Public Notice
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Water
and Waste Management
601 57th St.
Charleston, WV 25304
Upper Guyandotte Streams
slated for TMDL Development
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announces the preliminary selection of streams and impairments for 2018 TMDL development.
The federal Clean Water Act, Section 303(d) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Water Quality Planning and Management Regulations, 40CFR Part 130.7, requires DEP to develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for impaired waters. An “impaired water” is a water body that fails to meet state water quality standards. Known impaired waters are identified on the West Virginia Section 303(d) list. A TMDL is a plan of action used to clean up polluted waters. TMDLs identify problematic pollution sources and prescribe the pollutant reductions needed for the stream to meet water quality standards.
The DEP TMDL development program is synchronized with West Virginia’s Watershed Management Framework. Organization under the framework allows the DEP to efficiently and systematically accomplish statewide TMDL development by regulatory deadlines. In accordance with the program plan, TMDLs issued by the DEP in 2018 should be developed for impaired waters in Hydrologic Group E watersheds. Hydrologic Group E includes the Big Sandy, Cacapon, Dunkard, Lower Ohio, Twelvepole, Upper Guyandotte, Upper Ohio South and West Fork watersheds.
2018 TMDL development is proposed in the Upper Guyandotte River watershed where DEP plans comprehensive assessment of streams. The effort will address impairments currently identified on the West Virginia 2012 Section 303(d) list and may identify additional impairments. To the extent practical, this project will include TMDL development for the newly identified impairments. The 2012 Section 303(d) list may be viewed at
http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/
watershed/IR/Pages/303d_305b.aspx
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