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Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) / Impaired Waters

Total Maximum Daily Load

Definitions Approved TMDLs Helpful Links Active TMDL Public Notices

Clean Water Act requires states to adopt water quality standards to protect the nation's waters. These standards define how much of a pollutant can be in a surface and/or ground water while still allowing it to meet its designated uses, such as for drinking water, fishing, protection of aquatic life, swimming, irrigation or industrial purposes. Many of our water resources cannot currently meet their designated uses because of pollution problems from a combination of point sources, such as sewage treatment plant discharges, industrial dischargers, etc. and nonpoint sources, such as pollutants carried by rainfall runoff from forests, agriculture lands, abandoned mine lands, etc.

For each pollutant that causes a water body to fail to meet state water quality standards, the federal Clean Water Act requires the states to conduct a TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) study. A TMDL is a calculation of the greatest amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive without violating water quality standards, and assigns the amount of pollution that can be contributed by the pollutant sources.  A TMDL study identifies both point and nonpoint sources of each pollutant that fails to meet water quality standards. Water quality sampling, biological and habitat monitoring, and computer modeling determine how much each pollutant source must reduce its contribution to assure the water quality standard is met.   All Water Quality Limited Segments (WQLS) may have several TMDLs, each one determining the limit for a different pollutant. 

States must publish, every two years, an updated list of streams and lakes that are not meeting their designated uses (impaired waters) because of excess pollutants. The list, known as the 303(d) list, is based on violations of water quality standards. The 303(d) list and developed TMDLs are submitted by the states to EPA for review and approval. If EPA disapproves a state developed TMDL, then EPA must complete the TMDL.  The TMDLs are to be implemented using existing federal, state, and local authorities and under voluntary programs.

Each State in Region 7 has developed a schedule for completing development of TMDLs. Iowa and Missouri are scheduled to complete all TMDLs required by the 1998 303(d) List by 2009. Kansas is scheduled to complete all TMDLs required by the 1998 303(d) List by 2006. Nebraska is scheduled to develop ten (10) TMDLs per year for fiscal years 2002 and 2003. For more information, visit the State's development schedule web site: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Exit EPA Click for Disclaimer

EPA Region 7 has been sued in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri concerning TMDL development. EPA has signed Consent Decrees and Settlement Agreements with the plaintiffs. You can view these documents by clicking on the State of interest below:
Iowa- Consent Decree, [PDF] Settlement Agreement [PDF]
Kansas-Consent Decree, [PDF]
Missouri-Consent Decree, [PDF] Settlement Agreement [PDF]

One of the stipulated requirements within the Settlement Agreement covering the state of Iowa was the completion by EPA of an evaluation of Iowa's surface water monitoring and 303(d) listing program. The report can be viewed at the following link.

Iowa Monitoring Report [PDF] (pp., 62, 1 KB)

Tabatha Adkins is the Regional TMDL Coordinator and can be contacted at 913-551-7128 or adkins.tabatha@epa.gov.

Impaired Waters

IOWA

EPA Approves Iowa's List of Impaired Waters

(Kansas City, Kan., July 15, 2008) - EPA has approved Iowa's 2006 list of impaired waters. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) submitted this impaired waters list to EPA for review and approval March 12, 2008. The Clean Water Act requires states, territories, and authorized tribes to develop lists of impaired waters every two years. By law, EPA must approve or disapprove those lists. This action is not related to the recent flooding in Iowa. News Release

Environmental News

Contact:
Martin Kessler
(913) 551-7236
kessler.martin@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EPA ANNOUNCES AMENDED DECISION ON IOWA'S IMPAIRED WATERS LIST

(Kansas City, Kan., May 23, 2006) – EPA has announced its amended decision on Iowa’s 2004 Section 303(d) List of impaired waters, based on public comments.

Under Section 303(d) of the 1972 Clean Water Act, states, territories, and authorized tribes are required to develop lists of impaired waters every two years.  By law, EPA must approve or disapprove those 303(d) lists.

EPA partially approved and partially disapproved Iowa’s 2004 Section 303(d) List on November 14, 2005, when our decision document and supporting documentation were mailed to the state.

