Bioassessment and Biocriteria Program Status for Maine: Streams and Wadeable Rivers
State Program Contact
Water Quality Standards
WQS Information
The link to Maine's WQS that are in effect for Clean Water Act purposes is provided. These are the WQS approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The state of Maine provided information and links to sections of their administrative code on designated aquatic life use, biological criteria, antidegradation as well as technical support documents and information on its bioassessment and biocriteria programs. These are included for your convenience and may or may not reflect the most recently EPA-approved WQS.
Designated Aquatic Life Uses
ALU designations are based on multiple thresholds and use categories. Benthic macroinvertebrate and algal communities are assessed in rivers, streams, and wetlands to address Maine’s aquatic life standards.
- Class AA waters – Class AA shall be the highest classification and shall be applied to waters which are outstanding natural resources and which should be preserved because of their ecological, social, scenic or recreational importance. “The habitat must be characterized as free-flowing and natural. The aquatic life, dissolved oxygen and bacteria content of Class AA waters must be as naturally occurs…”
- Class A waters – Class A shall be the 2nd highest classification. “The habitat must be characterized as natural. The aquatic life and bacteria content of Class A waters must be as naturally occurs…”
- Class B waters – Class B shall be the 3rd highest classification. “The habitat must be characterized as unimpaired. Discharges to Class B waters may not cause adverse impact to aquatic life in that the receiving waters must be of sufficient quality to support all aquatic species indigenous to the receiving water without detrimental changes in the resident biological community.”
- Class C waters – Class C shall be the 4th highest classification. “Class C waters must be of such quality that they are suitable… as a habitat for fish and other aquatic life. Discharges to Class C waters may cause some changes to aquatic life, except that the receiving waters must be of sufficient quality to support all species of fish indigenous to the receiving waters and maintain the structure and function of the resident biological community.”
Biological Criteria
__X__ Narrative, with quantitative implementation procedures or translators (stream algae, wetland macroinvertebrates, wetland epiphytic algae, wetland phytoplankton) Note: Rulemaking planned for late 2021-2022 to incorporate predictive models for stream algae, wetland macroinvertebrates and wetland epiphytic algae into Maine’s Chapter 579 biocriteria rules.
__X__ Numeric (stream macroinvertebrates)
_____ No criteria
|
Assemblage |
Wadeable Streams and Rivers |
Deep Rivers |
Wetlands (Inundated marshes with emergent vegetation) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Macroinvertebrates |
Numeric biocriteria in Chapter 579 |
Numeric biocriteria in Chapter 579 |
Intend to add numeric biocriteria to |
|
Benthic algae |
Intend to add numeric biocriteria |
||
|
Epiphytic algae |
Intend to add numeric biocriteria to |
||
|
Phytoplankton |
Under development |
||
|
Fish |
Under development |
A waterbody shall be determined to be in attainment of the designated aquatic life uses and characteristics of its assigned water classification, if the association value, as determined according to Sections 3 and 4 of this chapter, following methods outlined in "Methods for Biological Sampling and Analysis of Maine’s Rivers and Streams" (DEP LW0387-B2002), is shown to be equal to or greater than 0.6 for that class or any higher class, or where the provisions for professional judgement determine that the water should be determined to be in attainment of its assigned water classification or any higher classification; and where other standards and criteria pertinent to protecting the aquatic life uses of the classification are determined to be attained (including, but not limited to, support of indigenous fish or other aquatic species, as required in the water quality classification law).
Antidegradation Policy
Chapter 579.5.C (doc) and Title 38 Chapter 3 §464.4.F
Biological Assessment
What biological assemblages are used in the bioassessment program?
Benthic macroinvertebrates and benthic algae (periphyton) for wadeable streams and rivers; (fish in progress)
|
Assemblage |
Wadeable Streams and Rivers |
Deep Rivers |
Wetlands (Inundated marshes with emergent vegetation) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Macroinvertebrates |
Complete |
Complete |
Complete |
|
Benthic algae |
Complete |
||
|
Epiphytic algae |
Complete |
||
|
Phytoplankton |
Testing model |
||
|
Fish |
In progress |
Available but not using yet1 |
1 An Index of Biotic Integrity has been developed for river fish (Yoder et al 2016 (pdf)) but the Department does not have the capability to conduct assessments.
Are bioassessments used to support 303(d) listings?
Yes. Listing methodology: Refer to sections "Assessment Methodology" and "Assessment Criteria" (especially subsection "Data Interpretation") in each Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Reports
How are assemblages used to make impairment decisions?
Discriminant models and thresholds have been calibrated for macroinvertebrate assemblages in rivers/streams and wetlands. Models and thresholds have been developed for algal assemblages in rivers/streams and wetlands. Assemblages are applied independently.
Other uses of biocriteria or bioassessment within the water quality program:
Refining ALU, TMDL development and assessment, antidegradation, non-point source assessments, BMP evaluation, 305(b) surface water condition assessments, and restoration goals
Technical Support Information and Documents
Reference condition
Developed for streams and wetlands using the BCG approach as the basis.
Technical reference materials
Biocriteria
Development of biocriteria involves the collection and interpretation of biological data –e.g. benthic macroinvertebrates, fish, and periphyton. During this process entities typically use biological metrics (usually aggregated into a multimetric index) and/or multivariate analysis to assess whether a waterbody is meeting its designated aquatic life use(s). The reference materials include standard operation procedures used in data collection, compilation, technical approaches used to develop biocriteria as well as its implementation procedures.
Technical reference material
-
Danielson, T. J., C. S. Loftin, L. Tsomides, J. L. DiFranco, and B. Connors. 2011. Algal bioassessment metrics for wadeable streams and rivers of Maine, USA. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 30:1033-1048.
-
Danielson, T. J., C. S. Loftin, L. Tsomides, J. L. DiFranco, B. Connors, D. L. Courtemanch, F. Drummond, and S. P. Davies. 2012. An algal model for predicting attainment of tiered biological criteria of Maine's streams and rivers. Freshwater Science 31:318-340.
Stressor identification/causal analysis approach
Linked stressor identification and causal analysis