Conservation UpdateFall 2011: Carmans River Impaired Waters Petition
We (Art Flick TU) and Peconic Baykeeper have jointly submitted a petition to the New York DEC asking for the Carmans River to be listed on the 2012 NY State Impaired Waters list under the Federal Clean Water Act. The reason for this is the impairment caused by the increasing levels of nitrates in the river. A copy of our press release is available here. Theere is a substantial amount of scientific evidence of this impairment. Most notably is the DEC Bureau of Water Quality's 2008 Carmans River Biological Assesment which shows that the river is moderately impacted in several sections. We have asked for the implementation of a mandatory Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) of nitrates within the watershed. The implementation of a TMDL would limit the total discharge of nitrates into the groundwater within the watershed.
The determination of impairment is based on the "best usage" classification for the waterway. The Carmans Rivers best usage is listed as class C(T) or C(TS) in most reaches. The "C" designation means that the best usage is for recreation, while the "T" and "TS" designation means that the water should support trout (for the "T" designation) and trout spawning (for the "TS" designation). The "T" and "TS" designations require a higher standard of water quality.
Our petition will be considered in the Spring of 2012. Stay tuned for updates!
