United Stales Office of Water (4503F) EPA 841 B-95-003
Environmental P election Washington, PC 20460 May 1995
Agency
&EPA Knowing Our Waters
-*,F
Tn1*d! !M orlins under Section 305(b)
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Design: Laurie C/odwin, Lumbee Indian
Illustrations: Marie Turner
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Knowing Our Waters
Tribal Reporting under Section 305(b)
Native American Tribes and Tribal groups have the option of report-
ing on the quality of their waters under Section 305(b) of the Clean
Water Act. The goals of Tribal 305(b) reporting are to document the
status of water quality and to identify any improvements needed to
achieve healthy ecosystems that can meet Tribal needs, including
unique cultural or ceremonial needs. This brochure describes the pro-
cess of 305(b) reporting and the advantages to Tribes that choose to
participate. In 1993-94, five Tribes and Tribal groups prepared 305(b)
reports: the Qila River Indian Community in Arizona and the
Hoopa Valley Reservation, Coyote Valley Reservation, Campo Band
of Kumeyaay Indians,
and Soboba Band of
Mission Indians in
California. EPA will
include information
from these reports in
an upcoming report
to Congress, along
with information
from the 55 States,
Territories, and inter-
state commissions
that submitted 305(b)
reports in 1994.
EIE!
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What is 305(b) Reporting?
Section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act requires each State to prepare
a biennial report on the quality of its waters. The next 305(b) reports
are due to EPA in April 1996. A 305(b) report describes the extent to
which streams, lakes, and estuaries support their designated uses (see
box). The report also identifies the pollutants or stressors causing im-
pairment of designated uses and the sources of these stressors (e.g.,
wastewater treatment plants or mines). Qround water programs and
impacts are also described. Rather than presenting raw monitoring
data, a 305(b) report presents the results of careful assessment of those
data in terms meaningful to the public and
governing bodies (e.g., Tribal Councils, legis-
lators).
EPA transmits the individual 305(b) reports
to Congress along with a summary report on
the Nation's water quality prepared using the
305(b) information.
Designated Uses for Streams on the
Campo Indian Reservation
Cold- and warm-water aquatic life
Wildlife habitat
Shellfishing
Swimming
Drinking
Agricultural
Cultural/ceremonial
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Why Should a Tribe or Tribal Qroup Prepare
a 305(b) Report?
Tribes are exempted from the 305(b) reporting requirement but may
choose to participate and are encouraged to do so. EPA does require
Tribes to provide summaries of any water quality monitoring data
collected using EPA funding.
Benefits of participating in the 305(b) process include
• The Tribe assesses its monitoring data in a way that is
meaningful to decisionmakers.
• The 305(b) report is a public information tool documenting
Tribal actions to protect waterbodies,- it increases the visibility
of the Tribal water quality programs.
• The report calls national attention to special issues such as
fish tissue contamination from toxic chemicals and ground
water contamination.
• The process offers an opportunity for Tribal and State techni-
cal staff to coordinate assessments and data management for
shared waters. ^*
• The 305(b) report is a good vehicle for recommending actions
to EPA to achieve the objectives of the Clean Water Act and
to protect Tribal waterbodies. Recommendations may include
the need for additional monitoring, training in assessment or
data management, and improved methods for fish consump-
tion advisories.
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• The data and conclusions could be used to write future grant
applications and ultimately acquire additional funding to
improve water quality.
In the 1996 National Water Quality Inventory Report to Congress,
EPA plans to highlight water quality issues as reported by Tribes.
EPA will include Tribal summary data on use support, causes, and
sources. In addition, cultural or ceremonial uses will be reported at the
national level for the first time in the 1996 Report to Congress.
What Is an Assessment?
Figure 1 shows the relationship of 305(b)
reporting to monitoring and assessments. The
monitoring process begins with planning to
measure clearly identified goals such as water
quality standards, coordinating with other
agencies, and designing a monitoring pro-
gram (Step 1). Field staff then collect samples
Common Causes of Water Quality
Impairment (Pollutants and Stressors)
Row alterations
Metals
Nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus)
Oxygen-depleting materials
Pathogens
Pesticides
Salinity
Sediment
Taste and odor
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Figure 1. Monitoring, Assessment, and 305(b) Reporting
©
Interagency Coordinating
and Monitoring Design
©
Field Sampling
Assessment = Determine Use
Support, Causes, Sources
Laboratory Analysis
305(b) Summary Tables
and Maps
Data Management
©
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and record their observations about the waterbody and possible
sources of pollution (Step 2). Samples are analyzed in the laboratory
and results stored in a database (Steps 3 and 4). In the assessment
stage (Step 5), analysts review all available information-field data,
watershed characteristics, water supply or beach closures, fish kills,
data from other agencies, etc. Physical, chemical, and/or biological
data are compared to water quality standards or other criteria. Using
all available information, the analyst determines the degree of desig-
nated use support, the pollutants or stressors, and the sources of pollu-
tion. EPA's Regional 305(b) Coordinators (see pages 16-17) can pro-
vide information and training to Tribes about assessment methods
and can provide additional contacts for water
quality standards and criteria. All States have
adopted physical/chemical water quality stan-
dards, and many are also developing biologi-
cal standards based on fish and aquatic
macroinvertebrates.
