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APPLYING THE CLEAN WATER ACT SO THAT WE FIX THE RIGHT THINGS
Citation:
Cormier, S M., C. Bellucci, AND G. Hoffman. APPLYING THE CLEAN WATER ACT SO THAT WE FIX THE RIGHT THINGS. Presented at Ohio State University Seminar Series, Columbus, OH, January 23, 2004.
Impact/Purpose:
The purpose of this research project is to provide methods, tools and guidance to Regions, States and Tribes to support the TMDL program. This research will investigate new measurement methods and models to link stressors to biological responses and will use existing data and knowledge to develop strategies to determine the causes of biological impairment in rivers and streams. Research will be performed across multiple spatial scales, site, subwatershed, watershed, basin, ecoregion and regional/state.
Description:
Determining the cause of a biological impairment can be a daunting task, one that is complicated by multiple possible causes, spotty or irregularly collected data, natural variations due to season, weather, land formation and other factors, and a lack of basic scientific information needed to diagnose an environmental problem. Nevertheless, probable causes of biological impairments can be determined and findings can be used to reduce or remove detrimental causes and improve condition of biological communities. For example, a 2.4 km segment of the Willimantic River in northeastern Connecticut was listed as impaired in 1998 based on a review of aquatic toxicity monitoring reports submitted to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection from the Stafford publicly owned treatment works (POTW). Calculations showed a high probability of exceeding Connecticut's water quality criteria for copper, lead and zinc. Subsequent monitorig in the fall of 1999 confirmed biological impairment downstream of the Stafford POTW, however, biological impairment was also observed upstream contrary to expectations based on the direction of water flow. A causal analysis using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Stressor Identification Document helped to identify an illicit, complex episodic toxic discharge. After removal of the illicit discharge, the number of macroinvertebrate taxa increased; however, overall biological condition did not meet state biocriteria. A second causal analysis identified probable causes associated with similar sources scattered throughout the watershed that elevated temperature and altered food resources.