Weber River Partnership Protects World-Class Fishery

By Paul Thompson, Guest Blogger

DEQ invites guest bloggers to share their thoughts on issues that impact our environment. We appreciate their insights and the opportunity to broaden the conversation with others in the community

Blueheads & Bonnevilles from Western Native Trout Initiative on Vimeo.

The Weber River is a world-class stream, and anglers come from long distances to fish this river, so we definitely want to keep a close eye on it to ensure the fishery remains healthy. Managing for these fish in the Weber River is challenging, and a few years ago, we realized that we needed help from others within the Weber River watershed if we were going to be successful at maintaining healthy fish populations. In order to help spread our message regarding these fish, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR), along with the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and many others, formed the Weber River Partnership.

Large brown trout

The main fish targeted by anglers in the Weber River is brown trout, which were introduced more than 100 years ago. Brown trout frequently grow over 20 inches in length and some obtain sizes of more than 25 inches, or in a few cases, more than 30 inches! We do have to manage all the different kinds of fish in the river, however, and this can present many challenges.

The Weber River also contains a unique population of native Bonneville cutthroat trout that reside from Weber Canyon upstream past the town of Peterson. This cutthroat population has a fluvial life history strategy, which means they grow very large and travel long distances to find tributary streams to spawn. Once they lay eggs, the large adult fish move back into the Weber River, but the young cutthroat trout will remain in the tributary streams for a year or two until they decide to move downstream into the Weber River. Did I mention that these cutthroat trout grow large? Many can reaches sizes of 18-20 inches, which adds another trophy fish component for anglers. Development has impacted the Weber River, so road crossings, pipeline crossings, and irrigation diversions now impede fish movement and in some cases are keeping these cutthroat trout from being able to spawn in the tributary streams.

Bluehead sucker

Another fish in the Weber River that the (UDWR) manages is the native bluehead sucker. This fish has a face that only their mothers could love – or a fish biologist! Even though I am an angler, and this isn’t a fish that we try and catch, the bluehead sucker may be my favorite fish in the entire river. Bluehead sucker primarily scrape algae off the bottom of the river, and they are considered an indicator species for the Weber River, so having healthy populations indicate that the Weber River is healthy. The bluehead sucker populations have declined in the Weber River because migration corridors have been blocked (like with the cutthroat trout) and important juvenile rearing habitats have been lost.

Over the past five years, nearly every stakeholder within the Weber River Watershed has joined this Partnership. One of the Partnership successes has been a watershed-wide symposium (called Confluence) that convenes each fall. Speakers from across the watershed provide the Partnership information and everyone within the Weber River is beginning to understand what others are doing in the watershed.

Fish now have a voice in the Weber River!

Fish ladder allows cutthroat to move upstream to spawn

And UDWR has been able to formalize relationships with cities, counties, water users, and landowners so fish are considered in river projects. For example, while we were removing a barrier that prevented fish from finding critical spawning habitat, we discovered that two more fish barriers had just come to our attention. These partnerships have allowed us to remove barriers to fish movement and open up miles of critical spawning habitat for the native fish in the Weber River.

These partnerships and projects will result in stronger and larger populations of Bonneville cutthroat trout and bluehead sucker. A common goal has emerged in the Weber River – let’s protect these fish so there is no need for a listing under the Endangered Species Act. This is a goal that everyone can live with – including the fish!

Want to learn more about the Weber River Partnership? Check out the Weber River Watershed Restoration Plan that our group developed to identify and assess challenges and threats to human and ecological values of the watershed and develop strategies to protect and enhance those values into the future.

The author holding a Large fluvial cutthroat trout sampled in spawning on the Weber River

I am the Aquatics Manager for our Northern Region Office of UDWR. I am originally from Illinois, where I obtained my Bachelor of Science degree at Eastern Illinois University. I have always loved the West, so I made a point to attend graduate school at the University of Wyoming, where I earned by Master of Science degree in Fisheries. Since one of my main passions is fishing (especially fly fishing), I am in my dream job with the UDWR , where I have been working on fish for more than 21 years!

Drinking Water: There’s More to Safe Water Than Turning the Tap

By D’yani Wood

Elevated drinking water tank in West Valley City

Water is a source of life. It only takes one twist of a knob to turn on the sink faucet or the shower, a few button presses to wash your clothes, all with clean water. But it would only take one little dangerous microorganism in that drinking water to make it lethal.

Clean water does not magically appear. It is not as simple as running a pipe from a water source to your home. The systems in place providing us with clean drinking water are complex, and they are constantly in motion to safeguard you and maintain a steady supply of safe water for all of us to drink and use.

