News Release 470

DEPARTMENT RECEIVES INFORMATION ON STREAM USE DESIGNATION
AT OZARK COUNTY PUBLIC MEETING

Department plans to re-evaluate Little Creek designation

Volume 36-470	Contact: Sarah Garoutte
(For immediate release)	573-522-9913

JEFFERSON CITY, MO., AUG. 6, 2008 -- The Missouri Department of Natural Resources met Monday in Thornfield with nearly 40 area residents to discuss the department's recommendations for swimming use designations and water quality criteria on area streams and rivers, including Little Creek.

With the help of Rep. Maynard Wallace, the department identified a group of residents concerned about the recommended removal of the swimming use designation for Little Creek. Department representatives met with 38 local residents, many of whom expressed an interest in protecting the water quality of Little Creek in Ozark County for swimming and other recreational uses.

The department's preliminary recommendation is to remove a bacterial standard based on the stream not having sufficient depth to support recreation. At the meeting, the residents presented information about where they swim and recreate in Little Creek. The department will use this information in re-evaluating its recommendation.

Other topics of discussion at the meeting included the following:

Discharge of raw sewage is a violation of state and federal statute and will not be allowed. Wastewater must be treated prior to discharge and be sufficient to meet all downstream water quality standards.
Removal of pollutant controls on bacteria due to removal of the Whole Body Contact Recreation use does not exempt a facility from the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act or the Missouri Clean Water Law. The conditions of the facility State Operating Permit must continue to be followed and enforced.
Where recreational uses such as Whole Body Contact Recreation are removed, permitted facilities will still be required to meet federal and state wastewater discharge requirements that protect other applicable designated uses, such as secondary contact recreation, aquatic life protection, livestock and wildlife watering or drinking water supply.

The Department of Natural Resources is committed to protecting water quality and the public who recreate in our streams while at the same time being careful not to cause small communities or ratepayers to pay higher fees to protect uses that do not exist. Residents can submit information to the department detailing on how they use Little Creek or other streams until Aug. 31. To review the UAA information available on-line and submit comments via the stream use survey, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/wqstandards/uaa/uaa_county.htm or mail comments to UAA Coordinator, Department of Natural Resources, Water Protection Program, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176.

For more information about the designation process or the department's Water Protection Program, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/index.html or call 573-751-1300 or 800-361-4827.

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

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