Only about one-sixth of all West Virginia streams are currently clean enough for all of their designated uses, according to a new report from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
On Friday, WVDEP announced that the federal Environmental Protection Agency had approved the state’s latest Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report. (EPA approved the report on Jan. 17, but for some reason WVDEP didn’t announce the action until Friday).
The report is intended to comply with the requirements of Section 303(d) and Section305(b) of the Clean Water Act.
According to WVDEP:
Section 303(d) requires the creation of a list of impaired streams in the state and Section 305(b) necessitates an overall assessment of West Virginia’s waters. The DEP’s Division of Water and Waste Management’s Watershed Assessment Branch compiled, evaluated and
summarized all readily available water quality data for
West Virginia’s waters. The integrated report contains
assessment methodologies and results, information on Total
Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) development, water pollution
control programs and various other water resource
management issues. The 303(d) list is the comprehensive
list used for TMDL selection and development in West
Virginia.
The WVDEP report examines whether state streams and lakes are clean enough to support various uses, such as drinking water supply, swimming, and supporting aquatic life. A water body is considered impaired when it does not attain the water quality standards necessary for its designated uses.
Among the report’s findings:
– Only 16 percent of state streams (based on stream mileage) fully support all of their designated uses;
– Another 11 percent of state streams support some of their designates uses, but no or insufficient information exists to judge the other uses;
– For 40 percent of the state’s stream miles, there is insufficient information to judge whether they meet their designated uses;
– Another 13 percent of streams have approved cleanup plans, but are still listed as impaired;
– Another 20 percent are listed as impaired, but do not yet have cleanup plans.
Among the most common impairments listed were: Excess fecal coliform bacteria, acid mine drainage, mercury or PCB contamination of fish, and acidity associated with acid rain.
In its news release, WVDEP said:
Individuals may request a CD version of the West Virginia
2008 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment
Report or download all or part of the report from Share|
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Years ago, Elk Creek in Barbour County, empties into the West Fork River, ran orange like in the picture and wouldn’t support life. A committee was formed to clean it up. It took time, but it was running clear again and has been for years. Now coal companies are back, underground, and Isaac’s Run, which empties into Elk Creek is showing signs of being degraded. The inspector said that it was because water had collected underground and all the rain we had caused it to run into the little stream. We’re all wondering what is going to happen to Elk Creek. Are we going to have the same situation again?
Ken -
Does the report say just 16 percent for sure? Based on the figures you break out later, it seems like the biggest news to me is we don’t even know the condition of 40 percent of our streams.
That means it could be 16 percent clean enough for everything, or 56 percent or, most likely based on the other percentages, maybe a quarter clean enough for all uses (adding 16 percent of the 40 percent that are unknown.)
Enjoy the blog – a great addition to my bookmarks.
You are (kind of) correct — See Table 6 on page 18 of the DEP report, and refer back to Table 1 on page 4 for the definitions.
Indeed, the biggest number is that for 40 percent of waterways, DEP doesn’t have adequate information to judge whether they are clean enough for their designated uses.
I’m not sure you could assume that 16 percent of the 40 percent that are unknown are also not clean — we just don’t have any information on those.
But the bottom line, in my view, is that — based on available information, only 16 percent meet all of their designated uses. That’s an amazing number.