Common Sources of Water Quality
Impairment
Channelization
Feedlots
Industrial discharges
Irrigated cropland
Land disposal
Municipal discharges
Natural sources (e.g., salt deposits)
Pastureland
Silviculture
Stream bank modification
Surface mining
he-
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After assessing its individual waterbodies, the State or Tribe prepares
a 305(b) report summarizing these assessment results for all
waterbodies (Step 6). The 305(b) report includes summary tables and
maps of designated use support, causes, and sources of impairment.
For a hypothetical stream, the final assessment might be:
Fully supporting swimming use. Not supporting aquatic life use
due to sediment and nutrients/ sources are agriculture and
streambank modifications.
Contents of a Tribal 305(b) Report
EPA provides detailed guidance to State water quality agencies for
preparation of their 305(b) reports. However, EPA recognizes that
many Tribes do not have the resources or data to comply with the full
305(b) guidelines. To encourage Tribal participation, EPA has modi-
fied the guidelines. These modified guidelines are available from
EPA's Regional 305(b) Coordinators (see pages 16-17). The major
components of a Tribal 305(b) report are
• An atlas table describing Tribal water resources
• A description of Tribal water quality programs
and issues of concern
• Descriptions of monitoring programs and
assessment methods
Summary tables of use support in streams, lakes,
and estuaries
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Summary tables of causes and sources of impairment
• Map(s) of waters showing degree of use support, causes, and
sources
• A description of public health concerns
• Narrative or tabular presentation of ground water resources
and problems
• A table listing waterbodies, degree of use support, causes, and
sources.
Examples of several of these components are provided on pages 10-15.
Tables 1 through 4 are examples of 305(b) summary tables and Fig-
ure 2 is a map showing designated use support, all taken from two
Tribal 305(b) reports. Table 5 shows hypothetical data for individual
waterbodies in the format requested by EPA for 1996 Tribal reports. If
all the topics listed above cannot be covered in a Tribal 305(b) report,
EPA encourages the Tribe to present available
information in whatever form is appropriate-
tabular, narrative, or graphical (map) format.
EPA also encourages Tribes to coordinate
with State and Federal water quality agen-
cies, including the EPA Regions, on topics
such as assessment methods in preparing their
305(b) reports.
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Qetting Started
EPA encourages interested Tribal representatives to contact the
appropriate EPA Regional 305(b) Coordinators for information about
technical and financial resources (see pages 16-17). Also, each State
has a 305(b) Coordinator who can provide copies of State 305(b)
reports and share data and information on assessment methods. It
may be mutually beneficial for Tribes and States to collaborate on
assessments and reporting. For example, common assessments would
be very appropriate for shared water resources. Opportunities for
collaboration would need to be evaluated by each Tribe on a case-by-
case basis.
Most States use a database to track informa-
tion on individual waterbodies for use in
preparing their 305(b) tables. EPA has devel-
oped a personal computer program, the
Waterbody System, for this purpose. (A
simple spreadsheet, similar to Table 5, may
suffice if a Tribe has a relatively small num-
ber of waterbodies to track.) The Waterbody
System is available to interested Tribes
through the EPA Regional 305(b) Coordina-
tors or from Jack Clifford, National
Waterbody System Coordinator, at
(202) 260-3667
For information about the National Water
Quality Inventory Report to Congress, con-
tact Barry Burgan, EPA's National 305(b)
Coordinator, at (202) 260-7060.
