IN.gov - Skip Navigation

Note: This message is displayed if (1) your browser is not standards-compliant or (2) you have you disabled CSS. Read our Policies for more information.

Nonpoint Source > Watershed Assessment > Impaired Waters - Integrated Report > Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waters Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waters

The IDEM Office of Water Quality (OWQ) develops Indiana's 303(d) List of Impaired Waters every two years as part of the state's Integrated Water Monitoring and Assessment Report (IR), which is submitted to the U.S. EPA every two years in accordance with Sections 305(b) and 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). CWA Section 305(b) requires states to make water quality assessments and provide water quality reports to the U.S. EPA, and CWA Section 303(d) requires states to identify waters, through their Section 305(b) water quality assessments, that do not or are not expected to meet applicable water quality standards with federal technology based standards alone. Under CWA Section 303(d), states are also required to develop a priority ranking for these waters taking into account the severity of the pollution and the designated uses of the waters. Once this listing and ranking of impaired waters is completed, states are required to develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for these waters in order to achieve compliance with the water quality standards. These requirements were met for the 2008 cycle by the submission of Indiana's IR to the U.S. EPA and the subsequent approval of Indiana's 303(d) list by that agency.

On May 8, 2013, IDEM received from U.S. EPA a partial approval of Indiana’s 2010 Section 303(d) list. U.S. EPA disapproved the State’s decision not to list a series of waters for certain metals impairments. The waterbody impairment listings for metals that U.S. EPA proposes to add to Indiana’s 2010 303(d) list is included as Table 12 at the end of Appendix A1 of the U.S. EPA Decision Document. See the U.S. EPA Cover Letter and Decision Document [PDF] for the Partial Approval/Partial Disapproval of Indiana’s 2010 303(d) List (Category 5 of the Integrated Report) and Table 12 of Appendix A1.

IDEM submitted its 2012 303(d) List of Impaired Waters to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) on April 1, 2012 at which time the 90-day public comment period required by state law was still underway. Given this, in its April 1 submission, IDEM notified U.S. EPA to expect a revised version of the 303(d) list after the end of the public comment period.

On December 28, 2012, IDEM submitted a revised 303(d) list as an addendum to its Integrated Report, which was submitted on April 1, 2012. This addendum contains full text copies of the public comments received on the draft 2012 303(d) list, U.S. EPA comments, and IDEM’s responses to both sets of comments. This addendum also contains the most current 303(d) List of Impaired Waters and the Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology (CALM) used to develop it, both of which have been revised based on changes IDEM has made to its assessment methods for mercury in fish tissue.

General information on the 303(d) list is available on the Section 303(d) List Frequently Asked Questions page. You may also contact the Integrated Report Coordinator with any questions you have regarding the 303(d) list. More information regarding IDEM’s 012 303(d) list can be found in the following documents.

2012 303(d) List of Impaired Waters Revised and Submitted to U.S. EPA on December 28, 2012 as an Addendum to IDEM’s 2012 Integrated Report

2012 303(d) List of Impaired Waters Submitted to U.S. EPA on April 1, 2012

The following spreadsheet duplicates information in the Notice of Public Comment Period and is provided to facilitate sorting and searching of the information in the listing tables included with the notice:

2012 303(d) List of Impaired Waters Published for Public Comment on February 8, 2012

The following spreadsheet duplicates information in the Notice of Public Comment Period and is provided to facilitate sorting and searching of the information in the listing tables included with the notice: