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Department of Ecology News Release - December 6, 2006
06-257
OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has revised a portion of the state's water quality standards that will make dozens of watersheds across the state healthier for salmon and trout.
The state's water quality standards set regulatory requirements for maintaining the health of lakes, rivers and marine waters. The standards set the level of pollution that is allowed to enter waters while keeping them clean and safe for people, fish and wildlife. The standards also cover water quality attributes such as temperature and dissolved oxygen.
The state's revised water quality standards require colder water, and in some cases more dissolved oxygen, to assure healthy summertime spawning and rearing habitat for endangered fish.
The changes are tailored to specific rivers and include major rivers that drain into Puget Sound, such as the Nooksack, Skagit, Stillaguamish, Snohomish, Green, Puyallup and Nisqually.
In Eastern Washington, rivers affected include the Snake, Yakima, Wenatchee, Methow, Okanogan, Naches and Walla Walla rivers.
Starting Dec. 21, Ecology will begin applying the new standards to new wastewater discharge permits and to new water quality improvement plans, known as Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) studies. Existing permits and plans will be implemented over time to make sure the new standards are met. Ecology will begin using the new standards for developing the state "303(d)" list of impaired waters beginning with the 2008-listing cycle.
Ecology will begin implementing the new surface water quality standards to the fullest extent possible under state authority while awaiting formal approval from the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Ecology submitted the latest changes to EPA today.
"These more-protective water quality standards have been a long time coming so we're going to implement them right away to benefit Washington's endangered salmon and trout," said Ecology Director Jay Manning. "Colder, oxygen-rich water, when combined with healthier river flows we are working to achieve, is good news for fish and good news for polluted receiving waters, such as our troubled Puget Sound."
Billy Frank Jr., Chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission said: "Improving water quality is one of the best things we can do for people, salmon and the health of Puget Sound. These stronger water quality standards provide a huge increase in protection for salmon. Restoring and protecting habitat is the single most important action we can take to save our wild salmon." The latest revisions enhance the state's existing standards adopted in 2003. The change satisfies requirements of the federal Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts.
The water quality standards rule making documents, including final rule language and maps, are posted on Ecology's Web site at: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/swqs/new-rule.html. Copies of the material may also be obtained on CD by contacting Ann Kahler at 360-407-6404 or by e-mail at akah461@ecy.wa.gov. For more information, or to be added to the water quality standards mailing list, contact Mark Hicks at 360- 407-6477 or e-mail him at mhic461@ecy.wa.gov.
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Contact: Sandy Howard, public information manager, 360-407-6408
EPA maps showing the river segments affected: http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/WATER.NSF/Water+Quality+Standards/WA+WQS+App+A
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
