The purpose of this website is to provide a comprehensive water quality law summary for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). As public land managers, BLM must comply with a complex mix of federal and state water quality laws. Federal laws provide an umbrella under which states must implement and enforce measures to meet or exceed federally established minimum standards. Given this flexibility, western states have differed in how they deal with water quality. As an agency managing land in many states, BLM must not only understand federal requirements, but appreciate state-to-state differences.
In an effort to meet these obligations, this website includes a review of federal and western state water quality laws pertinent to the management of public lands. The website includes a detailed examination of federal statutes including the Clean Water Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, and the Oil Pollution Act. It also examines how each western state implements these federal acts and discusses additional state water quality laws applicable to BLM. The website also contains extensive links for additional information, strategies for keeping up-to-date on changes in water quality laws, and summaries of key statutes, regulations, and cases.
The website contains the following Sections:
- The Clean Water Act and Corresponding USC Sections
- Introduction: History, Objective, Goals, and Scope of the Clean Water Act
- Point Sources and NPDES Permits
- Water Quality Standards and 303(d) Listing
- The TMDL Program
- Nonpoint Source Water Pollution, CWA § 319, and Best Management Practices
- Wetlands and CWA § 404 Dredge and Fill Permits
- Stormwater
- The Oil Pollution Act and CWA §311
- CWA By Topic – Legislation, Regulations, and Cases
- Keeping Up on CWA Current Events
- State-By-State Summaries:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- Oregon
- Utah
- Wyoming
This website was researched and written by Eric Hecox at the National Science and Technology Center under the direction of Jim Renthal, the Washington Office (WO-220) Soil, Water and Air Lead with assistance from state water quality agencies and BLM state water leads. This website will periodically be updated to reflect changes in water quality laws.
