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Summary
TMDLs represent an effort by the regulatory community to improve
water quality through better
management of both point and nonpoint sources of pollution. While
they hold great promise for
future improvements in environmental quality, they also highlight
several key weaknesses that
result in some complications in developing TMDLs (Battin, 1998):
1. Lack of understanding of nonpoint source processes
2. Nonpoint sources are difficult to characterize
3. Difficulty in linking nonpoint sources to water quality
Improving the effectiveness of TMDLs requires improvements of our
understanding of processes
that occur on land and degrade the quality of water. High quality,
widespread monitoring is
essential to ultimate success in this arena.
In addition, determining the actual effectiveness of BMPs in
achieving their intended goals is
critical, and again requires detailed local monitoring. Finally,
linking all the contrasting areas of
the watershed together in a coherent way, using technologies like
Geographical Information
Systems (GIS), is critical to understanding the consequences of our
management of land and
water resources on water quality.
Fortunately, with the sampling and analytical equipment, brainpower
and stakeholder involvement
already engaged in water quality work across the nation, TMDLs are
likely to achieve their
potential as effective water quality management tools. The author and
YSI hope this paper
provides readers with a step into the world of TMDLs, and helps
managers and stakeholders
begin the networking process that will be critical to success in the
brave, new world of TMDLs.
© 1999,
YSI Incorporated
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