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Dr. Lee's
Stormwater Runoff Water Quality Newsletter
Devoted to Stormwater-Runoff Science/Engineering Issues

Due to webhosting changes, some links shown within some reports and papers listed below may no longer be active. You may email Dr. Lee at [email protected] to obtain the current link.

In this Newsletter Dr. Lee discussed current and emerging topics and issues concerning evaluation and management of water quality impacts of urban, highway, and rural/agricultural stormwater runoff and related topics. The monthly/bi-monthly issues were distributed at no cost to the approximately 8,000 professional and interested lay community subscribers between 1998 and 2011.

Index to Issues by Topics Discussed

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Past Issues:

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Volume 14

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Volume 14 Number 1, February 10, 2011 - Topics: National Research Council’s report on managing nutrient-related water quality problems in Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi River watershed; further discussion of the US EPA’s nutrient criteria for the state of Florida; US EPA webcasts on Nutrient Management. [31 kb]


Volume 13

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Volume 13 Number 4, October 13, 2010 - Topics: US EPA webcast seminars; recent findings concerning new, newly recognized, and emerging chemicals that are known to be, or suspected of being, adverse to drinking water quality and water quality/beneficial uses of waterbodies; OEHHA Draft Public Health Goal for Trihalomethanes, Selenium and Chromium in Drinking Water; release of USGS Study of Pharmaceuticals in Wastewater; an In-Stream Flow Workshop; and the California State Water Resources Control Board’s compilation of Water Quality Goals. [67 kb]

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Volume 13 Number 3, April 28, 2010 - Topics: Regulation of aquatic plant nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus); US EPA Science Advisory Board’s review of the US EPA’s proposed statistics-based national nutrient criteria; US EPA’s proposed approach for developing nutrient criteria for Florida’s waterbodies; P-based TMDL being developed for lake in MN; National Research Council review of the nutrient control program for Chesapeake Bay; update on the anoxia situation in the Gulf of Mexico. [82 kb]

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Volume 13 Number 2, March 10, 2010 - Topics: Issues, reports, meetings, conference & presentations on urban pesticide-caused aquatic life toxicity. [594 kb]

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Volume 13 Number 1, January 12, 2010 - Topics: Impacts of unmonitored, unregulated, and unrecognized chemicals in the aquatic systems; availability of a new CASQA Construction BMP Handbook; US EPA OPP request for public comment on options for disclosing inert ingredients in pesticides; Upcoming meetings: US EPA symposium on groundwater-borne infections diseases; NorCal SETAC annual meeting focusing on contaminants of emerging concern; CA DPP workshops on regulating pesticides for protection of surface water quality. [365 kb]


Volume 12

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Volume 12 Numbers 7 and 8, December 8, 2009 - Nutrient criteria; PCBs; Pesticide Toxicity; non-point news; monitoring stormwater runoff at Superfund sites, ATSDR public health - solid waste forum. [63 kb]

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Volume 12 Number 6, October 7, 2009 - Topics: Estimating Potential Hazard of Chemicals (QSAR); status of US EPA SAB review of proposed statistical approach for developing nutrient criteria; US EPA permitting of pesticide application to water for control of aquatic weeds and mosquitoes; announcements of US EPA Water Quality Standards Academy: Basic Course and the State of California Water Resources Control Board General Stormwater Construction Permit. [91 kb]

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Volume 12 Number 5, August 24, 2009 - Topics: US EPA nutrient criteria for phosphorus in streams - “conditional probability;” nutrient-related water quality problems in the Gulf of Mexico, California’s coastal & Central Valley waters; Coastal Stakeholder Advisory Group for SWRCB’s Numeric Nutrient Endpoints project; Central Valley Delta Ammonia Summit. [167 kb]

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Volume 12 Number 4, August 14, 2009 - Topics: pyrethroid-based pesticides in urban stormwater runoff & domestic wastewaters as a cause of aquatic life toxicity; potential environmental impacts of the pesticide, Imidacloprid, & nanomaterials; availability of new book on environmental modeling of pollutants. [171 kb]

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Volume 12 Number 3, May 10, 2009 - Topics: Sources of information on nanotechnology and nanomaterials and their implication for environmental quality; updates on LEHR/Putah Creek mercury issues, water quality modeling, regulating agricultural runoff, sediment quality evaluation (SQOs & nutrients), Hg & PCBs in fish; announcement of SETAC Workshops. [886 kb]

