Arkansas Water Quality Standards

Ryan BenefieldDeputy Director

Water Quality Standards

Picture Taken From http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/cwa/cwa3.htm

• Surface Waters

• Elements– Designated Uses– Water Quality

Criteria– Antidegredation

• Exemptions

Designated Uses

Those uses specified in the water quality standards for each water body or stream segment whether or not they are being attained.

•Extraordinary Resource Waters (ERW)

•Ecologically Sensitive Waterbody

•Natural and Scenic Waterways

•Primary Contact Recreation

•Secondary Contact Recreation

•Fisheries (Soon to be labeled Aquatic Life)

•Domestic Water Supply

•Industrial Water Supply

•Agricultural Water Supply

Designating Waterbodies

• Must Designate All Existing Uses *November 28, 1975

• Fishable/Swimmable Required (Rare Exceptions)

• Waste Transport Not Acceptable

Picture Taken From http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/cwa/cwa7.htm

Arkansas Ecoregions

Ouachita Mountains Ecoregion

Ouachita Mountains - DU

Reclassification of DUs

•Can not be an “Existing Use”

•Use Attainability Analysis

–Natural Condition

–Irreversible Human Condition

–Attainment would cause more harm

–Social and Economic Costs

•Public Participation Required

•EPA Review and Approval

Water Quality Criteria

•Consistent Scientifically with Designated Uses

•Type of Criteria

–Narrative

–Numeric

–Biological

Narrative Criteria

•Nutrients

–Materials stimulating algal growth shall not be present in concentrations sufficient to cause objectionable algal densities or other nuisance aquatic vegetation or otherwise impair and designated use of the waterbody

Numeric Criteria - Toxics

Numeric Criteria

Numeric Criteria - Minerals

Biological Criteria

Clean Water Act Process

Taken From http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/cwa/slide.htm

Implementation

• NPDES Permitting• Total Maximum Daily Load• Triennial Review• Regulation 2• 303d List• 305b Report• Continuing Planning Process