Natural Conditions Draft Rulemaking
WAC 173-201A Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters of the State of Washington
May 10, 2024 - July 12, 2024, 11:59 p.m.
We are proposing changes to the surface water quality standards to protect aquatic life organisms in water bodies that naturally do not meet water quality criteria, and to establish methods for creating those protective values.
Comments due: July 12, 2024
Submit by: Online, mail, or at one of the public hearings.
We are considering revisions to several natural conditions provisions in our surface water quality standards. We evaluated the latest scientific data, methods, modeling tools, and approaches, including the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended approaches, to update natural conditions provisions necessary for refining aquatic life protection in our surface waters.
For more information, view our rulemaking webpage.
We write rules to implement and enforce state and federal environmental laws and rules. We follow a three-phase process for rulemaking:
- Announcement and development
- Proposal
- Adoption
For each phase of the process, we update the rulemaking webpage and notify interested parties. We also file notice in the Washington State Register. To learn more about our rulemaking process, read the Frequently asked questions.
Comment online
- Use our online comment form
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