Addressing
Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
in the Lane County Portion of the Willamette River Basin
Following direction
from a group of local government managers, Lane Council of Governments
(LCOG) is assisting local jurisdictions in meeting Total Maximum
Daily Load (TMDL) requirements. The
area covered by this process is the Lane County portion of the
Willamette River Basin including the McKenzie, Middle Fork, Coast
Fork subbasins and the southern portion of the Upper Willamette
subbasin. The coordinated process covers lands under the
jurisdictions of nine local governments including Lane County and
the eight cities outside of the Eugene/Springfield metro area.
Local jurisdictions,
called Designated Management Agencies (DMAs) must develop implementation
plans to address bacteria, mercury, and temperature by March
2008 to meet TMDL requirements. Jurisdictions
can receive help in developing their plans from LCOG, the local
Watershed Councils, and/or the Department of Environmental Quality
(DEQ). LCOG is assisting eight cities and Lane County in
creating their implementation plans by coordinating joint meetings
where possible and providing tools for implementation planning.
 Tools
available include:
Gaps
Analysis Worksheet – The
Gaps Analysis Worksheet initiates the information gathering and
planning process necessary to meet TMDL requirements. All
Lane County DMAs have completed a Gaps
Analysis Worksheet.
The worksheet has four purposes:
- Increases
awareness of the TMDL requirements among public officials and
staff as well as assisting understanding of how TMDLs may impact
a jurisdiction.
- Records all water quality-related activities currently
underway in the jurisdiction.
- Uses this record of activities to identify water quality
protection assets and gaps.
- Prioritizes efforts to fill gaps for individual jurisdictions
and the region as a whole.
Download
Gaps Analysis Worksheet: PDF  |
Microsoft Word 
Community
Profiles – LCOG has produced a profile
summary of Lane County and each small city jurisdiction in the
Lane County portion of the Willamette River Basin. These profiles
can be used by jurisdictions to describe their planning area
in the TMDL implementation plans. Each city also has
a map indicating the water-related features of the area.
Download
Community Profiles: PDF | Microsoft
Word
Download Maps (PDF ): Lane County | Coburg | Cottage
Grove | Creswell | Junction
City | Lowell | Oakridge |
Veneta
Potential
Strategies List – Through a multi-faceted approach of incentives,
land use mechanisms, public operations, partnerships, and education
a variety of strategies target specific sources of contamination. The
potential strategies list is a starting point for local jurisdictions
to consider for ways of addressing TMDL pollutant parameters.
It is certainly not an exhaustive list and in many cases specific
strategies need to be modified to fit local needs.
Download
Potential Strategies List: PDF
Stormwater
Considerations – DMAs with populations under
10,000 are expected to give consideration to six stormwater
control measures in the process of developing implementation
plans. This should include a description of the extent of the
problem and the actions that will be taken to address it, as
appropriate.
Download
Stormwater Control Measures: PDF
TMDL Strategy
Matrix – One way for a jurisdiction to package
their chosen strategies is to list and detail them in a strategy
summary matrix. This matrix is a tool that captures most
of the essential elements for jurisdictions to include in their
implementation plans.
Download
Blank TMDL Matrix: Microsoft
Word
Download
Sample Filled-in Matrix: PDF
 Sample Implementation
Plans – The Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR
340-042-0025) that addresses TMDLs, requires local governments
to develop implementation plans that include the following five
elements:
- Management strategies to achieve load allocations
- A timeline and schedule to achieve measurable milestones
- A plan for periodic review and revision
- Evidence of compliance with applicable statewide land use requirements
- Any other analyses or information as specified in the Water
Quality Management Plan
The overarching
goal of an implementation plan is to minimize or, wherever possible,
eliminate heat, bacteria, and mercury contributions to surface
waters within the control of each jurisdiction. Sample
plans from our area include:
Very small
jurisdiction – Approved City of Westfir
Implementation Plan (PDF )
Small jurisdiction – Approved City of Creswell Implementation
Plan (PDF )
Headwaters
Area Study – With the input of local jurisdictions,
LCOG has conducted a study that identifies and analyzes common
assets, gaps, and opportunities to partner with other jurisdictions
in this part of the Willamette Basin. The DMAs outside of the
Eugene/Springfield metro area vary in size, geography, proximity
to waterways, existing infrastructure, services provided, resources
available, and other aspects. Populations range from 300 to 8,500
and land under the authority of DMAs can be as little as 216
acres or as much as 670,000 acres. In spite of these differences,
jurisdictions in Lane County have similar water quality conditions,
challenges, and mandates due to their location within the context
of the larger Willamette Basin.
The Willamette
Headwaters: Water Quality Load Assets, Gaps, and Opportunities
Study provides an overview
of TMDL parameters and requirements, a description of the sub-basins
and local jurisdictions within those sub-basins, and an analysis
of gaps, assets, and opportunities. The study is still in
draft form and will not be completed until all jurisdictions have approved
their implementation plans. At that time further commonalities
and implementation opportunities can be identified. The draft
study however can be used by local jurisdictions to draw from in
creating the background information for their implementation plans.
Willamette
Headwaters: Water Quality Assets, Gaps, and Opportunities
Study (PDF )
For additional detail about TMDLs and implementation planning
explore the Department of Environmental Quality website at: http://www.deq.state.or.us/wq/willamette/willamette.htm
*PDF
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