Editor Stacey H. Stovall, Conservation Innovations, Inc. Subbasin Team Leader

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Water Quality

Idaho’s 1998 303(d) list is required by the Federal Clean Water Act. States are required to submit this list to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) every two years. The list represents a comprehensive status of water quality in Idaho. Water bodies on the 303(d) list have been determined to be water quality limited because they do not support beneficial uses or they exceed water quality standards. The 303(d) list is organized by hydrologic unit code (HUC). Within each HUC, a unique number called a Water Quality Limited Segment Number (WQLSEG) further describes each water quality limited segment. Within the Boise-Payette-Weiser subbasins, there are 62 water quality limited water bodies (Table 13). In total, nearly 900 miles of rivers and streams, excluding reservoirs, are currently water quality limited in the Boise-Payette-Weiser subbasins.

In the three subbasins, as of February 2001, Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) have been submitted by the IDEQ and approved by the EPA for Cascade Reservoir (1996 and 1999), the Lower Boise River (2000), the Middle Fork Payette River (2000), and Lower Payette River (2000). The other TMDLs scheduled for the three subbasins should be completed by 2005-2006.

Boise River Subbasin

There are 26 water quality limited segments in the Boise River subbasin (Table 13). All segments in the upper subbasin are listed for sediment while segments in the lower subbasin are listed for sediment and other pollutants. Overall, water quality conditions in the Boise River subbasin above Arrowrock Dam are considered good. In a few areas, aquatic biota have been adversely affected by excess fine sediment. In other limited areas of the upper Boise River subbasin, elevated levels of heavy metals or historic mine talings containing heavy metals may threaten aquatic life.

Temperature data for the upper part of the Boise River subbasin are generally lacking. While there are thermograph data available from the Twin Springs Hydromet station on the Boise River since March 1998, there is no long-term data set. Stream temperatures are not thought to be a limiting factor for native fish species above 5,000 feet elevation. However, there is concern that elevated water temperatures may seasonally exist in nodal habitats like mainstem migration corridors.

The Idaho Division of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) completed a subbasin assessment and TMDL for water quality limited segments in the Lower Boise River (IDEQ 1999), and the EPA approved it in early 2000.

Payette River Subbasin

There are 24 water quality limited segments in the Payette River subbasin (Table 13). These segments are listed for a variety of pollutants. Considering the entire subbasin, the lower mainstem Payette River and the North Fork Payette River have the most segments included on Idaho’s current 303(d) list.

In 1994, EPA placed five tributaries and the mainstem of the Middle Fork Payette River on Idaho’s 303(d) list as water quality limited due to excess sediment. These segments were carried forward to the 1996 list. The listed segments included Anderson Creek, Lightning Creek, Scriver Creek, Bulldog Creek, Silver Creek, and the mainstem of the Middle Fork Payette River (Table 13). All of these segments are located within the Boise National Forest (BNF) and were determined to be water quality limited based on exceedences of the BNF Plan standards and guidelines (USDA 1990) and best professional judgement.

A subbasin assessment and TMDL have been prepared for the Middle Fork Payette River (IDEQ 1998) and subsequently approved by the EPA in 2000.

The Weiser River Subbasin

There are currently 12 water quality limited segments listed in the Weiser River subbasin (Table 13). These segments are listed for a variety of pollutants. A watershed advisory group has been established to assist the IDEQ with developing a subbasin assessment and TMDL. As of late summer 2001, water quality monitoring efforts were ongoing by several entities (R. Manwaring, West Central Highlands RCD, personal communication). The priority for TMDL

Table 13. Water quality limited segments found on Idaho's 1998 303(d) list in the Boise, Payette, and Weiser River subbasins.

