Idaho Admin. Code r. 58.01.02.287

Current through September 2, 2024

Section 58.01.02.287 - SITE-SPECIFIC AQUATIC LIFE CRITERIA FOR SELENIUM

Site-specific water column values (30-day average) are based on dissolved total selenium in water and are derived using a performance-based approach from fish tissue values via either the mechanistic modeling or empirical bioaccumulation factor (BAF) method in Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criterion for Selenium - Freshwater, EPA-822-R-16-006, Appendix K: Translation of a Selenium Fish Tissue Criterion Element to a Site-Specific Water Column Value (June 2016).

01.Subsection of Blackfoot Subbasin. Blackfoot River - confluence of Lanes and Diamond Creeks to Blackfoot Reservoir (unit US-10), and all tributaries thereof. Site-specific egg-ovary, whole-body, and muscle criterion elements for these water bodies are set out in the following table. The lentic and short-term exposure water column criterion elements set out in Subsection 210.01., table footnote l., are also applicable to the water bodies identified in this subsection.

Chronic
Egg-Ovary (mg/kg dw)	Fish Tissue (mg/kg dw)		Water Column (µg/L)
Egg-Ovary	Whole-Body	Muscle	Water Lotic
24.5¹	12.5²	12.8²	11.9^3,4,5
mg/kg dw - milligrams per kilogram dry weight, µg/L - micrograms per liter
1. Egg-ovary supersedes any whole-body, muscle, or water column element when fish egg-ovary concentrations are measured. Single measurement of an average or composite sample of at least five (5) individuals of the same species. Not to be exceeded; DEQ will evaluate all representative egg-ovary data to determine compliance with this criterion element. 2. Fish whole-body or muscle tissue supersedes water column element when both fish tissue and water concentrations are measured. Single measurement of an average or composite sample of at least five (5) individuals of the same species where the smallest individual is no less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the total length (size) of the largest individual. Not to be exceeded; DEQ will evaluate all representative whole-body or muscle data to determine compliance with this criterion element. 3. Water column values are derived using the empirical BAF method. For comparative purposes only, the example value displayed in this table represents the lotic water column value for Sheep Creek based on the average BAF for Cutthroat Trout among all sampling locations and years. 4. Lotic Water Column Equation= Click here to view image where Tissue criterion is the fish tissue element (whole-body), and BAF is the bioaccumulation factor derived by dividing site-specific field-collected samples of fish tissue (whole-body) by site-specific field-collected samples of water. 5. Water column values are the applicable criterion element in the absence of steady-state condition fish tissue data. In fishless waters, surface water from the fishless waters and fish tissue from the nearest downstream waters are used for bioaccumulation modeling. Fish tissue supersedes any site-specific water column values when fish are sampled downstream of fishless waters.

02.Subsection of Bear Lake Subbasin. Georgetown Creek - source to mouth (unit B-22), and all tributaries thereof. Site-specific egg-ovary, whole-body, and muscle criterion elements for these water bodies are set out in the following table. The lentic and short-term water column criterion elements set out in Subsection 210.01., table footnote l., are also applicable to the water bodies identified in this subsection.

Chronic
Egg-Ovary (mg/kg dw)	Fish Tissue (mg/kg dw)		Water Column (µg/L)
Egg-Ovary	Whole-Body	Muscle	Water Lotic
21.0¹	12.5²	12.8²	3.8^3,4,5
mg/kg dw - milligrams per kilogram dry weight, µg/L - micrograms per liter
1. Egg-ovary supersedes any whole-body, muscle, or water column element when fish egg-ovary concentrations are measured. Single measurement of an average or composite sample of at least five (5) individuals of the same species. Not to be exceeded; DEQ will evaluate all representative egg-ovary data to determine compliance with this criterion element.
2. Fish whole-body or muscle tissue supersedes water column element when both fish tissue and water concentrations are measured. Single measurement of an average or composite sample of at least five (5) individuals of the same species where the smallest individual is no less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the total length (size) of the largest individual. Not to be exceeded; DEQ will evaluate all representative whole-body and muscle data to determine compliance with this criterion element.
3. Water column values are derived using the empirical BAF method. For comparative purposes only, the example displayed in this table represents the lotic water column value for Georgetown Creek, upstream of the intermittent reach, based on the average BAF for Brook Trout in all sampling locations and years.
4. Lotic Water Column Equation= Click here to view image
where Tissue criterion is the fish tissue element (whole-body), and BAF is the bioaccumulation factor derived by dividing site-specific field-collected samples of fish tissue (whole-body) by site-specific field-collected samples of water.
5. Water column values are the applicable criterion element in the absence of steady-state condition fish tissue data. In fishless waters, surface water from the fishless waters and fish tissue from the nearest downstream waters are used for bioaccumulation modeling. Fish tissue supersedes any site-specific water column values when fish are sampled downstream of fishless waters.

03.Subsection of Salt Subbasin - Sage Creek. Sage Creek - source to mouth (unit US-9) including, Hoopes Spring channel downstream of the spring complex, South Fork Sage Creek downstream of the spring complex, Sage Creek downstream of the confluence of Hoopes Spring with Sage Creek to its confluence with Crow Creek, and tributaries; excluding North Fork Sage Creek, Pole Canyon Creek, and their tributaries. Site-specific egg-ovary and whole-body criterion elements for these water bodies are set out in the following table. The muscle, lentic water column, and short-term water column criterion elements set out in Subsection 210.01., table footnote l., are also applicable to the water bodies identified in this subsection.

Chronic
Egg-Ovary (mg/kg dw)	Fish Tissue (mg/kg dw)	Water Column (µg/L)
Egg-Ovary	Whole-Body	Water Lotic
20.5¹	13.6²	16.7³
mg/kg dw - milligrams per kilogram dry weight, µg/L - micrograms per liter
1. Egg-ovary supersedes any whole-body, muscle, or water column element when fish egg-ovary concentrations are measured. Single measurement of an average or composite sample of at least five (5) individuals of the same species. Not to be exceeded; DEQ will evaluate all representative egg-ovary data to determine compliance with this criterion element. 2. Fish tissue supersedes water column element when both fish tissue (whole-body) and water concentrations are measured. Fish tissue elements are expressed as a single arithmetic average of tissue concentrations from at least five (5) individuals of the same species where the smallest individual is no less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the total length (size) of the largest individual. Not to be exceeded; DEQ will evaluate all representative whole-body data to determine compliance with this criterion element. 3. Water column values are derived using the empirical BAF method. Water column values are the applicable criterion element in the absence of steady-state condition fish tissue data. In fishless waters, selenium concentrations in fish from the nearest downstream waters may be used to assess compliance.

04.Subsection of Salt Subbasin - Crow Creek. Crow Creek - Downstream of Sage Creek confluence to Wyoming state line (US-8). Site-specific egg-ovary and whole-body criterion elements for these water bodies are set out in the following table. The muscle, lentic water column, and short-term water column criterion elements set out in Subsection 210.01., table footnote l., are also applicable to the water bodies identified in this subsection.

Chronic
Egg-Ovary (mg/kg dw)	Fish Tissue (mg/kg dw)	Water Column (µg/L)
Egg-Ovary	Whole-Body	Water Lotic
20.5¹	12.5²	4.2³
mg/kg dw - milligrams per kilogram dry weight, µg/L - micrograms per liter
1. Egg-ovary supersedes any whole-body, muscle, or water column element when fish egg-ovary concentrations are measured. Single measurement of an average or composite sample of at least five (5) individuals of the same species. Not to be exceeded; DEQ will evaluate all representative egg-ovary data to determine compliance with this criterion element. 2. Fish tissue supersedes water column element when both fish tissue (whole-body) and water concentrations are measured. Fish tissue elements are expressed as a single arithmetic average of tissue concentrations from at least five (5) individuals of the same species where the smallest individual is no less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the total length (size) of the largest individual. Not to be exceeded; DEQ will evaluate all representative whole-body data to determine compliance with this criterion element. 3. Water column values are derived using the empirical BAF method. Water column values are the applicable criterion element in the absence of steady-state condition fish tissue data. In fishless waters, selenium concentrations in fish from the nearest downstream waters may be used to assess compliance.

05.Portions of Idaho.

a. This site-specific criterion applies in the HUC subbasins set out in the following table.

HUC	Subbasin	HUC	Subbasin
16010102	Central Bear	17040208	Portneuf
16010201	Bear Lake	17040209	Lake Walcott
16010202	Middle Bear	17040210	Raft
16010203	Little Bear-Logan	17040211	Goose
16010204	Lower Bear-Malad	17040214	Beaver-Camas
16020309	Curlew Valley	17040215	Medicine Lodge
17010302	South Fork Coeur d Alene	17040216	Birch
17010306	Hangman	17040218	Big Lost
17010308	Little Spokane	17040220	Camas
17040104	Palisades	17040221	Little Wood
17040105	Salt	17050104	Upper Owyhee
17040201	Idaho Falls	17050105	South Fork Owyhee
17040202	Upper Henrys	17050106	East Little Owyhee
17040203	Lower Henrys	17050107	Middle Owyhee
17040204	Teton	17050108	Jordan
17040205	Willow	17060109	Rock
17040206	American Falls
17040207	Blackfoot

b. Site-specific egg-ovary, whole-body, and muscle criterion elements for the water bodies identified in Subsection 287.05.a. are set out in the following table. The water column criterion elements set out in Subsection 210.01., table footnote l., are also applicable to the water bodies identified in Subsection 287.05.a.

Chronic
Egg-Ovary (mg/kg dw)	Fish Tissue (mg/kg dw)
Egg-Ovary	Whole-Body	Muscle
19.0¹	9.5²	13.1²
mg/kg dw - milligrams per kilogram dry weight, µg/L - micrograms per liter
1. Egg-ovary supersedes any whole-body, muscle, or water column element when fish egg-ovary concentrations are measured. Single measurement of an average or composite sample of at least five (5) individuals of the same species. Not to be exceeded; DEQ will evaluate all representative egg-ovary data to determine compliance with this criterion element. 2. Fish whole-body or muscle tissue supersedes water column element when both fish tissue and water concentrations are measured. Single measurement of an average or composite sample of at least five (5) individuals of the same species where the smallest individual is no less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the total length (size) of the largest individual. Not to be exceeded; DEQ will evaluate all representative whole-body or muscle data to determine compliance with this criterion element.

Idaho Admin. Code r. 58.01.02.287

Effective March 31, 2022