Ohio's Surface Water Monitoring Design in the 3rd Millennium: The Age of the TMDL

Holly Tucker

Ohio EPA, Division of Surface Water, Ecological Assessment Section, Groveport Field Office
4675 Homer Ohio Lane, Groveport, Ohio 43125
Phone: (614) 836-8777 Email: holly.tucker@epa.state.oh.us

For nearly 25 years, the Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water has conducted integrated watershed surveys in Ohio streams and rivers incorporating a multiple indicators approach utilizing biological (macroinvertebrates and fish), physical habitat, and chemical water quality parameters. While surveys have always been planned with watershed issues in mind, early efforts from the 1980s to the mid 1990s had a primary point source focus due to the need to support decisions related to the Construction Grants program. However, by the end of the 1990s, it became readily apparent that watershed survey efforts needed to expand in coverage to include high priority watershed issues related to nonpoint source impairments of beneficial uses (primarily aquatic life and recreation). This was a direct result of more emphasis given to Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act and the requirement to produce Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) allocations to all pollutants impairing beneficial uses. This presentation will focus on how survey monitoring design at the Ohio EPA has evolved to address the needs of the TMDL program.

Ohio's Surface Water Monitoring Design in the 3rd Millennium: The Age of the TMDL

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