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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 10/17/2000 - RESOLUTION 2000-128 RECOGNIZING THE NEED TO PROTEC AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 26 DATE: October 17, 2000 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL Michael B. Smith STAFF: Gale McGaha Miller SUBJECT: Resolution 2000-128 Recognizing the Need to Protect Water Quality. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Every three years, the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission reviews water quality standards and classifications for waters within the South Platte watershed basin. The Cache la Poudre and its tributaries are in this basin. "Classifications" refer to the kinds of activities and water uses that occur in each water body; "standards" refer to the water quality standards in place to ensure that the water quality is good enough for the those activities and uses to occur. Examples of classifications include agricultural use, aquatic life protection, drinking water source, and recreational use. In November, the Commission will hold a hearing to review proposals to change the existing classifications. Staff at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and other parties to the hearing, are proposing changes to various classifications. Generally, these proposals are all excellent in correctly identifying water uses and in assigning protective water quality standards to them. In one case, however, the proposal does not quite match the actual uses of the water. The actual proposals follow, with staff's recommendation. ♦ Change all Colorado water bodies from Recreation Class 2 to Recreation Class 1. Recreation ` Class 1 segments are waters in which swimming, kayaking or similar activities occur. Recreation Class 2 segments are waters that have insufficient flow or quality for swimming, etc., but that are suitable uses such as fishing and other streamside or lakeside recreation. This is an excellent proposal in general, but Segment 13 of the Cache la Poudre (CLP), is a catch-all segment that includes a variety of reservoirs, small streams, and other tributaries to the CLP not otherwise defined. Staff recommends that small streams with low flows, such as Fossil Creek and Spring Creek, not be designated as Recreation Class 1, since there is generally not enough flow in these streams for swimming to occur. Furthermore, not only is there little opportunity for swimming, but Spring Creek and Fossil Creek do not meet fecal coliform standards for the Recreation Class I designation, primarily due to wildlife impacts. t DATE: October 17, 2000 2 ITEM NUMBER: 26 ♦ Provide the CLP headwaters with an extra measure of protection and additional quality standards. Change the way the CLP is broken up into segments to better reflect localized conditions. These proposals will serve to provide additional protection for the CLP, both as a source of drinking water and for recreation and the environment. Staff recommends support. ♦ Add the use of the bacterial species E. coli as a method to determine if there could be disease-causing microbes in recreational waters. There is increasing data that indicates E. coli may be a better indicator than fecal coliforms. Staff recommends support. ♦ Tighten the standards for manganese and selenium. These measures are intended to protect wildlife and source water for drinking. Staff recommends support. RESOLUTION 2000-128 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS RECOGNIZEING THE NEED TO PROTECT WATER QUALITY WHEREAS,the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission is tasked with assigning water quality use classifications and standards to all waters of the state; and WHEREAS, the City of Fort Collins recognizes that water is a precious resource and its quality must be protected; and WHEREAS,in order to fully protect the uses and quality of local waterways,standards and use classifications must be assigned that are scientifically sound and accurate for each water body; and WHEREAS, use classifications must reflect activities that actually occur on water bodies; and WHEREAS, water ways should be segmented in such a way as to reflect localized conditions; and WHEREAS, scientifically sound biological indicators should be used to determine if there could be disease-causing microbes in recreational waters. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That the City of Fort Collins supports the efforts of the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission to assign accurate, scientifically based, use classifications and water quality standards to local waterways. Specifically,the Council of the City of Fort Collins supports: (a) the assignment of Recreation Class I standards to water bodies where swimming is likely to occur; (b) extra protection for the headwaters of the Cache la Poudre River; (c) the use of the bacterial species E.coli as a pathogen indicator;and(d)more stringent standards for manganese and selenium in water. Section 2. That the City Manager is hereby directed to initiate a limited,one-year water quality monitoring program on Spring Creek, Fossil Creek and Boxelder Creek to identify the baseline water quality of these streams for the purpose of determining whether or not these streams meet the water quality criteria for being classified as Recreation Class 1. Section 3. That if the water quality data collected indicates that any or all of the aforementioned streams can meet the water quality criteria for Recreation Class 1, that the City Manager is further directed to contact the Water Quality Control Commission and request a reclassification of the qualifying streams to Recreation Class 1. • Section 4. That if, based upon the water quality data collected, the Water Quality Services Manager determines that any or all of the aforementioned streams do not meet the water quality criteria for Recreation Class 1, the City Manager shall, within sixty (60) days of said determination,provide the Council with an action plan to improve such water quality. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council held this 17th day of October, A.D. 2000. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk