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Missouri Initiates Development of
Nutrient Criteria for Water Quality
In 2001, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published water quality criteria for nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) as called for in section 304(a) of the Clean Water Act. These criteria were developed as a starting point for states, authorized tribes, interstate commissions, et al., to develop criteria that would be appropriate for their own jurisdictions. This approach was due to the recognition that the determination of suitable limits for nutrients for water bodies is a highly complicated issue. It is governed by wide variation in local ecological conditions, as well as the uses placed upon the waters. Too much nutrient loading to a water body can cause rapid growth of algal blooms, organic enrichment, and depletion of dissolved oxygen. Too little may result in insufficient enrichment of the aquatic food chain, which would be detrimental to a healthy aquatic biological community.
Developing the nutrient criteria that will protect the waters of the state will require significant analysis of water quality data, some of which is already available and some of which still needs to be collected. It will also require input from citizens concerned with the impact of implementation of nutrient criteria. With this in mind, a plan for developing nutrient criteria in Missouri has been drafted and is presented here.
Development of nutrient criteria for lakes and reservoirs is the first priority. The department has been in consultation with staff at the University of Missouri Columbia and the Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program. Information on the status of criteria development and input from the stakeholders’ group is available at www.lmvp.org/nutrientcriteria/index.htm.
Stakeholder's Meetings |
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April 15, 2008 |
USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center |
Call 573-751-6623 for more information on meetings. |
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Missouri Nutrient Criteria Plan PDF
EPA - MoDNR Agreement on Missouri's Nutrient Criteria Development Plan
