North Fork Payette River Subbasin Assessment and Total Maximum Daily Load Final Department of Environmental Quality July 2005 North Fork Payette River Subbasin Assessment and Total Maximum Daily Load July 2005 Prepared by: Boise Regional Office Department of Environmental Quality 1445 North Orchard Boise, Idaho 83706 North Fork Payette River Subbasin Assessment and TMDL July 2005 Acknowledgments Many hours have been expended in the preparation of this document by volunteers, state and federal agency personnel and many others. We gratefully acknowledge the time and effort that have been dedicated by so many individuals and organizations. We would like to acknowledge the efforts of local citizens, county governments, local industries, municipalities, soil and water conservation districts, watershed councils, irrigation districts and companies, local Watershed Advisory Groups, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho State Department of Agriculture, Idaho Soil Conservation Commission, environmental stakeholders and federal entities including the US Environmental Protection Agency, US Forest Service, US Geological Survey, US Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service and US Bureau of Reclamation. The help we have received from these entities in collecting and evaluating data and in developing and reviewing this TMDL is deeply appreciated. We look forward to a continued opportunity to work together as this project progresses. Finally, we thank the citizens of Idaho for their support of water quality in the North Fork Payette River and mainstem Payette River area and their participation in its restoration. Cover photo by Jessica Dombrowski. i July, 2005 North Fork Payette River Subbasin Assessment and TMDL July 2005 ii July, 2005 North Fork Payette River Subbasin Assessment and TMDL July 2005 Table of Contents Acknowledgments .................................................................................................... i Table of Contents.................................................................................................... iii List of Figures ....................................................................................................... viii Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Symbols ............................................................... x Executive Summary.............................................................................................. xiii Subbasin at a Glance ..................................................................................... xiii Key Findings................................................................................................. xviii 1. Subbasin Assessment – Watershed Characterization .................................... 1 1.1 Introduction.................................................................................................. 1 Background ................................................................................................. 1 Idaho’s Role................................................................................................. 2 1.2 Physical and Biological Characteristics.................................................... 3 Climate......................................................................................................... 4 Subbasin Characteristics ........................................................................... 7 Geology...................................................................................................... 11 Soils ........................................................................................................... 13 Ground Water, Springs and Geothermal Water...................................... 13 Topography ............................................................................................... 14 Fisheries .................................................................................................... 14 Vegetation.................................................................................................. 18 Recreation ................................................................................................. 18 Subwatershed Characteristics................................................................. 19 1.3 Cultural Characteristics ............................................................................ 22 Land Use/Ownership/Population............................................................. 22 Water Resource Activities........................................................................ 23 History and Economics ............................................................................ 27 Water Resource Activities........................................................................ 28 2. Subbasin Assessment – Water Quality Concerns and Status...................... 29 2.1 Water Quality Limited Segments Occurring in the Subbasin ................ 29 About Assessment Units.......................................................................... 29 Listed Waters ............................................................................................ 30 2.2 Applicable Water Quality Standards........................................................ 33 Beneficial Uses ......................................................................................... 35 Criteria to Support Beneficial Uses......................................................... 36 2.3 Pollutant Beneficial Use Support Status Relationships......................... 37 iii July, 2005 North Fork Payette River Subbasin Assessment and TMDL July 2005 Sediment.................................................................................................... 37 Temperature .............................................................................................. 40 Bacteria...................................................................................................... 40 Excess Nutrients....................................................................................... 41 Floating, Suspended, or Submerged Matter (Nuisance Algae)............. 42 Sediment – Nutrient Relationship............................................................ 43 Dissolved Oxygen..................................................................................... 44 2.4 Summary and Analysis of Existing Water Quality Data ......................... 45 Data Assessment Methods ...................................................................... 46 TMDL Target Analysis .............................................................................. 48 North Fork Payette River .......................................................................... 55 Big Creek ................................................................................................... 67 Black Canyon Reservoir........................................................................... 72 Box Creek .................................................................................................. 84 Browns Pond............................................................................................. 92 Brush Creek............................................................................................... 94 Clear Creek ................................................................................................ 98 Elip Creek ................................................................................................ 112 Fall Creek................................................................................................. 114 Landing Creek ......................................................................................... 120 Round Valley Creek ................................................................................ 125 Soldier Creek........................................................................................... 129 Squaw Creek ........................................................................................... 132 Tripod Creek............................................................................................ 141 2.5 Data Gaps................................................................................................. 143 3. Subbasin Assessment – Pollutant Source Inventory .................................. 144 3.1 Sources of Pollutants of Concern.......................................................... 144 Point Sources.......................................................................................... 144 Nonpoint Sources ................................................................................... 144 Pollutant Transport................................................................................. 147 3.2 Data Gaps................................................................................................. 147 Point Sources.......................................................................................... 148 Nonpoint Sources ................................................................................... 148 4. Subbasin Assessment – Summary of Past and Present Pollution Control Efforts ................................................................................................................... 150 Point Sources.......................................................................................... 150 Nonpoint Sources ................................................................................... 150 Reasonable Assurance..........................................................................