State Agency Measures

Water Quality: Key Parameter for Restoring Salmon Populations

Issue Background:

Water quality is important to salmonid survival. Water quality is usually thought of in terms of the water quality standards the state has adopted under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. 466 et seq.). Under Section 303(c)(2)of the CWA, water quality standards are comprised of the designated beneficial uses to be protected and narrative or numeric criteria that are designed to prevent impairment of the beneficial uses. Oregon has designated anadromous fish passage, salmonid fish spawning and rearing, and resident fish and aquatic life as beneficial uses to be protected in coastal basins (OAR Chapter 340, Division 41). To protect these and other beneficial uses, Oregon has also adopted specific numeric and narrative criteria that address thermal conditions (temperature), chemical parameters (e.g.; dissolved oxygen, pH, toxic substances), physical conditions (e.g. sedimentation), biological conditions, and nondegradation of high quality waters (OAR Chapter 340, Division 41). All of these standards work together to provide the thermal, chemical, physical and biological conditions salmonids and other aquatic life require to survive and thrive in coastal waterbodies.

It is important to recognize that the primary objective of water quality standards is protection of the designated beneficial uses. All aquatic life require a set of physical, chemical, thermal and biological conditions that is appropriate to their life cycles. This means a properly functioning aquatic ecosystem is necessary to avoid impairment of beneficial uses, and if Oregon's water quality standards don't provide the necessary level of protection they need to be revised to address the problem. Under Section 303(c)(1) of the CWA, Oregon is required to review and update as necessary its water quality standards at least once every three years. The requirement to protect beneficial uses also means that physical habitat elements such as riparian vegetation, channel morphology, and stream flows play an important role in meeting Oregon's water quality standards and as such must be protected and restored as necessary to avoid beneficial use impairment.

Water quality conditions in coastal waterbodies have been monitored and analyzed by DEQ and others for many years. DEQ has recently gathered and analyzed all readily available information on coastal water quality during the preparation of its 1994/96 303(d) list of water quality limited waterbodies. A summary of the results of that effort is provided in Table 1. There are approximately 18,137 miles of streams in the coastal basins. Of that number, 6,086 stream miles (33.5%) have been assessed by DEQ using available water quality information. Of the 6,086 stream miles assessed, 3,035 stream miles (49.9%) were found to be water quality limited, and 2,345 stream miles (38.5%) need additional data or were of potential concern. Only 706 stream miles (11.6%) of those assessed were found to be meeting all state water quality standards.

It is clear from this information that water quality is a significant factor that needs to be addressed in order to halt the decline and achieve restoration of coastal salmonid populations.

Table 1: Coastal Basins 303(d) List Data Summary⁽¹⁾

Background on Factors for Decline:

The water quality related factors that have caused the decline of salmonids in coastal basins have been identified based upon water quality monitoring data and the professional judgment of state agency staff of the conditions in coastal waterbodies that are impairing salmonids. Also, the recommendations of the Botkin and National Research Council (NRC) Reports were considered in identifying factors for decline.

Not all identified factors for decline are of equal weight in contributing to the decline of coastal salmonids. A review of the parameters listed in Table 1 from left to right across the columns follows:

Aquatic Weeds:

Nuisance aquatic weeds are mainly a problem in coastal lakes that affect the ability to recreate on these lakes. They are not considered to be a factor in the decline of coastal salmonids.

Biological Criteria:

Biological criteria is a state water quality standard that relates to the overall health of biological communities in stream reaches. The biological condition of a stream is measured by sampling specific aquatic communities and determining if they are healthy, or show signs of impairment compared to representative undisturbed streams. A variety of aquatic communities can be measured to evaluate biological condition. Benthic macroinvertebrate and fish assemblages are the most common aquatic communities sampled for assessing the biological condition of streams.

In recent years DEQ has undertaken several studies to determine the current status of conditions in coastal streams. In 1992 and 1993, 36 reference sites were sampled to determine the biological condition at undisturbed stream sites. Between 1994 and 1995, 57 randomly selected stream sites in the Oregon Coast Range were sampled for chemistry, habitat, macroinvertebrates and fish assemblages. This sampling was funded by EPA's REMAP program.

The REMAP project sampled first through third order (wadable) coastal streams at randomly located sites throughout the Coast Range. Because sites were randomly selected the results can be used as an estimate of the general status of first through third order coastal streams. While 57 sites is a minimal number of data points for estimating the overall status of coastal streams, it is the best data set currently available to evaluate the current status of streams. With additional funding, DEQ is proposing to sample 150 random sites on a five year rotating cycle (30 sites per year; sites re-sampled every five years).

Preliminary results of the benthic macroinvertebrate data from the REMAP study has been used to estimate the current status of biological conditions in coastal streams. The invertebrate assemblage from each site was assessed using a set of "biometrics" which are based on diversity, trophic structure and pollution sensitivity of specific species. The metrics are scored, and a total "bio score" is calculated for each site. This score represents the biological condition of the stream based on the macroinvertebrate community. The percent frequency chart below shows the range of total metric scores for the REMAP sites.

Total scores ranged from 10 to 46. Based on these results and reference site data:

• scores from 35 to 46 represent undisturbed communities,
• scores from 25 to 35 indicate some disturbance, and
• scores less than 25 indicate more severe disturbance or impairment.

Based on scores less than 25, one would estimate that 35 percent of first through third order coastal streams are impaired. This is a rough estimate, but it is DEQ's best estimate of the current status of biological condition in wadable coastal streams. Fish assemblage results are also being analyzed and will be used to calculate similar biometric scores. Fish and invertebrate results will be used together to provide a more complete picture of the biological condition of coastal streams. Future samples from more randomly selected sites will further refine these estimates.

Based upon the estimate that 35% of first through third order coastal streams are impaired, biological conditions was considered a significant factor for decline of salmonids.

Dissolved Oxygen:
The REMAP program is designed as a stratified random sampling program to support an estimate of reference biological indices and an interpretation of existing conditions that can be extrapolated across large geographical areas that are consistent with the original strata. The water quality data associated with this program provides a measure of instantaneous grab samples. The instantaneous grab samples would not provide a precise measure for parameters that vary diurnally. For standards, such as dissolved oxygen, that provide a reference for diurnal variation the data can reasonably be compared to the existing standards.

The observed distribution of dissolved oxygen associated with the REMAP sites suggest that: about 16% of the first through third order (wadable) coastal streams may have dissolved oxygen concentrations that are below optimum levels for cold water fish, that in 8% of the waterbodies the dissolved oxygen may fall to levels where, if the conditions are persistent, chronic impairment of swim speed, growth, and incipient avoidance may be measured, and in 3.5% of the waterbodies the dissolved oxygen levels fall to where substantial impairment may occur.

D.O. Criteria % Below 8.0 mg/l 15.8%  6.5 mg/l 8.2%  4.0 mg/l 3.5%

Some of the lower dissolved oxygen concentrations appear associated with enrichment with ammonia (DO - Ln{NH3}, r2 = 0.54).

Based upon the REMAP information, and the fact that 209 stream miles (13.8% of miles assessed for DO) are on the 303(d) list as water quality impaired, dissolved oxygen was considered a factor for decline of salmonids.

Bacteria:
The bacteria water quality standard is designed to provide an indicator of potential human health problems from fecal contamination. It is of particular concern in coastal estuaries for the shellfish industry because there are federal FDA limits that must not be exceeded in shellfish growing waters. Bacteria, as measured by this water quality standard, is not considered to be a factor for decline of salmonids. However, it can be an indicator of where there are problems with discharges from Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), or sewage treatment plants, and as such is used by ODA and DEQ to address these problems.

Flow Modification:
The reduction of natural stream flows by removal of water for out of stream uses is a significant concern where it impairs water quality and salmonid habitat. There are 420 coastal stream miles listed due to impairment of beneficial uses resulting from flow modification. In addition 1569 stream miles are listed as being of potential concern. Since DEQ does not have a water quality standard that directly addresses stream flow, there are no biological objectives listed for it in the Water Quality section of the plan. Flow modification is addressed in the Water Quantity section of the plan.

Habitat Modification:
Based upon the 303(d) list, modification of habitat such that aquatic species are impaired is a significant problem in coastal watersheds. This is also consistent with field observations of state and federal agency staff. Approximately 360 stream miles are listed as water quality impaired due to habitat modification. Another 1,793 miles are considered to be of potential concern. Habitat modification is being addressed in the Physical Habitat section of the plan.

Nutrients:
Excessive nutrients in waterbodies can result in growth of algae which in turn causes large diurnal variations in dissolved oxygen levels. However, only 16 coastal stream miles are listed as impaired due to excessive nutrient loads. Instead of excess nutrients, the concern expressed by ODFW staff was that there are inadequate nutrients in smaller streams due to the loss of salmon carcasses as less and less salmon return to natal streams to spawn. Therefore, stream fertility is listed as a factor for decline, albeit a minor one.

pH:
There are 274 coastal stream miles listed as impaired due to pH problems. Most of these (219) are in the Umpqua basin. While pH may not be a widespread problem in all coastal basins, it is a concern in the Umpqua basin and was listed as a factor for decline.

Sediment:
The professional judgment of state agency staff was that sedimentation is a much worse problem than the water quality data indicate. Approximately 300 stream miles are on the 303(d) list as water quality impaired. However, it is noteworthy that a large number of stream miles (3,104) are listed as of potential concern for sediment. This is consistent with field observations by DEQ, ODFW and ODF staff. The NRC Report recommends that:

"Sediment from all land uses should be reduced to magnitudes appropriate to the geological setting of a river basin. In practical terms, the goal is that human activities should cause no net increase in sediment over natural inputs. " NRC p. 365

Based upon professional judgment and the large number of stream miles listed as of potential concern, sediment was considered a significant factor for decline of salmonids in coastal watersheds. Many staff are of the opinion that it may be at least as significant a factor as temperature.

Temperature:
Based upon the data in Table 1, from the 1994/96 303(d) list database, it can be seen that temperature is a widespread problem in coastal basins. The NRC Report states:

"The amount of thermally altered habitat in Pacific Northwest streams and rivers is not known, but it is probably proportional to the extent of water impoundments, riparian canopy alteration, heated discharges, and channel changes, such as widening and shallowing." NRC p. 191

Based upon the widespread extent of temperature problems in coastal watersheds, temperature was considered a significant factor for decline of salmonids.

Toxic Substances:
The data from the 303(d) list do not indicate that toxics are a serious concern for decline of salmonids. However, the water quality monitoring database for toxics is very limited due in part to the high cost of sampling and analysis for toxic compounds. There are known chlorine and ammonia toxicity problems in the mixing zones of some point source discharges in coastal watersheds that need to be addressed. Also the following concerns about toxic substances expressed in the NRC and Botkin Reports caused the state to list toxics as a factor for decline:

• The NRC Report expressed concern about "..the effects of water quality degradation on salmon in lower rivers and estuaries with heavy urban and industrial development." NRC p. 198

• The Botkin Report indicated a concern that agricultural fertilizers and pesticides are applied at frequencies that indicate a potential for concern:

  "With such large applications of pesticides and fertilizers, some portion is surely to make its way into nearby streams, especially since most agriculture land lies in close proximity to streams and rivers." Botkin p. 104

• The Botkin report raised concern that data are available to show that fish are sensitive to some artificial chemicals. However, they conclude that "information is insufficient to determine the extent to which these chemicals are actually limiting salmon populations, increasing mortality, or affecting spawning and growth of young." Botkin p. 106

The Botkin Report recommends that:

"Several kinds of studies are needed, including: better information about the rate of transfer of chemicals from land to streams; decay rates of chemicals under the range of environmental conditions found in the study area, and statistically-reliable estimates of the concentration of specific chemicals as a function of season, water flow, and other variables. Because of the potential significance of these chemicals to salmon, these studies have high priority." Botkin p. 106

Background on Biological Objectives:

Biological objectives have been developed for each of the identified factors for decline. These biological objectives are designed to halt and reverse the decline in coastal salmonids that are attributable to the factors for decline. There are several biological objectives identified for each factor for decline, and they fall into the following categories:

• Objectives to identify waterbodies in coastal watersheds that have water quality problems.
• Objectives to meet state water quality standards.
• Objectives to prevent the degradation of water quality in waterbodies that currently enjoy good water quality.
• Objectives to regularly review and update state water quality standards to ensure they remain protective of beneficial uses based upon the most current scientific information.

Each of the biological objectives contains measurable criteria and implementation milestones so that it will be possible to track the state's progress in achieving the objectives.

One area of concern with the biological objectives is whether they are adequate to address the effects of sedimentation on salmonids. DEQ's inter-gravel dissolved oxygen standard was developed to address the effects of sediment in spawning gravels. Meeting that water quality standard should be adequate to ensure spawning gravels are protected from practices that generate sediment loads. However, there are other stream attributes that are necessary for healthy salmonid life cycles that are also adversely affected by sedimentation, such as particle size composition and residual pool volume. Survival of salmonid eggs and fry are reduced when fine sediments are increased, and pool filling by sediment reduces juvenile rearing habitat. Unfortunately, DEQ doesn't have water quality standards that address all the adverse effects of sedimentation on salmonid life stages.

State agency staff are concerned with the technical difficulty of setting numerical criteria for stream attributes like embeddedness, particle size composition and residual pool volume. There is significant natural variability in these attributes depending on the watershed being studied, EPA does not have water quality criteria for these attributes, and there aren't examples of water quality standards developed by other states that can be used as a model. Idaho recently attempted to develop a water quality standard for cobble embeddedness, but ended up abandoning this approach in favor of an inter-gravel DO standard.

State agency staff would prefer to address the issue through the triennial water quality standards review process, and at the local level through watershed council development of watershed specific objectives for these stream attributes. Further, EPA Region 10 is considering undertaking a project, in cooperation with Region 10 states, federal agencies, academia and others, to develop technical guidance on physical habitat indicators. This guidance would be based upon a thorough review of scientific papers that have attempted to describe desirable numeric criteria for physical habitat features like embeddedness and particle size distribution. This scientific review should provide an excellent starting point for potential development of biological objectives or water quality standards.

DEQ has committed to participate with EPA in its physical habitat indicators project and to review and revise its water quality standards for sediment during the next triennial review process. As additional water quality criteria are developed for sedimentation they will be added to the OCSRI Plan as biological objectives.

Background on Agency Management Measures:

Each state agency has identified the management measures they will implement to help achieve the biological objectives. Each biological objective has several management measures attached to it that are designed to result in meeting the objective. Management measures are based upon agency statutory authority to implement programs in furtherance of their mission. The management measures indicate the programs and plans agencies are going to apply to the coastal salmon restoration effort. Much of the activity reported here will be accomplished with existing agency resources, but full implementation of the measures will require approval of the Healthy Streams Partnership budget by the Legislature.

One area of concern with the water quality management measures was how the nondegradation biological objective would be implemented. The proposed listing indicates that coho are currently under great pressure in coastal basins. Where habitat and water quality are good they should be protected as a high priority, especially in core areas, to ensure the continued survival of the species in these areas while recovery efforts are underway.

How the term "nondegradation" is defined is a significant concern. There needs to be the flexibility for some minor degradation to occur for public health and safety reasons, for improvements to habitat, or in those stream reaches where no adverse effect will occur to salmonids.

Another issue is how will the nondegradation objective be implemented by state and federal agencies. DEQ's anti-degradation water quality standard provides an adequate, but not well recognized, mechanism for managing degradation of good quality waterbodies. DEQ's High Quality Waters Policy⁽²⁾ provides that water quality better than the standards must be maintained and protected. However, the Environmental Quality Commission can allow a lowering of water quality in these high quality waters if it finds:

• No other reasonable alternatives exist except to lower water quality; and
• The action is necessary and justifiable for economic or social development benefits and outweighs the environmental costs of lowered water quality; and
• All water quality standards will be met and beneficial uses protected.

340-41-006(41) "High quality waters" means those waters which meet or exceed those levels that are necessary to support the propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and recreation in and on the water, and other designated beneficial uses.

To date, this policy has been applied by DEQ to point source discharges, and by ODF to forest practices through the FPA. It has not been applied by ODA as the SB 1010 plans developed to date have been targeted at 303(d) listed streams. It is unclear whether the existing High Quality Waters Policy would trigger SB 1010 (ORS 568.909) and the subsequent development of agricultural water quality management plans. However, Section 6217 of CZARA has triggered SB 1010 for all coastal basin streams, and ODA will be able to address nondegradation as it develops agricultural water quality management plans for the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program. It is also possible that ODA has authority under SB 502 (ORS 561.191) to prohibit agricultural practices that would degrade existing high quality waters.

Federal agencies are responsible for meeting state water quality standards, so activities on federal lands in Oregon should be meeting the High Quality Waters Policy. Further, the Camp Creek grazing lawsuit has given the state 401 certification authority over grazing activities on federal lands, and it may ultimately be interpreted to cover a broad array of other federal land management activities. This new 401 certification authority can be used by the state to implement the High Quality Waters Policy on federal lands.

Another mechanism that could be considered for use in protecting core areas is DEQ's Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW) Policy. Potentially, the EQC could designate core areas for protection under this policy and adopt restrictions on activities in the designated watersheds to provide a high level of protection for core areas. State and federal agencies would be required to address these restrictions as provided in the EQC's rules. These rules could be written to specifically trigger SB 1010. A significant factor to consider with this approach, in addition to the significant resource implications it would have for agencies, is the inequity inherent in setting more severe restrictions on some landowners than others because of their proximity to core area watersheds.

While ORW designations for core areas would give additional protection against water quality deterioration, the designations are not necessary for that protection to occur because the high quality waters portion of the antidegradation standard already applies to all waters in the coastal basins that currently are cleaner than the water quality standards would allow. Therefore, ODA and ODF and other agencies already have the responsibility to prevent degradation in these waters. The ORW designation would only give a higher level of assurance that these protections would occur in core areas, but is not necessary for it to occur.

Implementation Monitoring:

Implementation of the agency management measures is the responsibility of the individual agencies that developed the measures. Each agency has, or is, developing workplans for the management measures under their charge. These workplans contain at least the following elements: tasks to be completed; deliverables; identification of responsible staff; and completion dates. Workplans for all the Phase 1 measures from the draft OCSRI Plan are currently available. Phase 1 measures are those that will be implemented with existing resources. Workplans for Phase 2 measures will be developed to the extent the legislature approves the Healthy Streams Partnership budget request.

These workplans will be used by agencies to ensure the work gets done to implement their management measures. Most agencies will translate these workplans into individual employee annual workplans, and base employee performance appraisals on the degree to which assigned work is completed as specified and on time. Following is an example of how ODOT will monitor the implementation of its management measures:

ODOT will be instituting monitoring of its CSRI management measures to track actions taken and to ensure implementation. The four main areas to be followed are replacement of riparian areas disturbed by ODOT projects, the design of wetland mitigation projects to include features beneficial for fish, the implementation of NPDES erosion control protocols throughout western Oregon, the implementation of NPDES stormwater discharge permit conditions throughout western Oregon, and the implementation of ODOT maintenance activities improvements.

