St. Joe and St. Maries Rivers Watershed Advisory Group (WAG)

Watershed advisory groups (WAGs) provide local public input and guidance to DEQ during the development of water quality improvement plans or "Total Maximum Daily Loads" (TMDLs) for water bodies that fail to meet water quality standards. TMDLs are designed to reduce the levels of pollutants, such as bacteria and sediment, in impaired water bodies.

Content on this page is provided for informational purposes while the St. Joe and St. Maries Rivers Watershed Advisory Group (WAG) and DEQ work to develop a water quality restoration plan (TMDL) to address temperature and sediment exceedance within the watershed. Through this cooperative effort and continued public involvement, DEQ's goal is to develop a comprehensive plan aimed at restoring all beneficial uses within the watershed.

Next Scheduled Meeting Date

Friday, February 17, 2012, 9-11 a.m.
Fire Station
308 W. Jefferson Ave.
St. Maries
Agenda Pending

Background

The St. Joe River Subbasin (Hydrologic Unit Code 17010304) is a large watershed composed of both the St. Joe River and the St. Maries River in northern Idaho. The St. Joe River Subbasin lies within the counties of Benewah, Shoshone, Kootenai, Clearwater, and Latah. The subbasin encompasses approximately 1,183,000 acres (1,850 square miles).

The primary land uses of the St. Joe River Subbasin are forestry, recreation, and agriculture. The subbasin is home to the communities of St. Maries, Plummer, Fernwood, Santa, Emida, Clarkia, St. Joe City, Calder, and Avery. The annual weather cycle generally consists of cool to warm summers with cold and wet winters.

Landownership within the subbasin is mixed. The U.S. Forest Service manages approximately 50%, private interests own 40%, and the remainder is managed/owned by the Idaho Department of Lands, Idaho State Parks, Idaho Fish and Game, Bureau of Land Management, and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.

Review Documents

Previous Meetings

Date: Materials
December 16, 2011: Agenda; Presentation by Tyson Clyne, Idaho DEQ
October 21, 2011: Agenda; Presentation by Tyson Clyne, Idaho DEQ
August 18, 2011: Agenda
July 15, 2011: Agenda
June 17, 2011: Agenda; Presentation by Tyson Clyne, Idaho DEQ
April 15, 2011: Agenda; Presentation by Tyson Clyne, Idaho DEQ
March 18, 2011: Agenda; Presentation by Tyson Clyne, Idaho DEQ; St. Maries Creosote Site Presentation by Sandra Raskell
February 18, 2011: Agenda; Presentation by Tyson Clyne, Idaho DEQ
November 19, 2010: Agenda; Presentation by Tyson Clyne, Idaho DEQ
October 22, 2010: Agenda; Presentation by Tyson Clyne, Idaho DEQ
September 17, 2010: Agenda; Presentation; IDAH2O Master Water Stewards Presentation
July 16, 2010: Agenda
June 18, 2010: Agenda; WAG Operating Procedures; Presentation by Tyson Clyne, Idaho DEQ; Coeur d'Alene Lake Management Plan Presentation
May 21, 2010: Agenda; Presentation by Tyson Clyne, Idaho DEQ; Assessment Unit (AU) use support classification in the St. Joe subbasin from 1998 through present; State and federal temperature criteria applicable in the St. Joe River Subbasin
April 16, 2010: Agenda; Presentation by Tyson Clyne, Idaho DEQ
March 19, 2010: Agenda; Presentation by Tyson Clyne, Idaho DEQ
February 26, 2010: Agenda; Presentation by Tyson Clyne, Idaho DEQ

Department of
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