39-3607 MONITORING TO DETERMINE SUPPORT OF BENEFICIAL USES. - Idaho Statutes

TITLE 39

HEALTH AND SAFETY

CHAPTER 36

WATER QUALITY

39-3607. Monitoring to determine support of beneficial uses. The director shall conduct a beneficial use attainability and status survey to identify appropriate designated uses and to determine the status of designated beneficial uses in each water body. Measures to determine appropriate designated uses and the status of designated beneficial uses shall include appropriate water quality standards as identified in the rules of the department in conjunction with biological or aquatic habitat measures that may include, but are not limited to: stream width, stream depth, stream shade, sediment, bank stability, water flows, physical characteristics of the stream that affect habitat for fish, macroinvertebrate species or other aquatic life, and the variety and number of fish or other aquatic life.

Previous assessments of beneficial use attainability and status which are of a quality and content acceptable to the director shall constitute the baseline data against which future assessments shall be made to determine changes in the water body and what beneficial uses can be attained in it. In addition, the director, to the extent possible, may determine whether changes in the condition of the water body are the result of past or ongoing point or nonpoint source activities. The director shall also seek information from appropriate public agencies regarding land uses and geological or other information for the watershed which may affect water quality and the ability of the water body in question to fully support or attain designated beneficial uses. In carrying out the provisions of this section, the director may contract with private enterprises or public agencies to provide the desired data.