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Tablet Atlas Table
Topic
Reservation population (residents)
Reservation surface area (acres)
Total miles of rivers and streams
- Miles of intermittent (nonperennial)
streams (subset)
Number of lakes/reservoirs/ponds
- Number of significant Tribally owned
lakes/reservoirs/ponds (subset)
Acres of lakes/reservoirs/ponds
- Acres of significant Tribally owned
lakes/reservoirs/ponds (subset)
Acres of freshwater wetlands
Valve
244
15,480
31.4
31.4
10
2
3.5
3.0
80.3
(adapted from the Campo Indian Reservation 1994 Tribal 305(b) report)
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Table 2. Individual Use Support Summary
Type of Waterbody: Rivers and Streams (reported in miles)
Use
Fish
consumption
Shellfishing
Aquatic
life support
Swimming
Secondary
contact
Drinking
water supply
Agriculture
Tri bally defined:
culture/tradition
Size
Supporting
0.4
22.2
Size
Supporting
B\it
Threatened
Size
Partially
Supporting
22.2
16.1
16.1
Size
Not
Supporting ;
Size
Not
Attainable
Size
Unassessed
31.0
9.2
15.3
15.3
9.2
9.2
(adapted from the Campo Indian Reservation 1994 Tribal 305(b) report)
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Table 3. Summary of Stream Miles Impaired
by Various Pollutants/Stressors
Cause Category
Nutrients
Row alterations
(channelization)
Other habitat alterations
(streambed, riparian)
Pathogen indicators
Noxious aquatic plants
Size of Waters by
Contribution to Impairment
Major
21.8
Moderate/
Minor
22.2
0.1
21.8
22.2
(adapted from the Campo Indian Reservation 1994 Tribal 305(b) report)
Table 4. Summary of Stream Miles Impaired
by Various Source Categories
Source Category
Agriculture (livestock grazing)
Construction (roads and culverts)
Resource extraction
S&e of Waters by
Contribution jo Impairment
Major
22.2
Moderate/
Minor
1.5
0.3
(adapted from the Ompo Indian Reservation 1994 Tribal 305(b) report)
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Figure 2. Use Support in the Hoopa Valley
Indian Reservation
Not Assessed
Not Supporting
Partially Supporting
Supporting
(adapted from the Hoopa Valley Reservation 1992 305(b) report)
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Table 5. Waterbody-Specific Assessment Data for 305(b) Reporting"
Waterbody
Name
Mill Creek
Sky Lake
Back River
Spring Branch
Waierbody
IP
TT-001
TT-002
TT-003
TT-004
Description I
Source to
mouth
Entire lake
Downstream
of Qiant Mine
Source to
mouth
Taial
Siw
10 mi
50 ac
50 mi
15 mi
S&e
Impaired
6 mi
0 ac
25 mi
15 mi
Designated
Uses
Aquatic life
Ceremonial
Aquatic life
Drinking water
Aquatic life
Fish consumption
Aquatic life
Swimming
"Hypothetical data to illustrate simplified format for 1996 Tribal 305(b) reporting.
WWTP = wastewater treatment plant
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Degree of
Use Support
Nonsupport
Nonsupport
Full support
Full support
Partial support
Nonsupport
Nonsupport
Full support
Causes
DO, PH,
nutrients,
sediment
Metals,
pesticides
Sediment
nutrients
Sources
Agriculture,
municipal
WWTP
Mine tailings,
agriculture
Agriculture,
stream bank
modification
Type of
Assessment
Fixed-station
chemical
monitoring
Creel survey,-
drinking
water data
Fish tissue
data,-
biosurvey
Biosurvey/
bacteria
sampling
Comments
Need WWTP
upgrade
Fish consumption
advisory for
mercury, lead
Streambank
stabilization
needed
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US. Environmental Protection Agency 305(b) Coordinators
For more information about the National Water Quality Inventory Report or for additional copies
of this document, contact:
Barry Burgan
National 305(b) Coordinator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (4503F)
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
(202) 260-7060
(202) 260-1977 (fax)
For information on water quality in the EPA
Regions, contact:
Diane Switzer
EPA Region 1 (EMS-LEX)
60 Westview Street
Lexington, MA 02173
(617) 860-4377
Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Jane Leu
EPA Region 2 (SWQB, 25th Floor)
290 Broadway
New York, NY 10007-1866
(212) 637-3741
New Jersey, New York,
Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
Margaret Passmore
EPARegion3(3ESII)
841 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 597-6149
Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia,
West Virginia, District of Columbia
David Melgaard
EPA Region 4
Water Management Division
345 Courtland Street, NE
Atlanta, QA 30365
(404) 347-2126
Alabama, Florida, Qeorgia, Kentucky,
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee
Dave Stoltenberg
EPA Region 5 (SQ-14J)
77 West Jackson Street
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 353-5784
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota,
Ohio, Wisconsin
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Russell Nelson
EPA Region 6 (6W-QT)
1445 Ross Avenue
Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 665-6646
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico,.
Oklahoma, Texas
John Houlihan
ERA Region 7
726 Minnesota Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66101
(913) 551-7432
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
Phil Johnson
EPA Region 8 (8WM-WQ)
One Denver Place
999 18th Street, Suite 500
Denver, CO 802.02
(303) 293-1581
( olorado, Montana, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming
Janet Hashimoto
EPA Region 9
75 Hawthorne St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
(115) 744-1933
Arizona, California, Hawaii,
Nevada, American Samoa, C/uam
Curry Jones
E PA Region 10
1200 Sixth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
(W)6) 553-6912
Alaska, Idaho. Oregon, Washington
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