Ariz. Admin. Code § R18-11-203 - Designated Uses for Non-WOTUS Protected Surface Waters

A. The designated uses for specific non-WOTUS protected surface waters are listed in the Protected Surface Waters List in this article. The designated uses that may be assigned to a non-WOTUS protected surface water are:

1. Full-body contact AZ,

2. Partial-body contact AZ,

3. Domestic water source AZ,

4. Fish consumption AZ,

5. Aquatic and wildlife AZ (cold water),

6. Aquatic and wildlife AZ (warm water),

7. Agricultural irrigation AZ, and

8. Agricultural livestock watering AZ.

B. Numeric water quality criteria to maintain and protect water quality for the designated uses assigned to non-WOTUS protected surface waters are prescribed in R18-11-215 . Narrative water quality standards to protect non-WOTUS protected surface waters are prescribed in R18-11-214.

C. If a non-WOTUS protected surface water has more than one designated use listed in the Protected Surface Waters List, the most stringent water quality criterion applies.

D. The Director shall revise the designated uses of a non-WOTUS protected surface water if water quality improvements result in a level of water quality that permits a use that is not currently listed as a designated use in the Protected Surface Waters List.

E. The Director may remove a designated use or adopt a subcategory of a designated use that requires less stringent water quality criteria through a rulemaking action for any of the following reasons:

1. A naturally-occurring pollutant concentration prevents the attainment of the use;

2. A human-caused condition or source of pollution prevents the attainment of the use and cannot be remedied or would cause more environmental damage to correct than to leave in place;

3. A dam, diversion, or other type of hydrologic modification precludes the attainment of the use, and it is not feasible to restore the non-WOTUS protected surface water to its original condition or to operate the modification in a way that would result in attainment of the use;

4. A physical condition related to the natural features of the surface water, such as the lack of a proper substrate, cover, flow, depth, pools, riffles, and the like, unrelated to water quality, precludes attainment of an aquatic life designated use.

Notes

Ariz. Admin. Code § R18-11-203

Amended effective January 29, 1980 (Supp. 80-1). Amended subsection (B) by adding paragraphs (27) and (28) effective October 14, 1981 (Supp. 81-5). Former Section R9-21-203 renumbered as Section R9-21-201, former Section R9-21-204 renumbered as Section R9-21-203 and amended effective January 7, 1985 (Supp. 85-1). Former Section R9-21-203 renumbered and amended as Section R9-21-204, new Section R9-21-203 adopted effective August 12, 1986 (Supp. 86-4). Former Section R9-21-203 renumbered without change as Section R18-11-203 (Supp. 87-3). Amended subsection (B) effective December 1, 1988 (Supp. 88-4). Section repealed, new Section adopted effective February 18, 1992 (Supp. 92-1). Section repealed effective April 24, 1996 (Supp. 96-2). New Section made by final rulemaking at 29 A.A.R. 302, effective 2/20/2023.