To those interested in Washington’s Water Quality Assessment:

As part of the next assessment process, Ecology is seeking new data and information collected from fresh and marine waters in Washington to be used in the next Water Quality Assessment.  This call-for data applies to data and information collected within a ten year period up through December 31, 2017.  An initial call-for-data was conducted in February 2016 to seek data up through December 2015.  If any data were previously submitted to Ecology for use in the Water Quality Assessment it does not need to be submitted again.  Information on submitting data for use in the Water Quality Assessment can also be found on our website.

The deadline for submitting additional data and information to Ecology for consideration in the Water Quality Assessment is 11:59 p.m. on March 28, 2018.

Purpose of the Water Quality Assessment

Ecology periodically gathers and uses readily-available water quality data to list waterbodies that fall into different categories of water quality (from good to polluted). This process – and the lists it generates – is called Washington’s Water Quality Assessment, and is used to meet federal Clean Water Act (CWA) requirements under Sections 303(d) and 305(b).

Submitting data

Numeric water quality data should be submitted into Ecology’s Environmental Information Management (EIM) database  to be used for the Water Quality Assessment. Information on submitting data to EIM is available on the EIM website.  Questions on submitting to EIM can also be directed to Jake Kleinknecht (jkle461@ECY.WA.GOV), phone 360-407-6562.

Narrative information that provides conclusive evidence that a beneficial water use is being impaired can be submitted to the email address at 303d@ecy.wa.gov or by mail to: Patrick Lizon, Water Quality Program, Department of Ecology,  PO Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600.

Questions
If you have questions on submitting data, please contact: Patrick Lizon (pliz461@ECY.WA.GOV), Water Quality Program, phone 360-407-6782.

Thank you for your interest in Washington’s water quality.

Susan Braley
Watershed Management Section
Phone: (360) 407-6414
email: susan.braley@ecy.wa.gov

To those interested in the continuing public dialogue on Washington’s Water Quality Assessment and Policy 1-11 updates, we have posted high level notes from the February 9^th meeting as well as a copy of the February 9^th PowerPoint presentation.

We are scheduling one more meeting to discuss human health criteria and the use of fish tissue in the Assessment.  In preparation for this meeting, Ecology is preparing different options for consideration and discussion, therefore we have decided to push the next meeting date out farther into March.  If you are interested in participating in this meeting, please put a hold on your calendar for Thursday, March 30, 2017.  We do not have final details on the site location or times, but we are working on a meeting room in the SeaTac area, and will also secure a conference room in Spokane for those that want to meet in one place on the east side.  Similar to the other meetings, this will also be run as a webinar for those who are not able to join in person at one of the two locations.

As a reminder from the February 9^th meeting, if anyone wants to submit written comments on the bioassessment alternatives that Ecology presented at the January 19th meeting, please email them to me by February 23, 2017 (or contact me if you intend to submit written comments but cannot make that deadline).  Any written comments received on bioassessment or any of the other key topics will be posted on our website and considered as we move forward with revisions to Policy 1-11.

If you are interested in any of the other materials that have been presented at previous meetings, please go to our website at: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/303d/proposed/index.html .

Thank you for your interest in Washington’s water quality.  If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call.  We look forward to continued dialogue on these issues.

Susan Braley

Watershed Management Section

Phone: (360) 407-6414

email: susan.braley@ecy.wa.gov