Released on January 22, 2019

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) released the Draft 2018 305(b)/303(d) Water Quality Assessment Integrated Report (Integrated Report) on January, 22, 2019. The 2018 Integrated Report is a summary of the water quality conditions in Virginia from January 1, 2011, through December 31, 2016.

This biennial report satisfies the requirements of the U.S. Clean Water Act sections 305(b) and 303(d) and the Virginia Water Quality Monitoring, Information and Restoration Act. The goals of Virginia's water quality assessment program are to determine whether waters meet water quality standards, and to establish a schedule to restore waters with impaired water quality.

Water quality standards designate uses for waters. There are six designated uses for surface waters in Virginia:

• aquatic life
• fish consumption
• public water supplies (where applicable)
• recreation (swimming)
• shellfishing
• wildlife

Additionally, several subcategories of aquatic life use have been adopted for the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries. The standards define the water quality needed to support each of these uses. If a water body contains more contamination than allowed by water quality standards, it will not support one or more of its designated uses. Such waters have 'impaired' water quality. In most cases, a cleanup plan (called a 'total maximum daily load') must be developed and implemented to restore impaired waters.

The Summary Presentation of the Draft 2018 Integrated Report was presented via webinar on February 13, 2019. The presentation recording is also available. After you register, the video will begin.

The report is available for public review and comment. Comments or questions about the report can be submitted via U.S. mail postmarked on or before February 21, 2019 to:

Sandra Mueller
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Office of Water Monitoring and Assessment
P.O. Box 1105
Richmond, VA 23218-1105
Or via email attachment to Sandra.Mueller@deq.virginia.gov (please include your name, mailing address, telephone number and email address)

A combined response to comments will be prepared after the public comment period expires and made available on this website with the final report.

Copies of the entire draft report including the summary presentation and associated maps are available on CD which can be ordered at no charge by sending an email request. Please include your mailing address for prompt delivery.

The entire Draft 2018 305(b)/303(d) Water Quality Assessment Integrated Report is a 40.3 MB ZIP file available for download or scroll down to view and download the smaller individual components of the report.

All chapters of the report are Microsoft Word files. The appendices and supplemental files are Word and PDF documents except for the Stations table which is an Excel worksheet. Visit DEQ’s help page if you are unable to view these files.

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Figures

Acknowledgements

Executive Summary

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 State Background Information

Chapter 3 Surface Water Monitoring Programs

Chapter 4 Surface Water Quality Assessment
    Chapter 4.1 Assessment Methodology
    Chapter 4.2 Statewide Water Quality Assessment Summary
    Chapter 4.3 Individual River Basin Assessment Results
    Chapter 4.4 Freshwater Probabilistic Monitoring Results
    Chapter 4.5 Estuarine Probabilistic Monitoring Results
    Chapter 4.6 Chesapeake Bay Assessment Results
    Chapter 4.7 Trends Analysis Results

Chapter 5 Non-Point Source Assessment

Chapter 6 Groundwater Programs Assessment

Chapter 7 Water Quality Programs
    Chapter 7.1 Water Pollution Control Programs (VPDES and TMDLs)
    Chapter 7.2 303(d) Program Visions
    Chapter 7.3 Pollution Prevention Programs
    Chapter 7.4 Cost/Benefit Associated with Construction Assistance Program
    Chapter 7.5 Public Health/Aquatic Life Concerns
    Chapter 7.6 Coastal Resources Management Program Initiatives
    Chapter 7.7 Chesapeake Bay Program Initiatives
    Chapter 7.8 Wetlands Program Initiatives
    Chapter 7.9 Regional Water Quality Initiatives

Appendix 1 Integrated List of All Waters in Virginia
    1a List of Category 5 Impaired Waters (303(d) List)
    1b Supplemental List of Category 5 Waters Newly Impaired in 2018 (303(d) List)
    1c List of Category 4A Impaired Waters
    1d List of Category 4C Impaired Waters
Appendix 2 Water Quality Based Limited Sources - Category 4B and 5E Waters
    2a Category 4B and 5E Waters Identified for Delisting since the 2016 Report
Appendix 3 Waters Identified for Delisting since the 2016 Report
Appendix 4 Waters Delisted Due to Removal of Designated Use
Appendix 5 Fact Sheets for Impaired (Category 4 or 5) Waters (includes all basins)
     Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Ocean and Small Coastal Basin Fact Sheets
     Chowan River and Dismal Swamp Basin Fact Sheets
     James River Basin Fact Sheets
     New River Basin Fact Sheets
     Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers Basin Fact Sheets
     Rappahannock River Basin Fact Sheets
     Roanoke and Yadkin Rivers Basin Fact Sheets
     Tennessee and Big Sandy Rivers Basin Fact Sheets
     York River Basin Fact Sheets
Appendix 6 Clean Water Act References
Appendix 7 List of Significant Lakes
Appendix 8 Water Monitoring Stations Key and List

STATEWIDE, BASIN and CHESAPEAKE BAY MAPS - Electronic versions of the assessment maps are available for download/viewing. Each map is a PDF between 1 MB and 12 MB formatted to fit on an 11x17 page except for the Chesapeake Bay maps which are 8.5x11. For more detailed information on impaired waters identified on these maps, use the Virginia Environmental Geographic Information Systems (VEGIS) application.

STATEWIDE MAPS:
DEQ Regional Offices
Virginia's 6th Order Watersheds (contact Cleo Baker for a copy of this map)
Assessment Regions per 6th Order Watershed (contact Cleo Baker for a copy of this map)
Watersheds with Assessed Use(s) 2002-2018
Virginia's Section 303(d) Waters
Distribution of Impaired Waters
Waters Impaired for Fish Consumption
Bacteria Impairments
Dissolved Oxygen Impairments
Benthic Impairments
TMDL Completion Status
Water Quality Restoration Progress
Shellfishing Designated Use Support Status

BASIN MAPS:
Chesapeake Bay/Atlantic Ocean and Small Coastal Basin Map
Chowan River and Dismal Swamp Basin Map
Lower James River Basin Map
Middle James River Basin Map
Upper James River Basin Map
New River Basin Map
Potomac River Basin Map
Rappahannock Basin Map
Roanoke and Yadkin Rivers Basin Map
Shenandoah River Basin Map
Tennessee and Big Sandy Rivers Basin Map
York River Basin Map

CHESAPEAKE BAY MAPS:
Summary of All Impairment Causes in Virginia's Bay Waters
Shallow Water-Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Assessment
Open Water Dissolved Oxygen Criteria Assessment
Deep Water and Deep Channel D.O. Assessment
Benthic Index of Biological Integrity Assessment
James River Chlorophyll a Criteria Assessment

Attention GIS users:
The GIS data used in the production of the Integrated Report is under review for potential updates and corrections during the draft period but will be made available for download from this website as well as on CD along with the Final EPA approved Integrated Report. For more information or to obtain a copy of the CD, contact Cleo Baker.

Interactive Mapping:
Virginia Environmental Geographic Information Systems (VEGIS) - The impaired waters identified in this report can be viewed using DEQ's online GIS application which allows users to zoom to an area of interest and retrieve assessment information for specific waters. Appendix 5 can be used in conjunction with VEGIS to search for details on impaired waters.

Additional Information:
To obtain reports from previous assessment cycles, contact Cleo Baker or Amanda Shaver.

The Final 2018 305(b)/303(d) Water Quality Assessment Guidance Manual, released December 20, 2018, is also available.