WRIA 62 WMP 032305 - Washington State Department of Ecology

March, 2005 -60- 023-1289-003.3040
The US Forest Service (USFS) is currently working on TMDLs for the Colville National Forest
which include temperature TMDLs in WRIA 62 for 1998 303(d) listings for Lost Creek and Cedar
Creek in Ione and fecal coliform TMDLs on the Colville National Forest outside of WRIA 62. The
model being used for temperature can be used to address future temperature listings in the Colville
National Forest. However, the fecal coliform model will only apply to the sites in the Colville
National Forest that are listed on the 1998 303(d) list, therefore if there are any future fecal coliform
listings on the Colville National Forest, a new fecal coliform TMDL will likely be needed. The
USFS Colville National Forest TMDLs timelines are tentatively:
• TMDL Report External Stakeholder Review – April 2005
• TMDL Report Submitted to EPA – June 2005
The Colville National Forest spans Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille Counties. Forming an advisory
group of interested citizens from Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties would be cumbersome and
since neither Ecology or the USFS is obligated to form advisory groups to develop or implement
TMDLs, the USFS and Ecology have decided instead to use a variety of other methods to seek input
from forest users, interested people and various planning groups when working on the Colville
National Forest TMDLs. It is likely that public meetings will be held which will provide an avenue
for the WRIA 62 Planning Unit or Implementing Body to contribute. In addition, all TMDLs go
through a public comment period which is another opportunity for people to participate in the Colville
National Forest TMDL process. To support action WQUAL 3a-1, the WRIA 62 Watershed Planning
Implementing Body should become involved with public meetings and during the public comment
period.
There are currently six approved sediment TMDLs and one approved temperature TMDL in streams
within the Priest River watershed in Idaho that have the potential to impact water quality downstream
in WRIA 62. These TMDLs are (Table 4-6 and Figure 4-6):
• Sediment for Reeder Creek, Kalispel Creek, Binarch Creek, Lower West Branch Priest
River, the East River watershed and the Lower Priest River; and,
• Temperature for the East River watershed.
In addition, the following TMDLs are planned by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
(IDEQ) in the Priest River Basin in Idaho near future (Table 4-6 and Figure 4-6):
• Temperature for Hughes Fork, Granite Creek, Reeder Creek, Kalispel Creek, Binarch
Creek, Lower West Branch Priest River and the Lower Priest River; and,
• Sediment, temperature and total dissolved gas for the Pend Oreille River (from Lake
Pend Oreille to the Washington – Idaho border).
WRIA 62 is set to be “scoped” by Ecology again for TMDLs in 2008-2009. Ecology can, however,
schedule TMDLs earlier if the study information is needed sooner. Ecology’s draft 2002/2004 303(d)
list includes additional tributary listings both on and off the Colville National Forest. TMDL work on
these tributaries will likely be scheduled after the list is finalized, but possibly earlier than 2009 if it
promotes coordinated planning of TMDLs throughout the basin. The 1998 and draft 2000/2004
303(d) listed water bodies are illustrated on Figures 4-7 and 4-8, respectively.
WRIA 62 WMP 032305