Bryant Creek: Total Maximum Daily Loads – Arsenic (total), Iron (total), Nickel (total), Turbidity, and Total Suspended Solids Submitted to EPA Region IX, October 8, 2003 Approved by EPA Region IX, November 28, 2003 Bureau of Water Quality Planning Nevada Division of Environmental Protection Department of Conservation and Natural Resource Table of Contents Executive Summary....................................................................................................................... iv 1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Total maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Defined...................................................................1 1.1.1. Problem Statement...................................................................................................1 1.1.2. Source Analysis .......................................................................................................2 1.1.3. Target Analysis ........................................................................................................2 1.1.4. Pollutant Load Capacity and Allocation..................................................................2 1.1.5. Other Components ...................................................................................................2 1.2 A Phased Approach to TMDL Adoption and Implementation...........................................2 2.0 Background ...............................................................................................................................3 2.1 Study Area ..........................................................................................................................3 2.1.1. Leviathan Mine and its Impact on Water Quality....................................................3 2.2 Water Quality Standards.....................................................................................................6 2.3 303(d) Listing .....................................................................................................................7 2.4 Water Quantity and Quality................................................................................................8 2.4.1. Primary Monitoring Stations....................................................................................8 2.4.2. Water Quantity.......................................................................................................10 2.4.3. Water Quality.........................................................................................................11 3.0 Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) ..................................................................................11 3.1 Total Arsenic TMDL ........................................................................................................11 3.1.1. Problem Statement.................................................................................................11 3.1.2. Source Analysis .....................................................................................................13 3.1.3. Target Analysis ......................................................................................................13 3.1.4. Pollutant Load Capacity and Allocation................................................................14 3.1.5. Future Needs ..........................................................................................................15 3.2 Total Iron TMDL..............................................................................................................16 3.2.1. Problem Statement.................................................................................................16 3.2.2. Source Analysis .....................................................................................................17 3.2.3. Target Analysis ......................................................................................................17 3.2.4. Pollutant Load Capacity and Allocation................................................................18 3.2.5. Future Needs ..........................................................................................................19 3.3 Total Nickel TMDL..........................................................................................................20 3.3.1. Problem Statement.................................................................................................20 3.3.2. Source Analysis .....................................................................................................21 3.3.3. Target Analysis ......................................................................................................21 3.3.4. Pollutant Load Capacity and Allocation................................................................21 3.3.5. Future Needs ..........................................................................................................22 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Bryant Creek TMDLs Page i October 2003 Table of Contents (continued) 3.4 Turbidity and Total Suspended Solids TMDL .................................................................23 3.4.1. Problem Statement.................................................................................................23 3.4.2. Source Analysis .....................................................................................................25 3.4.3. Target Analysis ......................................................................................................25 3.4.4. Pollutant Load Capacity and Allocation................................................................26 3.4.5. Future Needs ..........................................................................................................27 References .....................................................................................................................................28 Appendix A. Water Quality and Quantity Data at Selected Monitoring Locations Table A-1. Historical Data Bryant Creek above Doud Springs (BCU)................................ A-1 Table A-2. Historical Data Bryant Creek Below Confluence With Mountain Creek (CRWQCB Station 25) ................................................................................................. A-2 List of Tables Table 1. Total Arsenic, Total Iron and Total Nickel Standards......................................................7 Table 2. Turbidity and Total Suspended Solids Standards.............................................................7 Table 3. List of Selected Water Quantity and Water Quality Monitoring Stations........................8 Table 4. Summary of Total Arsenic Water Quality Standards and Historical Data.....................12 Table 5. Summary of Iron Water Quality Standards and Historical Data ....................................16 Table 6. Summary of Nickel Water Quality Standards and Historical Data .................................20 Table 7. Summary of Turbidity and Total Suspended Solids Water Quality Standards and Historical Data ........................................................................................................23 List of Figures Figure 1. Bryant Creek Location Map ............................................................................................4 Figure 2. Selected Water Quantity and Quality Monitoring Stations.............................................9 Figure 3. Average Monthly Stream Flow (1961-2001) – Bryant Creek Near Gardnerville, NV (USGS# 10308800)...........................................................................10 Figure 4. Flow Duration Curve For Bryant Creek at USGS #10308800, 1961-2001 ..................11 Figure 5. Total Recoverable Arsenic Concentrations – Bryant Creek above Doud Springs, Nevada (BCU)............................................................................12 Figure 6. Total Recoverable Arsenic Loading Curve For Bryant Creek above Doud Springs, Nevada (BCU)............................................................................15 Figure 7. Total Recoverable Iron Concentrations – Bryant Creek at above Doud Springs, Nevada (BCU)............................................................................17 Figure 8. Total Recoverable Iron Loading Curve For Bryant Creek above Doud Springs, Nevada (BCU)............................................................................19 Figure 9. Figure 14. Turbidity - Bryant Creek above Doud Springs, Nevada (BCU)...................24 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Bryant Creek TMDLs Page ii October 2003 List of Figures(continued) Figure 10. Total Suspended Solids - Bryant Creek above Doud Springs, Nevada (BCU)............24 Figure 11. Turbidity vs. Total Suspended Solids For Bryant Creek above Doud Springs, Nevada (BCU)............................................................................25 Figure 12. Total Suspended Solids Loading Curve For Bryant Creek above Doud Springs, Nevada (BCU)............................................................................27 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Bryant Creek TMDLs Page iii October 2003 Bryant Creek: Total Maximum Daily Loads – Arsenic, Iron, Nickel, Turbidity, and Total Suspended Solids Executive Summary Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act requires each state to develop a list of