Soos Creek draft water quality improvement plan

Portions of Soos Creek fail to meet state water quality standards and the beneficial uses for aquatic life are compromised. The water quality improvement plan addresses excess fine sediment resulting from human activities, as indicated by benthic macroinvertebrates monitoring. Benthic invertebrates and other aquatic organisms, like salmon, have similar needs for healthy waters to thrive, meaning that if the invertebrates aren’t doing well, other aquatic life, that relies on the same habitat, is jeopardized too. 

The federal Clean Water Act requires states to develop a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) — or water quality improvement project — plan for each water body on the state's polluted waters list, also known as the 303(d) list. This science-based approach assigns a numerical value that represents the highest amount of a pollutant a surface water body can receive and still meet the water quality standards. Learn more about the TMDL process.