When I started here at the Division of Drinking Water, I, like most of us, knew nothing about the process of providing safe and clean drinking water to pretty much every human in our country. I had a general idea that it was complicated, but I didn’t know about the effort that so many hardworking people put in to ensure we can all drink our water without fear of becoming sick.

Large drinking water pipes at Point of the Mountain treatent plant

J4 flow at Point of the Mountain treatment plant

At the Division of Drinking Water, we make sure all water systems throughout the state are keeping their water safe and maintaining their systems in a way that prevents accidents and contamination. I specifically work in Field Services and help with the Operator and Backflow Certification programs. A water system, depending on the population size of the area served, is required to have a Certified Operator oversee the process of providing safe water from deep inside the earth to your home.

When I process a certification exam, I know I am helping to ensure our water systems will have one more knowledgeable person looking over everything and solving problems that may arise before they can affect public health. When I enter continuing education unit (CEU) courses into our database, I know I am helping keep track of vital trainings that have educated our operators on the most recent technology or safety advancements in the industry. When I process a certification renewal application, I am helping the operators keep up on that continual learning process, making sure they have gone to enough trainings over the past three years to keep their certification current and their knowledge up-to-date.

Slow sand filter is part of the drinking water treatment . Stockton, Utah.

Slow sand filter, Stockton, Utah

I myself studied and became certified once I saw the complexities of running a water system and how knowing more about the process would help me do my job even better.

All the little aspects of my job have now painted a picture for me, and I no longer think that clean water comes out of faucets like magic. It requires the technical expertise of many people working together, it requires a lot of equipment and planning, it requires a lot of attention, a lot of water sampling, and a lot of hard work.

Every time I turn on a faucet, I don’t take that water for granted. I now understand the distance each drop had to travel, and the amount of time and energy it took to get it to me in a clean, safe, and drinkable form.

Want to know more about the quality of your drinking water? Check out your system’s consumer confidence report (CCR), an annual report each community water system must provide its customers, on our Waterlink webpage.

I have experience with, and a love for, graphic design, which means I like to mess with how things look and the ease in which things can be understood and communicated visually. Working with computers and technology comes naturally to me. I am currently a writer for PlayStationLifeStyle.net where I get to review games and sometimes contribute to other articles, meaning I love writing and creating. My husband is Senior Editor of the site as well, which means we are both serious video game hobbyists. Along with video games, I consume as much media as I can in the form of TV shows, movies, and books. I have three cats in keeping with my lifelong love for animals. I am originally from Boise, Idaho, but I’m loving my life in Utah. I’m excited to work in the Division of Drinking Water and generate new ideas to help communication, efficiency, and productivity at any turn in the road.

Air Quality: My Top Ten List for Better Air

By Donna Kemp Spangler

Utah’s winter chill is creeping upon us, and with that comes the infamous inversions, that for perhaps 10 terrible days of the year have downright frightful and unhealthy air quality.

We know we can’t completely prevent them. It is partly an act of nature. Under the right atmospheric conditions, our mountain-valley topography acts like a bowl, keeping cold air in the valleys. The snow-covered valley floors reflect rather than absorb the heat from the sun. Fog exacerbates the problem, facilitating chemical reactions from the other part we can control – vehicles, wood burning, and industrial emissions – that create even more particles and higher pollutant concentrations. The longer the inversion lasts, the higher the levels of pollution trapped under it. The warm inversion air layer is usually displaced by a strong storm system which restores air quality to healthy levels.

But that doesn’t mean we are completely helpless. We do know our actions can make a difference. Every time we start our car, idle, light a fire, turn up the heat, it all contributes to a relentless long-lasting chain of polluting events.

So just like we prepare for winter by winterizing our homes, consider the following 10 things as a “to-do” list of how to make our air quality better this winter:

Drive your newest car, and get it tuned. A well-tuned vehicle runs more efficiently and captures much of the exhaust that escapes the tailpipe and pollutes the air.
Don’t burn wood. You can replace that old wood-burning stove with a more efficient, cleaner electric or natural gas. And remember, Utah regulations prohibit you from lighting a wood stove or fireplace on inversion days – with the exception of those who use it as their sole source of heat.
Don’t idle your car; warm your vehicle by driving it.
Work a flexible schedule—commute during non-peak driving times. If you can, work with your boss and telecommute on days when the inversion is building.
Know before you go. If you have to drive to work, take your lunch; plan to run all your errands at once.
Buy a transit pass. Join a carpool group.
Conserve energy. Buy energy star products or energy efficient products.
Buy less toxic or nontoxic materials. DEQ’s consumer products rule establishes Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) limits in personal care, household and auto products. Lower VOCs in these products would reduce about 4,000 tons per year.
Use a snow shovel rather than a snow blower. If you do use a snow blower, switch out your old gas can for an EPA-approved version.
Check Department of Environmental Quality’s air quality forecast before you leave. Get the UtahAir app on your phone at your app store.

