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IIIIIs on the Prize How Not to Lose Sight
of Real Water Quality Goals While Doing TMDLs
Trinka Mount Ohio Environmental Protection
Agency
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Outline of Presentation

• Water quality in Ohio
• Scope of TMDLs in Ohio
• TMDL process focus on resource
• Integrate
• Investigate
• Inform
• Invite
• Innovate

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Water Quality in Ohio

• Long history of monitoring and reporting
• Top causes of impairment in Ohio
• siltation/sediment
• nutrients
• habitat modification
• hydromodification
• organic enrichment/dissolved oxygen
• pathogens

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Water Quality in Ohio

• Trend in the status of aquatic life is a key
  indicator that is regularly reported

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TMDLs in Ohio Numbers
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TMDLs in Ohio Content
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Ohio TMDL Projects
U.S. EPA approved Draft report Load
characterization Watershed assessment
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Integrate

• View TMDLs as program integration tool
  monitoring, modeling, permitting and incentives
  programs
• Projects use multidisciplinary teams in matrix
  organization
• Program staff bring expertise to a project, then
  return to programs with new actions to be
  completed

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Ohio TMDL Process Overview

• Design survey
• Collect data
• Assess data
• Define goal
• Develop targets
• Select scenario
• Prepare plan
• Submit report
• Implement internally
• Implement externally
• Annual validation
• Check status

Assess
Develop
Implement
Validate
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Ohio TMDL Process Overview

• Design survey
• Collect data
• Assess data
• Define goal
• Develop targets
• Select scenario
• Prepare plan
• Submit report
• Implement internally
• Implement externally
• Annual validation
• Check status

Assess
Develop
Adaptive Management
Implement
Validate
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Integrate

• New monitoring and follow-up program action sets
  up natural adaptive management process in each
  watershed
• Watersheds benefit from concentrated work and
  analysis
• Programs benefit when new ideas are generated and
  tested

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Investigate

• Ohio EPA conducts a fresh, in-depth watershed
  assessment to ensure accurate, current set of
  problems are being addressed
• Include unassessed watersheds
• Canvass programs internally and externally to
  generate issues for investigation

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Inform

• Share monitoring results with local citizens to
  generate interest and involve them in
  decision-making
• Discuss options for implementation

• Need to clearly explain technical info
• Stream demos are a hit!

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Project Communication Plan

• Written materials fact sheets, reports,
  postcards, newsletters, web pages
• Public events show what we are doing
• Public meetings explain the work, ask for input,
  discuss options
• Technical meetings work with conservation
  professionals
• Public review of draft report
• Media information

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Invite

• Ohio EPA reaches out to technical professionals
  in watersheds to identify common interests and
  pathways for restoration
• Important to realize that we cant solve
  problems others can help
• Low-level of trust for government local buy-in
  is critical

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Trust Me, Im from the Government
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Innovate

• Energize regulatory programs
• construction storm water general permit
• water quality trading in three pilot areas
• reconcile drainage law with CWA 
• Develop targets when no WQS
• habitat index for sediment TMDLs
• nutrient target at threshold between
  healthy/unhealthy aquatic communities

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Conclusion

• Add on assessment and follow-through to promote
  problem-solving
• Involve the public and watershed professionals
• Connect programs
• Focus on the water resource as the common
  currency with others