Monitoring of these items will be performed by the units and teams within ODOT directly responsible for the work to be done. The information collected by monitoring will be put into standardized formats and delivered to the ODOT Salmon Program Coordinator. The Salmon Program Coordinator will in turn collate the information and provide an annual report.

Wetland mitigation tracking will be done by the Wetland Team in the Research Unit of ODOT's Project Support Section. A database is being developed that will include the project name and location, the wetland types and area impacted by the project, the location, type and area of compensatory mitigation, an indication of features included for the benefit of fish, and permit monitoring information. Detailed information on the mitigation sites and the permit monitoring (which is focused on the success of the site) is included in project files.

Riparian mitigation for construction project impacts will be tracked by the Biology Team in the Research Unit of ODOT's Project Support Section. Specifically, they will be tracking riparian impacts and replacement that is covered by programmatic and project Biological Assessments. The Biology Team will develop a database patterned after the wetland mitigation database. Where the riparian areas impacted by a project are jurisdictional wetlands, riparian mitigation will be tracked by the Wetland Team.

The NPDES Storm Water Discharge Permit already requires annual reports detailing the status of the Best Management Measures. Information from the annual monitoring report that is relevant to the CSRI will be extracted by the NPDES implementation team, or the Salmon Program Coordinator and included in the CSRI report.

The implementation of NPDES erosion control requirements to all western Oregon projects is the responsibility of the construction project managers. The permit conditions require periodic monitoring during project construction. The mechanics of the collation and interpretation of the monitoring reports have yet to be developed.

ODOT highway maintenance procedures have been modified to reduce their impact on water quality and fish. At this time, there is no program for tracking the extent to which the new procedures have been implemented by the maintenance crews.

It is the intention of ODOT to monitor the implementation of all elements of its Salmon Program. Monitoring programs will be developed in the future for those parts of the program that do not already have them in effect or in active development. This may take some time, since the erosion control and maintenance activity programs are implemented in a more diffuse manner than the wetlands and riparian mitigation programs. Lack of a well formed monitoring system should not be considered to be a sign of lack of salmon program implementation.

Most agencies have processes similar to ODOT's for ensuring their measures are successfully implemented. For Example, DEQ has formed teams of regional, headquarters and laboratory staff to work on all aspects of water quality problems, point and nonpoint source related, in the Tillamook, Umpqua and Rogue basins. These teams are performing watershed assessments, developing TMDLs, working with watershed councils and ODA on water quality management plans, addressing point source pollution problems, and monitoring water quality. In short, they are responsible for all aspects of CSRI plan implementation in the assigned watersheds. Team workplans have been developed and work is underway. The teams have been meeting regularly to coordinate their efforts, and report progress to agency management. If the Healthy Streams Partnership budget is approved, this effort will be extended to the other coastal watersheds.

In addition to individual agency efforts to monitor implementation of their measures, the Governor's Office requires agency directors to report the status of their implementation efforts to the Governor on a biweekly basis. Further, the Salmon Strategy Team meets biweekly with the Governor, and the OCSRI Implementation Team meets on the same schedule. All of these efforts are designed to ensure the management measures are implemented as scheduled.

Adequacy of Management Measures to Achieve Biological Objectives:

A key issue is whether the agency management measures identified in this plan, in combination with existing base water quality protection programs, will be adequate to achieve the biological objectives. One way to look at this issue is to ask the following questions about the agency measures:

• Does the state have adequate statutory and regulatory authorities in place to achieve clean water?
• Are there adequate resources available to state agencies to implement the identified management measures?
• Will implementation of the management measures occur quickly enough to stop the decline of salmonids?
• Is there adequate assurance the management measures will be implemented?

State Clean Water Programs:

The state has a number of key programs in place to address water quality. Following is a listing of the more significant state programs that relate to protection of water quality:

Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ):

DEQ administers a number of point and non-point source programs that regulate many activities directly, and other activities indirectly. DEQ's authority to administer a water pollution control program is primarily contained in ORS 468B.005 et seq. ORS 468B.035 specifically authorizes DEQ to perform all acts necessary to implement the federal Clean Water Act. Some of the key programs DEQ implements include:

Water Quality Monitoring Program - DEQ maintains an ambient water quality monitoring network of 50 sites in the coastal basins that it uses to judge whether water quality is meeting standards and whether water quality is improving or declining. DEQ also has undertaken bioassessments of macroinvertebrates and fish in coastal streams to determine whether biological communities are being impaired. If the Healthy Streams Partnership budget is approved DEQ will be able to increase its monitoring activities in coastal basins as follows: Bioassessments - 20 reference sites/year plus 30 random sites/year; Water Quality - 20 inter-gravel DO sites/year, 50 temperature continuous monitoring sites, 10 continuous water quality monitoring sites, 80 ambient water quality grab sample monitoring sites, and special studies for TMDL development in the Rogue and Umpqua basins.

• Water Quality Standards - DEQ is responsible for establishing state water quality standards pursuant to Section 303(c) of the CWA. These water quality standards are comprised of the beneficial uses to be protected and numeric or narrative criteria. OAR Chapter 340, Division 41 contains the state water quality standards. Every three years the state is required to review its standards and revise them as necessary to ensure they adequately protect designated beneficial uses and are based upon the most recent scientific information available. DEQ just completed its triennial review for temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and bacteria. The next triennial review begins in the 1997-99 biennium, and water quality standards for wetlands and sediment will be undertaken as a high priority.

• Identification of Water Quality Limited Waterbodies - under Section 303(d)(1)(A) and (B) of the CWA, DEQ is responsible for reviewing all readily available water quality information and listing those waterbodies that are not meeting water quality standards. In addition, the state must establish a priority ranking for the impaired waters to ensure the most significant problems are addressed first. The 303(d) list must be prepared by the state every two years and submitted to EPA for approval. DEQ recently completed its 1994/96 303(d) list and has received EPA approval. The next regular update of the list is due in April 1998, however, DEQ is currently completing an interim update of the list. DEQ is also preparing criteria for a priority ranking of listed waterbodies that will make coastal watersheds containing threatened salmonids a high priority for action.

• Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) - DEQ is required by Section 303(d)(1)(C) and (D) of the CWA to prepare TMDLs for the waterbodies on the 303(d) list. The TMDL process is the key implementation mechanism Congress provided EPA and the states for addressing those waterbodies where the application of technology based controls is not adequate to meet water quality standards. TMDLs include an assessment of the water quality problems in a watershed, an implementation plan for correcting the problems, and monitoring to ensure the successful implementation of the plan. If the Healthy Streams Partnership budget is approved, DEQ will be able to complete TMDLs for all impaired coastal watersheds within ten years.

• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Program - DEQ implements the NPDES permit program as a delegated state under Section 402 of the CWA. Through this program DEQ manages discharges from point sources to surface waters. The NPDES program is the major tool the state uses to ensure that point source discharges meet water quality standards and don't impair beneficial uses.

• CWA Section 401 Certifications - under Section 401 of the CWA certain federal activities require a certification from the state that the activity will meet state water quality standards. DEQ has traditionally used this authority to ensure Corps of Engineers Section 404 dredge and fill projects and FERC licensed hydropower projects meet state water quality standards. However, a recent Oregon federal district court decision, Oregon Natural Desert Association, et al. Vs. The US Forest Service, et al., has significantly broadened the applicability of 401 certifications to federal activities. The judge in the "Camp Creek" case held that federal grazing permits were also subject to 401 certification, and by implication all other federal activities affecting nonpoint source discharges will need 401 certifications from DEQ in the future. If this case is upheld on appeal, it gives the state broad new authority to ensure federal activities in the coastal basins do not impair beneficial uses.

• CWA Section 319 Nonpoint Source Program - under Section 319 of the CWA DEQ has completed an assessment of nonpoint source impacts on water quality and developed a plan to manage nonpoint source pollution. In addition DEQ administers approximately $1 million per year in federal grant funds to assist in nonpoint source pollution control projects. DEQ is targeting projects in coastal basins that benefit salmonids as a high priority for receiving 319 grant funds.

A key emerging water quality program covering numerous land uses within the range of coastal coho, jointly administered by DEQ and DLCD, is the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program (CNPCP) developed to meet the requirements of Section 6217 of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990 (CZARA). The CNPCP is a comprehensive pollution control program for nonpoint sources of pollution that encompasses the entire range of coastal coho salmon in Oregon. Its implementation will involve a number of state agencies including DLCD, DEQ, ODA, ODF, DSL, ODFW, WRD, ODOT and the State Marine Board. The management measures included in the CNPCP are comprehensive in scope covering:

• Management measures for agriculture;
• Management measures for forestry;
• Management measures for urban areas;
• Management measures for marinas and recreational boating;
• Management measures for hydromodification: channelization and channel modification, dams, and streambank and shoreline erosion;
• Management measures for wetlands, riparian areas and vegetated treatment systems;
• Identification and protection of critical coastal areas; and
• Additional management measures necessary to meet water quality standards.

Please see the joint DEQ/DLCD program submittal to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) entitled "A Pollution Prevention and Control Program for Oregon's Coastal Waters" for details on the CNPCP. The state has received conditional approval of its CNPCP program from EPA and NOAA, and its implementation is a high priority component of the Coastal Salmon Restoration Plan.

Department of Forestry (ODF):

For forest lands, the Oregon Forest Practices Act, ORS 527.610 to 527.770 and 527.990 to 527.992, provides the statutory foundation for the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) to establish standards for forest practices in the state. The forest practice statute and implementing rules are enforceable regulatory mechanisms designed to limit the effects of forest operations on soil, air, water, fish and wildlife. More specific to protection of coastal salmonids, ORS 527.765 requires the Board of Forestry to establish best management practices (BMPs) and other rules applying to forest practices. These rules must ensure that to the maximum extent practicable nonpoint source discharges of pollutants from forest operations on forest lands do not impair the achievement and maintenance of state water quality standards.