For more tips on what you can do to make a difference, visit Utah Clean Air Partnership, or UCAIR, or comment on this blog and tell us what’s on your to-do list to help improve Utah’s air.

I am the Communications Director for DEQ and a former reporter for the Deseret News. I write a monthly blog post. You can read my previous blog posts at deq.utah.gov/news. You can follow me on Twitter @deqdonna

Spills: Welcome to the Big Leagues, Rookie

By Kevin Okleberry

Coal ash spill sends piles of black ash into the Price River

Harmful algal bloom on Utah Lake

It was on a bright Monday morning, July 11, 2016, when I walked into the Multi-Agency State Office Building in west Salt Lake City to begin my new job as the Spills Coordinator for the Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ’s) Division of Water Quality (DWQ). I was a bit nervous, but also excited to begin this new phase of my career as an Environmental Health Scientist.

I had left my job as an Emergency Response Coordinator for Salt Lake County Health Department (SLCHD) the previous week. During my 19 ½ years with the Health Department, I had seen and done pretty much everything related to environmental health — from restaurant and pool inspections, to garbage and housing complaints, to meth labs and household hazardous wastes. For the last 13 years, I investigated illegal discharges, cleaned up chemical spills, and manned the Health Department’s after-hours Emergency Line. It was with no small amount of regret that I left my friends and the familiar surroundings at SLCHD’s Division of Environmental Health to come work at DEQ.

At my previous job, my duties rarely involved leaving Salt Lake County, but I was soon to discover that my duties encompassed the entire state, and the environmental incidents I investigated here were much, much bigger on average than the ones I dealt with in the County.

Coal ash spills and sends piles of black ash into the Price River

Coal ash spill in Price River

I had barely settled in to my cubicle when on July 13, 2016, a new assignment was thrust upon me from out of the blue. Blue-green, that is, as in the algae which had created a massive bloom on Utah Lake. The training for my new position was put on hold as I was called in to help with the DWQ’s response to the incident. I helped write web updates, organize meetings, provide expert advice on personal protective equipment (PPE), and most of all, answer questions from the public. And there were lots and lots of questions: by my count I answered 143 phone calls the week after the algal bloom started. One co-worker quipped that instead of a “baptism by fire” it was a “baptism by algae”.

Eventually, the bloom dissipated and I started to learn the finer details of my job. Little did I know that things were just getting started.

On August 4, 2016, another major environmental incident occurred down in Central Utah. A once-in-a-century thunderstorm dumped over 2 inches of rain on a dry canyon above a coal ash landfill located upstream from the town of Helper, overwhelming the landfill’s drainage system and washing several thousand cubic yards of material into the catch basin and the Price River below. As this was one of my assigned duties, I took charge of the investigation, prepared the case file, and wrote the enforcement documents, all while learning DWQ’s procedures and processes on the fly.

DEQ scientist holds handful of mud pulled from the American Fork River after sediment spills into the waterway.

Tibble Fork sediment release

The busy summer wasn’t done yet. On August 23, 2016, DWQ received a report of a large sediment release from the Tibble Fork Dam construction site in American Fork Canyon, which turned the blue-ribbon trout habitat of the American Fork River into something that looked like chocolate milk and killed thousands of fish in the process. During the next two weeks, I drove up the canyon no less than eight times and learned more about the history and geology and resources of American Fork Canyon than I had ever imagined. As with the coal-ash spill, I took charge of the investigation, coordinated the response with the different agencies involved, and prepared the Notice of Violation (NOV) which was issued on September 28, 2016. Since I will be overseeing the cleanup and recovery of the river, this case will likely be going for a long time.

So to sum it all up, it has been a busy three months at DEQ. Even so, it has been enjoyable and exciting, and I can’t help but wonder what is going to happen next.

Want to learn more about DWQ’s spill response to this summer’s algal blooms and spills? Visit our Algal Blooms page and Tibble Fork pages for more in-depth information.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from Weber State University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health and a Master’s degree in Toxicology from Utah State University. I have been a Licensed Environmental Health Scientist for over 19 years. In addition to working for Salt Lake County and DEQ, I have taught chemistry courses at Salt Lake Community College for the past 6 years. In my spare time, I enjoy the outdoors with my wife and children.

