Abstract |
The federal Clean Water Act (CWA) requires that states and tribes restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters. States and tribes, pursuant to Section 303 of the CWA, are to adopt water quality standards necessary to protect fish, shellfish, and wildlife while providing for recreation in and on the nation's waters whenever possible. Section 303(d) of the CWA establishes requirements for states and tribes to identify and prioritize water bodies that are water quality limited (i.e., water bodies that do not meet water quality standards). States and tribes must periodically publish a priority list (a SC303(d) list) of impaired waters. Currently this list must be published every two years. For waters identified on this list, states and tribes must develop a total maximum daily load (TMDL) for the pollutants, set at a level to achieve water quality standards. This document addresses one water body in the Upper Spokane River Subbasin that has been identified as impaired in Section 5 of Idaho's 2002 Integrated Report, commonly referred to as the 303(d) list. This watershed assessment (WSA) and TMDL analysis has been developed to comply with Idahos TMDL schedule. The assessment describes the physical, biological, and cultural setting; water quality status; pollutant sources; and recent pollution control actions in the Fish Creek watershed, located in northern Idaho. |