Furthermore, ORS 527.765(3) contains a process wherein any person or agency may petition the board to review the BMPs adopted pursuant to ORS 527.765 if they are thought to result in violations of water quality standards. If the petition for review of BMPs is made by the Environmental Quality Commission (EQC), the board may not terminate the review without the concurrence of the EQC, unless the board commences rulemaking to address the BMPs at issue.

Department of Agriculture (ODA):

For agricultural lands, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) administers several programs to address the effects of agricultural practices on water quality. Under ORS 468B.200 to 468B.230, ODA manages animal waste from confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) by requiring CAFOs to operate under permits that prevent animal wastes from discharging into the waters of the state.

For other agricultural practices that affect water quality, ODA develops agricultural water quality management plans under the provisions of ORS 568.900 to 568.933 (SB 1010). Agricultural water quality management plans are developed under SB1010 to achieve compliance with state water quality standards, and are required whenever a waterbody is listed on the 303(d) list or whenever an agricultural water quality management plan is specifically required by state or federal law. The state believes that Section 6217 of CZARA has triggered SB 1010 for all the coastal basins, so ODA will be developing SB 1010 plans for all coastal watersheds to address water quality problems where they occur and to protect existing good quality waters from degradation.

Water quality standards include the beneficial use to be protected and numeric or narrative criteria designed to ensure the beneficial use is not impaired. State water quality standards include temperature and chemical criteria, antidegradation standards and a biological conditions standard. All of these standards work together to protect aquatic species and specifically salmonids, in addition to other beneficial uses. For this reason, agricultural water quality management plans developed under SB 1010 will address physical habitat and riparian function, as well as water quality chemical parameters, in order to adequately protect beneficial uses that rely on all of these factors to survive. Because riparian conditions affect water quality, SB1010 objectives will include:

• The need to establish proper functioning riparian communities to address beneficial use impairment;
• The prohibition of agricultural activities that prevent riparian function and function restoration; and
• Protection of streambanks.

While SB1010 does not provide a means to mandate restoration to natural conditions, ODA believes it does provide a high level of certainty that streambank stability and riparian function to achieve the goal of maximizing riparian habitat conditions necessary for salmonid survival will occur.

In addition to SB 1010, ODA is responsible for developing and implementing any program or rules that are for the purpose of protecting water quality and that apply to agricultural lands in Oregon, ORS 561.191. This statute gives ODA broad authority to manage agricultural practices wherever necessary to assure the achievement and maintenance of state water quality standards.

Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD):

DLCD implements Oregon's landmark state land use planning program. Oregon's Statewide Planning Program (ORS Chapter 197), first adopted in 1973, provides a basic level of resource protection through the mechanism of enforceable local comprehensive land use plans. All local jurisdictions in Oregon are required to develop comprehensive plans to comply with nineteen statewide planning goals. In simple terms, a local comprehensive plan reflects the process of identifying and balancing both natural resource values and land use and development pressures. It is an enforceable policy document implemented through land use (zoning) and land division ordinances at the local level. Oregon's land use program relies on a process called Periodic Review to ensure that local plans are kept current. Under Periodic Review, local jurisdictions review and update their plans to address new requirements and changing circumstances. For the OCSRI, DLCD staff will emphasize the importance of salmon-related plan improvements in new periodic reviews.

Division of State Lands (DSL):

The Division of State Lands administers the Removal-Fill Law, ORS 196.800 to 196.905, which requires a permit from DSL for removal, fill, or alteration involving 50 cubic yards or more of material in any water of the state, including wetlands. This law is largely analogous to the regulatory program administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under Section 404 of the CWA. It is, however, somewhat more restrictive in that it covers excavation as well as placement of fill in waters of the state.

Chemical Management:

Chemicals used for agriculture and forest operations are regulated by a combination of agencies. Federal standards are set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, since 1976 Oregon Department of Agriculture has annually entered into cooperative agreements with EPA Region 10 regarding investigation, enforcement, applicator certification, groundwater protection, and worker protection in Oregon, under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Through these agreements, EPA has recognized ODA as the lead state agency for the regulation of pesticides in Oregon. Also through these agreements, EPA has authorized primacy to ODA for enforcement of FIFRA in Oregon. In addition, the Oregon Legislature has authorized Agriculture to regulate the registration, distribution, and use of pesticides in Oregon. This authority is contained in ORS Chapter 634, known as the "Oregon Pesticide Control Act" and dates back to 1953. The Oregon Pesticide Control Act can be, and in many instances is, more strict in the regulation of pesticides than is FIFRA.

In regard to forest land applications of pesticides, the Oregon Legislature has authorized the Department of Forestry to establish standards for forest practices consistent with sound management of soil, air, water, fish and wildlife resources. Forestry is specifically directed by statute reference to consult with Agriculture before adopting rules on pesticide control.

Both Agriculture and Forestry have adopted administrative rules to carry out the purposes and intents of their respective authorizing statutes. The forestry rules are administered and enforced by the State Forester. The purpose of the chemical rules is to ensure that chemicals used on forest land do not occur in the soil, air, or waters of the state in quantities that would be injurious to wildlife, aquatic life, or to water quality, and to ensure that the vegetative components of riparian management areas and resource sites receive protection on chemical operations consistent with the protection expected on harvest operations.

ODA, ODF, ODFW, DEQ, and the Oregon Health Department are members of the Oregon Pesticide Analytical and Response Center (PARC). PARC is authorized by ORS 634.550 to:

• Receive information on health and environmental incidents involving pesticides.
• Mobilize expertise necessary for investigation of pesticide incidents.
• Identify trends and patterns of problems related to pesticide use.
• Make recommendations to state agencies for action to address pesticide problems.

State agencies are to implement the recommendations of PARC or report why they are taking no action on the recommendation.

Finally, Oregon has adopted an Integrated Pest Management act (ORS 634.650 to 634.670) to ensure the most appropriate pest control methods are used by agencies in an environmentally and economically sound manner. All agencies that have pest control responsibilities are to follow the principles of integrated pest management.

Tillamook Bay National Estuary Project (TBNEP):

Another significant emerging program is the Tillamook Bay National Estuary Project (TBNEP). Tillamook Bay and its watershed were selected as a national estuary project under Section 320 of the CWA by EPA in 1992. The watershed includes all lands drained by the Miami, Kilchis, Tillamook, Wilson and Trask Rivers. The goals of the TBNEP include:

• To achieve water quality standards and protect the beneficial uses of the bay and its watershed.
• To restore and enhance the bay from the effects of sedimentation in order to improve habitat and navigation.
• To protect and enhance spawning and rearing habitat for anadromous fish.
• To develop a comprehensive plan for Tillamook Bay that will protect the Bay's water quality and living resources, and promote compatibility among Tillamook County's natural resource related industries.
• To actively apply lessons learned to other estuaries in Oregon and the region.

A major product of the TBNEP will be the development of a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The CCMP is the "blueprint" for restoring and protecting the estuary. It will detail environmental problems, goals and objectives, activities or solutions to address the problems, authority for implementing the activities, necessary monitoring programs, ongoing public participation activities, and recommendations on how to finance long-term management of the estuary. The CCNP is scheduled to be completed by 1998.

Taken together all of these programs provide Oregon ample statutory and regulatory authority to achieve water quality standards where problems currently exist and to protect existing clean waters from degradation, and therefore to protect coastal coho and other salmonids from adverse effects.

Adequacy of State Resources:

Many of the measures listed in the plan will be implemented with existing agency resources. Those measures are identified as Phase 1 actions and workplans have already been prepared by the agencies to implement them. Other measures, Phase 2 actions, will require additional resources to implement. The state has identified the additional resources needed to implement the Phase 2 measures and included them in the Healthy Streams Partnership budget. If the Legislature approves this request during the 1997 Session, there will be adequate resources to implement the management measures. The program authority described above, plus the Healthy Streams Partnership budget request, will provide the state all the tools and resources it needs to provide a healthy functioning aquatic ecosystem for coastal salmonids.

Timely Implementation:

Timely implementation has three components: 1) how long will it take to identify all the waterbodies where salmonids are being impaired; 2) how long will it take to develop and implement water quality management plans for the impaired watersheds; and 3) once these plans are implemented, how long will it take for coastal waterbodies to recover such that salmonids are no longer impaired by water quality parameters.

The biological objectives developed for the water quality factors for decline include milestones that answer these questions. These milestones are best estimates based upon the assumption the Healthy Streams Partnership budget is approved. A complete discussion of the assumptions used to develop the milestones is provided below in the section Basis for Milestones in Biological Objectives. It is clear there is a significant amount of work to be done and that full recovery of impaired watersheds will take decades in many cases.

Assurance of implementation:

The federal Clean Water Act is a comprehensive mandatory program for cleaning up our nations waters and protecting them for designated beneficial uses. It is not an option for the state to decide that it won't protect salmonids as a beneficial use. If the state does not have an adequate clean water program, or skips some of the steps like setting water quality standards, then EPA is required to step in to fill the gaps or run the program for the state. Further, Section 505 of the CWA provides citizens the ability to bring lawsuits against the state or EPA for failure to implement the nondiscretionary portions of the Act, or against individual permit holders who are not complying with the conditions of their permit.

Relationship of Biological Objectives to CSRI Monitoring Strategy:

The CSRI monitoring strategy described in another section of this plan is a key element in the successful implementation of the plan. Water quality is one of the main parameters that make up the monitoring strategy. It will provide important information on how successful the agency management measures are in meeting the water quality related biological objectives.