This original decision included adding 20 water bodies to the list.  Of those 20 water bodies, six were removed by the state in its final 2004 list and were restored to the list by EPA.  EPA held a public comment period from November 18 through December 19, 2005, seeking written comments on our original decision.

Based on our review, EPA is amending its decision by not adding Buffalo Creek, the South Skunk River, and the East Fork Wapsipinicon River to Iowa’s 2004 303(d) list.  Our rationale for not adding those three water bodies is included in the amended decision letter. The other 17 water bodies added in our original decision will remain on the list.

The amended decision letter and Responsiveness Summary to Comments are available below. The list and supporting information on EPA’s original Nov. 14, 2005 decision is also available below.

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Iowa 303d links of interest

Environmental News

Contact:
Martin Kessler
(913) 551-7003
kessler.martin@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 14, 2005

EPA SEEKING PUBLIC COMMENT ON DECISION ON IOWA'S IMPAIRED WATERS LIST

EPA has announced its decision on Iowa’s 2004 Section 303(d) List (impaired waters), and is giving the public the opportunity to review its decision to add waters back to the state’s 303(d) list.

EPA commends the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ commitment to good science, fostering public input, and keeping Iowans informed about the impaired waters listing process.

Under Section 303(d) of the 1972 Clean Water Act (CWA), states, territories, and authorized tribes are required to develop lists of impaired waters every two years. By law, EPA must approve or disapprove those 303(d) lists.

EPA is partially approving and partially disapproving Iowa’s 2004 Section 303(d) List. EPA’s decision document and supporting documentation were mailed to the state November 14.

EPA is adding 20 water bodies and associated pollutants of concern to Iowa’s list. Of these 20 water bodies, six were removed by the state in its final 2004 list and are being restored to the list by EPA. EPA is also approving Iowa’s listing of 216 water bodies and delisting of 43 water bodies.

The 30-day public comment period on EPA’s decision begins Nov. 18, when the public notice appears in six Iowa newspapers. The comment period ends Dec. 19. (Dec. 18 falls on a Sunday.)

The cover letter to the State, Decision Document, and chart of waterbodies added by EPA are available below. Additional supporting documentation is available for public review at Information Repositories in the six Iowa cities where the public notices were published. (See addresses and phone numbers of Repositories below.)

EPA will consider written public comments in reaching its final decision on the additional water bodies identified for inclusion on Iowa’s final 303(d) list.

Iowa 303d links of interest
Decision Document (63 pp., 738 KB) [PDF]

Environmental News

Contact:
Martin Kessler
(913) 551-7003
kessler.martin@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 20, 2003

EPA ANNOUNCES AMENDED DECISION ON IOWA’S IMPAIRED WATERS LIST

EPA has announced its amended decision on Iowa’s 2002 Section 303(d) List (impaired waters), based on public comments.
Under Section 303(d) of the 1972 Clean Water Act, states, territories, and authorized tribes are required to develop lists of impaired waters every two years. By law, EPA must approve or disapprove those 303(d) lists.

EPA partially approved and partially disapproved Iowa’s 2002 Section 303(d) List in July 2003. This original decision included adding back 20 lakes to the list. EPA’s decision document and supporting documentation was provided to the State on July 11.

EPA held a public comment period from July 16 through August 18, seeking written comments on our decision to restore the 20 lakes to Iowa’s list.

Based on our review, EPA is amending its decision by removing Little Clear Lake and Rathbun Reservoir from Iowa’s 2002 303(d) list. The rationale for removing those two lakes is included in the amended decision letter. The other 18 lakes added back to the 2002 303(d) list in EPA’s original decision will remain on the list.

The amended decision letter and Responsiveness Summary to Comments are available below. The list and supporting information on EPA’s original decision, along with a Fact Sheet, is also available below.

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Iowa 303d links of interest

Environmental News

Contact:
Martin Kessler
(913) 551-7003
kessler.martin@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 14, 2003

EPA SEEKING PUBLIC COMMENT ON DECISION ON IOWA'S IMPAIRED WATERS LIST

EPA has announced its decision on Iowa’s 2002 Section 303(d) List (impaired waters), and is giving the public the opportunity to review its decision to add waters back to the state’s 303(d) list.

