Water Quality Standards A Northwest Challenge July 2005

1
Water Quality StandardsA Northwest
ChallengeJuly 2005
ACWA Annual Conference Bend, Oregon July 2005
2
Water Quality StandardsThe Perfect Storm
TMDLs
ESA
H
L
Lawsuits
Tribal Concerns
H
L
3
Tribes by Region

• 573 Tribes Nationwide
• 271 in Reg. 10
• 229 in Alaska
• 47 of Total

4
ESA Listings in 1991
In the beginning...
NMFS Northwest Region
NW Regional Office - Seattle
NMFS Northwest Region Lists Snake River
Sockeye in November 1991
NMFS Southwest Region Lists Sacramento River
Winter-run Chinook in November 1990
NMFS Southwest Region
SW Regional Office Long Beach
5
ESA Listings Today
Today...
Areas with Listed Salmon or Steelhead 26
salmon steelhead Evolutionarily Significant
Units (ESUs) 5 endangered ESUs 21
threatened ESUs 159,000 sq. miles in
Washington, Oregon, Idaho California
6
Implementation

• TMDLs
• Permits
• Non-point sources

7
The TMDL Scorecard
41 today
2 per year
ALASKA
69 from 2002 List
838 today
IDAHO
by 2008
1655
1998 List
655 today
OREGON
75 by 2008
1698
2002 List
679 today
WASHINGTON
completion by 2013
2196
1998 List
1000
2000
0
Assumes completion of Willamette River TMDL by
Sept. 30, 2005
8
Use Attainability Analyses Work

• Idaho UAA Workshop
• Oregon UAA guidance
• Washington UAA economic guidance
• Co-Regulators UAA Workshop San
  Francisco
• Columbia Basin Project
• Spokane River UAA

9
Some Current Northwest WQS Issues

• Toxics in Idaho
• Temperatures in Washington
• Toxics in Oregon

10
Is there a better way?

• Early coordination with State Tribes
• Set priorities with Services
• Early involvement with Services
• Risk Taking

11
Progress vs. Perfection