Ohio Administrative Code
Title 3745 - Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Chapter 3745-1 - Water Quality Standards
Section 3745-1-26 - Cuyahoga river drainage basin
Current through all regulations passed and filed through March 18, 2024
[Comment: For dates of non-regulatory government publications, publications of recognized organizations and associations, federal rules and federal statutory provisions referenced in this rule, see rule 3745-1-03 of the Administrative Code.]
(A) The water bodies listed in table 26-2 of this rule are ordered from downstream to upstream. Tributaries of a water body are indented. The aquatic life habitat, water supply and recreation use designations are defined in rule 3745-1-07 of the Administrative Code. The state resource water use designation is defined in rule 3745-1-05 of the Administrative Code. The most stringent criteria associated with any one of the use designations assigned to a water body will apply to that water body.
(B) Figure 1 of the appendix to this rule is a generalized map of the Cuyahoga river drainage basin.
(C) RM, as used in this rule, stands for river mile and refers to the method used by the Ohio environmental protection agency to identify locations along a water body. Mileage is defined as the lineal distance from the downstream terminus (i.e., mouth) and moving in an upstream direction.
(D) The following symbols are used throughout table 26-2 of this rule:
* Designated use based on the 1978 water quality standards.
+ Designated use based on the results of a biological field assessment performed by the Ohio environmental protection agency.
o Designated use based on justification other than the results of a biological field assessment performed by the Ohio environmental protection agency.
L An L in the warmwater habitat column signifies that the stream segment is designated limited warmwater habitat.
(E) The following uses, criteria and conditions shall apply to the Cuyahoga river ship channel:
Modeling projections of water quality in the channel have shown that levels of oxygen demanding materials found in natural waters are sufficient to depress dissolved oxygen below the warmwater habitat criteria. The modeling simulations also indicate that the existing loads of oxygen demanding materials could maintain the warmwater habitat dissolved oxygen criteria if the river depth was decreased to twelve feet. However, this would preclude the use of the channel for commercial navigation.
The physical habitat of the channel and the prevailing background dissolved oxygen regime are insufficient to support any resemblance of the warmwater habitat aquatic life use designation. A use attainability analysis has been conducted and indicates the extant fauna is substantially degraded and the potential for recovery of the fauna to the level characteristic of other lake Erie river mouths is precluded by irretrievable human induced conditions. However, the ship channel is used by fish as a migratory route in the spring months. This seasonal and stream flow related use shall be recognized and protected through this rule.
Full body contact recreational uses such as rowing, sculling and jet skiing do occur in the ship channel. The ship channel is also used as an industrial water supply but has no potential to support agricultural or public water supply uses.
Table 26-1. Cuyahoga river ship channel point source loads of oxygen demanding substances.
Facility -permit number |
Outfall |
Ammonia average/maximum |
CBOD5 average/maximum |
D.O. |
||
NEORSD -3PF00003 |
001a,g |
2.0 mg/l 1324 kg/d |
3.0 mg/l 1986 kg/d |
10 mg/l 6619 kg/d |
15 mg/l 9928 kg/d |
5 mg/l |
NEORSD -3PF00003 |
001b,g |
5.0 mg/l 3309 kg/d |
7.5 mg/l 4964 kg/d |
16 mg/l 10,590 kg/d |
24 mg/l 15,885 kg/d |
5 mg/l |
NEORSD -3PF00003 |
001c,g |
8.0 mg/l 5295 kg/d |
12 mg/l 7942 kg/d |
16 mg/l 10,590 kg/d |
24 mg/l 15,885 kg/d |
5 mg/l |
NEORSD -3PA00002 |
alld |
* |
* |
* |
* |
-- |
Zaclon -3IE00005 |
004/601 |
34 mg/l 36.9 kg/d |
55 mg/l 59.7 kg/d |
45 mg/le 48.9 kg/d |
120 mg/le 130 kg/d |
-- |
LTV - 3ID00003 |
005/604f |
21 kg/d |
63 kg/d |
-- |
-- |
-- |
LTV - 3ID00003 |
014/605f |
9 kg/d |
27 kg/d |
-- |
-- |
-- |
LTV - 3ID00003 |
009/606 |
158 kg/d |
317 kg/d |
-- |
-- |
-- |
LTV - 3ID00003 |
027/621f |
18.8 kg/d |
56.3 kg/d |
-- |
-- |
-- |
a Applies during the months of May to October.
b Applies during the months of March, April and November.
c Applies during the months of December, January and February.
d Applies to all outfalls to the Cuyahoga river and its tributaries.
* Monitoring program required for the combined sewer overflows.
e BOD5 values.
f A variance to these load limits is allowable unless the pending 301(g) variance request is denied. If the 301(g) variance request is denied, the established implementation schedule will apply.
g Loads calculated based upon design flow of 175 million gallons per day and are applicable to normal dry weather operation. Load values are not intended to restrict facility operation during wet weather flows when efforts are made to capture and treat combined sewer overflows.
Table 26-2. Use designations for water bodies in the Cuyahoga river drainage basin.