What is the role of the WAG in developing a TMDL?
The legal/technical aspects of a TMDL are largely the responsibility of technical experts from state and federal agencies, who will write the bulk of the document. It is their job to assess and quantify water quality problems, specify the amount of pollution reduction necessary in order to meet water quality standards and develop options to allocate the necessary pollutant limits among the various sources in the watershed. Technical/legal issues are largely outside of the WAG’s influence. The policy/implementation aspects of a TMDL are often directly affected by the advice of a WAG. Watershed Advisory Groups help identify contributing pollution sources, assist in arriving at equitable pollution reduction allocations and recommend specific actions needed to effectively control sources of pollution. Watershed Advisory Groups are critical to the successful restoration and protection of the health of our waters. …
