NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT, SURFACE WATER QUALITY BUREAU PROPOSES TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOADS (TMDLs) FOR THE CANADIAN AND UPPER RIO GRANDE LAKES NOTICE OF A 30-DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AND COMMUNITY MEETING
The New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) Surface Water Quality Bureau (SWQB) is inviting the public to comment on the draft “Total Maximum Daily Load” (TMDL) document for the Canadian and Upper Rio Grande lakes. The draft TMDL is available online at: https://www.env.nm.gov/surface-water-quality/tmdl. Draft TMDLs in this document include:
• Eagle Nest Lake – Plant Nutrients
• Lake Maloya – Plant Nutrients
• Santa Cruz Lake – Aluminum (Total Recoverable), Plant Nutrients, Temperature
• Shuree Pond North – Plant Nutrients
A TMDL is a planning document that establishes specific goals to meet water quality standards in waterbodies where pollutant limits are exceeded. It includes current pollution loadings, reduction estimates for pollutants, information on probable sources of pollution, and suggestions to restore or protect the health of the waterbody.
The 30-day comment period on this document will open April 15, 2024, and will close May 15, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. MDT. Formal comments for inclusion in the public record must be submitted in writing via the NMED Public Comment Portal at: https://nmed.commentinput.com/comment/search or alternately in writing to Lucas Graunke, e-mail: lucas.graunke@env.nm.gov; or mailing address: NMED SWQB, P.O. Box 5469, Santa Fe, NM, 87502; voice: (505) 819-9823; fax number (505) 827-0160.
Two public meetings will be held to summarize the information and to provide a forum for interested parties to ask questions and provide comments. The meetings will be held on May 1, 2024, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm and 5:00 to 6:30 pm via a virtual webinar. Specific meeting details will be made available in a meeting flyer posted to the SWQB website during the week of April 15th.
Following the close of the comment period, copies of the Response to Comments will be:
• Mailed to all persons who submitted written comments by May 15, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.; and
• Available electronically on the bureau’s website or by contacting Lucas Graunke via email or phone number provided above.
For more information, please contact Lucas Graunke via email or phone number provided above.
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