DEQ seeking water body input

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is seeking public comment on its draft Water Body Assessment Guidance. The purpose of the guidance is to help DEQ staff assess waters of the state to determine if they meet water quality standards and support beneficial uses.

This draft is the third edition of the document, updating the previous edition published in 2002. While the second edition focused on assessing DEQ’s own ambient data, primarily for rivers and streams, this edition expands that focus to assessing data from other sources, including outside data. The document has also been reorganized to better guide assessors through the assessment process.

The draft Water Body Assessment Guidance is available for review here: http://bit.ly/21S8ExL. A summary of changes to the current proposed guidance is also available for review on the agency's website www.deq.idaho.gov.

Submit written comments by 5 p.m. MDT May 23, 2016, on DEQ’s website or by mail or email to:

Jason Pappani

Water Quality Standards Scientist

Idaho Department of Environmental Quality

State Office

1410 N. Hilton

Boise, ID 83706

Email: Jason.Pappani@deq.idaho.gov