August 5, 2024
Contact: India Southern, Water Quality Standards Analyst, india.southern@deq.idaho.gov
BOISE – The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking comment on the draft Bucktail Creek Use Attainability Analysis (UAA) Review.
A UAA is a scientific assessment of the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of a water body. These assessments are used to determine a water body’s capacity to support activities such as recreation, water supply, aquatic life, or agriculture, also known as a beneficial use.
In the UAA conducted in 2002 for Bucktail Creek, DEQ examined designated beneficial uses and determined that the creek could not support aquatic life due to copper and cobalt concentrations that were many times greater than the acute and chronic water quality criteria. The UAA removed the contact recreation uses based on natural low-flow conditions and removed aquatic life beneficial use based on copper and cobalt concentrations.
Under the Clean Water Act, DEQ is required to review all UAAs every three year when recreation and aquatic life uses are removed. The 2024 report reviews available surface water quality data between 2003 and 2022.
DEQ determined that total and dissolved copper and cobalt concentrations in Bucktail Creek decreased due to extensive remediation work within the drainage. Copper and cobalt concentrations in Bucktail Creek also decreased in downstream waters in South Fork Big Deer Creek. However, pollutant concentrations, specifically copper, are still above criteria due to human-caused conditions that have not been remedied to a point where the water body meets water quality standards or could support beneficial uses.
The draft Bucktail Creek Use Attainability Analysis Review is available for review at DEQ’s State Office (1410 N. Hilton Street, Boise, Idaho) and on DEQ’s Public Comment Opportunities web page. Written comments will be accepted through September 4, 2024, at 5 p.m. (MDT). Submit comments electronically via DEQ’s public comment form or by mail or email:
India Southern
1410 N. Hilton St.
Boise, ID 83706
india.southern@deq.idaho.gov