Water Quality
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has released two water quality assessment reports. The 2006 305(b) Report: The Status of Water Quality in Tennessee is an assessment of the quality of the state’s lakes, streams and wetlands. The 2006 303(d) List is a compilation of the impaired waters in Tennessee.
The department will solicit public comment on the draft 303(d) list at a series of public meetings in May and accept written comments through June 2, 2006. Both reports are prepared by the department’s Division of Water Pollution Control every two years to inform the public and fulfill requirements of both state and federal laws.
Tennessee has an abundance of water resources with more than 60,000 miles of rivers and streams and nearly 538,000 lake and reservoir acres. Waters are classified for specific uses, with all streams, rivers, lakes and reservoirs in Tennessee being classified at a minimum to meet the national goal of fishable and swimmable waters. Tennessee’s classified uses include those designated to protect fish and other aquatic life; maintain streams for recreational uses such as swimming, wading and boating; minimize human health risks from pollutants and provide for public water supplies.
Water quality criteria establish how clean the water needs to be to maintain the public’s uses. When different criteria are assigned for different uses of the same stream or lake, the department’s rules require that the most stringent criterion be met. Learn more about this report.
April 11, 2006 6:32 AM | Category: Watershed