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TMDL

Enforcement Actions

The DEQ undertakes enforcement actions to preserve safe environmental conditions throughout Wyoming. 

This page contains information on the enforcement actions that the Water Quality Division may undertake, as well as a record of enforcement actions that have been undertaken by WQD.

If the download box is not working below, please click here.

Electronic Documents Submittal

Electronic document submittal is available for WQD permit applications, reports, and other communications.
Visit:  WDEQ Water Quality Division Downloads

You do NOT need to follow up the electronic submission with a hard copy submission unless you are specifically contacted by a WQD staff person with a request to do so.

Need to report a spill or complaint? Please visit https://deqspills.wyo.gov/home

Submitting a public comment? WQD is unable to accept public notice comments through this system. Refer to the public notice document for instructions on how to submit comments or visit https://wq.wyomingdeq.commentinput.com/comment/search.

NOTICE: All applications for water distribution systems and/or sewage collection systems that are within the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities (BOPU) district shall be submitted to the BOPU for approval. Contact Frank Strong or Bryce Dorr at (307) 637-6460, ENGreview@cheyennebopu.org, or http://cheyennebopu.org for additional information.

Recent General Permit Authorizations

The DEQ Water Quality Division accepts comments on all permits authorized under a general permit for a period of 30 days, as provided for in W.S. 35-11-801(d).

Interested persons may mail or fax comments to the main Cheyenne office. The ‘Date’ column in the table below indicates the date the authorization was posted to the website. Comments must be received before 5:00 pm on the 30th day after the authorization was posted to the website. For example, comments for an authorization posted on 10/1/18 must be received by 5:00 p.m. on 10/31/18. DEQ does not accept emailed comments.

You may sort the table by posting date or search for the type of general permit, the county where the permit was issued, the permit number, or the name of the person or company to whom the permit was issued.

If you wish to review the general permit documents, please go to the web page for each permitting program:

If the download box is not working below, please click here.

Proposed Rules and Regulations

Water Quality Rules Chapter 12

The Wyoming Environmental Quality Council will consider proposed revisions to the
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Water Quality Rules Chapter 12, Design and Construction Standards for Public Water Supplies, Docket 22-3103, at a hearing to be held on November 15, 2022 in the Capitol Extension Public Meeting Room 5, Herschler Building, 122 W. 25th Street, Cheyenne, WY, 82002, starting at 9:00 a.m. (MST). The revisions include new requirements for public water supplies that propose well acidization, updates to water treatment technologies, and the incorporation by reference of the Recommended Standards for Water Works, 2018 Edition. More information is available at: https://eqc.wyo.gov/Public/Pleadings.aspx?DocketId=4336

Water Quality Rules Chapter 3

The Department of Environmental Quality has revised Water Quality Rules, Chapter 3, Regulations for Permit to Construct, Install or Modify Public Water Supplies,
Wastewater Facilities, Disposal Systems, Biosolids Management Facilities, Treated
Wastewater Reuse Systems and Other Facilities Capable of Causing or Contributing to Pollution.

The Environmental Quality Council adopted the revised rules at a public hearing located at the Capitol Extension Public Meeting Room 5, Herschler Building, 122 W. 25th Street, Cheyenne, Wyoming on June 14, 2022. The final rule was filed with the Wyoming Secretary of State on August 19, 2022.

Electronic copies of the rule are available from the Secretary of State at rules.wyo.gov , under “Current Rules,” “Environmental Quality, Dept of (020),” “Water Quality,” “Chapter 3.”

Water Quality Rules Chapter 29

The Department of Environmental Quality has created a new rule: Water Quality Rules Chapter 29, Geologic Sequestration Special Revenue Account Requirements.

The Environmental Quality Council adopted the new rule at a public hearing located at the Capitol Extension Public Meeting Room 5, Herschler Building, 122 W. 25th Street, Cheyenne, Wyoming on June 14, 2022. The final rule was filed with the Wyoming Secretary of State on August 19, 2022.

Electronic copies of the rule are available from the Secretary of State at rules.wyo.gov, under “Current Rules,” “Environmental Quality, Dept of (020),” “Water Quality,” “Chapter 29.”

Rules and Regulations

All official Wyoming State Rules and Regulations are kept at the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office. Click here to view all current Rules and Regulations.

TMDL

States are required to develop total maximum daily load (TMDL) pollutant levels for waterways that are not adequately meeting federal Clean Water Act water quality standards. 

What is a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)?

TMDLs are a requirement of Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA).  According to the CWA, each state must develop TMDLs for all the waters identified on their Section 303(d) list of impaired waters.   A TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive while still meeting water quality standards.  An overview of TMDLs is provided on EPA’s website. Simply, a TMDL is a plan to achieve water quality standards for impaired waterbodies.

In general, states are responsible for developing TMDLs and submitting them to EPA for approval. Even if third parties assist in the development of the TMDL or its supporting analysis, such TMDLs must still be submitted to EPA by the states.

