WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION

This Plan was developed and intended as a standard procedure for addressing non-point source water quality concerns on public and private lands.

In most cases, the Federal Agency lands are a mix of land ownership including federal, private and State lands. In order for the Agency to comply with standards for private lands they must recognize the land ownership and allow the Plan to impact private lands in mixed ownership in the same manner as any other completely fenced private lands. The plan standards and guidance will be applied to mixed ownership lands within allotments in a manner that is consistent with it's application on all other private lands.

While riparian areas are not a direct indicator of water quality, functioning riparian areas generally will have few if any water quality problems. Goals for rangeland water quality will largely be met through efforts that preserve or lead to functioning riparian areas. Specifically identified water quality problems should be handled with specific objectives while general water quality issues should be handled through riparian area management programs designed to achieve a functioning state within the range of natural variability. Due to limited resources, some assurance is needed that planning, management action, and implementation of BMP's is successful in the long term. Accordingly, The Feed Back Loop process, selection of component practices for BMP's, and implementation of water quality riparian area management programs and monitoring will be carried out in accordance with the Plan.

Oversight will include a determination of the appropriateness of data for identification of water quality and data to identify potential condition and trend of riparian areas. It will also include review of identified beneficial uses, component practices and specifications, proposed BMP's, monitoring plans and monitoring results. Property rights and interests such as water rights, adjudicated grazing preference rights, rights of way, and access to use of private lands must receive 5th amendment consideration in management decisions on the Federal and State lands. Therefore, the possessors of these interests shall have primary input for decisions that implement the Plan.