Chromium-6 in Utah Drinking Water Triggers Questions, Concerns

By Ken Bousfield

Girl and mother getting water from a faucet Recent news reports about the presence of hexavalent chromium (chromium-6) in the drinking water in several northern Utah counties have raised concerns among residents about the safety of the state’s drinking water. Fortunately, the levels found in the Davis, Weber, and Box Elder County drinking-water systems are below the California state standard, the only standard for chromium-6 in the country.

The EPA will most likely develop a new standard for chromium-6. The Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Drinking Water (DDW) is watching these developments closely and is committed to ensuring that state drinking-water standards protect Utah residents against harmful contaminants in their drinking water.

What Is Chromium-6?

Chromium is a naturally occurring element commonly found in the earth’s crust. Chromium has multiple forms, and two of its most common forms have extremely different impacts on human and environmental health.

Trivalent chromium, (chromium-3) is a nutrient essential to human health. It can be found in fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat. Hexavalent chromium (chromium-6) occurs naturally in the environment, but it is also produced through industrial processes. Chromium-6 can be released into the environment naturally through erosion or through leaching from industrial sites. Both forms of chromium are soluble in water.

How Will EPA Develop a Standard for Chromium-6?

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires the EPA to establish Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) and Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) for drinking water. The MCL is the compliance standard for public water systems, and the MCLG is the level where there are no known health effects. The EPA looks at three factors when establishing standards:

Is there a meaningful health benefit to regulate the contaminant?
Are there technically feasible technologies to detect, reduce or remove the contaminant?
How much will the treatment cost?

The MCL is a legally enforceable level that must be met by drinking-water systems. EPA tries to set the MCL as close to the MCLG as possible, but quite often the price to achieve the MCLG makes it cost prohibitive. Once the EPA determines the MCL for a particular contaminant, DDW adopts the standard and develops a corresponding state rule.

Why have Concerns about Chromium-6 Increased?

A long-term animal study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s National Toxicology Program in 2008 suggested that chromium-6 may be carcinogenic when ingested. Prior to this study, skin irritation was seen as the most common symptom of chromium-6 exposure, and inhaled hexavalent chromium was already recognized as a human carcinogen. This new information indicated that chromium-6 could also be carcinogenic at certain levels in drinking water.

Chromium-6

The EPA responded to this new information by initiating an extensive review of the health effects from chromium-6. Under the Unregulated Contaminants Rule (UCMR), the EPA selects public water systems to test for contaminants under consideration for regulation. Since chromium-6 had not been previously tested in isolation from chromium-3, it was included on the unregulated contaminant list.

What has the EPA Review Shown?

In 2009, the agency required all large water systems in the country to test their drinking water for chromium-6. The agency also funded testing of a select few small water systems in each state. This approach ensured that the vast majority of the nation’s population had their water tested for hexavalent chromium.

The tests results from Utah’s water systems that were sampled in connection with the UCMR were tabulated along with data from all other states and reported on EPA’s web site. Test results from samples taken at northern Utah systems between 2013 and 2015 were all below 1 parts per billion, ranging from 0.06 ppb in Ogden to 0.77 ppb in Hooper.

Although EPA doesn’t currently have a standard for chromium-6, California established an MCL standard of 10 ppb and a MCLG of 0.02 ppb in 2014. All of Utah’s tests fall well below the California MCL standard of 10 ppb. It is unknown whether California’s rule setting process and standards of evaluation will be matched by EPA as they proceed with their investigation. As a result, future EPA standards (MCL and MCLG) for chromium-6 could be higher or lower than California’s standards.

What’s next for Utah?

Utah’s legislative code governs the DDW’s enforcement of the federal SDWA and doesn’t permit DDW to establish standards that are more stringent than federal standards unless there is significant evidence the federal standards are failing to protect the health of Utah residents. At this time, there is not sufficient evidence to impose a more stringent standard on public water systems in Utah. This provision prevents DDW from taking actions similar to those of California’s primacy agency.

If you are interested in finding the total chromium and the UCMR-selected systems chromium-6 levels in your drinking water, please contact your water system and ask for a copy of the most recent Consumer Confidence Report. This report is prepared by July 1st of every year and will show the levels of all detected contaminants, along with the standards, for your water system.

