Draft Methodology for the 2010 Delaware River and Bay Integrated List Water Quality Assessment Report

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) will assess waters of the mainstem Delaware River to determine whether the river is supporting the designated uses expressed in the Commission’s Administrative Manual Part III, Water Quality Regulations (18 CFR Part 410)*. DRBC’s assessment will be completed and submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on April 1, 2010 under the title 2010 Delaware River and Bay Integrated List Water Quality Assessment Report.

Through coordination with our state and federal partners, we have identified several areas where we propose to employ a different methodology in performing the assessment for 2010 than that used in the past. Specifically, changes in the data window, toxics assessments, assessment of hardness based criteria, and incorporation of biological monitoring for aquatic life designated uses are proposed.

The draft methodology refers to a DRBC publication on bioassessment and biocriteria for the non-tidal Delaware River (Silldorff & Limbeck, 2009)*. The use of bioassessment to determine compliance with the Aquatic Life Use is based on this report.

Draft Methodology (580 KB*)

Please note that the comment period on the proposed methodology is now closed.

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Questions?
John Yagecic, Supervisor, Standards and Assessment Section, (609) 883-9500 ext. 271.

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Last Updated: September 4, 2009

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