Final Assessment and Listing Methodology Notice of Availability [44 Pa.B. 2480]
[Saturday, April 19, 2014]The Department of Environmental Protection (Department) is providing its final Assessment and Listing Methodology (methodology) following the public comment period of September 28, 2013, through November 27, 2013. Sections 303(d) and 305(b) of the Federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C.A. §§ 1313(d) and 1315(b)) require states to report on the condition of all their waters in the biennial Integrated Report (report). The methodologies referred to in this public notice will be used to assess the quality of the Commonwealth's waters under this legal mandate.
Stream and lake evaluations presented in the report must be supported by assessment methodologies based on sound science and technical procedures that are clear and complete. The methodology is a compilation of the protocols being used to assess waters that may appear in the 2014 Pennsylvania Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report (Integrated Report) and subsequent Integrated Reports.
The protocols comprising the methodology describe the field data collection procedures and data analysis methods used to obtain and evaluate water quality data. The individual protocols apply to a wide range of water resource types, data sources and environmental indicators.
The methodology is available on the Department's web site at www.dep.state.pa.us (DEP Keyword ''Water Quality Standards''). Because of the large number of pages, the methodology will not be available in hard copy.
The 2013 Assessment Methods includes the following documents: Instream Comprehensive Evaluations; Limestone Steams; Multi-Habitat Pool/Glide Streams; Riffle/Run Freestone Streams; Continuous Instream Monitoring; Periphyton; Streambed Sediment; Surface Water Collection; Semi-Quantitative Fish Sampling Protocol; Lake Assessment Protocol; Aquatic Macrophyte Cover; Lake Fisheries; Evaluations of Phosphorus Discharges to Lakes, Ponds and Impoundments; Plankton Sampling; Chlorophyll A Sampling; Chemistry—Bacteriological Evaluations; Fish Tissue Sampling; Natural Pollutant Sources; Outside Agency Data; Appendix A—Sources and Cause Definitions; Appendix B—Taxa Tolerances; Appendix C—Biological Field Methods; Appendix C1—Habitat; Appendix C2—Benthic Macroinvertebrates; Appendix C3—Fish; and Appendix C4—Taxonomic Reference.
Questions concerning the methodology should be directed to Gary Walters, Division of Water Quality Standards, P. O. Box 8774, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8774, (717) 787-9637, gawalters@pa.gov.
E. CHRISTOPHER ABRUZZO,
Secretary[Pa.B. Doc. No. 14-828. Filed for public inspection April 18, 2014, 9:00 a.m.]
