| Data | Details |
|---|---|
| Hydrologic Unit Codes | 17010301 |
| Size | 895 square miles (572,800 acres) |
| Water Bodies with EPA-Approved TMDLs (Category 4a) | Beaver Creek, Bootjack Creek and tributaries, Brett Creek and tributaries, Brown Creek and tributaries, Bumblebee Creek and tributaries, Burnt Cabin Creek and tributaries, Butte Gulch, Calamity Creek, Cataract Creek, Copper Creek and tributaries, Cougar Gulch, Cub Creek, Deception Creek and tributaries, Declaration Creek, Eagle Creek, East Fork Eagle Creek and tributaries, Falls Creek and tributaries, Flat Creek, Graham Creek, Independence Creek and tributaries, Iron Creek and tributaries, Jordan Creek, Laverne Creek and tributaries, Leiberg Creek and tributaries, Little North Fork Coeur d’Alene River, Lost Creek, Lower Buckskin Creek, Lower Lost Fork, Miners Creek and tributaries, North Fork Coeur d’Alene River and tributaries, Prichard Creek, Shoshone Creek, Skookum Creek, Snow Creek, Steamboat Creek and tributaries, Tepee Creek and tributaries, Trail Creek and tributaries, West Elk Creek, West Fork Eagle Creek, West Fork Steamboat Creek, Yellowdog Creek and tributaries |
| Beneficial Uses Affected | Cold water aquatic life, salmonid spawning |
| Major Land Uses | Forestry, recreation, mining |
| Date Approved by EPA | February 2002 EPA Approval Letter | Date Addendum Approved by EPA | April 2014 EPA Approval Letter |
Subbasin Characteristics
The North Fork Coeur d’Alene River and its tributaries drain the entire subbasin represented by hydrologic unit code 17010301. The river and its tributaries flow from the Coeur d’Alene Mountains to the river’s confluence with the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River near Enaville, Idaho. The subbasin encompasses approximately 895 square miles and is mostly forest that is managed by the USDA Forest Service.
2001 Subbasin Assessment and TMDL
The 2001 subbasin assessment and total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) reviewed the water quality status of streams throughout the Upper (North Fork) Coeur d’Alene River subbasin. Sediment modeling and supporting information demonstrated a systemic sediment problem in the North Fork Coeur d’Alene River watershed. Cold water aquatic life uses were impaired by excess sediment due to nonpoint sources. Since the most downstream segments of the watershed are sediment-impaired and all upstream watersheds contribute at least in part to the sediment load, the assessment recommended subbasin-wide sediment TMDLs. The assessment also found that Beaver, East Fork Eagle, and Prichard Creeks exceeded dissolved cadmium, lead, and zinc standards. Cold water aquatic life uses were impaired due to these metals from historical mining practices.
Sediment modeling was completed for the entire subbasin to estimate natural background sedimentation rates, existing sediment loads, and target loads. Load allocations were established at 1.5 times the estimated natural background rate. This amount was determined to be within the assimilative capacity of the stream and would not impair cold water aquatic life. At the time, many watersheds had sediment loads far in excess of this target. Forest roads were one of the primary sources identified. The 2001 subbasin assessment and TMDLs established sediment load allocations for sediment-impaired streams throughout the subbasin and TMDLs for cadmium, lead, and zinc in East Fork Eagle Creek. Metals TMDLs for Beaver and Prichard Creeks were deferred.
2003 TMDL: Streams and Pollutants for Which TMDLs Were Developed
| Stream | Pollutants |
|---|---|
| North Fork Coeur d’Alene River (2 segments) | Sediment |
| Tepee Creek | Sediment |
| Big Elk Creek | Sediment |
| Calamity Creek | Sediment |
| Cub Creek | Sediment |
| Yellow Dog Creek | Sediment |
| Shoshone Creek | Sediment |
| Lost Creek | Sediment |
| Falls Creek | Sediment |
| Prichard Creek | Sediment |
| East Fork Eagle Creek | Sediment, metals |
| Cougar Gulch | Sediment |
| Steamboat Creek | Sediment |
| Little North Fork Coeur d’Alene River | Sediment |
| Copper Creek | Sediment |
| Burnt Cabin Creek | Sediment |
2013 Addendum
The 2013 Upper (North Fork) Coeur d’Alene River Subbasin Temperature TMDLs Addendum addresses water temperature conditions in the streams and rivers of the Upper (North Fork) Coeur d’Alene River subbasin and is an addendum to the 2001 TMDL. DEQ established temperature TMDLs for 54 assessment units (AUs) with water temperatures exceeding Idaho’s water quality standards. An additional 25 AUs that are not listed as temperature impaired were included in this analysis for informational purposes only. Cold water aquatic life and salmonid spawning uses are impaired due to excess temperature inputs. The primary cause of excess temperature is nonpoint sources due to reduced shade from overwidened channels and removal of riparian vegetation. Temperature TMDLs were developed using the potential natural vegetation (PNV) approach, which is based on the concept that maximum shading under PNV will result in natural background stream temperatures.
