The Klamath River is listed as
“impaired” under section 303 (d) of the
federal Clean Water Act and TMDLs are
created to address the identified
sources leading to the impairment of
various uses of the river, including
salmon habitat, recreational use,
agricultural use and municipal use,
among a number of others.
The various parameters considered in the
Klamath TMDLs include temperature,
dissolved oxygen, organic matter, total
phosphorous, total nitrogen and
microcystin. The sources affecting those
parameters, according to the pollutant
source analysis provided by the North
Coast Regional Water Quality Control
Board (WQCB), are conversion of
wetlands, grazing activities, irrigated
agriculture, timber harvest and roads,
each affecting to varying degrees based
on region and type of practice.
For California, the WQCB has also
identified the stateline as a major
loading source, with municipal water
systems in Oregon acting as contributors
of pollutants to the river.
The WQCB, which formulated the TMDLs
under a Memorandum of Understanding with
the Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality, has also provided
“target” values for pollutant sources in
order to correct the river’s impaired
status.
For example, at the Iron Gate dam, the
average daily maximum target temperature
increase for tail waters leaving the dam
is .18 degrees Fahrenheit above the
temperature of water entering the
facility.
Matt St. John, a lead on the Klamath
TMDLs, stated that the TMDL basin plan
amendment and administrative record will
now go to the Office of Administrative
Law and to the United States
Environmental Protection Agency for
final review.
Siskiyou County and PacifiCorp, which
owns Iron Gate and other dams on the
river, have taken issue throughout the
process with the levels used by the WQCB in
its formulation of the Klamath TMDLs.
The county also alleged in comments
submitted to the State Water Board that
the WQCB allowed undue outside influence
on the process.
It is as yet unknown whether either
party will seek litigation to stop the
implementation of the TMDLs.
