River Conditions and Trends

Willamette Basin Rivers & Streams Assessment

River Conditions and Trends

Dick Pedersen, DirectorOregon Department of Environmental Quality


Today’s Topics

• Water Quality Trends in the Willamette

• Water Quality Data on Toxics

• TMDLs Issued

• TMDL Implementation

• Restoration


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“Most Disturbed” Stream Miles by Land Use


Major Land Uses


• We need to focus our water quality actions on all parts of the landscape.

• Riparian protection and restoration are likely to have multiple, measureable water quality benefits across the landscape.

• Working to protect and improved riparian conditions will have the added benefit of creating a buffer to help prevent airborne and land-applied chemicals from getting into rivers and streams.


Toxics Monitoring Program

• Watershed-based toxic pollutant monitoring program initiated in 2008 in Willamette River Basin.

• Focus on surface water and fish

• Emphasizes pollutants posing risks to human health and the environment–

Introduction/Overview


Toxics in Surface Water and Freshwater Fish of the Willamette River Basin, OR (2008-2009)

• 19 metals measured at 40 sites every two month

• Copper, lead and zinc occasionally exceeded aquatic life criteria

Waterborne Metals



• Surface water sampled five times at 20 sites• No water quality criteria exceedances

documented • Herbicides most frequently detected pollutants • Insecticides rarely detected• Low-levels of coprostanol (fecal indicator)

found at nearly every site• Multiple, low-level detects for “emerging

contaminants”

Waterborne Organics



• Smallmouth bass and northern pikeminnow sampled at 11 locations throughout the basin (2008)

• PCB residues generally above protective levels for subsistence fishers.

• DDT below levels of concern• PBDE (flame retardants) detected at all stations• Furans above levels of concern• Mercury remains above levels of concern

Pollutants in fish tissue (fillet)


Willamette Basin TMDL

DEQ issued and EPA approved in September 2006 for:

• Temperature (basin)• Bacteria (basin)• Mercury (basin)• Dissolved Oxygen (segment)• Dieldrin (segment)• DDT (segment)• Turbidity (segment)


Willamette TMDL Implementation

Point Sources:

• TMDL Waste Load Allocations used to set effluent limits upon permit renewal

• TMDL litigation (NWPPA, IP, City of Albany, MWMC) resolved


Recent Actions to control pollutant sources: TMDL Implementation – nonpoint source

• Implementation Plans Approved for Willamette River

•DEQ Reviewing Implementation Plans

• DEQ comments to Local Advisory Committees

• 319 Grant Projects


Recent Actions to control pollutant sources: TMDL Implementation – nonpoint source

• Leveraging Section 319 funding

• Renewal of Stormwater Permits

• Renewal of the Confined Animal Feeding Operation Permit

• Working with LAC


Restoration Prioritization

• 2008 Clean Watersheds Needs Survey

• Estimated Restoration Cost

• Estimates Heat Reduction with Restoration


Restoration Prioritization

• Approximately 96,000 acres need restoration

• 75% of the restoration on agriculture lands

• 15% of the restoration on urban lands

• Between $593 and $1.2 billion for restoration


Pesticide Stewardship Partnerships (PSPs)

• Local Solutions

• Collaborative Effort

• Local Water Quality Data Used

• Very Effective Program

• Newest PSP in the Long Tom


Willamette BiOp

• DEQ Participating in Committees

• Providing Information on TMDL

• BiOp minimum flow VS. TMDL flows


Future Actions which may have an Impact on Water Quality

• Integrated Water Resource Strategy

• Proposed new Human Health Criteria – June 2011

• Senate Bill 737 sampling of major municipal facilities for PBTs

River Conditions and Trends

Documents

Transcript of River Conditions and Trends