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<br />After three years of effort, beginning in March, 1998 and [mal adoption in July, 2001, the <br />Water Quality Division has established new water quality standards affecting all surface waters in <br />the State. The surface water standards are contained in Chapter 1 of the Water Quality Rules and <br />Regulations. <br /> <br />o <br />l".7j <br />-J. <br />f' . <br /> <br />The new standards are substantially different than the rules that have been in effect since <br />1990. There are only a few sections of Chapter 1 that remain unchanged and four new sections have <br />been added. In most instances, the revisions do not reflect a change in the philosophy or direction <br />of the surface water program but have been made to clarify and enhance the meaning and application <br />of the rules. The numeric criteria for toxic pollutants have all been updated to the nationally <br />recommended 304( a) criteria, published by EP A in April, 1999. <br /> <br />Some of the modifications, however, are profound and will have a substantial effect in how <br />the department assesses and regulates surface water quality. The most important of these are the <br />revisions of the water classification approach and how protected uses are designated on individual <br />waters. Because classifications are so basic to how a water is regulated, changes in water class affect <br />both the criteria and regulatory procedures that apply to that water. Wyoming continues to support <br />the salinity standards established by the Colorado Basin Salinity Forum and incorporates the Forum's <br />numeric standards and implementation plans into its overall program. There were no changes made <br />for salinity measures in the revised standards. <br /> <br />The last approved Wyoming 303( d) list of waters requiring the development ofTMDLs was <br />published in April, 1998. A total of 17 stream segments in the Colorado Basin appeared on that list. <br />Qnly 2 streams in the Colorado drainage were listed with credible impairments and neither were <br />salinity related. Exceedences of the pH standard were found on the Hams Fork River near <br />Kemmerer and Haggerty Creek in the Little Snake Basin was listed for impairments associated with <br />past hard rock mining activities. A draft 2002 list was published for public review in January 2002 <br />and will be finalized and submitted to EP A for approval later in the year. In addition to the Hams <br />Fork and Haggerty Creek, five new streams are proposed for priority listing. These include: <br /> <br />Bitter Creek, a tributary to the Green River, drains a large arid area (an outlying part of the <br />Red Desert) in the eastern portion of the watershed, including a western fringe area of the Red Desert <br />basin. Monitoring conducted by DEQ in 1998 on Bitter Creek near Rock Springs and a tributary, <br />Killpecker Creek, indicates that both these streams are impaired for recreational use due to elevated <br />fecal coliform bacteria counts. Bitter Creek is classified as a non-game fishery (Class 2C). A fish <br />kill was noted on Bitter Creek during sampling in 1998. Chloride samples collected by DEQ indicate <br />that Bitter Creek below Killpecker Creek is partially impaired for its non-game fishery use due to <br />chloride concentrations above the standard of 230 mg/L. Chloride has been added as a cause of <br />impairment on the 303(d) List. Diurnal oxygen fluctuations and habitat degradation are also <br />concerns on these streams. <br /> <br />The Blacks Fork from its confluence with the Hams Fork upstream to an undetermined point <br />above the Smiths Fork is proposed for impairment of contact recreation uses due to exceedences of <br /> <br />4-29 <br /> <br />"J <br /> <br />~-- "< <br />