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Watershed Management and Planning
- Additional TMDL Information
- Draft TMDLs Available for Public Comment
- EPA Approved TMDLs
- In-Progress TMDL Water Quality Studies
- TMDLs Submitted to EPA for Approval (Review Pending)
Utah's Watershed Management program is focused on protecting and restoring the water quality of our streams, lakes and ground water resources by employing the following key elements: Stewardship, Monitoring and Assessment, Coordination and Watershed Planning.
Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL)
In Utah, clean water is one of our most valuable and limited resources. When pollutants impair the use of water a study is required to determine how to reduce them and restore water quality. This study is called a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). A TMDL establishes the maximum amount of a pollutant allowed in the water while maintaining all of its designated beneficial uses. Utah is required by law to identify polluted waters and to develop TMDL's to help address these problems.
The Clean Water Act requires every state to establish and maintain water quality standards designed to protect, restore, and preserve water quality in the state. These standards consist of narrative criteria that include designated uses, specific chemical and biological criteria necessary for protecting designated uses, and an anti-degradation policy. When a lake, river or stream fails to meet water quality standards, section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act directs the state to place the waterbody on a list of "impaired" waters referred to as the 303(d) list and prepare a plan to restore water quality called a Total Maximum Daily Load study (TMDL).
In-Progress TMDL Water Quality Studies
Contact Carl Adams for additional information and staff contacts.
- Chicken Creek
- Jordan River
- Red Creek Reservoir
- Utah Lake
Draft TMDLs Available for Public Comment
TMDLs
Submitted to EPA and Pending Approval
Approved TMDLs
- Bear River (lower)
- Bear River, including Spring Creek (Lewiston), Cub River, Logan River, and High Creek
- Bear River (Upper), Including Saleratus Creek
- Beaver River Watershed (Beaver River, Minersville Reservoir, Puffer Lake, LaBaron Reservoir and Kents Lake)
- Brough Reservoir
- Browne Lake
- Castle Creek
- Chalk Creek
- Clarkston Creek, Newton Reservoir and Newton Creek
- Cottonwood Wash
- Deer Creek Reservoir
- Duchesne River Watershed (including Lake Fork River, Antelope Creek, and Indian Canyon Creek)
- East Canyon Creek and Reservoir
(Full TMDL - 32MB file)
- Table of Contents
- Part 1: Chapter 1 - Introduction
- Part 2: Chapter 2 - Characterization of Watershed
- Part 3: Chapter 3 - Water Quality Concerns and Status
- Part 4: Chapters 4 - 5 - East Canyon Creek Modeling and Dynamics
- Part 5: Chapters 6 - 7 - Phosphorus Source Identification, Load Analysis, TMDL Summary
- Part 6: Chapters 8 - 9 - East Canyon Creek & Reservoir Implementation Plans
- Appendix A - Annual Hydrographs for East Canyon Creek
- Appendix B - East Canyon Reservoir CE-QUAL-W2 Model. JM WATER QUALITY LLC
- East Fork Sevier River, Koosharem Reservoir, Lower Box Creek Reservoir and Otter Creek Reservoir
- Echo Creek
- Emigration Creek
- Fremont River Watershed (Johnson Valley Reservoir, Mill Meadow Reservoir, Forsyth Reservoir, UM Creek, Upper Fremont River and Lower Fremont River)
Fremont River Watershed Figures - Hyrum Reservoir
- Ken's Lake
- Little Bear River (2 Stream Segments)
- Little Cottonwood Creek
- Mantua Reservoir
- Matt Warner and Calder Reservoirs
- Middle Bear River and Cutler Reservoir TMDL
- Appendix A—Technical Advisory Committee
- Appendix B—Data Summary Table
- Appendix C—Diurnal Data Cutler Reservoir
- Appendix D—Cutler Recreation Use Survey
- Appendix E—Wetland Functional Assessment Model
- Appendix F—Maps and System Diagrams
- Appendix G—Fisheries Report
- Appendix H—Monitoring Plan
- Appendix I—Logan Adaptive Management Plan
- Appendix J—Public Comments
- Mill Creek
- Newcastle Reservoir | Appendicies
- Onion Creek
- Otter Creek
- Panguitch Lake
- Pariette Draw
- Pineview Reservoir | Appendix A | Appendix B
- Piute Reservoir Water Quality Assessment
- Red Fleet Reservoir
- San Pitch River | Maps
- Scofield Reservoir
- Sevier River (Middle and Lower) | Appendix A | Appendix B
- Sevier River (Upper)
- Silver Creek
- Soldier Creek
- Spring Creek
- Steinaker Reservoir
- Strawberry Reservoir | Appendix
- Thistle Creek
- Uinta River Watershed (Uinta River, Dry Gulch Creek and Deep Creek)
- Virgin River Watershed | Implementation Appendix
- West Colorado Watershed (Price, San Rafael and Muddy Creek Watersheds)
Other Water Quality Studies
- Big East Lake—Limnological Assessment of Water Quality
- Bridger,China, Lyman and Marsh Lakes Assessment
- Echo Reservoir TMDL Draft 2009
- Escalante River
- Lower Gooseberry Reservoir—Limnological Assessment of Water Quality
- Manning Meadows Reservoir—Limnological Assessment of Water Quality
- Mill Hollow Reservoir—Limnological Assessment of Water Quality
- Navajo Lake - Limnological Assessment of Water Quality
- Ninemile Reservoir
- Paria River
- Piute Reservoir Limnological Assessment of Water Quality
- Tony Grove Reservoir—Limnological Assessment of Water Quality
- Yankee Meadow Reservoir—Limnological Assessment of Water Quality
