FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Jan. 15, 2004
04-015
OLYMPIA - The state Department of Ecology is inviting public comment on the largest assessment ever done of Washington's waters.
"This is our broadest look yet at the condition of Washington's waters," said Dick Wallace, manager of Ecology's water quality program. "It will help us figure out which waterways need the most attention as we partner with local communities to address pollution."
The assessment includes the list of known polluted waters in the state, sometimes referred to as the 303(d) list after the section of the federal Clean Water Act in which it appears.
According to the draft assessment, a total of 1,328, or 56 percent, of 1998's 2,362 polluted-water listings have been placed into other categories.
Fully 19 percent no longer show evidence of pollution. Still, because more waters are being tested, the overall number of polluted water segments on the list has increased slightly, from 2,362 to 2,682.
Ecology compiles its own water quality data for the assessment and invites other groups to submit data as well. Nearly 40,000 data submissions received in December 2002 were analyzed to be sure they were collected using sound scientific methods, then all were mapped and catalogued.
The department is now inviting public comment on the 32,165 validated records in this year's assessment. When Ecology published similar data in 1998, there were only 2,362 records.
The assessment is used to identify polluted waters and set priorities for improving water quality so the water eventually can be used for swimming, fishing, fish habitat and drinking.
The public now has a chance to review the assessment, provide comments and submit additional data.
The state's final list will then be formally submitted to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has the authority to approve or disapprove it. A water cleanup plan, also known as a "total maximum daily load" or TMDL, must be developed for all of the waters that are classified as polluted (see Category 5, below).
In 1998, to help resolve a lawsuit between environmentalists and EPA, Ecology entered into an agreement to complete 1,566 water-cleanup plans on approximately 700 water bodies over a 15-year period. Now, five years into that agreement, Ecology and its community partners have completed 293 cleanup plans and are working to finish the rest.
"People are getting involved in understanding and improving water quality in their communities, and it is paying off," said Wallace, citing progress in places such as the Nooksack River, the upper and lower Yakima rivers, the Chehalis and Stillaguamish rivers, Simpson Timberland streams and Yakima's Granger Drain.
"All of these are a result of cooperative efforts between local communities and Ecology," Wallace said.
For 2004, each of the 32,165 listings in the assessment has been placed into one of five categories:
Category 1 - Meets tested standards for water quality, 21,347 listings.
Category 2 - Waters of concern (some evidence that pollution may be present), 4,282 listings.
Category 3 - No information submitted
Category 4 - Impaired but not on polluted-waters list for one of the following reasons:
4a - Has a formal water cleanup plan (TMDL) in place, 692 listings.
4b - Has an approved pollution control plan in place, 134 listings.
4c - Is impaired, but not by pollution (e.g., a blocked stream), 3,028 listings.
Category 5 - Polluted waters (the "303(d) list"), 2,682.
A single lake, river or stream segment may be listed in more than one category. For example, a stream segment may meet tested standards for temperature yet still be polluted by bacteria. In such a case, the stream segment would be listed in Category 1 for temperature and Category 5 for bacteria.
More information, including comprehensive listings and an interactive map that shows all waters in the state for which data exist, is available at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/303d/2002/2002-index.html.
Public comment on the draft assessment and additional data will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Monday, March 15.
Informational workshops are scheduled for:
* Feb. 3 in Spokane, 6:30 to 9 p.m.: Spokane Falls Community College, Student Union Bldg. Conference Room, 3419 W. Fort George Wright Drive.
* Feb. 4 in Yakima, 6:30 to 9 p.m.: Yakima Arboretum, 1401 Arboretum Drive.
* Feb. 10 in Everett, 6:30 to 9 p.m.: Walter E. Hall Golf Course, 1226 W. Casino Drive.
* Feb. 11 in Longview, 6:30 to 9 p.m.: Cowlitz PUD, 961 12th Ave.
* Feb. 12 in Lacey, 1:30 to 4 p.m.: Ecology Headquarters Auditorium, 300 Desmond Drive.
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