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Peer Review of the Lake Tahoe TMDL

This page provides information regarding the external peer review of the Lake Tahoe Total Maximum Daily Load.

Release of the Peer Reviews on the Draft Lake Tahoe Total Maximum Daily Load

On August 17, 2009 the Lahontan Water Board staff received the final of five completed scientific peer review comments on the draft Lake Tahoe Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). These peer reviews were solicited to comply with California Health and Safety Code section 57004 and to help inform drafting the final proposed TMDL. The peer reviews will be included in the formal TMDL adoption record.

Also posted as hyperlinks, below, are the two memoranda between Lahontan Water Board staff and staff from the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), who served as the intermediary between the Lahontan Water Board and the peer reviewers to ensure independence. The request memorandum describes the elements and issues of the proposed TMDL for which scientific peer review was requested and identifies the scientific issues for the reviewers to address. The approval memorandum identifies the five reviewers and specifies additional guidance that was sent to the reviewers on the nature and scope of the requested review. Both the request memorandum and supplemental guidance were forwarded by SWRCB staff to each peer reviewer before the reviews began.

The purpose of the peer review was to gain expert analysis of the scientific portions of the proposed TMDL and to obtain the reviewers’ assessment on whether the scientific portions of the TMDL documents are based upon sound scientific knowledge, methods, and practices. Each review was performed independently of the other reviews and without interaction with any TMDL staff or other significant contributors to the proposed TMDL. The comments are those of each individual reviewer; therefore, the comments do not represent a consensus of the reviewers.

Please do not submit comments on the draft TMDL documents at this time. Staff from the Lahontan Water Board and from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) are working with Lake Tahoe TMDL Scientific Advisor to address the peer review comments and revise the draft TMDL documents appropriately. The revised draft, along with the proposed Basin Plan Amendment and environmental analysis is expected to be available for public review and comment in late 2009.

Peer Review

Memoranda

Documents Provided to the Peer Reviewers

Major References not Copyrighted

Contact Us

If you have questions about this program, please email Doug Smith, Senior Engineering Geologist, TMDL/Basin Planning or phone 530 542-5453.

 

 

 
 

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