priority restoration and protection zones for the Tucannon/Pataha watershed. ........... 33 Tables Table 1. 303(d) listed water bodies for temperature addressed in this TMDL ............................... 6 Table 2. Aquatic life uses in the Tucannon River subbasin ............................................................ 9 Table 3. Shade model input parameters. ....................................................................................... 14 Table 4. Wasteload allocations for permitted discharges to Pataha Creek and Tucannon River. 15 Table 5. Values used to develop the Pomeroy treatment