Surface Water Quality Bureau
Monitoring & Assessment
USEPA-APPROVED TMDL
for the Canadian River
Watershed - Part 1

The Surface Water Quality Bureau (SWQB) conducted an intensive surface water quality survey of the Canadian basin in 2002. Water quality monitoring stations were located within the Canadian watershed during the intensive watershed survey to evaluate the impact of tributary streams and ambient water quality conditions. A TMDL is a planning document that establishes specific goals to meet water quality standards in waterbodies where pollutant limits are exceeded. It includes current pollution loadings, reduction estimates for pollutants, information on probable sources of pollution, and suggestions to restore or protect the health of the waterbody.

Shelly Lemon TMDL Development (505) 827-2814 PDF DOWNLOADS USEPA-Approved TMDL 2.0MB WQCC Approval 117kb USEPA Approval 92 kb     MORE WORK AT SWQB IN THE CANADIAN RIVER BASIN... Public Comment DRAFT TMDL for Raton Creek Watershed WQCC-Approved Canadian River TMDL Pt. 2 - 2011 UPDATE: Mora River TMDL - 2011 Cimarron River TMDLs - 2010 Canadian River Tributaries Water Quality Survey - 2006 Fecal Coliform TMDL - 2004 Turbidity, Stream Bottom Deposits (SBDs) & Phosphorus TMDLs - 2004 Canadian River Tributaries Water Quality Survey - 2002 Aluminum TMDL - 2001 SBDs TMDL- 2001 Temperature TMDL - 2001 Turbidity TMDL - 2001 Temperature TMDL - 1999

As a result of assessing data generated during this monitoring effort impairment determinations of New Mexico water quality standards were found for:

	SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE in Caliente Canyon (Vermejo River to headwaters), Vermejor River (Rail Canyon to York Canyon), York Canyon (Vermejo River to headwaters), Coyote Creek (Mora River to Black Lake), and Mora River (Hwy 434 to headwaters);
	PLANT NUTRIENTS in Little Coyote Creek (Black Lake to headwaters) and the Mora River (USGS gage east of Shoemaker to Hwy 434);
	TEMPERATURE in Vermejo River (Rail Canyon to York Canyon), Vermejo River (York Canyon to headwaters), and Coyote Creek (Mora River to Black Lake); and
	SEDIMENTATION/SILTATION in the Mora River (Hwy 434 to headwaters) and the Sapello River (Mora River to Manuelitas Creek).

The TMDL document addresses the above-noted impairments as summarized in the Executive Summary tables starting on page 3. The SWQB has prepared separate TMDL bundles for other surface waters in the Canadian Headwaters, Mora River, and Cimarron River subwatersheds.

SWQB announced a 35-Day Public Comment Period for the DRAFT Canadian River Watershed TMDL beginning on June 15, 2007. Responses were accepted until 5:00pm MDT July 20, 2007.

Two public meetings were held to summarize the information and to provide a forum for interested parties to ask questions and provide comments. The meeting dates were near the end of the comment period to allow the public time to review the document and generate questions or comments. One meeting was held on Thursday, July 12 from11am-1pm at the Raton Public Library, 224 Cook Avenue in Raton, NM.  A second meeting was held on Thursday, July 12 from 6-8pm at the CHET Fire Department off State Rt. 518 in Cleveland, New Mexico.

All comments and SWQB responses were incorporated into a WQCC-APPROVED DRAFT version, which was presented before the Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) for approval at their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, August 14, 2007.  The USEPA approved without further changes that draft on September 21, 2007, thus creating the USEPA-Approved version.

The Monitoring and Assessment Section will collect water quality data during the next rotational cycle.  The next scheduled monitoring date for the Canadian River Watershed is 2015-2016 at which time TMDL targets will be re-examined and potentially revised as this document is considered to be an evolving management plan.  In the event that new data indicate that the targets used in this analysis are not appropriate and/or if new standards are adopted, the load capacity will be adjusted accordingly. When water quality standards have been achieved, the reach will be moved to the appropriate category in the State's CWA §303(d)/§305(b) Integrated Report.

The Watershed Protection Section will continue to work with watershed groups to develop Watershed-Based Plans to implement strategies that attempt to correct the water quality impairments detailed in this document.  Implementation of items detailed in the Watershed-Based Plans will be done with participation of all interested and affected parties.

For more information, please contact Shelly Lemon at the address or phone number provided above.

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