A significant program is currently in place to monitor water quality on coastal streams. DEQ has maintained an ambient monitoring network in the state since 1976. This network has allowed for routine monitoring of approximately 3,500 miles of "rivers of special interest", the selection of which allows for a large scale and comprehensive characterization of water quality in the state. This information is routinely entered into a database and evaluated. In addition, DEQ has, for the last three years, undertaken a systematic evaluation of water quality in coastal streams. This program is designed to provide statistically valid interpretive reports on the health of the coastal aquatic ecosystem.

This comprehensive monitoring program will be supplemented with the implementation of the planned CSRI monitoring strategy, assuming the Healthy Streams Partnership budget request is approved. The ecological status and trends data that will be provided by the CSRI monitoring strategy will allow decision makers to assess objectively whether or not the state's ecological resources are responding positively, negatively, or not at all to the recovery programs. Decisions can then be made on where changes in management measures or shifts in resources are needed to achieve water quality objectives.

Listing of Factors for Decline, Biological Objectives and Agency Management Measures:

Following is a listing of the water quality related factors for decline of coastal salmonids, the biological objectives designed to halt and reverse the decline, and a summary of the agency management measures developed to achieve the biological objectives. Please see Chapter VI of the Plan for details on the management measures:

Temperature:

Factors for decline:

Water temperatures are too warm for salmonids in many coastal streams. Altered water temperatures can adversely affect spawning, fry emergence, smoltification, maturation period, migratory behavior, competition with other aquatic species, growth and disease resistance. Altered water temperatures may occur due to factors such as: riparian canopy removal; water impoundment; water withdrawal; water discharges (such as irrigation return flows and point source discharges); and changes in channel morphology such as widening and/or reducing the depth of stream beds.

Biological objective:

To identify waterbodies not meeting the water quality standard for temperature through biennial updates to the 303(d) List according to the following milestones (% of waterbodies identified):

2002 - 50%
2007 - 95%

Agency Management Measures:

DEQ Measures Summary:

DEQ3 - Implementation of 303(D) List Priorities for TMDL Development: DEQ will update its 303(d) List of water quality limited waterbodies in April of even numbered years. In addition to analyzing its own water quality monitoring data for waterbodies that don't meet state water quality standards, DEQ will actively seek monitoring data from other local, state and federal agencies, tribes, universities, business and industry, the general public, and other sources. If the data meets basic quality assurance and quality control criteria, it will be used to determine the status of temperature in coastal waterbodies.

ODF Measures Summary:
Recent forest practices monitoring looked at temperature comprehensively on a coastal coho bearing basin (Brush Creek) as well as evaluated temperatures at 7 headwater sites located mostly in the Oregon coast range. In addition forest practice rule effectiveness in maintaining stream temperature was evaluated for 9 forest practice rule Riparian Management Areas (RMAs) and for 7 forest practice rules hardwood conversions with all but two occurring in the Oregon Coast Range or in tributaries that flow into or historically had coastal coho salmon populations (Measures: ODF 28 and 30). ODF forest practices monitoring will continue to monitor forest practice rules effectiveness for stream temperature for several watersheds in 1997 and beyond (Measures: ODF28 and 30, 3 coastal basin watersheds in 1996 with several termisters per basin). Better understanding of possible cumulative effects of stream heating will be gained by the full watershed approach used by ODF. Beyond this, the monitoring will provide high quality forest temperature data for several sites throughout coastal Oregon. ODF will also be monitoring riparian conditions (Measures: ODF 28 and 29) for 27 sites statewide (13 within the historic range of coastal coho salmon) before and after harvesting to monitor loss of shade and other effects due to harvesting. Phase two improvements to the monitoring program ( Measures: ODF46) will only add to the number of sites monitored under this program for both temperature and riparian conditions related to temperature. In addition, several private landowners are monitoring temperature and riparian condition on several watersheds (Measures: ODF 23 and 27, 4 watersheds). Private and state land sponsored ODFW stream habitat surveys (Measures: ODF 22 and 44) also give baseline data on shade for thousands of miles of coastal streams and is beginning to become a comprehensive snapshot of riparian conditions for the majority of forest land streams. In addition, ODF is cooperating in its own or landowner based watershed analyses and assessments that are gathering and collating data regarding stream temperature for several watersheds now (Measures: ODF 34-36, 5 watersheds) and for others by the end of 1998 (Measures: ODF 37 and 55, at least 4 watersheds probably more).

In tallying the various monitoring measures, there is temperature information being provided for dozens of streams and riparian information for literally hundreds of stream reaches and thousands of stream miles. All of this information will be useful in determining the extent of temperature problems throughout the Oregon Coast Range.

Biological objective:

To meet DEQ's water quality standard for temperature in coastal waterbodies that support salmonids, or have historically supported salmonids, according to the following milestones (% of stream miles meeting numeric criteria for temperature):

1997 - unknown (18.4% of stream miles assessed)
2007 - 35%
2012 - 45%
2017 - 65%
2027 - 90%

Agency Management Measures:

DEQ Measures Summary:
DEQ1 - Coastal Nonpoint Control Program

Nonpoint sources that result in impairment of salmonids due to stream temperature will be minimized in coastal areas through comprehensive state and local programs. Full implementation of management measures designed by EPA and NOAA is expected by 2004 with benefits to coho continuing beyond full implementation.

DEQ2 - Implementation of Recently Revised Water Quality Standards for Temperature
Water quality standards for temperature have been revised to improve protection of cold water aquatic species. Implementation plans will be developed for both point and nonpoint sources of pollution to reduce thermal loads such that the new water quality standards can be achieved.

DEQ4 - Watershed Council Support
The Department will enhance and improve support of local watershed council efforts to improve temperature water quality for coastal salmonids. DEQ will enhance its current watershed council technical assistance by providing additional monitoring support, and providing targeted support for both basin and project level sites in the Rogue, Umpqua and Tillamook basins.

DEQ5 - Enhanced 401 Certification Program in Coastal Watersheds
DEQ will improve review and enforcement of 401 certification conditions for activities in coastal salmonid waters to ensure adequate protection of all salmonid life stages from adverse effects due to temperature.

DEQ6 - Tillamook Bay National Estuary Program
DEQ will continue to support and provide technical assistance for the development of a Coordinated Conservation Management Plan in the Tillamook Bay watershed that addresses impairment of salmonids due to temperature.

DEQ9 - Apply for Instream Water Rights on Streams with TMDLs
As TMDLs are developed for coastal waterbodies, DEQ will request instream water rights from WRD at flow levels necessary to ensure water quality standards can continue to be met once the TMDL is implemented. Of course, this will not affect senior water rights but it will give the Department the ability to limit additional appropriations that would adversely affect water quality and beneficial uses.

DEQ11 - Implementation of Recently Revised Water Quality Standards for Temperature (Phase 2)
If the Healthy Streams Partnership budget is approved, DEQ will use the additional resources to complete watershed assessments and TMDLs related to temperature for all coastal watersheds by 2007.

DEQ12 - Watershed Council Support (Phase 2)
If the Healthy Streams Partnership budget is approved, DEQ will use the additional resources to provide technical assistance and monitoring support to all functioning, sanctioned watershed councils in the coastal basins.

DEQ13 - Enhanced 401 Certification Program in Coastal Watersheds (Phase 2)
If the Healthy Streams Partnership budget is approved, DEQ will have one additional FTE to enhance its review and enforcement of 401 certifications in the coastal basins. DEQ will target projects for enhanced review and enforcement that have the greatest potential to adversely affect salmonids.

ODF Measures Summary:
The primary mechanism that is used for maintaining low stream temperatures on state and private forest lands are the provisions for leaving shade in the forest practice water protection rules (Measures: ODF 5 and 9). Recent ODFW fish habitat surveys have shown that stream shading is generally very high on state and private land. These rules will continue to provide for this high shading level by requiring a 20 foot "no touch" retention buffer along with tree basal area and stem number retention in riparian areas for all fish bearing streams. Smaller retention buffers are required for some non fish bearing streams. These rules apply to all state and private forest land throughout the range of coastal coho salmon. This program has been in existence since 1971 and has a high degree of implementation acceptance, as well as resources (56 field based FTE) to enforce the program. During hardwood conversions (Measures: ODF 16) there is the potential to reduce shading and heat the stream. For areas that are known to have high populations of coho salmon, greater oversight on when and how to do hardwood conversions will be required especially for potentially temperature limited streams.

In addition, on federal and state lands and for some private ground with Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs), there are even wider buffer requirements with higher vegetation retention required (see restrictions under FEMAT for federal government and Measures: ODF 8 and 14 for Oregon State Lands). These two measures alone will account for land management of over 693,000 acres of land in the Oregon Coast Range. As an example, for the Elliot State Forest Lands HCP, the result is a comprehensive, integrated forest management plan that takes into account a wide range of forest values, including timber, threatened and endangered species, wildlife, fish, water quality, recreation, and other resources.

The plan is based on a strategic framework that includes management basins with varying harvest rotations from 80 to 240 years, and establishment of habitat conservancy areas, riparian reserves, and other reserve areas across the forest. These riparian and other reserves as well as long rotation management of adjacent management basins, will provide protection for cutthroat trout and other fish species of concern.

The Elliott State Forest has been divided into 17 management basins approximately 5500 acres each in size. The basins will serve as the basis to implement and monitor the strategy of the conservation plan. Habitat Conservancy Areas (HCAs) are established in each of the management basins to protect some T&E species sites and fisheries areas. Of the 93,000 acres of the forest HCAs, riparian reserves, and other reserves (such as scenic areas) total 18,060 acres, or 19 percent of the Elliott State Forest.

The basins use a mix of 240, 200 160, 135 and 80 year rotations, varying by basin. Over time, from 13 - 66 percent of each basin will be managed in NRF habitat for the spotted owl. Important to note is that late successional forests (stands 156 plus years old) show a dramatic increase over the next 100 years. Late successional forest will increase from the current level of less than 1 percent to 29 percent (26,678 acres) by the year 2063 and then be maintained at that level.

The riparian strategy of the habitat conservation plan will retain late successional forest riparian areas between 50 and 100 feet in width along both sides of fish-bearing and perennial non-fish-bearing streams. Where fires, storms, road building, and past practices have reduced the numbers of large conifers in riparian zones, specific habitat enhancement projects may be undertaken, in consultation with ODFW, to restore conifers. In the long-term, the creation of large woody debris in the streams from fallen conifers will enhance fish habitat by creating pools, slowing the flow of the stream, trapping sediment, and increasing macroinvertebrate populations. In addition to other protective measures put in place by the plan, the plan includes Conservancy Lands. Within Conservancy Lands no timber harvest will occur except in the event of emergency conditions. Conservancy Lands are divided into two categories, they include Scenic conservancy lands and Protective conservancy lands. Scenic conservancy lands include areas that hold scenic values such as park buffers, highway corridors, river corridor-lakeshore, and scenic attractions. The river corridor-lakeshore lands will be maintained as natural, untouched areas due to their scenic value. Protective conservancy lands are classified as damageable lands, special game habitat, and special fish habitat. These areas are associated with the steep, rocky slopes on either side of major rivers or streams, including the Umpqua River, Mill Creek and the West Fork Millicoma River.

Another key factor in stream temperature control is to attempt to maintain as narrow and deep a stream channel as possible. One of the primary ways of doing this is to try to prevent excess sedimentation. To reduce stream sedimentation, there are several measures aimed at improving road quality and reduction of risk of road and road fill failure to reduce the risk of debris torrents and debris floods that can often tear open the near stream riparian canopy and reduce shade (Measures: ODF 1-4,10, and 42). The summation of these programs is a comprehensive evaluation and repair of the majority of both active and inactive roads that occur on state and private lands. The program for active roads at this time is regulatory with a track record dating back to 1984. While the program is voluntary for inactive roads, it has high acceptance for Oregon Industrial Forest Lands and lower acceptance for non-industrial woodlands. Overall the rate of implementation is expected to be extremely high and does not depend on legislative outcomes as it will be financed primarily in the private sector or with existing programs. The end result is a significant reduction in the risk of road related sediment entry into stream systems over current conditions. Since roads are considered the major source of accelerated sedimentation (perhaps as much as 80-90% of accelerated sedimentation) the reduction in road related sediment will greatly reduce the risk of channel widening due to excess sedimentation for lower gradient reaches susceptible to excess sedimentation. This should lead to an improvement of conditions over time. However, no project can completely eliminate all accelerated erosion due to roads and timber harvesting and there will be some risk of accelerated erosion (over natural conditions) though greatly reduced from current levels.

Stream enhancement activities are often used to re-introduce roughness into streams to increase sediment retention on higher stream gradient reaches formally degraded down to bedrock (Measures: ODF 11-13, 17-19, 44). The replacement of these wide bedrock streams with channels formed within deposited sediment may narrow the stream and decrease stream heating. The extent of these projects is limited when put into the context of the entire stream network of the Oregon Coast Range. However, measures ODF 11-13 are attempting to target streams that are lowest in wood and may target these types of streams along with lower gradient streams that have a high probability of success in terms of increasing channel complexity. In addition, measures aimed at minimizing wood removal (Measures: ODF 5), as well as bolstering wood recruitment, extend to all fish bearing Oregon Coast Range streams and will have the potential to increase roughness and improve these conditions over time.

Many stream riparian areas are damaged from past harvesting activities. For these situations, there are several incentive programs to help replace conifers that have been missing that will provide shade along with wood in the future (Measures: ODF 39b, 40, 49, and 50). The use of these incentives has been very limited, however the extent of riparian areas with little or no re-growth in the Oregon Coast Range is also limited.

The use of wide buffers for aerial forest chemical applications (Measures: ODF 7) will also help ensure that riparian vegetation is retained to provide shade. This program is coastwide in extent and part of a well established regulatory program that has a long track record as well as high acceptance, implementation and resources.

ODA Measures Summary:
Temperature problems related to agricultural lands will be addressed through Oregon Department of Agriculture SB1010, Agriculture Water Quality Management Plan, Program and CAFO program (see ODA attachment to CSRI for more in-depth description of this program)

ODOT Measures Summary:
Minimize removal of riparian vegetation. Replacement of riparian vegetation impacted by ODOT projects or activities to the extent allowed by local conditions, in an amount large enough to compensate for the impact and the time lag in re-establishment (tentatively set at 1.5:1 replacement to impact length).
Regulatory Control: Clean Water Act Section 401 Clean Water Certification for projects requiring 404 permits.
Status: Proposed.

DLCD Measures Summary:
Phase 1
DLCD1 - Implement The Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program (CNPCP)
DLCD2 - Riparian Area Technical Assistance

Phase 2
DLCD4 - Implement New Goal 5 Rules for Riparian and Wetland Protection

DLCD1: Overall implementation of the CNPCP will generally improve water quality over the medium and long terms, since the CNPCP is designed to minimize delivery of nonpoint source pollutants from virtually all land use activities in the coastal basins.

DLCD2 and DLCD4 will improve the protection of riparian areas through local comprehensive plans, which is expected to reduce in-stream water temperatures over the long term. These measures will result in the establishment of riparian buffers within which vegetation removal, structures, and paved areas are prohibited in urban and rural residential areas, and structures and paved areas are prohibited in forest and agricultural areas.

Biological objective:

In coastal waterbodies that support or have historically supported salmonids, where water quality currently is equal to or better than DEQ's water quality standard for temperature, manage activities such that water quality is not degraded.

Agency Management Measures:

DEQ Measures Summary:
DEQ8 - Implement Antidegradation Water Quality Standard
DEQ will implement its antidegradation water quality standard in coastal basins to address degradation of water quality that is currently cleaner than parameter specific water quality standards would allow. DEQ will ensure that point source discharges are subjected to antidegradation review as permits are issued for new or increased discharges, and will work with ODF, ODA and other state and federal natural resource agencies to ensure the antidegradation standard is implemented for nonpoint sources.

DEQ9 - Apply for Instream Water Rights on Streams with TMDLs
As TMDLs are developed for coastal waterbodies, DEQ will request instream water rights from WRD at flow levels necessary to ensure water quality standards can continue to be met once the TMDL is implemented. Of course, this will not affect senior water rights but it will give the Department the ability to limit additional appropriations that would adversely affect water quality and beneficial uses.

ODF Measures Summary:
The measures described above should minimize any threats of water temperature degradation. In essence over the next few years there should be a steady improvement in water temperature overall due to the re-growth and shade recovery of previously harvested reaches along with channel morphological improvements due to stream enhancement and increased wood recruitment and retention.

ODA Measures Summary:
Prevention of degradation in waterbodies that meet or exceed the temperature standard and are related to agricultural lands will be addressed through Oregon Department of Agriculture SB1010, Agriculture Water Quality Management Plan, Program and CAFO program (see ODA attachment to CSRI for more in-depth description of this program)

ODOT Measures Summary:
Replacement of riparian vegetation impacted by ODOT projects or activities to the extent allowed by local conditions, in an amount large enough to compensate for the impact and the time lag in re-establishment (tentatively set at 1.5:1 replacement to impact length).
Regulatory Control: Clean Water Act Section 401 Clean Water Certification for projects requiring 404 permits.
Status: Proposed.

DLCD Measures Summary:
Phase 1
DLCD1 - Implement The Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program (CNPCP)
DLCD2 - Riparian Area Technical Assistance

Phase 2
DLCD4 - Implement New Goal 5 Rules for Riparian and Wetland Protection

DLCD1: Overall implementation of the CNPCP will generally improve water quality over the medium and long terms, since the CNPCP is designed to minimize delivery of nonpoint source pollutants from virtually all land use activities in the coastal basins.

DLCD2 and DLCD4 will improve the protection of riparian areas through local comprehensive plans, which is expected to reduce in-stream water temperatures over the long term. These measures will result in the establishment of riparian buffers within which vegetation removal, structures, and paved areas are prohibited in urban and rural residential areas, and structures and paved areas are prohibited in forest and agricultural areas.

Biological objective:

Review the numeric criteria in the temperature standard during each Triennial Review Period to determine if the standard needs to be scheduled for revision to ensure it remains protective of beneficial uses based upon the most current scientific information.

Agency Management Measures:

DEQ Measures Summary:
DEQ10 - Review and Revise Water Quality Standards during Triennial Review Process
Under Section 303(c) of the Clean Water Act, the state is required to review and, as appropriate, revise its water quality standards every three years. As DEQ undertakes this process it will make it a priority to update standards that primarily benefit salmonids to ensure they remain protective of the beneficial uses based upon the most current scientific information.

ODF Measures Summary:
ODF monitoring assessment data obtained from the measures listed under the first temperature biological objective will feed into the process of reviewing the numeric criteria to provide better information for subsequent triennial reviews.

Sediment:

Factors for decline:

Gravel beds in a number of coastal streams used by salmonids for spawning, incubating and emerging fry have been filled or covered by excessive sediment due to high sediment loads. High sediment loads can also adversely affect fish by: increasing mortality; reducing growth rates; causing physiological stress; impairing homing instincts; and reducing feeding rates. High levels of sediment can also produce changes in channel habitat by reducing pool frequency, depth and volume. Excessive sediment loads may result from factors such as degraded riparian areas and stream banks, erosion from agricultural lands, landslides, construction and maintenance of state, local and forest roads, and other land disturbing activities.

