Mid Snake River/Succor Creek Subbasin Assessment and Total Maximum Daily Load Addendum

123 Pages·2013·3.32 MB·English

Mid Snake River/Succor Creek Subbasin
Assessment and Total Maximum Daily Load
Addendum – Birch, Hardtrigger, McBride,
Pickett Creeks, and Vinson Wash

Draft

Department of Environmental Quality
April 2013

G:\TMDL\TMDL Addendum Template\TMDL_Addendum_Template_12_12_08.doc
Mid Snake River/Succor Creek Subbasin Assessment and TMDL Addendum  April 2013

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Mid Snake River/Succor Creek Subbasin
Assessment and Total Maximum Daily Load
Addendum – McBride, Hardtrigger, Pickett, and
Birch Creeks
ID17050103 TMDL Addendum

April 1, 2013

Prepared by:
Troy Smith
Boise Regional Office
Department of Environmental Quality
1455 N. Orchard
Boise, ID 83706
Table of Contents
Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Symbols ................................................................................ v
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................. ix
Subbasin at a Glance ..................................................................................................... x
Key Findings ................................................................................................................ xii
1. Subbasin Assessment – Watershed Characterization ................................................... 1
1.1. Introduction—Regulatory Requirements............................................................ 1
1.2. Public Participation and Comment Opportunities .............................................. 1
1.3. Physical, Biological, and Cultural Characteristics .............................................. 1
2. Subbasin Assessment – Water Quality Concerns and Status .......................................11
2.1. Water Quality Limited Assessment Units Occurring in the Subbasin ................11
2.2. Applicable Water Quality Standards and Beneficial Uses .................................11
2.3. Criteria to Support Beneficial Uses ...................................................................12
2.4. Summary and Analysis of Existing Water Quality Data ....................................15
2.5. Data Gaps ........................................................................................................22
2.6. Conclusions .....................................................................................................23
3. Subbasin Assessment–Pollutant Source Inventory .......................................................25
3.1. Sources of Pollutants of Concern .....................................................................25
3.2. Data Gaps ........................................................................................................31
4. Monitoring and Status of Water Quality Improvements .................................................33
5. Total Maximum Daily Load(s) .......................................................................................35
5.1. In-stream Water Quality Targets ......................................................................35
5.2. Load Capacity ..................................................................................................40
5.3. Estimates of Existing Pollutant Loads ..............................................................40
5.4. Load Allocation ................................................................................................41
5.5. Pollution Trading ..............................................................................................48
5.6. Public Participation ..........................................................................................49
5.7. Implementation Strategies ...............................................................................50
5.8. Conclusions .....................................................................................................55
References Cited ................................................................................................................59
Glossary ..............................................................................................................................62
Appendix A. Unit Conversion Chart .....................................................................................78
Appendix B. State and Site-Specific Standards and Criteria ................................................82
Appendix C. Data Sources ..................................................................................................84
Appendix D. Distribution List ...............................................................................................88
Appendix E. Public Comments/Public Participation .............................................................90
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List of Tables

Table A. Summary of 303(d) listed water quality segments and outcomes in this TMDL. ... xiii
Table 1. §303(d) Segments in the Mid Snake River/Succor Creek subbasin. ......................11
Table 2. Beneficial uses of Section 303(d) listed streams. ...................................................12
Table 3. Selected numeric criteria supportive of designated beneficial uses in Idaho water
quality standards. ........................................................................................................13
Table 10. Summary of assessment outcomes. ....................................................................58
Table A-1. Metric - English unit conversions. .......................................................................80

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List of Figures

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Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Symbols

§303(d) Refers to section 303 COLD cold water aquatic life
subsection (d) of the Clean
Water Act, or a list of DEQ Idaho Department of
impaired water bodies Environmental Quality
required by this section
DO dissolved oxygen
μ micro, one-one thousandth
DOI U.S. Department of the Interior
§ Section (usually a section of
federal or state rules or DWS domestic water supply
statutes)
EPA United States Environmental
ADB assessment database Protection Agency

AU assessment unit ESA Endangered Species Act

AWS agricultural water supply GIS Geographical Information
Systems
BLM United States Bureau of Land
Management HUC Hydrologic Unit Code

BMP best management practice I.C. Idaho Code

BOR United States Bureau of IP implementation plan
Reclamation
IDAPA refers to citations of Idaho
BURP Beneficial Use administrative rules
Reconnaissance Program
IDFG Idaho Department of Fish and
C Celsius Game

CFR Code of Federal Regulations IDL Idaho Department of Lands
(refers to citations in the
federal administrative rules) IDWR Idaho Department of Water
Resources
cfs cubic feet per second
km kilometer
cfu colony forming units
km2 square kilometer
cm centimeters
LA load allocation
CWA Clean Water Act
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LC load capacity QA quality assurance

m meter QC quality control

m3 cubic meter SBA subbasin assessment

mi mile SCR secondary contact recreation

mi2 square miles SFI DEQ’s Stream Fish Index

MBI Macroinvertebrate Biotic SHI DEQ’s Stream Habitat Index
Index
SMI DEQ’s Stream Macroinvertebrate
MGD million gallons per day Index

mg/L milligrams per liter SRP soluble reactive phosphorus

mm millimeter SS salmonid spawning

MOS margin of safety SSC suspended sediment
concentration
MWMT maximum weekly maximum
temperature STATSGO State Soil Geographic
Database
n.a. not applicable
TDS total dissolved solids
NA not assessed
TKN total Kjeldahl nitrogen
NB natural background
TMDL total maximum daily load
nd no data (data not available)
TP total phosphorus
NPDES National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System TS total solids

NRCS Natural Resources TSS total suspended solids
Conservation Service
t/y tons per year
NTU nephelometric turbidity unit
U.S. United States
PCR primary contact recreation
U.S.C. United States Code
PFC proper functioning condition
USDA United States Department of
ppm part(s) per million Agriculture

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USFS United States Forest Service

USGS United States Geological
Survey

WAG Watershed Advisory Group

WBAG Water Body Assessment
Guidance

WBID water body identification
number

WLA wasteload allocation

WQLS water quality limited segment

WQMP water quality management
plan

WQS water quality standard
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