PROPOSED TEMPORARY TURBIDITY INCREASE IN MULTIPLE SURFACE WATERS WITHIN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) has received a request from the Federal Highway Administration for a temporary increase in turbidity in the Lamar River, Soda Butte Creek, Pebble Creek, and unnamed tributaries to these streams in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The temporary increase in turbidity is associated with continued repairs to the Northeast Entrance Road as a result of flooding in 2022.
Activity in cold water streams is normally limited to a ten (10) NTU increase over background. Approval of this request would allow an exceedance of this limit for up to sixty (60) total working days for the combined surface waters, subject to monitoring and reporting. This activity will follow the procedures in Chapter 1, Section 23(c)(ii), of the WDEQ Water Quality Rules, which allow for temporary elevated levels of turbidity in certain circumstances. The applicant has secured a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 404 permit for the project.
Requests for information about the proposed temporary turbidity increase should be directed to Eric Hargett by email ([email protected]) or phone (307-777-6701). Written comments must be addressed to Eric Hargett, Wyoming DEQ/WQD, 200 W. 17th Street ? 4TH floor, Cheyenne, WY, 82002, and be postmarked on or before 5:00 p.m. on May 4, 2023 to be considered. Electronic comments may only be submitted through and accepted by the Wyoming DEQ comment portal provided at http://wq.wyomingdeq.commentinput.com/. Phone comments will not be accepted. Para espa?ol, visite deq.wyoming.gov.
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