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Volume 12 Numbers 1 and 2, February 3, 2009 - Topics: Evaluation and management of water quality impacts of stormwater runoff/discharges from irrigated agriculture. [66 kb]


Volume 11

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Volume 11 Number 11, December 16, 2008 Topics: Water quality impacts of mercury in stormwater runoff from UCD/DOE LEHR Superfund site; water quality impacts of arsenic from former gold mines in Sierra Nevada mountains; stormwater-related information in recent issue of US EPA Non Point Source News; Gulf of Mexico hypoxia; USGS Studies on National Emerging Contaminants Data. [81 kb]

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Volume 11 Number 10, November 4, 2008 Topics: Information on National Research Council (NRC) report entitled, “Urban Stormwater Management in the United States;” on several GAO reviews of US EPA water quality and Superfund programs, funding of refuges; and on other recent NRC publications related to management of water quality in stormwater runoff. [45 kb]

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Volume 11 Number 9, September 23, 2008 Topic: Reliability problems with US EPA's "conditional probability" approach for water quality criteria/standards for phosphorus [59 kb]

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Volume 11 Numbers 7 and 8, August 4, 2008 Topics: Updates: more legal actions regarding application of water quality standards to urban stormwater runoff NPDES permits, impacts of PPCPs on water quality, Delta water quality, water quality modeling, impacts of pesticide mixtures, water quality standards and goals, fish consumption guidelines for organochlorine legacy pesticides, PCBs, mercury, and selenium; announcements of several newsletters and conferences [72 kb]

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Volume 11 Number 6, July 16, 2008 Topic: Application of water quality criteria/standards to urban and highway stormwater runoff [28 kb]

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Volume 11 Number 5, May 8, 2008 Topics: Synopsis of issues presented at the March 25, 2008 CWEMF Delta Nutrient Water Quality Modeling Workshop; links and references to the speakers’ PowerPoint slides and additional information pertinent to the topics covered. [366 kb]

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Volume 11 Number 4, April 30, 2008 Topics: New sources of information on a variety of topics pertinent to water quality evaluation and management with particular attention to pesticide-related water quality issues; announcements of several CWEMF workshops, other conferences, and publication. [35 kb]

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Volume 11 Number 3, February 26, 2008 Topic: update on the regulation of the organophosphorus (OP) pesticides, diazinon and chlorpyrifos, in the Central Valley of CA. [313 kb]

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Volume 11 Number 2, February 13, 2008 Topic: Excessive fertilization–related water quality problems in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta (CA) and control of nutrient input from urban and agricultural sources, as background to CWEMF Delta Nutrient Water Quality Modeling Workshop on March 25, 2008 in Sacramento, CA; links to information on major nutrient control programs in other parts of the US. [65 kb]

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Volume 11 Number 1 (supplement), January 16, 2008 Topic: Comments on California State Water Resources Control Board’s staff’s proposed approach for developing sediment quality objectives (SQOs) for Dredged Sediment. [23 kb]

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Volume 11 Number 1, January 14, 2008 Topic: Comments on California State Water Resources Control Board’s staff’s proposed approach for developing sediment quality objectives (SQOs) for Enclosed Bays and Estuaries of California and implications for stormwater management. [71 kb]


Volume 10

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Volume 10 Number 13, December 21, 2007 Topics: Announcement of, and agenda for, California Water and Environmental Modeling Forum (CWEMF)'s Sacramento San Joaquin Delta Nutrient Water Quality Modeling Workshop. [69 kb]

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Volume 10 Number 12, November 30, 2007 Topics: Role of pyrethroid-based pesticides in causing aquatic life toxicity in stormwater runoff and receiving waters/sediments; Using “adaptive management” for managing water quality and water resource problems. [37 kb]

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Volume 10 Numbers 10 & 11, October 18, 2007 Topic: Water Resource and Quality Crisis Issues in Sacramento San Joaquin Delta, CA. [705 kb]

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Volume 10 Number 9, September 17, 2007 Topic: Modeling of water quality impacts of stormwater runoff. [107 kb]

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Volume 10 Number 8, July 17, 2007 Topics: NRC review “Reducing Stormwater Discharge Contribution to Water Pollution,” US EPA Enhanced Water Quality Standards Information On-Line; CWEMF Workshop on Watershed and Urban Hydrology Modeling; UPC presentation on shift in urban pesticide usage in California & changes in concentrations and aquatic life toxicity of pesticides in urban stormwater runoff; and results of USGS survey of pesticide concentrations in US streams. [36 kb]

