Total Maximum Daily Loadings

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The State of Georgia assesses its waterbodies for compliance with water quality standards as required by the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and 40 CFR 130.7. Assessed waterbodies are placed into one of three categories: 1) supporting, 2) assessment pending, or 3) not supporting.  If a waterbody is not supporting its Designated Use and does not have a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), it is placed on the 303(d) List and will require a TMDL be developed. The 303(d) List contains the list of waters, pollutants causing the impairments, and a priority ranking.

TMDLs are frequently developed using Water Quality Models.  This process establishes the allowable pollutant loadings that can be discharged into a waterbody and still meet the water quality standards.  TMDLs are described by the following equation:

TMDL = ∑WLA + ∑LA + MOS

Where:

WLA = Waste Load Allocation assigned to existing and future point sources and constitutes a water quality based effluent limit.

LA = Load Allocation attributed to existing or future nonpoint sources of pollution and to natural background sources, tributaries, and adjacent segments. 

MOS = Margin of Safety that can be either implicit or explicit.

If Best Management Practices (BMPs) or other nonpoint source controls make the LA more stringent, then the WLAs can be made less stringent.  Therefore, the TMDL process provides for pollutant trading.

Proposed TMDLs

• Public Notice: Notice of Availability of Proposed TMDL Documents – 11/30/2022 – Altamaha, Ocmulgee, and Oconee River Basins for Bacteria Impairments  - November 30, 2022
  • Draft Altamaha River Basin Bacteria TMDL – November 2022
  • Draft Ocmulgee River Basin Bacteria TMDL – November 2022
  • Draft Oconee River Basin Bacteria TMDL – November 2022

TMDL Supplement Documents

Notice of Availability of Total Maximum Daily Load Supplement Documents for Waters in the State of Georgia

Bacteria Indicator Supplement Altamaha River Basin – 2007 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Altamaha River Basin – 2012 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Altamaha River Basin – 2017 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Chattahoochee River Basin – January 2008 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Chattahoochee River Basin – November 2008 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Chattahoochee River Basin – 2013 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Chattahoochee River Basin – 2017 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Coosa River Basin – 2004 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Coosa River Basin – 2009 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Coosa River Basin – 2014 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Flint River Basin – 2003 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Flint River Basin – 2008 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Flint River Basin – 2013 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Flint River Basin – 2017 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Ochlockonee River Basin – 2006 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Ochlockonee River Basin – 2011 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Ocmulgee River Basin – 2007 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Ocmulgee River Basin – 2012 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Ocmulgee River Basin – 2017 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Oconee River Basin – 2007 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Oconee River Basin – 2012 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Oconee River Basin – 2017 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Ogeechee River Basin – 2005 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Ogeechee River Basin – 2010 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Ogeechee River Basin – 2016 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Satilla River Basin – 2006 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Satilla River Basin – 2011 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Satilla River Basin – 2016 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Savannah River Basin – 2005 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Savannah River Basin – 2010 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Savannah River Basin – 2016 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement St Mary's River Basin – 2006 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Suwannee River Basin – 2006 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Suwannee River Basin – 2011 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Suwannee River Basin – 2016 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Tallapoosa River Basin – 2004 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Tallapoosa River Basin – 2009 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Tennessee River Basin – 2004 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Tennessee River Basin – 2009 Fecal Coliform TMDL Bacteria Indicator Supplement Tennessee River Basin – 2014 Fecal Coliform TMDL

 

Final TMDLs

• List of Final TMDLs Organized By Basin

TMDL Alternatives

• Savannah Harbor 5R Alternative Restoration Plan
• Savannah Tributary Discharger Strategy

Revised TMDL Implementation Plans and BMP Resources

Prior to 2012 individual Revised TMDL Implementation Plans were prepared for each impaired stream segment.  After 2012 a more detailed Implementation Plan was included in Section 7 of the TMDL documents.  For more information regarding TMDLs, TMDL Implementation Plans, or Watershed Improvement Plans, please contact Elizabeth Booth at 404.463.4929.  Resources regarding Watershed Assessment and Planning can be found below.

• Tools for Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Implementation and Watershed Planning