Clean Water Plans
Clean water plans are a watershed-based approach to outline a strategy to improve or protect water quality in a waterbody. These plans document the pollution sources, pollutant reduction goals, and strategies that communities may use to improve water quality.
Why are Clean Water Plans needed?
All waterbodies in New York are classified for their best uses: public water supply, swimming, recreation, and fish reproduction. Water quality standards protect these uses. Water quality standards have been established for many specific substances and may be numeric (e.g., 0.001 ug/L) or narrative ("none in amounts that will impair..."). DEC assesses waterbodies on a 5-year cycle to evaluate whether waterbodies are meeting their best uses. The data collected through DEC lake and river monitoring programs also establish baseline conditions, identify water quality problems, document good water quality and is used to measure restoration and protection activities. Assessments for waterbodies are posted on the Waterbody Inventory/Priority Waterbodies List.
The Clean Water Act Section 303(d) requires states to identify waterbodies that are not fully supporting their best uses. These waterbodies are then listed on the Clean Water Act 303(d) "impaired waters" list. Waterbodies may have been identified as impaired due to fish consumption advisories, shellfishing closures, public bathing beach closures, or sampling results (high nutrient levels, turbidity, toxic sediments). This list is updated every two years and is open for public comment.
Waterbodies that do not meet water quality standards are listed
on the Clean Water Act 303(d) list.
The Clean Water Act also requires states to develop total maximum daily load plans (TMDLs) for waterbodies on the 303(d) list to reduce the amount of pollutants entering impaired waterbodies to meet water quality standards. TMDL plans may also be developed to protect waterbodies from becoming impaired - for example, protecting public drinking water supplies to protect human health.
DEC has identified nutrients, pathogens, and public use as priority concerns. Relevant data (e.g., public health and access, community involvement, and ecological importance) and monitoring data collected through DEC monitoring programs was used to prioritize waterbodies on the 303(d) list for the development of a TMDL or other clean water plan. This information is used to develop DEC's TMDL work plan that is submitted to EPA. DEC's adaptive strategy is documented in Vision Approach to Implement Clean Water Act 303(d) Program and Clean Water Planning (PDF).
What is a TMDL?
A TMDL is a type of clean water plan for a waterbody. A TMDL calculates the maximum amount of a single pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards. TMDLs are developed by determining the amount that each source of a pollutant can discharge into the waterbody and the reductions from those sources needed to meet water quality standards. The Total Maximum Daily Load: An introduction (PDF) factsheet describes why TMDLs are needed, the information needed to develop a TMDL and plan outcomes.
Another type of clean water plan is a Nine Element (9E) Watershed Plan. Similar to TMDLs, 9E Plans, require pollutant sources to be identified and quantified, pollutant reductions goals established, and an implementation plan developed (e.g., how to achieve reductions, tracking progress, and monitoring water quality improvements). The Nine Element Plan: An introduction (PDF) factsheet describes the nine elements, when nine plans are used, information needed to develop a nine element plan and plan outcomes; more information about 9E plans is on the Nine Element Watershed Plan webpage.
Pollutant sources may include:
- Point sources (State Pollution Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permitted facilities)
- Agriculture
- Urban lands
- Septic systems
- Internal waterbody load
- Natural background
TMDLs and other clean water plan documents include:
- Watershed information (land uses: urban, forest, agriculture, etc..)
- Water quality data (monitoring data)
- Rainfall data
- Land topography and soil data
- Waterbody characteristics
- Water quality target(s) for the waterbody
- How much of the pollutant the waterbody can accept and still meet water quality standards
- Amount each pollutant source is contributing to the waterbody (load)
- Actions needed to achieve the water quality goals for that waterbody (e.g. sewering homes, aquatic plant management, permit enforcement, lake management, and agricultural best management practices).
TMDLs account for all contributing sources (e.g. point & nonpoint sources, and natural background levels), seasonal variations in the pollutant load, and incorporate a margin of safety that accounts for unknown or unexpected sources of the pollutant.
Community involvement
Engaging the watershed community is an important part of this process. In order to develop a successful plan, DEC needs to understand how the lake is used, what the issues are, and what has been done to improve the lake so far. For information about waterbodies with plans in development, visit the Clean Water Plans public participation webpage.
The process to develop a clean water plan
- Identify pollutant loads and sources
- Engage the watershed community
- Develop an implementation plan (outlines how the loads will be reduced from each pollutant source)
- Draft document
- Public comment (required for TMDL) or public review of the draft document
- Final approval
Which waterbodies have Clean Water Plans?
