Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Quality Planning

Total maximum daily loads or TMDLs are an assessment of the amount of pollutant a waterbody can receive and not violate water quality standards. A TMDL determines how much pollutant load a lake or stream can assimilate. TMDLs take into account pollution from all sources, including discharges from sewage treatment facilities and industry; runoff from farms, forests and urban areas; and natural sources.

TMDLs provide a way to integrate the management of both point and nonpoint sources of pollution through the establishment of wasteload allocations (WLA) for point source discharges and load allocations (LA) for nonpoint sources of pollution.

NDEP is required by Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) to identify and prioritize those waters for which Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) are needed. When a TMDL is developed, the draft is noticed for public comment. After making any appropriate modifications in response to public comment, the TMDL is sent to the United States Environmental Protection Agency for approval. Once approved, the TMDL is implemented through existing National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for point source discharges and voluntary nonpoint source control programs, to achieve the necessary pollutant reductions.

East Owyhee River and Mill Creek

Cd, Cu, DO, Fe, pH, TP, Temperature,TDS, TDS, Turbidity

Total Maximum Daily Loads for East Fork Owyhee River and Mill Creek, 2005 (68 Pages - 1.7MB)

Las Vegas Wash

Ammonia, TP

Rationale and Calculations for TMDLs and WLAs for Las Vegas Bay, NDEP, 1989 (paper copy only)

Evaluation of TMDLs for Las Vegas Wash, 2003

BOD = Biochemical Oxygen Demand
Cd = Cadmium
Cu = Copper
DO = Dissolved Oxygen
Fe = Iron NO3 = Nitrate
PO4 = Phosphate
TDS = Total Dissolved Solids
TN = Total Nitrogen
TP = Total Phosphorus
TSS = Total Suspended Solids

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Approved TMDLs
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