Department of Environmental Quality

 

GDForum ID: 102

Description of Proposed Guidance Document Changes

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has released the Final 2020 Water Quality Assessment Guidance Manual. Virginia’s 2020 Water Quality Assessment Guidance Manual contains the assessment procedures and methods to be used for the development of Virginia’s 2020 §305(b)/ §303(d) Integrated (i.e. combined Water Quality Assessment and Impaired Waters) Report. The assessment guidance seeks to address all key elements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2006 Assessment Guidance and subsequent updates through April 2019. In addition, the assessment guidance includes the assessment methodology for the Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Standards established by EPA and adopted by Virginia (Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Dissolved Oxygen, Water Clarity, and Chlorophyll a for the Chesapeake Bay and Its Tidal Tributaries). Modifications have been made to the guidance document since 2018. A complete list of significant guidance modifications are described in Part II of the manual. Section 62.1-44.19:5 C of the Code of Virginia requires DEQ to develop and publish the procedures used for defining and determining impaired waters and provide for public comment on the procedures. A draft version of this guidance was released for 30-day public review and comment on May 28, 2019. DEQ’s response to comments received will be available for download on the DEQ Water Quality Assessment webpage at: https://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Water/WaterQualityInformationTMDLs/WaterQualityAssessments/2020WQAGuidanceManual.aspx (please copy and paste to your browser).

 

Guidance Document(s) for this Comment Forum

Document ID	Document Title	Document in Effect	Proposed Document
GM19-2001	2020 Water Quality Assessment Guidance Manual	n/a	Proposed Document

 

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