Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
Section 303(d)(1)(C) of the Clean Water Act and EPA's implementing regulations (40CFR Part 130) require states to identify those waterbodies that do not meet water quality standards after application of the technology-based effluent limitations required by the Act. For these waters, states must consider the development of strategies, including Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) analysis, for reducing the pollutants that are causing the water quality standards exceedance in those waterbodies.
By definition, a TMDL specifies the allowable pollutant loading from all contributing sources (e.g., point sources, nonpoint sources, and natural background) at a level necessary to attain the applicable water quality standards with seasonal variations and a margin of safety that takes into account any lack of knowledge concerning the relationship between the sources of the pollutant and water quality. In essence, a TMDL defines the assimilative capacity of the waterbody to absorb a pollutant and still meet water quality standards.
The Division of Water has completed TMDLs for a number of waterbodies in New York State. Waterbodies/Pollutants addressed by these TMDLs include:
Adirondack Acid Rain Waters/pH
See contact information (at right) for more information regarding this TMDL.
Greenwood Lake/Phosphorus
See contact information (at right) for more information regarding this TMDL.
Long Island Sound/Dissolved Oxygen
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Analysis to Achieve Water Quality Standards for Dissolved Oxygen in Long Island Sound, December 2000, NYSDEC and CTDEP (259kb .pdf file)
Response to Public Comments - Long Island Sound Dissolved Oxygen TMDL, January 2001, NYSDEC (133kb .pdf file)
Long Island/Pathogens (Shellfishing)
Shellfish Pathogen TMDL for 27 303(d)-Listed Waters, September 2007, NYSDEC, et al. (909kb .pdf file)
Response to Public Comments - Shellfish Pathogen TMDL, September 2007, NYSDEC (36kb .pdf file)
Lake Champlain/Phosphorus
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Analysis to Achieve Water Quality Standards for Phosphorus in Lake Champlain, September 2002, NYSDEC and VTDEC (362kb .pdf file)
New York City Water Supply Watershed/Phosphorus
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Analysis to Achieve Water Quality Standards for Phosphorus in New York City Water Supply Reserviors - Final Phase II, June 2000, NYSDEC (172kb .pdf file)
Response to Public Comments - Phase II NYC Watershed Phosphorus TMDL, June 2000, NYSDEC (172kb .pdf file)
Nonpoint Source Implementation - Phase II NYC Watershed Phosphorus TMDL, March 2002, NYSDEC (203kb .pdf file)
Nonpoint Source Implementation - Phase II NYC Watershed Phosphorus TMDL, April 2001, NYSDEC and NYCDEP (1004kb .pdf file)
Oyster Bay/Pathogens
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Analysis to Achieve Water Quality Standards for Pathogens in Oyster Bay/Mill Neck Creek, September 2003, NYSDEC (Full Document 4.5MB; maybe difficult to download, see below to download smaller portions of this document)
Oyster Bay/Mill Neck Creek Pathogens TMDL - Text Only, no figures (368kb .pdf file)
Oyster Bay/Mill Neck Creek Pathogens TMDL - Figures 1-4 (1.1MB .pdf file)
Oyster Bay/Mill Neck Creek Pathogens TMDL - Figures 5-7 (940kb .pdf file)
Oyster Bay/Mill Neck Creek Pathogens TMDL - Figures 8-15 (967kb .pdf file)
Oyster Bay/Mill Neck Creek Pathogens TMDL - Figures 16-21 (800kb .pdf file)
Oyster Bay/Mill Neck Creek Pathogens TMDL - Figures 22-27 (394kb .pdf file)
Peconic Bay/Pathogens
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Analysis to Achieve Water Quality Standards for Pathogens in Peconic Bay, September 2006, NYSDEC (Full Document 3.25 MB; maybe difficult to download, see below to download smaller portions of this document)
Peconic Bay Pathogens TMDL - Exec Summ/Table of Contents (147kb .pdf file)
Peconic Bay Pathogens TMDL - Introduction (251kb .pdf file)
Peconic Bay Pathogens TMDL - Section 2: Problem Identification (1.0MB .pdf file)
Peconic Bay Pathogens TMDL - Section 3-4: Applicable Standards, Water Quality/Watershed Characterization (228kb .pdf file)
Peconic Bay Pathogens TMDL - Section 5-6: Source Assessment, Modeling Approach (162kb .pdf file)
Peconic Bay Pathogens TMDL - Section 7: Load Allocation (317kb .pdf file)
Peconic Bay Pathogens TMDL - Section 8-11 and attachments: Implementation, Reasonable Assurance, Public Participation and References (186kb .pdf file)
Peconic Estuary/Nitrogen
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Nitrogen in the Peconic Estuary Study Area, September 2007, NYSDEC (Full Document 3.57 MB; maybe difficult to download, see below to download smaller portions of this document)
Peconic Estuary Nitrogen TMDL - Section I-IV: Executive Summary, Introduction, Waterbody Description, Applicable Standards, CWA 303(d) Listing (860 kb .pdf file)
Peconic Estuary Nitrogen TMDL - Section V-VI: TMDL Development, TMDL/WLAs/LAs, (598 kb .pdf file)
Peconic Estuary Nitrogen TMDL - Section VII-XIII: Implementation, Reasonable Assurance, Public Participation, (117 kb .pdf file)
Peconic Estuary Nitrogen TMDL - Appendix A: Cumulative Impact Graphics, (1,295 kb .pdf file)
Peconic Estuary Nitrogen TMDL - Appendices B and C, (953 kb .pdf file)
Response to Public Comments - Peconic Estuary Nitrogen TMDL, September 2007, NYSDEC (413kb .pdf file)
Small Lakes Phosphorus
TMDL for Phosphorus in Blind Sodus Bay, September 2007, NYSDEC (704kb .pdf file)
TMDL for Phosphorus in Blind Sodus Bay - Appendices, September 2007, NYSDEC (1,021kb .pdf file)
TMDL for Phosphorus in Little Sodus Bay, September 2007, NYSDEC (659kb .pdf file)
TMDL for Phosphorus in Litte Sodus Bay - Appendices, September 2007, NYSDEC (985kb .pdf file)
TMDL for Phosphorus in Moon Lake, September 2007, NYSDEC (649kb .pdf file)
TMDL for Phosphorus in Moon Lake, September 2007, NYSDEC (963kb .pdf file)