Biological objectives:

To identify waterbodies that are water quality limited for sediment through biennial updates to the 303(d) List according to the following milestones (% of waterbodies identified):

2002 - 15%
2007 - 65%
2012 - 90%

Agency Management Measures:

DEQ Measures Summary:
DEQ3 - Implementation of 303(D) List Priorities for TMDL Development: DEQ will update its 303(d) List of water quality limited waterbodies in April of even numbered years. In addition to analyzing its own water quality monitoring data for waterbodies that don't meet state water quality standards, DEQ will actively seek monitoring data from other local, state and federal agencies, tribes, universities, business and industry, the general public, and other sources. If the data meets basic quality assurance and quality control criteria, it will be used to determine the status of waterbodies impaired by sediment.

ODF Measures Summary:
The primary source of stream habitat information is the ODFW fish habitat surveys (Measures: ODF 22, funded by private forest landowners or ODF for State Lands) that have been done for several thousand miles of forest land coastal coho streams. While some information has been taken on sediment conditions, this data set may prove too coarse to use to evaluate sediment conditions. However, information from these surveys may be correlated with sediment conditions from more intensive stream morphological surveys to understand where the problem spots may be. In addition, there are several watershed assessments and analyses that are being done by or in cooperation with ODF that are attempting to evaluate reaches that may have excessive sediment loads (Measures: ODF 34-37, 44, and 55). The storm of `96 monitoring project (Measures: ODF 21) is also attempting to study sediment transport in conjunction with mass wasting activity.

ODOT Measures Summary:
Institute program of identifying slide prone areas along state highways to assist in planning for remedial actions (ODOT Action Item # 3).
Institutional Control: ODOT Implementation Plan for the CSRI.

Status: Prototype underway for Highway 38.

Biological Objective:

To meet DEQ's water quality standard for inter-gravel dissolved oxygen in spawning gravel beds for coastal waterbodies according to the following milestones (% of streams that meet numeric criteria for inter-gravel dissolved oxygen):

1997 - unknown
2007 - 15%
2012 - 40%
2017 - 70%
2027 - 90%

Agency Management Measures:

DEQ Measures Summary:
DEQ1 - Coastal Nonpoint Control Program
Nonpoint sources of sediment will be minimized in coastal areas through comprehensive state and local programs. Full implementation of management measures designed by EPA and NOAA is expected by 2004 with significant reductions in sediment loads expected to continue well beyond full implementation.

DEQ2 - Implementation of Recently Revised Water Quality Standards for Inter-Gravel Dissolved Oxygen
Water quality standards for inter-gravel dissolved oxygen have been revised to improve protection from excessive sediments in spawning gravels. Implementation plans will be developed for both point and nonpoint sources of pollution to reduce sediment loads such that the new water quality standards can be achieved.

DEQ4 - Watershed Council Support
The Department will enhance and improve support of local watershed council efforts to reduce sediment loads causing impairment to coastal salmonids. DEQ will enhance its current watershed council technical assistance by providing additional monitoring support, and providing targeted support for both basin and project level sites in the Rogue, Umpqua and Tillamook basins.

DEQ5 - Enhanced 401 Certification Program in Coastal Watersheds
DEQ will improve review and enforcement of 401 certification conditions for activities in coastal salmonid waters to ensure adequate protection of all salmonid life stages from impairment due to sedimentation.

DEQ6 - Tillamook Bay National Estuary Program
DEQ will continue to support and provide technical assistance for the development of a Coordinated Conservation Management Plan in the Tillamook Bay watershed that addresses impairment of salmonids due to sediment.

DEQ9 - Apply for Instream Water Rights on Streams with TMDLs
As TMDLs are developed for coastal waterbodies, DEQ will request instream water rights from WRD at flow levels necessary to ensure water quality standards can continue to be met once the TMDL is implemented. Of course, this will not affect senior water rights but it will give the Department the ability to limit additional appropriations that would adversely affect water quality and beneficial uses.

DEQ11 - Implementation of Recently Revised Water Quality Standards for Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen (Phase 2)
If the Healthy Streams Partnership budget is approved, DEQ will use the additional resources to complete watershed assessments and TMDLs related to inter-gravel dissolved oxygen for all coastal watersheds by 2007.

DEQ12 - Watershed Council Support( Phase 2)
If the Healthy Streams Partnership budget is approved, DEQ will use the additional resources to provide technical assistance and monitoring support to all functioning, sanctioned watershed councils in the coastal basins.

DEQ13 - Enhanced 401 Certification Program in Coastal Watersheds (Phase 2)
If the Healthy Streams Partnership budget is approved, DEQ will have one additional FTE to enhance its review and enforcement of 401 certifications in the coastal basins. DEQ will target projects for enhanced review and enforcement that have the greatest potential to adversely affect salmonids.

ODF Measures Summary:
ODF will help improve the condition of gravel spawning beds by attempting to minimize fine sediment input from both roads and harvest skid trails. These measures are comprehensive in nature and extent and based on regulations for active roads (Measures: ODF 2-4) and voluntary actions for in-active roads. The most significant measure, is the road assessment and improvement activities that will occur on state (Measures: ODF 42) and private (Measures: ODF 10) forest land. Both these projects will focus on eliminating direct connection between the road and channel network as well as correct surface and mass wasting erosion hazards that are on both active and inactive roads. The degree of implementation is high for active roads and skid trails as it is based on a program that has been in existence since 1971, has high acceptance, and has resources to implement and enforce regulations. The degree of certainty regarding implementation of voluntary measures is also high as there is a high degree of acceptance for private industrial forest lands and state lands for this project. For non-industrial forest lands the acceptance and degree of certainty regarding implementation is lower however the percent of this land type for the Oregon Coast Range is also lower.

The increased recruitment and retention of large woody debris on state and private forest land (Measures: ODF 5 and 9) will aid in creating more complex channels with more opportunities in channel to sort and store high quality spawning gravel. For federal lands and for state and some private lands under Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) the recruitment level of wood would even be greater (see discussion in temperature factor of decline for details). The degree of implementation of these measures is high as these are well established regulatory programs.

Channel enhancement activities (Measures: 11-13, 18, 19) will add wood to the channel network and add channel complexity. The geographic extent of all these enhancement activities is low, but targeted to reaches that have the lowest wood loadings and highest probability of success, at least for ODF measures 11-13. The overall trend in stream habitat should improve for the foreseeable future especially for the availability of spawning gravel beds in the Oregon Coast Range forest lands.

ODA Measures Summary:
Sediment problems related to agricultural lands will be addressed through Oregon Department of Agriculture SB1010, Agriculture Water Quality Management Plan, Program and CAFO program (see ODA attachment to CSRI for more in-depth description of this program)

ODOT Measures Summary:
ODOT implements erosion and sediment control plans for all ground disturbing projects, with the object of preventing the discharge of sediments large enough to deposit in streams, and the minimization of all sediment discharges. ODOT is modifying maintenance activities and winter maintenance practices to reduce the amount of sediment discharged from state highways and right-of-ways.
Regulatory Controls: NPDES 1200-CA permit for the discharge of stormwater from construction sites. Clean Water Act Section 401 Clean Water certification. Local erosion and sediment control ordinances.
Institutional Controls: ODOT informal policy to implement current NPDES permit and program requirements to all ODOT activities in western Oregon. A memo is being developed for signature by Ken Husby, ODOT Deputy Director formalizing this understanding. ODOT Standard Specifications Section 00280, and project specific special provisions. Best Management Practice Review of Winter Maintenance Activities and Sidecast Sweeping adopted by State District Managers, September, 1996. MMS (Maintenance Activities) Water Quality Review (currently being modified to take into account fish issues).
Institutional Resources: Erosion Control Handbooks developed by ODOT for use by designers, project inspectors, and contractors.
Status: Erosion control policies have been implemented. Review of winter maintenance practices was completed and adopted in September 1996. Review of other maintenance practices was completed in January 1997. Manuals are in the final stages of adoption.

DLCD Measures Summary:
Phase 1
DLCD1 - Implement The Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program (CNPCP)
DLCD2 - Riparian Area Technical Assistance

Phase 2
DLCD4 - Implement New Goal 5 Rules for Riparian and Wetland Protection
DLCD5 - Implement Urban Management Measures Under the CNPCP

DLCD1: Implementation of the CNPCP will generally improve water quality over the medium and long terms.

DLCD 2 and DLCD4 will improve the protection of riparian areas through local comprehensive plans, which is expected to reduce sediment delivery to surface waters over the long term. These measures will result in the establishment of riparian buffers within which vegetation removal, structures, and paved areas are prohibited in urban and rural residential areas, and structures and paved areas are prohibited in forest and agricultural areas.

DLCD5 will assist in the implementation of management measures designed to reduce peak flow runoff rates and TSS loading from newly developing areas.

Biological Objective:

In coastal waterbodies that support or have historically supported salmonids, where water quality currently is equal to or better than DEQ's water quality standard for inter-gravel dissolved oxygen, manage activities such that water quality is not degraded.

Agency Management Measures:

DEQ Measures Summary:
DEQ8 - Implement Antidegradation Water Quality Standard
DEQ will implement its antidegradation water quality standard in coastal basins to address degradation of water quality that is currently cleaner than parameter specific water quality standards would allow. DEQ will ensure that point source discharges are subjected to antidegradation review as permits are issued for new or increased discharges, and will work with ODF, ODA and other state and federal natural resource agencies to ensure the antidegradation standard is implemented for nonpoint sources.