TMDLs and watershed plans have been completed for many waterbodies in New York State. The following list has information on TMDLs for specific waterbodies. As appropriate, DEC will create separate webpages for specific waterbodies.
Adirondack Acid Rain/Waters/pH
Impaired Waters Restoration Plan for Acid Rain Lakes in NYS Forest Preserve: TMDL for pH (PDF), September 2006, NYSDEC
Adirondack Acid Rain/Waters/Acid Neutralizing Capacity
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Acid Impaired Lakes in the Adirondack Park (PDF) , September 2014, NYSDEC
Appendices for Acid Impaired Lakes in the Adirondack Park:
- Appendices 1 & 2, (PDF)
- Appendix 3, Part 1, (PDF)
- Appendix 3, Part 2, (PDF)
- Appendix 4, (PDF)
- Appendix 5, Part 1, (PDF)
- Appendix 5, Part 2, (PDF)
- Appendix 6, Part 1, (PDF)
- Appendix 6, Part 2, (PDF)
- Appendix 7, Part 1, (PDF)
- Appendix 7, Part 2, (PDF)
- Appendices 8 through 12, (PDF)
Black Creek/Bigelow Creek/Phosphorus
Draft Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Phosphorus in Upper Black Creek and Bigelow Creek (PDF), September 2013, NYSDEC
Cayuga Lake TMDL/Phosphorus
Draft Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Phosphorus in Cayuga Lake (PDF), April 2021, NYSDEC
Appendices for Draft TMDL for Phosphorus in Cayuga Lake:
- Appendix A (PDF)
- Appendix B (PDF)
- Appendix C (PDF)
- Appendix D (PDF)
- Appendix E (PDF)
- Appendix F (PDF)
- Appendix G (PDF)
Chautauqua Lake
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Phosphorus in Chautauqua Lake (PDF), November 2012, NYSDEC
Conesus Lake/Phosphorus
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Phosphorus in Conesus Lake (PDF), August 2019, NYSDEC
Greenwood Lake/Phosphorus
Impaired Waters Restoration Plan for Greenwood Lake: TMDL for Phosphorus (PDF), September 2005, NYSDEC
Greenwood Lake Watershed Phosphorus TMDL Implementation Plan (PDF), October 2019, NYSDEC
Honeoye Lake/Phosphorus
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Phosphorus in Honeoye Lake (PDF, 9.6 MB), August 2019, NYSDEC
Long Island Sound/Dissolved Oxygen
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Analysis to Achieve Water Quality Standards for Dissolved Oxygen in Long Island Sound (PDF), December 2000, NYSDEC and CTDEP
Response to Public Comments - Long Island Sound Dissolved Oxygen TMDL, January 2001, NYSDEC (PDF)
Long Island/Pathogens (Shellfishing)
Withdrawal of the Three Long Island Pathogen TMDLS, November 2018 - Fact Sheet (PDF)
Lake Champlain/Phosphorus
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Analysis to Achieve Water Quality Standards for Phosphorus in Lake Champlain (PDF), September 2002, NYSDEC and VTDEC
Lake Ontario PCB TMDL
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Lake Ontario PCB (PDF), July 2011, NYSDEC
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 Reservoirs - Final Phase II (PDF), June 2000, NYSDEC
Response to Public Comments - Phase II NYC Watershed Phosphorus TMDL (PDF), June 2000, NYSDEC
Nonpoint Source Implementation - Phase II NYC Watershed Phosphorus TMDL (PDF), March 2002, NYSDEC
Nonpoint Source Implementation - Phase II NYC Watershed Phosphorus TMDL (PDF), April 2001, NYSDEC and NYCDEP
Croton Watershed Phase II Phosphorus TMDL Implementation Plan (PDF), January 14, 2009, NYSDEC
Croton Watershed Phase II TMDL Implementation Plan Comment Responsiveness Summary (PDF), January 15, 2009 NYSDEC
Technical Background For Retrofitting Practices (PDF), January 14, 2009, NYSDEC
Northeast Regional Mercury TMDL
Northeast Regional Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load (PDF), October 24, 2007, NYSDEC in collaboration with NEIWPCC
Onondaga Lake
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Phosphorus in Onondaga Lake (PDF), May 2012, NYSDEC
Amendment of the Total Maximum Daily Load for Ammonia in Onondaga Lake (PDF), January 2013, NYSDEC
Oyster Bay/Pathogens
Withdrawal of the Three Long Island Pathogen TMDLS, November 2018 - Fact Sheet (PDF)
Peconic Bay/Pathogens
Withdrawal of the Three Long Island Pathogen TMDLS, November 2018 - Fact Sheet (PDF)
Peconic Estuary/Nitrogen
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Nitrogen in the Peconic Estuary Study Area (PDF), September 2007, NYSDEC (Full Document 3.57 MB PDF; may be 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 (PDF), CWA 303(d) Listing
Peconic Estuary Nitrogen TMDL - Section V-VI: TMDL Development, TMDL/WLAs/LAs (PDF)
Peconic Estuary Nitrogen TMDL - Appendix A: Cumulative Impact Graphics (PDF)
Peconic Estuary Nitrogen TMDL - Appendices B and C (PDF)
Response to Public Comments - Peconic Estuary Nitrogen TMDL PDF, September 2007, NYSDEC (PDF)
Small Lakes/Phosphorus
Basic Creek Reservoir
TMDL for Phosphorus in Basic Creek Reservoir (PDF), March 2013, NYSDEC
Bear Lake
TMDL for Phosphorus in Bear Lake (PDF), February 2015, NYSDEC
TMDL for Phosphorus in Bear Lake - Appendices (PDF), February 2015, NYSDEC
Blind Sodus Bay
TMDL for Phosphorus in Blind Sodus Bay (PDF) September 2007, NYSDEC
Buck, Long and Cranberry Ponds
TMDL for Phosphorus in Buck, Long and Cranberry Ponds - DRAFT (PDF, July 2010, NYSDEC (Full Document 6.07 MB ; may be difficult to download, see below to download smaller portions of this document)
TMDL for Phosphorus in Buck, Long and Cranberry Ponds - DRAFT, without Appendices (PDF)
TMDL for Phosphorus in Buck, Long and Cranberry Ponds - DRAFT, Appendices A thru D (PDF)
Cossayuna Lake
TMDL for Phosphorus in Cossayuna Lake (PDF), September 2008, NYSDEC
Engleville Pond
TMDL for Phosphorus in Engleville Pond (PDF), September 2016, NYSDEC
Engleville Pond EPA Approval Letter (PDF), September, 2016
Findley Lake
TMDL for Phosphorus in Findley Lake (PDF), September 2008, NYSDEC
Java Lake
TMDL for Phosphorus in Java Lake, (PDF), May 2013, NYSDEC
Kinderhook Lake
TMDL for Phosphorus in Kinderhook Lake (PDF), August 2011, NYSDEC
TMDL for Phosphorus in Kinderhook Lake (PDF), September 15 2011, NYSDEC
Lake Carmel
TMDL for Phosphorus in Lake Carmel (PDF), July 2016, NYSDEC
Lake Carmel TMDL EPA Approval Letter (PDF), September 2016, NYSDEC
Lake Oscawana
TMDL for Phosphorus in Lake Oscawana (PDF), September 2008, NYSDEC
Lake Salubria
TMDL for Phosphorus in Lake Salubria (PDF), - July 2009, NYSDEC
Little Sodus Bay
TMDL for Phosphorus in Little Sodus Bay (PDF), September 2007, NYSDEC
TMDL for Phosphorus in Little Sodus Bay - Appendices (PDF)September 2007, NYSDEC
Moon Lake
TMDL for Phosphorus in Moon Lake (PDF), September 2007, NYSDEC
TMDL for Phosphorus in Moon Lake - Appendices (PDF), September 2007, NYSDEC
Palmer Lake
TMDL for Phosphorus in Palmer Lake (PDF), March 2015, NYSDEC
Peach Lake
TMDL for Phosphorus in Peach Lake (PDF), September 2009, NYSDEC
Port Bay
TMDL for Phosphorus in Port Bay (PDF), April 2011, NYSDEC
Silver Lake
TMDL for Phosphorus in Silver Lake (PDF), September 2010, NYSDEC
Snyders Lake
TMDL for Phosphorus in Snyders Lake - DRAFT (PDF), July 2009, NYSDEC
Summit Lake
TMDL for Phosphorus in Summit Lake (PDF), September 2009, NYSDEC, Appendix 7 Load-response plots for scenarios involving reductions in atmospheric SO42-, NO3- and NH4+ deposition
More about Clean Water Plans:
- Clean Water Plan Public Participation - A brief description of the public participation component of the Clean Water Plan process. Includes information about upcoming public meetings.
- Resources for TMDL Development - Links to non-DEC webpages with information about developing a TMDL.
