2020 Listing Methodology Document (LMD) Update Robert Voss Water Protection Program Monitoring and Assessment Unit
Status Update on the 2020 LMD • Responsiveness – When stakeholders bring new ideas or suggestions the department is receptive to considering new ideas. – For these suggestions the department looks at: (1) The scientific validity; (2) Long term consequences; (3) Does it aid in reducing uncertainty; (4) Does it enhance our ability to distinguish between unimpaired and impaired streams; (5) Other potential concerns. – The evolution of the Listing Methodology Document over time shows that the department is committed to making the process transparent and that we do incorporate the suggestions of stakeholders.
Growth of the Listing Methodology Document 80 70 60 50 40 # of Pages 30 20 10 0 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 Growth is not due to restrictions but due to: 1. Addition of complex topics 2. Stakeholders requesting additional structure and clarity
Status Update on the 2020 LMD • Past Meetings: • Future Meetings: – During the public notice period – May 10, 2018 – May 24, 2018 • Aug. 24, 2017 • Sept. 19, 2017 – After the January CWC meeting • Jan. 18, 2018 • Feb. 5, 2018 • March 9, 2018
Status Update on the 2020 LMD • Data Quality Codes – The department explained the process to the stakeholders and added further explanation to the 2020 LMD. • Data Age – The department added and corrected language in Listing Methodology Document and had discussions about the age of data used for listings. • 10% of the listings are based on data 8 years or older (47/470) – 2009 or older • 90% of the listings have been sampled within the last 7 years (423/470) – 2010 - 2016 • 65% of the listings have been sampled in the last 3 years (305/470) – 2014 - 2016
Status Update on the 2020 LMD • Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Normalization – The department has added some ability to normalize for TOC as a compromise. • Chronic Criteria – The department maintains that the one-in-three year policy is still the most appropriate. • Lake Numeric Nutrient Criteria – Stakeholders and the department agreed to table this issue until criteria have been approved or promulgated.
Status Update on the 2020 LMD • Stream Segments - Listing Length – The department has agreed to add to the EPA-approved version of the 303(d) list a column that specifies whether the entire WBID is actually impaired or not. – The department has a path forward to assessing and listing smaller segments. • This requires some IT systems enhancements. The department hopes these enhancements can occur within the next two to three listing cycles. • Assessing Small Streams • Continued discussions with stakeholders.
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Small Streams -- Context
Status Update on the 2020 LMD • Biological Monitoring – Biological Criteria – Two general approaches to the use of biological monitoring: 1. Control vs Test • E.g. Sampling upstream and downstream of a point or nonpoint source to see if it has an effect on the upstream conditions. 2. Reference • E.g. Sampling multiple sites along an entire stream reach and comparing the community to the best attainable conditions of other streams.
Status Update on the 2020 LMD • Reference conditions – Ideally these conditions would represent the best biological conditions found in waterbodies undisturbed by human stressors. These conditions change across the different geographic and hydrologic areas of the state. – For Missouri, reference streams do not represent pristine unattainable conditions. Rather they represent the best available in their respective region of Missouri.
Status Update on the 2020 LMD • Biological Monitoring – Biological Criteria – The department uses reference conditions to identify what a least impacted community should look like for different regions of the state. – We then compare a stream of interest (test stream) to the least impacted communities in the same region. – When we do this comparison, we also make site to site comparisons to tease out potential site specific effects on the test stream.
Status Update on the 2020 LMD • Biological Monitoring – Biological Criteria – Our current biological reference streams are references for what the department calls wadeable/perennial streams. • These are streams that generally have permanent flow but are not so large that wading across is impossible. – Reference streams and the criteria derived from them were sampled over a period of time (1994-2012). – The department recognized that these references would be inappropriate for streams smaller than the wadable/perennial streams. – The department is tasked with ensuring that the aquatic life use is fully supported in these smaller streams.
Status Update on the 2020 LMD • Small Streams – Biological Criteria – The department settled on the 13 step process in the LMD for identifying small candidate reference streams in the area of the test stream. – These steps were first included in the 2016 Listing Methodology Document (Appendix E), though they were used prior. – These steps were developed before the expansion of the Missouri Use Designation Dataset (MUDD.) – The department recognizes that biological criteria for small streams is needed.
Status Update on the 2020 LMD • Small Streams – Biological Criteria – In 2013 the department funded a study through the University of Missouri Cooperative Fish And Wildlife Research Unit to: 1. Develop a method of selecting potential candidate reference streams. 2. Create a list of these streams to be field vetted and sampled as potential candidate references. – This study was completed in 2016 and is available on the department’s 303(d) website: https://dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/waterquality/303d/303d.htm
Status Update on the 2020 LMD • Small Streams – Biological Criteria – The department is now in the process of collecting data on the potential headwater reference streams. Approximately 15 - 20 streams are sampled every year. – When enough data has been collected, the department will work on calculating regional biological criteria based on these headwater references. – The wadeable/perennial criteria took years to become finalized; headwater streams will probably take a similar amount of time, if not longer.
Status Update on the 2020 LMD • Small Streams – Biological Criteria – Until the head water criteria are developed, the department is using the 13 step process identified in the Listing Methodology Document. – The process mimics the identification of small candidate reference streams in a more targeted way. – The process represents the department’s effort to select more appropriate reference streams for comparison without compromising our ability to identify streams as impaired.
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