Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

Hoover Dam

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.

Additional TMDL Information

Approved TMDLs

WaterbodyReach DescriptionTMDL ParametersDocuments

Brockliss Slough, including East and West Branches

From its divergence from the Carson River, West Fork to its confluence with the Carson River

Turbidity

Carson (TSS & Turbidity) TMDL

Bryant Creek

From the Nevada-California state line to its confluence with the East Fork of the Carson River

Arsenic, Iron, Nickel, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity

Bryant Creek TMDL

Carson River

From Weeks Bridge at Highway 95 to Lahontan Reservoir

Phosphorus (Total)

Carson TP TMDL

Carson River

From Genoa Lane to Cradlebaugh Bridge

Phosphorus (Total), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity

Carson TP TMDL
Carson (TSS & Turbidity) TMDL

Carson River

Cradlebaugh Bridge to Mexican Ditch Gage

Phosphorus (Total), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity

Carson TP TMDL
Carson (TSS & Turbidity) TMDL

Carson River

From Mexican Ditch Gage to New Empire

Phosphorus (Total), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity

Carson TP TMDL
Carson (TSS & Turbidity) TMDL

Carson River

From New Empire to Dayton Bridge

Phosphorus (Total), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity

Carson TP TMDL
Carson (TSS & Turbidity) TMDL

Carson River

Dayton Bridge to Weeks Bridge at Highway 95

Phosphorus (Total), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity

Carson TP TMDL
Carson (TSS & Turbidity) TMDL

Carson River, East and West Forks and Carson River

Carson River, East Fork from Muller Lane to the West Fork, Carson River, West Fork from Muller Lane to the East Fork, and Carson River from the confluence of the East and West Forks to Genoa Lane

Phosphorus (Total), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity

Carson TP TMDL
Carson (TSS & Turbidity) TMDL

Carson River, East Fork

From Nevada-California state line to Riverview Mobile Home Park

Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity

Carson (TSS & Turbidity) TMDL

Carson River, East Fork

From Riverview Mobile Home Park to Highway 88

Phosphorus (Total), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity

Carson TP TMDL
Carson (TSS & Turbidity) TMDL

Carson River, East Fork

From Highway 88 to Muller Lane

Phosphorus (Total), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity

Carson TP TMDL
Carson (TSS & Turbidity) TMDL

Carson River, West Fork

From the Nevada-California state line to Muller Lane

Phosphorus (Total), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity

Carson TP TMDL
Carson (TSS & Turbidity) TMDL

Dixie Creek

From its origin to its confluence with the Humboldt River, South Fork

Temperature

Dixie and Hanks TMDL

Hanks Creek

From its origin to its confluence with the Marys River

Temperature

Dixie and Hanks TMDL

Humboldt River

From Osino to Palisade

Phosphorus (Total), Total Suspended Solids (TSS)

Humboldt River TMDL

Humboldt River

From Palisade to Battle Mountain

Phosphorus (Total), Total Suspended Solids (TSS)

Humboldt River TMDL

Humboldt River

From Battle Mountain to Comus

Phosphorus (Total), Total Dissolved Solids, Total Suspended Solids (TSS)

Humboldt River TMDL

Humboldt River

From Comus to Imlay

Phosphorus (Total), Total Dissolved Solids, Total Suspended Solids (TSS)

Humboldt River TMDL

Lake Tahoe

The entire Lake (Nevada Portion only)

Clarity

Lake Tahoe TMDL

Las Vegas Wash

Las Vegas Wash from the Historic Lateral to its confluence with Lake Mead

Ammonia (Total), Chlorophyll-a, Phosphorus (Total)

Las Vegas Wash, Las Vegas Bay and Lake Mead TMDL Evaluation

Mill Creek

From the West line of section 11, T. 45 N., R. 53 E., M.D.B. & M. to the Owyhee River

Cadmium, Copper, Iron, Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Phosphorus (Total), Temperature, Total Dissolved Solids, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity

Owyhee Rv. and Mill Ck. TMDL

Owyhee River

From Wildhorse Reservoir to its confluence with Mill Creek

Iron, Phosphorus (Total), Temperature, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity

Owyhee Rv. and Mill Ck. TMDL

Owyhee River

From its confluence with Mill Creek the border of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation

Copper, Iron, Phosphorus (Total), Temperature, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity

Owyhee Rv. and Mill Ck. TMDL

Rio Tinto Gulch

From its origin to Mill Creek

Cadmium, Copper, Iron, Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Phosphorus (Total), Temperature, Total Dissolved Solids, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Turbidity

Owyhee Rv. and Mill Ck. TMDL

Truckee River

From East McCarran Blvd to Lockwood

Nitrogen (Total), Phosphorus (Total), Total Dissolved Solids

Case Study
Truckee River TMDL

Truckee River

From Lockwood to Derby Dam

Nitrogen (Total), Phosphorus (Total), Total Dissolved Solids

Case Study
Truckee River TMDL

Truckee River

From Derby Dam to Wadsworth

Nitrogen (Total), Phosphorus (Total), Total Dissolved Solids

Case Study
Truckee River TMDL

Virgin River

From the Nevada-Arizona state line to Mesquite

Boron

Virgin River TMDL

Virgin River

From Mesquite to river mouth at Lake Mead

Boron

Virgin River TMDL

Walker Lake

The entire lake

Total Dissolved Solids

Walker Lake TMDL

Walker River

From the confluence of Walker River, West and East Forks to the boundary of the Walker River Indian Reservation

Total Suspended Solids (TSS)

Walker River TMDL

Walker River, East Fork

From the Walker River, East Fork at the Nevada-California state line to Bridge B-1475

Total Suspended Solids (TSS)

Walker River TMDL

Walker River, East Fork

From Bridge B-1475 to its confluence with the Walker River, West Fork

Total Suspended Solids (TSS)

Walker River TMDL

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