WSP04900

• File Number: 8272.800
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control program - Interested Parties - NWCCOG
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 12/1/1986
• Author: NWCCOG
• Title: Northwest Colorado Council of Governments -Areawide Water Quality Management Plan for Eagle - Grand - Jackson - Pitkin - Routt and Summitt Counties CO - revised December 1986 - VOLUME II - POLICY PLAN
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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CJ (2) Antidegradation Policy

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In addition to the question of classification of water
bodies as a Class I or II high quality water, there is also
a question of the level of protection afforded under the
current State Antidegradation Policy (See Table 1.3). The
current State Antidegradation Standard for Class II High
Quality Waters permits degradation to the minimum level of
water quality to support designated uses if the State finds
that it will allow necessary and iustifiable economic
development. The federal criteria to permit such
degradation by comparison is "that allowing lower water
quality is necessary to accommodate important economic or
social development in the area in which the waters are
located." The appropriate test is whether degradation of
water quality is necessary to permit economic growth and
development, not whether economic growth and development is
necessary. Therefore, it is recommended that the federal
definition and standards for anti degradation be adopted for
waters in the Region as defined in Table 1.4.

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(3) Chronic and Acute Toxicity

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Adoption of both acute and chronic toxicity limits for water
quality levels necessary to protect aquatic life are
recommended to be adopted in accordance with the
Environmental Protection Agency's July 29, 1985 Notice of
Availability of Water Quality Criteria. These criteria are
designed to protect aquatic life from adverse impacts due to
both chronic and acute exposure to ammonia, arsenic,
cadmium, chlorine, chromium, copper, cyanide,lead, and
mercury.

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(4) Special Water Quality Standards

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Water quality standards for nutrient levels in Green
Mountain Reservoir are recommended to be adopted following
the completion of a detailed analysis of the lake's trophic
status and factors contributing to lake eutrophication.
Such an analysis should be at the same level of detail as
that performed for Dillon Reservoir under the Dillon Clean
Lakes Study which led to the adoption of water quality
standards for phosphorus in Dillon Reservoir.

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