Klamath River TMDL

Staff of the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Water Board) are in the process of developing total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for the Klamath River in California.  Pursuant to a consent decree entered into by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Klamath River TMDLs are scheduled to be approved by December 2010.  A public review draft of the TMDLs will be available in the spring 2009 for a 90-day public review. 

In the meantime, Regional Water Board staff have completed a draft of the first two chapters and two supporting appendices of the TMDL Staff Report.

• Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the TMDL, presents the regulatory framework for the TMDL, and presents the physical setting of the Klamath River basin. 
• Chapter 2 presents the TMDL Problem Statement, an assessment of current water quality conditions in the Klamath River in California and how these conditions are affecting the beneficial uses of the river.
• Appendix 1 presents Effects of Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen/Total Dissolved Gas, Ammonia, and pH on Salmonids
• Appendix 2 discusses Fish and Fishery Resources of the Klamath Basin

We are providing an early public review of these chapters and appendices, nearly ten months before the official public review period, in order to receive early feedback on these portions of the TMDL Staff Report. 

If you are unable to download the documents please contact Katharine Carter at (707) 576-2290 or kcarter@waterboards.ca.gov.

Please send comments regarding these portions of the Klamath River TMDL by January 31, 2009, to Katharine Carter via e-mail, post, or fax at the following address:

Should you have any questions about the Klamath River TMDL, please contact Matt St. John at (707) 570-3762 or MStJohn@waterboards.ca.gov.

Klamath River TMDL Documents:

• Chapter.1 Introduction – July 11, 2008
• Chapter.2 Problem Statement – July 11, 2008
• Appendix 1 Effects of Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen/Total Dissolved Gas, Ammonia, and pH on Salmonids – July 11, 2008
• Appendix 2 Fish and Fishery Resources of the Klamath River Basin – July 11, 2008

Public Involvement:

• Klamath TMDL Update Presentation, Hornbrook, CA - 12/08/06
• Public Involvement Opportunities
• Klamath and Lost River TMDL Public Meeting Notes
  February/March 2004

Fact Sheets:

• Klamath Basin TMDL Fact Sheet - Updated - January 2006
• Status of Lost River and Klamath River TMDLs-Fact Sheet   - November 2004

Klamath River TMDLs - Supporting Information

• Data Review and Modeling Approach Klamath and Lost Rivers TMDL Development
• Water-Quality Data from 2002 to 2003 and Analysis of Data Gaps for Development of Total Maximum Daily Loads in the Lower Klamath River Basin, California
• Periphyton in Selected Sites of the Klamath River, California
• Sediment Oxygen Demand in Selected Sites of the Lost River and Klamath River
• Memorandum of Agreement - Klamath River/Lost River TMDL Development
• Klamath Basin Map - PDF version - 150 Kbytes