Surface Water Quality Assessments

EPA approved this submission in accordance with Sections 303(d), 305(b), and 314(l) of the Clean Water Act, on October 16, 2015. The Integrated Report (IR) combines two water quality reports required under sections 305(b) and 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act.

Section 305(b) requires states, territories and authorized tribes to perform annual water quality assessments to determine the status of jurisdictional waters. Section 303(d) requires states, territories and authorized tribes to identify waters assessed as not meeting water quality standards(see Code of Maryland Regulations 26.08.02). Waters that do not meet standards may require a Total Maximum Daily Load to determine the maximum amount of an impairing substance or pollutant that a particular water body can assimilate and still meet water quality criteria.