INCOG Water Quality

INCOG's Role

INCOG’s Water Quality History

On October 18, 1972, Congress overrode a Presidential veto of Senate Bill S. 2770 putting into law the Clean Water Act amendments (PL 92-500) of 1972.  In passing PL 92-500, Congress established the national goal that, “…wherever attainable, an interim goal of water quality which provides for the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife, and provides for recreation in and on the water be achieved by 1 July 1983.”  This statement is often referred to as the “fishable/swimmable goal” of the Act.

Section 208 of the Clean Water Act authorizes formation of planning areas by Governors for the purpose of ensuring attainment of Clean Water Act goals.  On September 17, 1974, Governor David Hall designated the Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG) as the 208 planning agency for Creek, Osage, Tulsa, and parts of Rogers County, Oklahoma.  Likewise, the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) in the Oklahoma City area was designated as a 208 planning agency, with the rest of Oklahoma being covered by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ). 

In the 1970s and early 1980s, under this authority, INCOG coordinated the accumulation of vast amounts of data and analytical results and assembled these efforts into a series of reports known as the 208 Water Quality Management Plan (208 Plan).  These studies determined the existing water quality of many streams in INCOG’s 208 planning area.   They also calculated wastewater treatment plant load limits that could be implemented for point source dischargers that would ensure protection of water quality standards.

Over the years, as standards change, as new dischargers are added, as existing discharge facilities expand, or when waterbody features change (e.g., dams, channelization, etc.), INCOG continues to evaluate impacts of point source dischargers and assess the water quality condition of waterbodies in its 208 planning area.  These studies are typically focused on particular issues of concern, for example if a stream is listed as impaired for a particular pollutant or if a discharge permit revision requires an amendment to the 208 Plan.

While the original 208 Plan in the 1970s was a collection of bound documents, today’s 208 Plan is actually comprised of electronic databases maintained by the ODEQ.  There is no need to continuously update physical documents.  Every permitted point source wastewater treatment facility (industrial and municipal) has an allowable wasteload designated in the 208 Plan.  Any increase in loads over the maximum allowed in the plan requires INCOG to perform a wasteload allocation study. 

INCOG’s Regional Water Quality Programs

In addition to supporting the 208 Plan and conducting specialized water quality studies, INCOG has created two regional programs that add additional water quality protection strategies. 

The Green Country Stormwater Alliance (GCSA) represents over a dozen cities and counties in Northeast Oklahoma that are implementing urban water quality protection programs.  Most cities in the Tulsa metropolitan area, as well as many other urbanized and designated areas in Oklahoma, must comply with EPA and ODEQ regulations governing Stormwater pollution from urban areas.  These Phase I and Phase II cities and counties must implement a suite of Best Management Practices (BMPs) that lead to reductions of pollutants from urban sources, including construction sites.  Visit the GCSA website for more details about these stormwater protection

The Oklahoma Stream Team (OST) is an association of Federal, State and private technical professional staff dedicated to improving urban streams by assisting in the use of bioremediation methods for stream channel restoration.  Over the years, too many urban streams were simply made into concrete lined channels – this destroyed aquatic habitat and turned a stream into a conduit.  In many cases, where stream channel improvements are needed for enhanced flood control or to eliminate erosion problems, a bioremediation approach will work as well as channel hardening, and it enhances aquatic habitat and is more desirable for adjacent property owners.  The OST has two missions:  1) education and outreach to developers, planners, engineers, agencies and consultants; and 2) providing a team of volunteer professionals, at no cost, to work with a project’s designers to provide technical input on bioremediation options for the project.

Types of INCOG Water Quality Studies and Programs:

 

Wasteload allocation modeling.

303(d) impairment studies.

Nonpoint and point source TMDL studies.

Water quality monitoring.

Watershed assessment and planning.

Low Impact Development outreach.

Stream restoration education and assistance.

Stormwater permit assistance and public outreach.

Use Attainability Analysis.

Water Quality Management Plan updates.

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