2013 Addendum: Streams and Pollutants for Which TMDLs Were Developed
| Description | Assessment Unit | Pollutant |
|---|---|---|
| North Fork Coeur d’Alene River tributaries below Prichard Creek | ID17010301PN001_02 | Temperature |
| North Fork Coeur d’Alene River below Prichard Creek | ID17010301PN001_05 | Temperature |
| North Fork Coeur d’Alene River between Yellowdog and Prichard Creeks | ID17010301PN001_05a | Temperature |
| Graham Creek below Deceitful Gulch | ID17010301PN002_03 | Temperature |
| Beaver Creek headwaters and tributaries | ID17010301PN003_02 | Temperature |
| Beaver Creek below White Creek | ID17010301PN003_03 | Temperature |
| Prichard Creek below Eagle Creek | ID17010301PN004_04 | Temperature |
| Prichard Creek headwaters and tributaries above Butte Gulch | ID17010301PN005_02 | Temperature |
| West Fork Eagle Creek and tributaries | ID17010301PN008_02 | Temperature |
| Lost Creek below East Fork Lost Creek | ID17010301PN009_03 | Temperature |
| Shoshone Creek below Falls Creek | ID17010301PN010_03 | Temperature |
| Falls Creek and tributaries | ID17010301PN011_02 | Temperature |
| Shoshone Creek headwaters and tributaries above Falls Creek | ID17010301PN012_02 | Temperature |
| Shoshone Creek between Little Lost Fork and Falls Creek | ID17010301PN012_03 | Temperature |
| North Fork Coeur d’Alene River tributaries between Tepee and Yellowdog Creeks | ID17010301PN013_02 | Temperature |
| North Fork Coeur d’Alene River between Jordan and Tepee Creeks | ID17010301PN013_04 | Temperature |
| North Fork Coeur d’Alene River between Tepee and Yellowdog Creeks | ID17010301PN013_05 | Temperature |
| Jordan Creek and Lower Lost Fork | ID17010301PN014_03 | Temperature |
| North Fork Coeur d’Alene River, upper, headwaters, and tributaries | ID17010301PN015_02 | Temperature |
| North Fork Coeur d’Alene River, upper, and lower Buckskin Creek | ID17010301PN015_03 | Temperature |
| North Fork Coeur d’Alene River between Buckskin and Jordan Creeks | ID17010301PN015_04 | Temperature |
| West Elk Creek and Cataract Creek | ID17010301PN016_02 | Temperature |
| Tepee Creek between Trail Creek and Independence Creek | ID17010301PN017_04 | Temperature |
| Tepee Creek below Independence Creek | ID17010301PN017_05 | Temperature |
| Independence Creek headwaters and tributaries | ID17010301PN018_02 | Temperature |
| Declaration Creek, lower | ID17010301PN018_03a | Temperature |
| Snow Creek, lower | ID17010301PN018_03b | Temperature |
| Independence Creek below Declaration Creek | ID17010301PN018_04 | Temperature |
| Trail Creek headwaters and tributaries | ID17010301PN019_02 | Temperature |
| Trail Creek below Stewart Creek | ID17010301PN019_03 | Temperature |
| Tepee Creek headwaters and tributaries | ID17010301PN020_02 | Temperature |
| Tepee Creek between Short Creek and Trail Creek | ID17010301PN020_03 | Temperature |
| Brett Creek and tributaries | ID17010301PN021_02 | Temperature |
| Miners Creek and tributaries | ID17010301PN022_02 | Temperature |
| Flat Creek, lower | ID17010301PN023_03 | Temperature |
| Yellowdog Creek and tributaries | ID17010301PN024_02 | Temperature |
| Brown Creek and tributaries | ID17010301PN026_02 | Temperature |
| Steamboat Creek headwaters and tributaries | ID17010301PN028_02 | Temperature |
| Steamboat Creek and West Fork Steamboat Creek below Comfy Creek | ID17010301PN028_03 | Temperature |
| Cougar Gulch below East Fork Cougar Gulch | ID17010301PN029_03 | Temperature |
| Little North Fork Coeur d’Alene River tributaries above Iron Creek | ID17010301PN030_02a | Temperature |
| Little North Fork Coeur d’Alene River tributaries between Hudlow and Deception Creeks | ID17010301PN030_02c | Temperature |
| Little North Fork Coeur d’Alene River tributaries below Skookum Creek | ID17010301PN030_02d | Temperature |
| Little North Fork Coeur d’Alene River between Solitaire and Skookum Creeks | ID17010301PN030_03 | Temperature |
| Little North Fork Coeur d’Alene River below Skookum Creek | ID17010301PN030_04 | Temperature |
| Bumblebee Creek and tributaries | ID17010301PN031_02 | Temperature |
| Laverne Creek and tributaries | ID17010301PN032_02 | Temperature |
| Leiberg Creek and tributaries | ID17010301PN033_02 | Temperature |
| Bootjack Creek and tributaries | ID17010301PN034_02 | Temperature |
| Iron Creek and tributaries | ID17010301PN035_02 | Temperature |
| Burnt Cabin Creek and tributaries | ID17010301PN036_02 | Temperature |
| Deception Creek and tributaries | ID17010301PN037_02 | Temperature |
| Skookum Creek, lower | ID17010301PN038_03 | Temperature |
| Copper Creek, lower | ID17010301PN039_03 | Temperature |
Subbasin Document(s)
- Subbasin Assessment and Total Maximum Daily Loads of the North Fork Coeur d’Alene River (17010301) (November 2001)
- North Fork Coeur d’Alene River Implementation Success Stories (August 2012)
- Upper (North Fork) Coeur d’Alene River Subbasin Temperature Total Maximum Daily Loads: Addendum (July 2013)
- North Fork Coeur d’Alene River Subbasin Watershed Restoration Effectiveness Review – Sediment Reductions and Biological Response (September 2013)
- North Fork Coeur d’Alene River Subbasin Watershed Restoration Effectiveness Review – Sediment Reductions and Biological Response Appendices (September 2013)
- Errata for the Upper (North Fork) Coeur d’Alene River Subbasin Temperature Total Maximum Daily Loads (December 2015)
- Jordan Creek Watershed SP-12 Success Story
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