WVDEP now accepting comments on restoration plan for Tug Fork River Watershed

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s (WVDEP) Division of Water and Waste Management (DWWM) is now accepting comments and will hold a virtual public meeting for draft Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for select streams in the Tug Fork River watershed. A TMDL is a plan of action required by the federal Clean Water Act to restore streams not meeting water quality standards.

 

Select streams in the watershed do not meet fecal coliform bacteria, total iron, pH, dissolved aluminum, manganese, and/or dissolved oxygen water quality standards. For detailed information and resources for the TMDL, visit https://dep.wv.gov/WWE/watershed/TMDL/Pages/default.aspx and select the Tug Fork River watershed in the Hydrologic Group C list at the bottom of the page. An interactive overview of the project is available here:  https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/4f0820b824254fb1a5ca172c6092a020.

WVDEP staff will host a virtual meeting to present an outline of the TMDL development process and answer questions on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at 6 p.m. This meeting is open to the public and can be accessed using the information below:

 

Tug Fork TMDL Public Meeting

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ymj-esct-nht

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 984-219-3665‬ PIN: ‪294 919 609‬#

Comments must be submitted no later than Monday, January 31, 2023 and should be emailed or mailed to:

 

Email: depwab@wv.gov

Mindy Neil

ATTN: Draft Tug Fork River TMDL Comments

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection

601 57th St. S.E.

Charleston, WV 25304

 

After consideration of public comments, the WVDEP will make appropriate revisions and submit final draft TMDLs to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval.

For more WVDEP news and information, go to https://dep.wv.gov. Also, connect with the agency on all social media platforms. Follow @DEPWV on Twitter, Like us on Facebook at https://facebook.com/depwv/, and find us on YouTube at Environment Matters​.