I have worked with the Utah Division of Drinking and its predecessor agencies for nearly 40 years and have been Division Director for more than ten years. I have a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Sciences from Brigham Young University and am a registered Professional Engineer in Utah. I grew up in Los Angeles City and now live in Sandy City. My wife Gail and I celebrated our 46th wedding anniversary last month. We have four children and eight grandchildren.

DEQ Leadership Team Wants You to “Ask DEQ, not Phil”

By DEQ Communications Office

The “Ask DEQ, not Phil” team on set. Front: “Pam” and “Phil.” Back: Amy Christensen, Scott Anderson, Donna Spangler, Rick Saathoff, Lisa Mechem, Carlee Christofferson.

The Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) provides employees with leadership training to support their career development. Each year, division directors nominate one employee from their division to participate in the two-year course. In addition to formal training, independent study, reading, field trips, and class interaction, each leadership team develops a group project that benefits the agency. Past projects include the development of the Permit Wizard tool and the annual State of the Environment Report.

This latest team’s project was a little different: a public service announcement (PSA) campaign–“Ask DEQ, not Phil”– to raise awareness about DEQ. We talked with members of the Leadership Team — Brandy Cannon, Carlee Christoffersen, Lisa Mechem, Tammy North, Rick Saathoff, and Kim Shelley — about their experiences.

“Ask DEQ, not Phil” was your team project. What do like best about it? Did you expect this to be your final project?

Kim: I would never have predicted that our final project would have turned out as it did! I love that humor is used to deliver the message in the spots. Humor makes the information relatable. I hope that the “Ask DEQ, not Phil” concept can be built on for many years to come.

Lisa: I think “Ask DEQ, not Phil” will resonate with most people and help us to get our messages out. After learning about previous projects, no, I did not expect this to be ours. However, I do like how it turned out. I was at both casting and filming. The creative people working on the project definitely see things differently than most scientist/engineering types. After seeing the end result, they were assuredly correct!

Brandy: I was surprised this was the final project because it seemed different than what we were originally focused on. But part of being a leader is taking advantage of opportunities that present themselves. The department branding effort seemed like an opportunity to provide input into what our divisions do. The PSA was a fun project. It is interesting how technical even short commercials are. Every single second has to be accounted for and analyzed and polished.

Rick: Our team project was much different than any of us expected from the time that we began the project to the final product. It allowed us to go through many stages of planning and decision making before we made the decision to use the “Ask DEQ, not Phil” concept. I think we were all a bit apprehensive at first on the “Ask DEQ, not Phil” concept, but the final product is something that I believe all of DEQ can be proud of. The campaign is something that we can use for years to come as we develop his character in the coming months. I attended the filming portion of the “Ask DEQ, not Phil” PSA. I was amazed at the number of “takes” they did and the attention to detail that went into it. The STRUCK team did their job amazingly well.

Tammy: I love the quirky humor- because I think it is so out of place for engineers and scientist, but something that people can relate to. I didn’t expect this to be our final project.

What do you see as the long-term impact/benefit to DEQ from your team project?

Kim: I hope that DEQ can build on the “Ask DEQ, not Phil” concept in the future. Using humor to deliver a technical/regulatory message is a great way to make it relatable to everyone.

Lisa: “Ask DEQ, not Phil” seems like it will continue to be pertinent for quite some time to come. It lends itself to be being added to/continued, with more “episodes” added for more topics. It presents important information in a format most people will watch and listen to. It doesn’t have to end with this set of three!

Carlee: I hope “Ask DEQ, not Phil” is the first step in a new era of public awareness of DEQ.

Brandy: I think these PSA spots can be useful for a long time. They can be customized fairly easily for future “hot” topics that arise pertaining to the environment.

Rick: Public awareness of what DEQ does and who we are will create long term relationships and benefits.

Tammy: I hope the general public has a better understanding of what DEQ does and how it benefits them and helps build a community of support.

If you haven’t seen the “Ask DEQ, not Phil” PSAs yet, here’s your chance. See the series by clicking the video player above. (Hint: The out-takes are also not to be missed!)

See what Phil has to say by following his Twitter account @AskPhilUtah. If you have a question for the Department of Environmental Quality, and you use the hashtag #AskDEQnotPhil, you will get an accurate answer from DEQ, and “Philisophical” answer from Phil. For more information on the purpose of the campaign and more background on Phil, click here.

Hats off to the members of the Leadership Team — Brandy Cannon, Carlee Christofferson, Rick Saathoff, Lisa Mechem, Kim Shelley, and Tammy North — and Division Director Scott Anderson for his expert guidance and leadership of the group and facilitation of the team project.

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