2008 Impaired Waters List Available for Comment

Mike has been prompting me to post to our blog, so here goes.

Following is a notice about the new Impaired Stream List, commonly called the 303(d) list. Arkansas is required to monitor, analyze and list streams (and lakes) that are "impaired" because they do not meet water quality standards, set by the State with approval from EPA. This requirement of the Clean Water Act occurs every two years.

There is a public hearing in Little Rock March 12, but comments can be made until March 26th, as indicated near the end of the notice.

If you want in depth information, I direct your attention to the following link on the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality 9ADEQ) Web site

http://www.adeq.state.ar.us/water/reports_data.htm

Check out the 2004- 303(B) document, which is a much more in-depth look at how Arkansas monitors and evaluates streams. (Note: Arkansas was sued a few years back to inspire compliance.)

Also check out link on the West Fork. A good analysis of what is happening on many of our tributaries. Warning: These are very long documents.

Best,
Gene Dunaway
President
Friends

2008 IMPAIRED STREAMS LIST HEARING SCHEDULED

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) will hold a public hearing at North Little Rock March 12, 2008, to receive comments on the agency’s proposed 2008 Impaired Waterbodies List (commonly called the 303d List). The hearing will be held at 2:00 p.m. in the Commission Room at the ADEQ headquarters building, 5301 Northshore Drive.

(A separate public hearing on the 2006 303d List was announced last month and is still scheduled for 2:00 p.m. February 19 at the ADEQ offices.)

Prior to accepting formal public comments at the hearing, the ADEQ Water Division staff will present a short program discussing the proposed 2008 303d List. A period of time will also be set aside for informal discussion and questions and answers before the formal public comment period begins.

The 303d List is developed by the ADEQ every two years under provisions of Section 303d of the federal Clean Water Act. The ADEQ assesses water quality monitoring data from numerous locations around the state, and utilizes a comprehensive assessment methodology approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine which waters are not meeting all of their designated uses as listed in the Arkansas Water Quality Standards (Regulation No. 2 of the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission).

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2006 Impaired Streams List, Page Two

Water quality data from more than 700 stream sampling sites and 210 lake sampling sites were considered during the development of the proposed 2008 303d List. The sampling stations were either part of the ADEQ’s statewide water quality monitoring network, special surveys conducted by the ADEQ, or sites sampled by the U.S. National Park Service within the Buffalo River Watershed. Other water quality data from federal state, and local government agencies, as well as from private entities in Arkansas and adjoining states, were also evaluated during development of the proposed list.

A complete listing of impaired waterbodies can be found in the tables following the narrative of the draft 2008 303d List. Copies of the list are available on the ADEQ’s Internet web site at www.adeq.state.ar.us or can be obtained by contacting Jim Wise in the ADEQ Water Division; telephone, 501-682-0663; e-mail, wise@adeq.state.ar.us.

Copies of the proposed 2008 Arkansas 303d List also are available for public inspection during normal business hours at the ADEQ’s Public Outreach and Assistance Division, located on the second floor of the ADEQ headquarters building, 5301 Northshore Drive, North Little Rock. In addition, copies of the list are available for public review during normal business hours at ADEQ information depositories located in public libraries at Arkadelphia Batesville, Blytheville, Camden, Clinton, Crossett, El Dorado, Fayetteville, Forrest City, Fort Smith, Harrison, Helena, Hope, Hot Springs, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Magnolia, Mena, Monticello, Mountain Home, Pocahontas, Russellville, Searcy, Stuttgart, Texarkana, and West Memphis; in campus libraries at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and the University of Central Arkansas at Conway; and in the Arkansas State Library located on the State Capitol grounds at Little Rock.

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2006 Impaired Streams List, Page Three

Oral and written comments on the proposed 2008 303d List will be accepted at the public hearing, but written statements are preferred in the interest of accuracy. In addition, written statements will be considered if received no later than 4:30 p.m. March 26, 2008. Written statements should be sent to: Jim Wise, Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, Water Division, 5301 Northshore Drive, North Little Rock, AR 72118; e-mail: wise@adeq.state.ar.us.

Proposed revisions to the 2008 Arkansas 303d List will be incorporated into the 2008 Arkansas Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report (commonly called the 305b Report), after approval by the ADEQ director and the Region 6 office of the EPA.

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Holiday Mountain Resort Treatment Facility Permit Mod

Holiday Mountain Resort (HMR), located just upstream from the White River along South Sylamore Creek has requested a modification to their waste treatment facility which will allow a connection to their existing waste treatment facility. The request would allow a sewer connection from a 37 home development called Creekside Subdivision along South Sylamore Creek - the exact location of which is not obvious from the permit modification application. About year ago when HMR requested a renewal of their operating permit, it was specifically stated that there was no plan to allow this planned subdivision to hook into the HMR facility. The subdivision developer has already apparently secured the easements from the owners who own property the sewer line will traverse and is obviously working with Holiday Mountain Resort to make the necessary modifications to thier treatment plant so it will handle the effluent from this new subdivision. The NPDES permit modification application clearly shows these agreements. I suspect this subdivision is located on the opposite side of South Sylamore Creek from HMR's existing facility and I will be trying to identify exactly where these houses will be built with respect to S. Sylamore Creek and the HMR treatment facility. I will also attempt to specifically locate where the sewage connection line will run and if it crosses South Sylamore Creek, where and how this crossing is to be made.

Another area of concern is that there apparently is an SWPPP in the works for the first several lots of this subdivision which is described as involving less than 5 acres. I suspect this listing of less than 5 acres hass being defined so that a comprehensive SWPPP with a permit can be avoided. If this development is for 37 homes whch would be consistent with the requested modifiacation to the HMR waste facility modification, then a SW permit and a complete SWPPP evaluation and plan must be produced and approved. I suspect this smaller development parcel is an intentional attempt to avoid having to develop the comprehensive SWPPP which would go along with the SW Permit.

I have filed a request for a public hearing with ADEQ on this requested modification to the Holiday Mountain Resort's treatment facility and will post when and where this hearing will be held as soon as it is established and will post additiional information on this subdivision and the sewage connection line location as it becomes available.

Trout Management Plan

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission began developing trout management plans for each of the tailwaters a few years back. This past spring they began the task of doing a plan for the White and Norfork. It was saved for last because it will be the most contentious. After several public input sessions and several advisory committee meetings, they released a draft plan last week. The draft plan can be found on their website www.agfc.com.
The plan contains strategies for managing the trout, the trout fisherpeople and the watershed.

I plan to share some of my views regarding this draft on this blog soon.

Friends of the North Fork and White Rivers Blog is On-line!

This is the new blog for the Friends of the North Fork and White Rivers. Friends President Gene Dunaway and other Friends members will periodically post items of interest the Friends of the Rivers and other citizens concerned about water quality, watersheds, and preservation of the White and North Fork Rivers.