Abstract |
Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act (the Act) directs States to identify and list waters, known as water quality limited segments (WQLSs), in which current required controls of a specified substance are inadequate to achieve water quality standards. For each WQLS, the State is to establish a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) of the specified substance that the waterbody can receive without violating water quality standards. The Bohemia River was identified on the States 1996 list of WQLSs as impaired by nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). This report proposes the establishment of two TMDLs for the Bohemia River: one for nitrogen and one for phosphorus. Once the TMDLs are approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) they will be incorporated into the States Continuing Planning Process, pursuant to Section 303(e) of the Act. In the future, the established TMDLs will support control measures needed to restore water quality in the Bohemia River. This document proposes to establish Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for nitrogen and phosphorus in the Bohemia River. The Bohemia River ultimately drains to the Chesapeake Bay through the Big Elk River, and is a part of the Upper Eastern Shore Tributary Strategy Basin. The river is impaired by the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus, which cause excessive algal blooms. |