Water quality in the Spokane River needs to be improved and utilities and industries that discharge treated water into the river, along with the Washington State Department of Ecology, are all committed to making the river better.

The Department of Ecology has prepared a draft water quality cleanup plan (called a Total Maximum Daily Load or TMDL) to address the Spokane River’s dissolved oxygen problem. Issued in draft in late 2004, the TMDL would establish implementation measures to achieve significant reductions in phosphorus loading to the River, reductions that negotiations aim to achieve through balancing important environmental goals and requirements with a healthy economy.

In February 2005, public and private dischargers subject to the TMDL (the Petitioners) reached agreement with the Washington State Department of Ecology to withdraw their Petition for Rule Making concerning a proposed Use Attainability Analysis (UAA) and to begin a dialogue about how an acceptable Spokane River TMDL Implementation Plan might be developed. This allows productive discussion about how to best achieve the needed water quality requirements while meeting local needs. The Draft TMDL and the UAA will be reviewed in the context of planned future actions and the expected resulting improvements in river quality.

A wide range of parties, including local governments, the State of Idaho, the Spokane Tribe of Indians, environmental groups, power companies, as well as Ecology and the dischargers, are participating in Full Group discussions that are focused on identifying specific pound-for-pound phosphorus reduction methods. The discussion is called the Spokane River TMDL Collaboration. Four workgroups have been created–Technology, Wastewater Flows & Loading, Reuse & Conservation, and Non-Point Sources–to discuss and recommend to the Full Group how both points sources (dischargers) and non-point sources (runoff, septic tanks, etc.) of pollution can be effectively managed to reduce pounds of phosphorus reaching the river.

The Department of Ecology will make the ultimate decision whether the implementation strategy will meet the requirements of the TMDL. The final draft TMDL and implementation strategy will be subject to public review and comment. Ecology will then finalize the TMDL and submit it to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its approval.

This website is the primary source for information about the Spokane River TMDL Collaboration.

• Full Group and Workgroup sections contain meeting schedules, locations, agendas, and summaries, for each respective group.
• The Project Calendar includes links to all past and future meeting information.
• The Public Process page informs visitors of the procedures the Collaboration will follow.
• The Resources page contains links to relevant documents available for download.

To contact the Collaboration, send a message to the Steering Workgroup.

Revised June 3, 2005.

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