EPA Region 8: Water Quality Standards Guidance Documents

Water Quality Standards Guidance Documents

The following documents are Adobe PDF files (about PDF files)

Guidance documents on this page:

Designated Uses
Criteria
Antidegradation
General Policies
Other

Designated Uses

Recreation Standards and the CWA Swimmable Goal (1992).

Identifies and discusses options to comply with requirements that derive from the CWA § 101(a)(2) "swimmable" goal. Recreation Use Attainability Analysis Worksheet (1994).

Provides an example or "model" worksheet for use in conducting use attainability analyses for recreation uses. Guidelines for Use Attainability Analyses for Aquatic Life Uses (1995).

Identifies and discusses key requirements and issues that are important to consider when conducting a use attainability analysis for aquatic life uses.

Criteria

Derivation of Site-Sepecific Criteria Using EPA's Recalculation Procedure

Addresses site-specific modification of the national aquatic life criteria recommendations using EPA's recalculation procedure (2002). Candidate List of MCLs Recommended for Adoption into State/Tribal Water Quality Standards to Protect the Water Supply Designated Use

Identifies priority and non-priority pollutants where the Maximum Contaminant Limit is more stringent than the CWA § 304(a) "water & organisms" criterion (2004).

Antidegradation

Identifies and discusses key issues and requirements, reviews approaches in use by States, provides an example or "model" implementation procedure, and responds to comments on the draft guidance.

General Policies

Mixing Zones and Dilution Policy (1994).

Identifies and discusses key issues and requirements, provides an example or "model" policy and implementation procedure, discusses a simplified mixing model developed by Region 8, reviews approaches in use by States, and responds to comments on the draft policy.

Other

Interim Guidance: Water Quality Standards for Indian Tribes (1993).

Reviews requirements Tribes must satisfy to administer the water quality standards program and provides guidance for developing an initial set of water quality standards. Supplemental Guidance: Water Quality Standards for Indian Tribes (1995).

Reviews 1994 changes to the program eligibility process for Tribes, provides guidance on the content of Tribal program applications, and identifies core provisions to include in an initial set of water quality standards. Involving the Public in Water Quality Standards Development (1997).

Reviews federal public participation requirements and discusses ways to involve the public in the development of water quality standards.