Dear IOWATER volunteers and
friends,
Below
are two updates from the Iowa DNR Water Quality Standards section that might be
of interest to you:
Water Quality Standards
Notice of Intended Action: Stream Use Designation Revisions - Public
Hearing Schedule
The
Department will be revising Water Quality Standards to reflect proposed
designated use changes for select rivers and streams to protect aquatic life and
recreational uses. The complete Notice of Intended Action can be found on the
Department’s web site: http://www.iowadnr.gov/epc/09feb17a.html.
For a list of the stream designations being revised in the water quality
standards, please refer to the list posted at the Department’s web site: http://www.iowadnr.com/water/uaa.html.
Any person may submit written
suggestions or comments on the proposed amendment through April 30, 2009.
Such written material should be submitted to Adam Schnieders, Iowa Department of
Natural Resources, Wallace State Office
Building, 502 East 9th Street,
Des Moines, Iowa
50319; fax (515)
281-8895; or E-mail [log in to unmask]
. Persons who have questions may contact Adam Schnieders at (515)
281-7409. Persons are invited to present oral or written comments at a
series of public hearings, which will be held throughout the state as
follows:
·
April 7, 2009; 1 p.m. -
Wallace State Office
Building, 4th Floor Conference Rooms; 502 E. 9th St.; Des Moines, Iowa
·
April 9, 2009; 10 a.m.
-
Cherokee Community Center;
530 W. Bluff
St.;
Cherokee, Iowa
·
April 9, 2009; 6 p.m. -
Atlantic
Municipal Utilities Conference Room; 15 W. 3rd St.; Atlantic, Iowa
·
April 14, 2009; 10 a.m. -
Falcon Civic
Center; 1305 5th Ave
NE;
Independence,
Iowa
·
April 14, 2009; 6 p.m.
- Iowa City Public Library; 123 Linn St.; Iowa City, Iowa
·
April 16, 2009; 1 p.m. -
Clear Lake
Community Meeting Room; 15 N. 6th
St.;
Clear Lake,
IA
Revising Criteria for
Chloride, Sulfate and Total Dissolved Solids
The
Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is continuing to move forward on
revising Iowa’s water quality standards. The DNR
is working for improved water quality and safety in Iowa’s waters. Water
Quality Standards are the goals that we set for Iowa’s streams, rivers and lakes. Water
Quality Standards consist of three components:
- Designate the use or uses of the
waterbody (aquatic life and recreational uses)
- Set the criteria for protecting those
uses
- Protect and maintain existing water
quality
Recently, the DNR began to compile all
research related to toxicity of total dissolved solids, chloride and sulfate.
The purpose was to update and develop criteria for these parameters to better
protect aquatic life based on new scientific information. The DNR worked
with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that the research
compiled met certain scientific standards. Gaps were identified in the previous
research which resulted in new toxicity tests being performed in
2008.
With the availability of new research and
toxicity data, the information is now available to propose numeric criteria for
chloride and sulfate to better protect river, stream and lake aquatic life uses
and revaluate the current interim approach for total dissolved solids
criteria. The Department is planning an Information item for the
April Environmental Protection Commission meeting. For more information
see http://www.iowadnr.gov/water/standards/chloride.html
or contact Lori McDaniel at 515.281.8094 or [log in to unmask].
Thank
You,
IOWATER
Staff
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