2022 Triennial Review of Water quality standards
Water Quality Standards Overview
Water quality standards (WQS) are provisions in tribal, state, and federal law approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that describe the desired condition of a waterbody and the means by which that condition will be protected or achieved. Tribal waterbodies on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation are used for purposes such as recreation, sport fishing, traditional uses, and home to threatened and endangered species. To protect human health and aquatic life in tribal surface waters, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe (PLPT, Tribe) established WQS specific to the lower Truckee River and Pyramid Lake.
There are three core components of WQS: Designated uses, criteria, and antidegradation requirements. For designated uses, goals and expectations for each waterbody (i.e. lower Truckee River and Pyramid Lake) are established. Once designated uses are identified, water quality criteria is designated to protect the uses. Criteria could be numeric (maximum pollutant concentrations levels) or narrative (describes desired conditions). Lastly, the antidegradation clause of the CWA is to “maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.”
In section 518(e) of the CWA, Congress authorized the EPA to treat eligible federally-recognized tribes to administer certain sections of the CWA. On January 30, 2007, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe received Treatment in the Similar Manner as a State (TAS) status pursuant to Sections 303 and 401 of the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) to implement tribal WQS within the exterior boundaries of the Reservation. The Tribe’s WQS are contained within the Tribe’s 2015 Water Quality Control Plan (WQCP), which is a document that contains numeric and narrative WQS, as well as the rationale for which the WQS were formed.
Triennial Review Overview
The CWA requires states and authorized tribes to conduct a comprehensive review of all WQS at least once every three years and adopt new or revised WQS if appropriate to meet the requirements of the CWA. The triennial review process requires input from the public and local stakeholders to determine whether additions and/or revisions are necessary to designated uses, water quality criteria, antidegradation policies, and other general policies. The PLPT conducted its last triennial review in 2015.
In 2021, the Tribe sought technical assistance from SWCA Environmental Consultants, who teamed with scientists from the Desert Research Institute (DRI) and University of California, Davis (UC Davis) for review of water quality data and other information. The team of experts are assisting the Tribe in the review and potential revisions to the Water Quality Control Plan, as well as organizing and hosting public workshop and hearings.
In October 2022, following promulgation of the 2022 Water Quality Control Plan (WQCP) by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Council, and by directive of Resolution PL102-22, the Water Quality Program submitted the 2022 WQCP to the EPA for review and approval, which was granted on August 23, 2023.