Embedded Files
Assessment results have been included in this 2024 Integrated Report HUB in the form of Interactive Stream Maps and Interactive Lake Maps.
The results of assessments have been loaded to ATTAINS.
The counts of water bodies, figures, and tables are those reported directly from ATTAINS.
Data results are organized at three levels, IR Category, Designated Use, and Parameter.
Each level provides scenarios of attainment, impairment, and insufficient information.
Individual assessment unit results are provided in downloadable workbooks here.
Workbook 1: Combined Cycle 303(d)List
provides the 303(d) listings for the 2024 assessment cycle
Workbook 2: IR Category Designated Use
provides the overall IR Category for each assessment unit
provides details on whether an assessment unit supports each of its designated uses
The Overall IR Categories provide an overall status of attainment or impairment of a waterbody.
The overall status is derived from the collective attainment statuses for each designated use.
If any use is not supported, the entire waterbody will be placed in IR Category 4 or IR Category 5.
IR Category Results: Streams
All major rivers in the state have been assessed and placed into categories. The pie chart includes the percentage of stream miles for each IR Category.
Category 2 includes 1,673 stream assessment units, covering approximately 5,008 stream miles that are not impaired.
Category 3 includes 40,049 unassessed stream assessment units, covering approximately 31,653 stream miles.
Category 4:
Category 4a includes 3,759 impaired stream assessment units, covering approximately 11,881 stream miles that are impaired and are covered under a TMDL.
Category 4c covers approximately 92 stream miles that are impaired but not by a pollutant (ex. low flow alteration).
Category 5 includes 1,495 impaired stream assessment units, covering approximately 5,113 stream miles that are impaired and need TMDLs developed.
The number and length of impaired streams varies from one list year to the next due, in part, to the TMDL development timeline.
TMDLs are always in various stages of development, and with the additional sampling data generated, streams and stream segments may move from Categories 1, 2 or 3 to Category 5.
Additionally, TMDLs that have not yet been approved by the EPA remain listed in Category 5.
Once these TMDLs are approved for all impaired parameters, those assessment units will move to Category 4a. See the TMDL Section for more information.
IR Category Results: Lakes
The pie chart includes the percentage of lake acreage for each IR Category.
As with streams, many lake assessment units have not been monitored or assessed based on the newly delineated assessment units.
When delineating the assessment units, lakes that had not been previously assessed were identified and added for possible assessment in the future.
Like streams, the State’s largest lakes have been assessed, resulting in only 41.2% of the total lake acreage categorized as unassessed or insufficient information.
Causes for Impairment
Some waters are impaired for multiple water quality criteria.
Some waters are impaired for multiple water quality criteria.
ATTAINS provides an opportunity to report on both impairment and attainment of water quality criteria for specific parameters.
Assessment Results by Parameters for West Virginia Streams Shown in Miles
Assessment Results by Parameters for West Virginia Lakes Shown in Acres
Filamentous Algae Resulting in Delisting
Advanced nutrient removal technology was installed on several wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) discharging to the South Branch of the Potomac River and the Greenbrier River after these streams were first listed for filamentous algae impairment in 2010.
Following the upgrades, reductions in filamentous algae biomass occurred quickly, due to reductions in phosphorous loading from the treatment plants.
WVDEP has monitored in-stream water quality and levels of filamentous algae growth since the installation of the nutrient removal units.
Treatment plant effluent phosphorous loadings were reduced by more than 80%, and this resulted in an 85% reduction in the surface acres of the river covered by filamentous algae.
The 2024 Integrated Report contains more details (including tables, figures, charts, and graphs) on the assessment results completed for stream and lake assessment units.
Filamentous Algae Photo Gallery
Before
After
Before - South Branch Trough (2009)
After- South Branch Trough (2015)
Before - Greenbrier at Rockland (2016)
After - Greenbrier at Rockland (2018)
Page updated
Report abuse