Under the CWA, the EPA reviews and either approves or disapproves the TMDL. If EPA disapproves a state TMDL, EPA must develop a replacement TMDL.

The Process

The TMDL Program coordinates with several other DEQ programs including the Monitoring, Assessment, Permitting, and Nonpoint Source Programs to accomplish water quality restoration goals in Wyoming.   TMDLs are one step in the “water quality restoration pipeline”.

Listing

The process begins when a waterbody is placed on the 303(d) list due to an exceedance of one or more water quality standards.  Once an impaired water is placed on the 303(d) list, water quality restoration planning begins. 

Planning

The TMDL is the planning step in the process where sources of pollution to streams, rivers, and lakes within Wyoming are identified and it is determined by how much pollution those waters can sustain and still fully support beneficial uses.  

Implementation

TMDLs are not self-implementing.  Rather, TMDLs are implemented through existing regulatory and non-regulatory drivers.  Point sources of pollution are addressed through the Wyoming Pollution Discharge and Elimination System (WYPDES) permit program.  Federal regulations require that discharge permit limits be consistent with the assumptions and requirements of any available wasteload allocation in approved TMDLs (40 CFR 122.44(d)(1)(vii)(B)).  Non-point sources load reduction actions are implemented through a wide variety of programs at the state, local and federal level. These programs may be regulatory, non-regulatory or incentive-based (e.g., a cost-share program).  Wyoming works closely with conservation districts and watershed stakeholders through voluntary actions, often with support from Wyoming’s Nonpoint Source Program using Clean Water Act Section 319 and 205(j) grant funds for projects aimed at reducing the nonpoint source pollution.

Monitoring and Adaptive Management

Follow-up monitoring to examine water quality trends over time, and BMP effectiveness monitoring to evaluate the efficacy of implemented best management practices, are important components of the process.  Achieving the ultimate goal of meeting the applicable water quality standards often takes many years and follow-up monitoring data can both facilitate and inform adaptive management actions, and track progress over time.  Much of the follow-up monitoring in Wyoming is conducted by watershed stakeholders with technical support provided by WDEQ. 

Contact
Contact
NAME/EMAIL ADDRESSPROGRAMPHONE
David Waterstreet, Program ManagerWatershed Program307-777-6709
Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 Certification and Turbidity Waivers  
Eric Hargett (Cheyenne)CWA Section 401 Certification, Turbidity Waivers307-777-6701
Data Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC)  
Jillian Scott (Cheyenne)Data QA/QC307-777-6372
Nonpoint Source Pollution Program  
Alexandria Jeffers (Cheyenne)Nonpoint Source Program307-777-6733
Surface Water Monitoring Program  
Jeremy Zumberge, Program Supervisor (Sheridan)Surface Water Monitoring Program307-675-5638
Tavis Eddy (Lander)Surface Water Monitoring Program307-335-6957
Eric Hargett (Cheyenne)Surface Water Monitoring Program307-777-6701
Jason Martineau (Sheridan)Surface Water Monitoring Program307-675-5632
Triston Rice (Cheyenne)Surface Water Monitoring Program307-777-6353
Chad Rieger (Sheridan)Surface Water Monitoring Program307-675-5637
Michael Wachtendonk (Lander)Surface Water Monitoring Program307-335-6751
Surface Water Quality Standards  
Lindsay Patterson, Program Supervisor (Cheyenne)Surface Water Quality Standards307-777-7079
Kelsee Hurschman (Cheyenne)Surface Water Quality Standards, Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms307-777-2073
Madeleine Hamel (Cheyenne)Surface Water Quality Standards, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)307-777-7050
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program  
Ron Steg, Program Lead (Lander)Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)307-335-6980
Bret Callaway (Cheyenne)Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)307-777-5802
Water Quality Lab  
Steve Vien, Lab Supervisor (Cheyenne)Water Quality Lab307-777-7654
Alexandra Cook (Cheyenne)Water Quality Lab307-777-7151
Marisa Latady (Cheyenne)Water Quality Lab307-777-6783
Vacant (Cheyenne)Water Quality Lab307-777-3770
Priorities
Priorities

This page is under development.

 

Completed TMDL Documents
Completed TMDL Documents

This page contains links to all of the completed and approved TMDL documents.  Links to TMDLs for individual waterbody segments are provided in the interactive TMDL and Assessment Map.

Ongoing Projects
Ongoing Projects

This page is under development.

 

 

Interactive Map
Interactive Map

The TMDL and Assessment web map complements Wyoming’s 2020 Integrated 305(b) and 303(d) Report.  This tool is intended to provide efficient, point-and-click access to summary information about each of Wyoming’s assessed lakes and streams.  A pop-up box will appear upon selecting (i.e., pointing and clicking)  a waterbody that includes summary information about the assessed waterbody and a link to a one-page fact sheet.  Each fact sheet includes a link to the WDEQ’s complete assessment report and TMDL documents for the selected waterbody (if they are available for that waterbody).  For additional information, contact Ron Steg at (307) 335-6980 or ron.steg@wyo.gov.

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