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Reply To
Attn Of OW- 1 34
David C. Peeler, Manager
Water Quality Program
Department of Ecology
P.O. Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600
Re: Approval of Fecal Coliform Bacteria TMDL for the Upper Chehalis River
Dear Mr. Peeler:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to approve TMDLs for impaired waters addressed in the Upper Chehalis Fecal Coliform TMDL, which were submitted to EPA by the Department of Ecology on May 21, 2004. This approval covers the following 15 waterbodies segments which were on the 1998 303(d) list; 9 of these waterbodies (all but the Skookumchuck River) were also on the 1996 303(d) list
| - | 1998 | 1996 |
| Stream Name- | Waterbody ID#- | Waterbody ID#- |
| Chehalis River | DS29ZH- RM 33.69 67.5 | WA-23-1010 |
| - | - | WA-23-1020 |
| Demsey Creek | FM81JM | WA-23-2060 |
| Scatter Creek | AQ85FY | WA-23-1018 |
| Lincoln Creek | AP15HC - RM 1.2 and 10 | WA-23-1019 |
| Skookumchuck River | BV55DP | - |
| Salzer Creek | QF44VO - RM 0.6 and 1.7 | WA-23-1023 |
| Dillenbaugh Creek | EV39SR- RM 0.1, 1.7, 3.4, 4.6 | WA-23-1027 |
| Berwick Creek | KB60UI | WA-23-1028 |
| Newaukum | WC81BX | WA-23-1070 |
This approval also covers the following 11 waterbodies segments which were not included on the 1998 303(d). Of these, the Chehalis River, Bunker Creek, and South Fork Chehalis were on the 1996 303(d) list
| - | 1998 | 1996 |
| Stream Name- | Water Body ID#- | Waterbody ID#- |
| Chehalis River | DS29ZH-RM 59.9, 77.7 and 101.7 | WA-23-1010 |
| - | - | WA-23-1010 |
| Allen Creek | XO13OJ | - |
| Steams Creek | EV19TA | - |
| Bunker Creek | GG93MD | WA-23-1104 |
| Deep Creek | MK50YR | - |
| South Fork Chehalis | AR82EA | WA-23-1106 |
| Lake Creek | VYOITK | - |
| Lost (Valley Creek) | XQ54GH | - |
| Beaver Creek | HA04TR | - |
The waterbodies not listed on the 1998 303(d) list were determined during TMDL development to not be meeting water quality standards for fecal coliform. EPA understands that these waters would have been included on the 1998 303(d) list had the state been aware, at the time the list was compiled, that these waterbodies were impaired. The information contained in these TMDLs demonstrates that these non-listed waters are in fact water quality limited segments in need of a TMDL. Because these waters now have approved TMDLs associated with them, the state need not include these waters on its next Section 303(d) list for the pollutant covered by these TMDLS.
Beaver Creek was not on the 1998 list because it was given a load allocation under the Black River Fecal Coliform TMDL established in 1994. An updated load allocation based on more recent data was given to Beaver Creek in this TMDL.
We are impressed by the commitment, hard work and partnership .shown by the Department of Ecology and the Chehalis Basin Partnership during the development of these TMDLs. In particular, the goal you've established to meet water quality standards by 2010 shows a strong commitment to water quality improvement. By EPA's approval, these TMDLs are now incorporated into the State's Water Quality Management Plan under Section 303(e) of the Clean Water Act. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to call me at
(206)-553-4198, or you may call Laurie Mann of my staff at (206) 553-1583.
Sincerely,
Office of Water & Watersheds
cc:
Melissa Gildersleeve, Ecology Central Regional Office
Helen Bresler, Ecology Central Regional Office
Ron McBride, Ecology Central Regional Office
Dave Rountry Ecology Southwest Regional Office
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