U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinion for Environmental Protection Agency's Proposed Approval of the Revised Washington Water Quality Standards for Designated Uses. Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, and Other Revisions

摘要

This document transmits the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) Biological Opinion (BO) on the effects of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed approval of the 2006 revised water quality standards (WQS) for the State of Washington. This BO addresses the effects ofthe proposed action on the bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) and designated critical habitat for the bull trout in accordance with section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.c. 1531 et seq.). The proposed action is EPA's approval of (1) the designated uses, (2) numeric temperature criterion to protect the aquatic life uses, (3) spatial and temporal application of seasonal temperature criteria to protect bull trout, salmon, and steelhead reproduction that occurs during the summer months, (4) dissolved oxygen criteria in stream reaches that were changed to a higher use designation, (5) allowable warming provisions, (6) spill provisions on the Snake and Columbia River, (7) natural and irreversible human conditions, and (8) procedures for applying WQ criteria. The WQS revisions apply to all freshwater surface waters in the State and will remain in effect in perpetuity, unless the standards are revised again in the future.