DEQ9 - Apply for Instream Water Rights on Streams with TMDLs
As TMDLs are developed for coastal waterbodies, DEQ will request instream water rights from WRD at flow levels necessary to ensure water quality standards can continue to be met once the TMDL is implemented. Of course, this will not affect senior water rights but it will give the Department the ability to limit additional appropriations that would adversely affect water quality and beneficial uses.

ODF Measures Summary:
See measures listed above for meeting DEQ standards. The summation of all these measures is that overall the availability of high quality spawning gravels should increase with time. It can be noted that after given storms, fires, or other catastrophic natural events that the generally increasing trend of improving quality can be masked by these extreme events.

ODA Measures Summary:
Prevention of degradation of waterbodies where sediment is not currently a problem and that are related to agricultural lands will be addressed through Oregon Department of Agriculture SB1010, Agriculture Water Quality Management Plan, Program and CAFO program (see ODA attachment to CSRI for more in-depth description of this program)

Biological Objective:

Review the numeric criteria in the inter-gravel dissolved oxygen standard during each Triennial Review Period to determine if the standard needs to be scheduled for revision to ensure it remains protective of beneficial uses based upon the most current scientific information.

Agency Management Measures:

DEQ Measures Summary:
DEQ10 - Review and Revise Water Quality Standards during Triennial Review Process
Under Section 303(c) of the Clean Water Act, the state is required to review and, as appropriate, revise its water quality standards every three years. As DEQ undertakes this process it will make it a priority to update standards that primarily benefit salmonids to ensure they remain protective of the beneficial uses based upon the most current scientific information. DEQ will also investigate standards that go beyond parameter specific criteria and focus on habitat condition and the overall health of aquatic communities.

ODF Measures Summary:
ODF monitoring information can help feed into this process.

Biological Objective:

During the next Triennial Review Period (1997-99 biennium) review and revise, as appropriate, the state narrative water quality standard for sedimentation⁽³⁾

to determine if numeric criteria can be developed to improve protection of aquatic species and to make the standard easier to implement.

Agency Management Measures:

DEQ Measures Summary:
DEQ7 - Revise Water Quality Standard for Sediment
During the next Triennial Review of water quality standards beginning in the 1997-99 biennium, DEQ will undertake a major review of its sediment standard with the intent of significantly upgrading it to better address stream attributes related to sediment loads such as cobble embeddedness, particle size distribution and residual pool volume. As these criteria are adopted they will be added to this plan as new biological objectives.

Dissolved oxygen:

Factors for decline:

Dissolved oxygen levels are too low to adequately support salmonids in some coastal waterbodies due to high BOD and nutrient loads from point and nonpoint sources.

Biological objective:

To identify waterbodies not meeting the water quality standard for dissolved oxygen through biennial updates to the 303(d) List according to the following milestones (% of waterbodies identified):

2002 - 50%
2007 - 95%

Agency Management Measures:

DEQ Measures Summary:
DEQ3 - Implementation of 303(D) List Priorities for TMDL Development: DEQ will update its 303(d) List of water quality limited waterbodies in April of even numbered years. In addition to analyzing its own water quality monitoring data for waterbodies that don't meet state water quality standards, DEQ will actively seek monitoring data from other local, state and federal agencies, tribes, universities, business and industry, the general public, and other sources. If the data meets basic quality assurance and quality control criteria, it will be used to determine the status of dissolved oxygen in coastal waterbodies.

Biological Objective:

To meet DEQ's water quality standard for water column dissolved oxygen in coastal waterbodies that support, or have historically supported salmonids, according to the following milestones (% of streams meeting the numeric criteria for dissolved oxygen):

1997 - unknown (73.2% of stream miles assessed)
2007 - 35%
2012 - 70%
2017 - 90%
2027 - 95%

Agency Management Measures:

DEQ Measures Summary:
DEQ1 - Coastal Nonpoint Control Program

Nonpoint sources of pollution that result in dissolved oxygen problems will be minimized in coastal areas through comprehensive state and local programs. Full implementation of management measures designed by EPA and NOAA is expected by 2004 with benefits to salmonids continuing beyond full implementation.

DEQ2 - Implementation of Recently Revised Water Quality Standards for Dissolved Oxygen
Water quality standards for dissolved oxygen have been revised to improve protection of cold water aquatic species. Implementation plans will be developed for both point and nonpoint sources of pollution to reduce pollutant loads such that the new water quality standards can be achieved.

DEQ4 - Watershed Council Support
The Department will enhance and improve support of local watershed council efforts to improve dissolved oxygen water quality for coastal salmonids. DEQ will enhance its current watershed council technical assistance by providing additional monitoring support, and providing targeted support for both basin and project level sites in the Rogue, Umpqua and Tillamook basins.

DEQ5 - Enhanced 401 Certification Program in Coastal Watersheds
DEQ will improve review and enforcement of 401 certification conditions for activities in coastal salmonid waters to ensure adequate levels of dissolved oxygen are available for protection of all salmonid life stages.

DEQ6 - Tillamook Bay National Estuary Program
DEQ will continue to support and provide technical assistance for the development of a Coordinated Conservation Management Plan in the Tillamook Bay watershed that addresses dissolved oxygen problems that are impairing salmonids.

DEQ9 - Apply for Instream Water Rights on Streams with TMDLs
As TMDLs are developed for coastal waterbodies, DEQ will request instream water rights from WRD at flow levels necessary to ensure water quality standards can continue to be met once the TMDL is implemented. Of course, this will not affect senior water rights but it will give the Department the ability to limit additional appropriations that would adversely affect water quality and beneficial uses.

DEQ11 - Implementation of Recently Revised Water Quality Standards for Dissolved Oxygen (Phase 2)
If the Healthy Streams Partnership budget is approved, DEQ will use the additional resources to complete watershed assessments and TMDLs related to dissolved oxygen for all coastal watersheds by 2007.

DEQ12 - Watershed Council Support (Phase 2)
If the Healthy Streams Partnership budget is approved, DEQ will use the additional resources to provide technical assistance and monitoring support to all functioning, sanctioned watershed councils in the coastal basins.

DEQ13 - Enhanced 401 Certification Program in Coastal Watersheds (Phase 2)
If the Healthy Streams Partnership budget is approved, DEQ will have one additional FTE to enhance its review and enforcement of 401 certifications in the coastal basins. DEQ will target projects for enhanced review and enforcement that have the greatest potential to adversely affect salmonids.

ODF Measures Summary:
Measures that are aimed at protecting the near stream riparian area such as measure ODF 5 will be effective in reducing the amount of logging related slash that enters streams along fish bearing streams. For many non-fish bearing streams there are also restrictions on slash pile up. ODF measures that reduce sediment (see review in sediment factor of decline objective 2) will also reduce potential phosphorus entry into the system that can often lead some systems to produce excess algae and lower dissolved oxygen levels at night. ODF staff feel that this is not a significant forest stream problem at this time.

ODA Measures Summary:
Dissolved oxygen problems related to agricultural lands will be addressed through Oregon Department of Agriculture SB1010, Agriculture Water Quality Management Plan, Program and CAFO program (see ODA attachment to CSRI for more in-depth description of this program)

ODOT Measures Summary:
ODOT believes the activities performed by ODOT do not significantly contribute to this factor of decline. However, if project specific analysis indicates that a project will result in impacts to this water quality parameter that will adversely affect salmon, appropriate mitigation will be provided.
Regulatory Controls: NPDES Stormwater Permit conditions. Clean Water Act 401 Clean Water Certification.
Institutional Controls: ODOT informal policy to implement current NPDES permit and program requirements to all ODOT activities in western Oregon. A memo is being developed for signature by Ken Husby, ODOT Deputy Director formalizing this understanding.
Status: Ongoing.

DLCD Measures Summary:
No DLCD measures are directly related to improving dissolved oxygen levels, but all DLCD measures will indirectly contribute to improved dissolved oxygen levels through increasing stream shade and reducing nonpoint source pollutant loading.

Biological Objective:

In coastal waterbodies that support or have historically supported salmonids, where water quality currently is equal to or better than DEQ's water quality standard for dissolved oxygen, manage activities such that water quality is not degraded.

Agency Management Measures:

DEQ Measures Summary:
DEQ8 - Implement Antidegradation Water Quality Standard
DEQ will implement its antidegradation water quality standard in coastal basins to address degradation of water quality that is currently cleaner than parameter specific water quality standards would allow. DEQ will ensure that point source discharges are subjected to antidegradation review as permits are issued for new or increased discharges, and will work with ODF, ODA and other state and federal natural resource agencies to ensure the antidegradation standard is implemented for nonpoint sources.
DEQ9 - Apply for Instream Water Rights on Streams with TMDLs
As TMDLs are developed for coastal waterbodies, DEQ will request instream water rights from WRD at flow levels necessary to ensure water quality standards can continue to be met once the TMDL is implemented. Of course, this will not affect senior water rights but it will give the Department the ability to limit additional appropriations that would adversely affect water quality and beneficial uses.

ODF Measures Summary:
See comments for previous objective

ODA Measures Summary:
Prevention of degradation in waterbodies where dissolved oxygen levels meet or exceed water quality standards and that are related to agricultural lands will be addressed through Oregon Department of Agriculture SB1010, Agriculture Water Quality Management Plan, Program and CAFO program (see ODA attachment to CSRI for more in-depth description of this program)

Biological Objective:

Review the numeric criteria in the dissolved oxygen standard during each Triennial Review Period to determine if the standard needs to be scheduled for revision to ensure it remains protective of beneficial uses based upon the most current scientific information.

Agency Management Measures:

DEQ Measures Summary:
DEQ10 - Review and Revise Water Quality Standards during Triennial Review Process
Under Section 303(c) of the Clean Water Act, the state is required to review and, as appropriate, revise its water quality standards every three years.