Under Section 303(d) of the 1972 Clean Water Act (CWA), states, territories, and authorized tribes are required to develop lists of impaired waters every two years. By law, EPA must approve or disapprove those 303(d) lists.

EPA is partially approving and partially disapproving Iowa’s 2002 Section 303(d) List. EPA’s decision document and supporting documentation was provided to the state on July 11.

The public comment period on EPA’s decision ends August 18, 30 days after the date of the public notice, which will appear in six Iowa newspapers July 16. (August 16 falls on a weekend.)

The list and supporting information will be available on-line by July 16 at: www.epa.gov/region07/water/tmdl.htm.

EPA will consider written public comments in reaching its final decision on the additional water bodies identified for inclusion on Iowa’s final 303(d) list.

* Please see the attached 2-page Fact Sheet [PDF] for more information.

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Iowa 303d links of interest
 

KANSAS

Environmental News

Contact:
Martin Kessler
(913) 551-7236
kessler.martin@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 22, 2005

EPA APPROVES KANSAS’ IMPAIRED WATERS LIST

EPA has approved Kansas’ 2004 Section 303(d) List of impaired waters requiring the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) to address the impairments.

A TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards, and an allocation of that amount to the pollutant’s sources.

EPA commends the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) for devoting a significant amount of staff resources to developing the state’s 303(d) list, and for conducting a complex evaluation and assessment of water quality data.

Under Section 303(d) of the 1972 Clean Water Act, states, territories, and authorized tribes are required to develop lists of impaired waters every two years. By law, EPA must approve or disapprove those 303(d) lists.

EPA is approving 1,639 water-quality limited segments for which TMDLs will be developed by the state. Also, under an agreement with the state, intensive bacterial studies will be conducted by KDHE at 17 monitoring stations across the state to assess pollutant criteria for primary and secondary contact recreation.

Links to EPA's approval letter and supporting documentation are available below.

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Kansas 303d links of interest

Decision Document [PDF] (161 pp., 943 KB)

MISSOURI

Final Decision on Missouri's Impaired Waters List

(Kansas City, Kan., Jan. 16, 2009) - EPA has released its final decision on Missouri's 2004/2006 list of impaired waters. This decision will help the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) set priorities for restoration activities to improve water quality in the coming years. News Release

EPA Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Changes to List of Impaired Waters for Missouri

(Kansas City, Kan., Sept. 24, 2008) - EPA has released its proposed decision on the remaining portions of Missouri's 2004/2006 list of impaired waters. EPA is approving Missouri's listing of 61 waters as impaired, and the delisting of 52 water bodies. The Agency is requesting public comment on its proposed decision to add or restore a total of 135 water bodies and corresponding pollutants (water body/pollutant pairs) to Missouri's 2004/2006 impaired waters list. News Release

EPA Announces Decision on Missouri's List of Impaired Waters

Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, (913) 551-7557, lancaster.kris@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., Sept. 28, 2007) - EPA has approved portions of Missouri's 2004/2006 list of impaired waters.

Region 7 Administrator John B. Askew said, "The Clean Water Act's objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation's waters. Impaired waters are a concern for all of us."

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) submitted its impaired waters list to EPA for review and approval, as required by the Clean Water Act.

EPA recognizes MDNR for its work in preparing the list of impaired waters. With this action, EPA is approving the following:

EPA is continuing to review the remainder of the state's list and anticipates making a final decision within 60 days.

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Missouri 303d links of interest

Decision Document [PDF] (12 pp., 187 KB)

Environmental News

Contact:
Martin Kessler
(913) 551-7003
kessler.martin@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 18, 2003

EPA ANNOUNCES AMENDED DECISION ON MISSOURI’S LIST OF IMPAIRED WATERS

EPA has announced its amended decision on Missouri’s 2002 Section 303(d) List (impaired waters), based on public comments.

Under Section 303(d) of the 1972 Clean Water Act, states, territories, and authorized tribes are required to develop lists of impaired waters every two years. By law, EPA must approve or disapprove those 303(d) lists.