HUC	WQLSEG	Water Body	Boundaries	Length (mi)	Pollutant(s)	TMDL Schedule
North & Middle Fork Boise
17050111	5026	Browns Creek	Headwaters to MF Boise River	6.4	Sediment	2000
17050111	5028	Buck Creek	Headwaters to MF Boise River	7.2	Sediment	2000
Boise-Mores
17050112	5117	Macks Creek	Headwaters to Grimes Creek	6.4	Sediment	2005
17050112	5126	Minneha Creek	Headwaters to Mores Creek	8.8	Sediment	2005
South Fork Boise
17050113	5038	Cayuse Creek	Headwaters to SF Boise River	3.2	Sediment	2000
17050113	5060	Deer Creek	Headwaters to Anderson Ranch	1.3	Sediment	2000
17050113	5071	Elk Creek	Headwaters to Feather River	7.0	Sediment	2000
17050113	5639	Little Smoky Creek	Headwaters to Carrie Creek	11.3	Unknown	2000
17050113	2577	Rattlesnake Creek	Headwaters to SF Boise	16	Sediment	2000
17050113	2578	Smith Creek	Tiger Creek to SF Boise	14.5	Sediment	2000
17050113	2572	South Fk.Boise River	Anderson Ranch to Arrowrock	28.7	Sediment	2000
17050113	2575	Willow Creek	Headwaters to Arrowrock	14.9	Sediment	2000
Lower Boise
17050114	2737	Blacks Creek	Headwaters to Blacks Creek Res.	13.2	Sediment	1998
17050114	2726	Boise River	Notus to Snake River	15.8	Sediment, Temperature	1998
17050114	2727	Boise River	Star to Notus	21.5	Bacteria, Nutrients, Sediment, Temperature	1998
17050114	2728	Boise River	Barber Diversion to Star	25.2	Sediment	1998
17050114	2729	Boise River	Lucky Peak to Barber Diversion	5.2	Flow Alteration	1998
17050114	5638	Cottonwood Creek	Headwaters to Freestone Creek	6.8	Unknown	2006
17050114	2734	Fivemile Creek	Headwaters to Fifteenmile Creek	28.9	DO, Nutrients, Sediment	1998
17050114	2731	Indian Creek	NY Canal to Boise River	16.6	DO, Nutrients, Oil/Gas, Sediment	1998
17050114	2732	Indian Creek	Headwaters to NY Canal	39.0	Nutrients Sediment	1998
17050114	5640	Lake Lowell			DO Nutrients	2006
17050114	2733	Mason Creek	Headwaters to Boise River	17.8	DO, Nutrients, Sediment	1998
17050114	2730	Sand Hollow Creek	Headwaters to Boise River	23.6	DO, Nutrients, Sediment	1998
17050114	2736	Tenmile Creek	Headwaters to Fifteenmile Creek	27.2	DO, Nutrients, Sediment	1998
17050114	5637	Willow Creek	Headwaters to Boise River	51.4	Unknown	2006
South Fork Payette
17050120	5186	SF Payette River	Wilderness Boundary to Payette River	59.4	Sediment	2002
Middle Fork Payette
17050121	2703	MF Payette River	Big Bulldog Ck. to SF Payette River	13.0	Sediment	1998
Lower Payette
17050122	5635	Big Willow Creek	Rock Creek to Payette River	23.4	Unknown	2006
17050122	2695	Bissel Creek	Headwaters to Payette River	17.0	Sediment	1999
17050122	2690	Black Canyon Res.			Nutrients, Oil/Gas, Sediment	1999
17050122	2689	Payette River	Black Canyon Dam to Snake River	39.2	Bacteria, Nutrients, Temperature	1999
17050122	2697	Soldier Creek	Headwaters to Squaw Creek	9.0	Sediment	1999
North Fork Payette
17050123	2891	Big Creek	Horsethief Ck. to NF Payette R.	6.5	Sediment	2003
17050123	2895	Boulder Creek	Headwaters to Cascade Reservoir	20.4	DO, Flow Alteration, Nutrients, Sediment, Temperature	2003
17050123	6897	Browns Pond			Habitat	2003
17050123	5625	Brush Creek	Headwaters to NF Payette River	5.0	Unknown	2006
17050123	2884	Cascade Reservoir			DO, pH, Nutrients	2003
17050123	2890	Clear Creek	Headwaters to NF Payette River	17.8	Sediment	2003
17050123	5631	Duck Creek	Headwaters to Cascade Reservoir	2.0	Unknown	2006
17050123	5627	Elip Creek	Headwaters to Lemah Creek	3.0	Unknown	2006
17050123	2893	Gold Fork River	Flat Creek to Cascade Reservoir	5.4	Nutrients, Sediment	2003
17050123	5628	Lake Fork Creek	Headwaters to Cascade Reservoir	26.0	Unknown	2006
17050123	5626	Landing Creek	Headwaters to Deadhorse Creek	2.4	Unknown	2006
17050123	2898	Mud Creek	Headwaters to Cascade Reservoir	12.0	Bacteria, DO, NH_3, Nutrients, Sediment	2003
17050123	6882	NF Payette River	Clear Ck. to Smiths Ferry	9.5	Flow alteration, Habitat, Nutrients, Sediment, Temperature	2003
17050123	2889	Round Valley Creek	Headwaters to NF Payette River	5.6	Sediment	2003
17050123	5633	Tripod Creek	Headwaters to NF Payette River	5.4	Unknown	2006
17050123	5632	Van Wyck Creek	Headwaters to Cascade Reservoir	2.5	Unknown	2006
17050123	5629	Willow Creek	Headwaters to Cascade Reservoir	8.2	Unknown	2006
Weiser
17050124	2839	Cove Creek	Headwaters to Weiser River	14.0	Nutrients, Sediment	2003
17050124	2840	Crane Creek	Crane Creek Reservoir to Weiser River	12.6	Bacteria, Nutrients, Sediment	2003
17050124	2841	Crane Creek Res.			Nutrients, Sediment	2003
17050124	5636	Johnson Creek	Headwaters to Weiser River	13.6	Unknown	2006
17050124	2845	Little Weiser River	Indian Valley to Weiser River	17.2	Nutrients, Sediment	2003
17050124	2837	Mann Creek	Mann Ck. Res. to Weiser River	13.0	Sediment	2003
17050124	2842	North Crane Creek	Headwaters to Crane Ck. Res.	24.6	Bacteria, Flow, Nutrients, Sediment, Temperature	2003
17050124	5623	South Crane Creek	Headwaters to Crane Ck. Res.	9.2	Unknown	2006
17050124	2834	Weiser River	Galloway Dam to Snake River	12.4	Bacteria, Nutrients, Sediment, Temp, DO	2003
17050124	2835	Weiser River	WF Weiser R. to Little Weiser R.	20.8	Nutrients, Sediment	2003
17050124	6834	Weiser River	Little Weiser River to Galloway	32.0	Bacteria, Nutrients Sediment	2003
17050124	5624	WF Weiser River	Headwaters to Weiser River	15.9	Unknown	2006

development is completion of the process for the listed segments of the mainstem Weiser River (due in 2003), and completion of TMDLs for other listed segments by 2006.

Clark (1985) stated that the Weiser River annually contributed nearly 260,000 tons of suspended sediment load to the Snake River. The majority of the suspended sediment load is transported during spring runoff. Agricultural return flow accounts for less than one percent of the total suspended sediment in the lower Weiser River. However, it contributes to the chronic sediment problem in the river. Crane Creek, Mann Creek, and Monroe Creek are estimated to contribute about nine percent of the total suspended sediment input to the lower Weiser River (Clark 1985). Streambank erosion is a significant source of sediment to the river. Other pollutants generally follow the trend of suspended sediment.

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