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r River Protection f Workgroup t L s w Involving the public in protecting the natural values of selected streams while allowing water development to continue Water Quality in Colorado An Information Sheet for the River Protection Workgroup (San Juan) Overview Water quality standards in Colorado are set by the Water Quality Control Commission which is comprised of citizens around the state appointed by the governor. The Water Quality Control Division is a state agency that acts as staff to the Commission and is responsible for issuing and enforcing drinking water and surface discharge permits and implementing a number of other water quality control regulations. Several other state agencies such as the Oil and Gas Commission, the Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety, and the Department of Agriculture also regulate specific activities to insure the Commission's water quality standards are met. The Commission divides all surface waters in the state into segments and assigns "use classifications" with accompanying water quality standards to protect those uses. The use classifications are based upon current or anticipated uses within each segment and include water supply, agriculture, wetlands, various levels of recreation, and various levels of aquatic life. Most segments have multiple use classifications and standards are set stringently enough to protect all the assigned uses to that segment. The Commission also sets use classifications and standards for groundwater. The Commission encourages the broadest possible public involvement. You can learn more by visiting their site at: http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/op/wqcc/index.html Water Quality Standards Commission regulations include both narrative and numeric water quality standards. An example of a narrative standard is there will be no discharges, unless authorized by permit, of anything that would "form floating debris, scum, or other surface materials sufficient to harm existing beneficial uses." Currently there are narrative standards for temperature in Commission Regulation 34 which establishes use classifications and numeric standards for the San Juan and the Dolores River Basins. Temperature standards will be changed to numeric standards in these river basins in 2012. Numeric standards are applied either statewide or on a site specific basis depending on the use classifications applied to a segment. For example, numeric standards for radionuclides (e.g. uranium) and organic chemicals (e.g. chemicals in oil or pesticides) are generally applied statewide. Various physical (e.g. Dissolved oxygen), biological (e.g. E. coli), inorganic (e.g. Chlorine (CI)), and metal (e.g. Iron (Fe)) standards are applied depending on what is necessary to protect existing or potential uses for a segment (over). Contacts: Southwestern Water Conservation District or San Juan Citizens Alliance 970-247-1302 or r✓ater©frontier.net 970-259-3583 or meghangsanjuancitizens.org ocs.fortlewis.edu/riverprotection ""