Eagle Point Water Quality Implementation Plan

The most recently approved TMDL plan in 2019 can be located here.

The City of Eagle Point is a participating municipality in the larger, Rogue River Basin TMDL.  The Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) requires a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) to be established for any water body having impaired water quality.  A TMDL determine show much of a pollutant can be discharged to a water body while still meeting water quality standards and protecting all designated, beneficial uses of that waterbody.  

The TMDL process begins when a stream, lake, or river does not meet water quality standard, and is placed on the State’s 303(d) list.  The303(d) list identifies the stream as “water quality limited”, requiring the development of a TMDL.  According to DEQs2010 Integrated 303(d) list, the Upper Rogue Sub basin in the Rogue Basin has several water bodies that are listed as impaired for dissolved oxygen, pH, and sedimentation. Among these listed water bodies is Little Butte Creek which is within the jurisdictional boundary of the City of Eagle Point and is listed for dissolved oxygen and sedimentation. This condition and the post-construction requirements referenced in it requiring stormwater volume reduction will prevent the discharge of pollutants contributing to these water quality impairments. If the standard for stormwater retention cannot be achieved completely on-site in a development or redevelopment, the requirement to prioritize the application of green infrastructure in the design of structural stormwater controls will help reduce the pollutant loads contributing to these impairments. As noted in DEQ’s MS4 Evaluation Report for the post-construction site runoff requirements, the unit processes typically associated with green infrastructure with its focus on bioretention involves processes such as sedimentation, adsorption, filtration, and plant uptake which will help address low dissolved oxygen, moderate pH changes, and reduce sedimentation.

As a Designated Management Agency (DMA), Eagle Point is required to submit a TMDL Implementation Plan, with annual monitoring reports to DEQ.  The Eagle Point Water Quality Implementation Plan, completed in June of 2010, is the 5-year plan to address the efforts of Eagle Point towards improving water quality by reducing or eliminating temperature and bacteria inputs to Little Butte Creek.