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Watershed Council Accomplishments
During the past year, the Lower Boise Watershed Council accomplished the following:
- Developed a workable phosphorous allocation plan to meet the Snake River-Hells Canyon TMDL.
- Continued to track TMDL implementation activities throughout the watershed related to sediment and bacteria reduction goals.
- Continued a planning and grant partnership with the Environmental Finance Center at BSU to develop a funding plan and identify appropriate funding programs to assist with implementing the TMDL.
- Continued to refine a watershed sampling and testing program in partnership with USGS to assess compliance with the TMDL.
- Provided information and education about the TMDL through the technical advisory committee meetings, general committee meetings, and the web site. This information includes available fish data, water quality criteria, effluent trading, and other national and regional water quality developments.
During the past several years, the Watershed Council accomplished the following:
- With the input of past and present LBRWQP members, community representatives, and agricultural, industrial, and municipal stakeholders, developed and began implementation of a strategic plan for addressing water quality issues now and into the future.
- Provided comments on DEQ’s statewide effluent trading guidance, which is important to TMDL implementation activities.
- Held a series of public workshops on the impacts of the phosphorous TMDL on the Lower Boise Watershed.
- Prepared for the Snake River-Hells Canyon TMDL by securing an EPA grant to assist with the phosphorus allocation process. Supported the application of the USGS LOADEST model to assist with negotiating phosphorus allocations.
- Provided technical input into the Snake-River TMDL by persuading compliance to be measured as concentration, not load, at the mouth of the Boise River.
- Completed, in conjunction with the USGS, a groundwater/surface water interaction study to assess the impacts of groundwater on phosphorus and bacteria concentrations within the lower Boise River. Presented final results of the study.
- Provided support to 319 grant program applications, including the Caldwell Low Impact Development stormwater demonstration project and sprinkler irrigation upgrades.
- Supported DEQ in negotiations with EPA regarding appropriate designated uses and the need for developing TMDLs for tributaries to the lower Boise River.
- Completed the overall implementation plan for the mainstem sediment and bacteria TMDLs. Received feedback and input from many stakeholders, which allowed for the development of a comprehensive process to meet watershed goals. This plan also addressed some outstanding "orphan" issues that had not not previously been addressed in earlier drafts by soliciting additional input from new stakeholders.
- Recommended designated uses for the Lower Boise River tributaries of Indian Creek, Mason Creek, and Sand Hollow. We were the first in the state to propose criteria for the new modified use category (formerly, the only categories of use were cold water biota and warm water biota). New modified use criteria, which are site-specific and based on a use attainability analysis, have been proposed for Mason Creek, Sand Hollow, and Upper Indian Creek. Our outline for the use attainability analysis will be used as a template by DEQ for other beneficial use studies.
- Secured funding for and completed a study to identify bacterial sources through DNA testing.
- Developed a long-term sediment and substrate monitoring program for the Lower Boise River.
- Created an effluent trading framework for the Lower Boise River watershed.
Updated November 9, 2007