EPA partially approved and partially disapproved Missouri’s 2002 Section 303(d) List on April 29, 2003. This original decision included:

1) Adding or restoring 63 impaired waterbodies and associated pollutants of concern to Missouri’s 2002 303(d) list.
2) Adding back pollutants of concern that had been removed by the State from 30 waterbodies retained from the 1998 list.
3) Adding new pollutants of concern to two waterbodies retained from the 1998 list.

EPA’s decision document and supporting documentation was provided to the State on April 29, 2003. EPA held a public comment period from May 1 through August 15, 2003, seeking written comments on our decisions to add and/or restore specific waters and pollutants to Missouri’s 2002 303(d) list.

Based on our review of public comments, EPA is amending its decision by:

1) Removing 12 waterbodies out of the 38 waterbodies that EPA had added back to Missouri’s list for sediment, based on data and information provided by the State and the public during EPA’s public comment period.
2) Removing two waterbodies out of the 13 waterbodies that EPA had added to Missouri’s list from the group of 26 Consent Decree waterbodies, based on data and information provided by the State and the public during EPA’s public comment period.
3) Removing four other waterbodies and removing pollutants from six more waterbodies, based on data and information provided by the State and the public during EPA’s public comment period.
4) Concurring with the State’s original decision to change the pollutant name from “Non-Filterable Residue or Sediment” to “Volatile Suspended Solids or Non-Volatile Suspended Solids” for 22 waterbodies, based on field data provided by the State during EPA’s public comment period.

To provide more information on the amended decision, EPA has posted the amended decision letter and Responsiveness Summary to Public Comment below. EPA’s rationale for these revisions is addressed in the Responsiveness Summary. The list and supporting information on EPA’s original decision, along with a Fact Sheet, is also available below.

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Missouri 303d links of interest

Environmental News

Contact:
Martin Kessler
(913) 551-7003
kessler.martin@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 30, 2003

EPA SEEKING PUBLIC COMMENT ON PROPOSED DECISIONS ON MISSOURI’S IMPAIRED WATERS LIST

EPA has announced its proposed decisions on Missouri’s 2002 Section 303(d) List (impaired waters), and is giving the public the opportunity to review its proposed decisions to add and/or restore waters and pollutants to the State’s 303(d) list.

Under Section 303(d) of the 1972 Clean Water Act (CWA), states, territories, and authorized tribes are required to develop lists of impaired waters every two years. By law, EPA must approve or disapprove those 303(d) lists.

EPA is partially approving, and proposes to partially disapprove, Missouri’s 2002 Section 303(d) List. EPA’s proposed decision document and supporting documentation was provided to the State on April 30.

The public comment period on EPA’s proposed decisions ends June 30, 2003, 60 days after the date of the public notice, which will appear in seven Missouri newspapers May 1. The list and supporting information will be available online starting May 1 at www.epa.gov/region07.

EPA will consider written public comments in reaching its final decisions on the additional waterbodies and pollutants identified for inclusion on Missouri’s final 303(d) list.

* Please see the attached 2-page Fact Sheet [PDF]for more information.

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Missouri 303d links of interest

NEBRASKA

Environmental News

Contact:
Martin Kessler
(913) 551-7003
kessler.martin@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 30, 2004

EPA APPROVES NEBRASKA'S IMPAIRED WATERS LIST

EPA has approved Nebraska's 2004 Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waters requiring the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) to address the impairments.

A TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards, and an allocation of that amount to the pollutant's sources.

Under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, states, territories, and authorized tribes are required to develop lists of impaired waters every two years. By law, EPA must approve or disapprove those 303(d) lists.

The state combined their impaired waters list and their water quality report into an integrated water quality monitoring and assessment report for the first time, based on EPA's recommendation to all states. An integrated report fosters a more efficient and effective analysis.

The state submitted their integrated report to EPA on April 1, 2004. EPA's approval letter and supporting documentation was provided to the state on April 29.

EPA is pleased with the work done by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality in preparing their 2004 integrated report, seeking public participation, and continuing improvements in interagency coordination.

Links to EPA's approval letter and supporting documentation are available below.

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Nebraska 303d links of interest

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