DRAFT - Nevada's 2008-10 Integrated Report: Public comments on the Draft Nevada's 2008-10 Integrated Report will be accepted until April 27, 2012.

The water quality standards branch is responsible for developing and reviewing water quality standards; determining total maximum daily loads and wasteload allocations for point sources; and determining load allocations for nonpoint sources.

A water quality standard defines the water quality goals for a water body, or portion thereof, by designating the beneficial use or uses to be made of the water, by setting criteria necessary to protect the uses, and by protecting water quality through antidegradation provisions. The State of Nevada has established both narrative and numeric criteria.

The beneficial use standards are numeric or narrative requirements which are based on USEPA water quality criteria or site specific criteria or a combination of both. For waters with multiple use designations, the criteria must protect the most sensitive use. Even though many water bodies within Nevada do not have direct water quality standards applied to them, standards may be applicable to tributaries in a watershed through the tributary rule.

Antidegradation is addressed through the establishment of requirements to maintain existing higher quality or RMHQ. RMHQs have been set for routine parameters such as temperature, pH, phosphorus, nitrogen, chlorides, sulfates, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, fecal coliform, etc.

Water quality management plans and the "impaired waters listing" required under sections 208 and 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, as well as the Continuing Planning Process, are prepared by this branch.