Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)

Newman Lake was included on Washington State Department of Ecology's 303(d) list as impaired due to high levels of phosphorus. The 303(d) list is from the Clean Water Act, which requires that a body of water that is impacted by water supply, fishing, swimming, and boating be listed. As a result, a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study is required. The Newman Lake Flood Control Zone District has started the process of determining how much phosphorus needs to be removed and how it is to be accomplished.

The WA State Department of Ecology recently released a final version of the Total Phosphorus TMDL Newman Lake Water Quality Improvement Report. To view or download the report in Adobe PDF format, please access either of the following links:

Final Newman Lake TMDL Water Quality Improvement Report

The WA State Department of Ecology website provides information on both historical and current water quality improvement projects (TMDLs). To access the site, please link to:

WSDOE Water Quality Improvement Projects

Water Cleanup Plans (TMDLs) by Ecology Region

TMDL Advisory Committee

The Newman Lake TMDL for Total Phosphorus is concerned with nutrient reductions from a variety of sources throughout the watershed, shoreline and lake. While the Flood Control Zone District is involved in-lake management activities as well as source control in the watershed, future loading reduction activities are likely to increase in scope and complexity.

A 20 member Advisory Committee has been tasked with assisting the Department of Ecology in outlining strategies to be included in a Detailed Implementation Plan. The group will attend a series of workshops that will outline opportunities for further nutrient reduction in the Newman Lake Watershed. The date, time, and location of these workshops will be posted on the homepage. The workshops are open to the public, but do to the importance of the Advisory Committee’s task at hand the public’s role at these meetings will be observational rather than participatory. There will, however, be opportunity for public comment at a later date.

The group has been selected from a diverse range of stakeholder interests in the Newman Lake area. The members and their respective area of interest or representation are listed below.

TMDL Advisory Committee Members

For more information, please contact David Moore or Jacob McCann.