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Volume 10 Number 7, July 5, 2007 Topics: GAO reviews of US EPA urban stormwater runoff water quality program & BEACH 2000 Act; DTSC Symposium on PPCPs; US EPA N-Steps Webcasts; US EPA framework for metals risk assessment; Site-Specific Copper Water Quality Objectives for San Francisco Bay [58 kb]

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Volume 10 Number 6, June 22, 2007 Topics: Role of aquatic plant nutrients and algal growth in creating DO depletion and aquatic life toxicity; importance in control of sediment toxicity associated with heavy metals, organics, and other constituents [712 kb]

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Volume 10 Number 5, May 14, 2007 Topic: Part II of 2-part Newsletter on role of sediments as source of oxygen demand for waterbodies. Part II: Role of death/decomposition of planktonic algae in causing oxygen demand in the watercolumn of lakes and channels; role of nutrients from urban & agricultural stormwater runoff in stimulating planktonic algal growth; relationship between nutrient loads to lakes/reservoirs and hypolimnetic oxygen depletion rate [260 kb]

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Volume 10 Number 4, April 30, 2007 Topic: Part I of 2-part Newsletter on role of sediments as source of oxygen demand for waterbodies. Part I: Role of inorganic oxygen demand reactions, involving ferrous iron and sulfides, in causing rapid oxygen demand exerted when sediments are suspended into a watercolumn [108 kb]

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Volume 10 Number 3, April 16, 2007 Topic: Regulation of aquatic life toxicity in stormwater runoff from urban and agricultural areas [41 kb]

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Volume 10 Number 2, March 2, 2007 Topics: Nutrient-related urban stormwater runoff water quality issues. Synopsis of & citations/links to foundation studies defining amounts of N & P in urban stormwater runoff, nutrient export coefficients, leaves as a source of P in urban runoff, algal-available nutrients in runoff waters; Significance of urban stormwater runoff as source of algal-available N & P to waterbodies and implications for eutrophication and BMP development. [91 kb]

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Volume 10 Number 1, February 5, 2007 Topics: Flow & water quality issues in the San Joaquin River (CA); updates on low DO conditions in the San Joaquin River Deep Water Ship Channel near Stockton, CA. [187 kb]


Volume 9

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Volume 9 Number 10, December 19, 2006 Topics: Impact of nutrients from Upper Mississippi River watershed on hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico; role of nutrients in causing low dissolved oxygen concentrations in San Joaquin River Deep Water Ship Channel near Stockton, CA [60 kb]

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Volume 9 Number 9, September 25, 2006 Topics: California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) approach to regulating lead in soil for the protection of children’s health [41 kb]

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Volume 9 Number 8, September 14, 2006 Topics: Interpreting nitrogen and phosphorus concentration data; announcement of California Lake Management Society’s annual meeting; environmental aspects of pyrethroid-based pesticides; water quality impacts of oil in stormwater runoff [61 kb]

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Volume 9 Number 7, July 31, 2006 Topics: Upcoming conferences devoted to water quality aspects of agricultural runoff/discharges; update on aquatic life toxicity of aerially applied pyrethroid pesticide that has been used to control mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus [109 kb]

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Volume 9 Number 6, June 27, 2006 Topics: Review of issues that need to be considered in developing water quality criteria/standards for urban area and highway stormwater runoff to control adverse impacts on water quality; efficacy of conventional “best management practices” (BMPs) to meet water quality standards; information on expert panel report to the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) entitled, “The Feasibility of Numeric Effluent Limits Applicable to Discharges of Storm Water Associated with Municipal, Industrial and Construction Activities.” [53 kb]

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Volume 9 Number 5, June 5, 2006 Topics: Review of comparative risk issues in water quality management; regulation of arsenic in drinking water [62 kb]

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Volume 9 Number 4, March 31, 2006 Topics: Structure sealants as a source of PCBs; benzothiazoles as stormwater pollutant; recently proposed OEHHA fish tissue contaminant screening values; BASS modeling of bioaccumulation; US EPA water quality criteria for diazinon; sediment toxicity due to pyrethroid-based pesticides; USGS national pesticide studies [108 kb]

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Volume 9 Number 3, March 4, 2006 Topics: PBDEs as environmental pollutants; higher-density development and water quality protection; designated uses and use-attainability analysis; assessing water quality impacts of pesticides [48 kb]

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Volume 9 Number 1 & 2, January 4, 2006 Topic: Review of aquatic plant nutrient (N & P) water quality issues, with particular attention to recent information on non-point sources of nutrients [182 kb]


Volume 8

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Volume 8 Number 7, December 5, 2005 Topic: Lead as a stormwater pollutant [40 kb]

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Volume 8 Number 6, November 11, 2005 Topic: Updated information on the regulation of pesticides which, in stormwater runoff from urban and agricultural areas, cause aquatic life toxicity [57 kb]

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Volume 8 Number 5, August 30, 2005 Topic: Unrecognized pollutants; US EPA Workshop on Pharmaceuticals in the Environment [58 kb]

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Volume 8 Number 4, August 12, 2005 Topic: "Clean Water Act, Water Quality Criteria/Standards, TMDLs, and Weight-of-Evidence Approach for Regulating Water Quality." [172 kb]

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Volume 8 Number 3, April 25, 2005 Topic: Role of aqueous chemistry of iron in controlling release of potential pollutants upon resuspension of aquatic sediments

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Volume 8 Number 1 & 2, February 18, 2005 Topic: Pesticide-caused aquatic life toxicity in urban stormwater runoff after residential use ban on diazinon and chlorpyrifos


Volume 7

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Volume 7 Number 10, December 20, 2004 Topic: Comments on US EPA November 2004 report, “The Incidence and Severity of Sediment Contamination in Surface Waters of the United States.”

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Volume 7 Number 9, November 8, 2004 Topic: Summary of US EPA National Beaches Conference, San Diego, CA, October 2004

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Volume 7 Number 8, September 7, 2004 Topic: Unreliability of co-occurrence-based sediment quality guidelines

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Volume 7 Number 6 & 7, August 6, 2004 Topic: Urban creeks

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Volume 7 Number 5, July 13, 2004 Topic: Miscellaneous issues

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Volume 7 Number 4, May 11, 2004 Topic: Regulating excessive bioaccumulation

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Volume 7 Number 3, March 12, 2004 Topic: Unrecognized pollutants

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Volume 7 Number 2, February 11, 2004 Topic: Regulating water quality impacts

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Volume 7 Number 1, January 6, 2004 Topic: Dust suppressants, groundwater impacts


Volume 6

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Volume 6 Number 10, December 1, 2003 Topic: Monitoring water quality in stormwater runoff from irrigated lands

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Volume 6 Number 9, November 17, 2003 Topic: Best professional judgment triad Weight-of-evidence evaluation of water quality

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Volume 6 Number 8, October 9, 2003 Topic: US EPA strategy for water quality standards & criteria

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Volume 6 Number 7, July 16, 2003 Topic: Prevention of pollution in shipyards

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Volume 6 Number 6, June 12, 2003 Topic: California Stormwater Quality Association BMP handbooks

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Volume 6 Number 5, May 27, 2003 Topic: Pollutant trading

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Volume 6 Number 4, March 24, 2003 Topic: Organochlorine pesticides

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Volume 6 Number 3, February 18, 2003 Topic: Organophosphorus pesticides

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Volume 6 Number 2, January 6, 2003 Topic: Non-point-source water quality management

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Volume 6 Number 1, January 28, 2003 Topic: Updated water quality criteria


Volume 5

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Volume 5 Number 5, December 2, 2002 Topic: Stormwater TMDLs

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Volume 5 Number 4, August 14, 2002 Topic: US EPA Draft Strategy for Water Quality Criteria/Standards

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Volume 5 Number 3, March 5, 2002 Topic: US EPA Appeals Board Decision

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Volume 5 Number 2, February 20, 2002 Topic: TMDLs

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Volume 5 Number 1, January 10, 2002 Topic: Nutrient criteria


Volume 4

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Volume 4 Numbers 3 & 4 (double issue), April 13, 2001 Topic: Evaluation of nitrogen & phosphorus impacts

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Volume 4 Number 2, March 8, 2001 Topic: Bioaccumulation of organochlorine pesticides & PCBs

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Volume 4 Number 1, February 12, 2001 Topic: National Water Quality Inventory


Volume 3

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Volume 3 Number 6, October 11, 2000 Topic: OP pesticide TMDL goals

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Volume 3 Number 5, July 11, 2000 Topic: Organophosphorus pesticides

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Volume 3 Number 4, July 7, 2000 Topic: Regulating copper; TMDL goals

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Volume 3 Number 3, June 12, 2000 Topic: New construction issues

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Volume 3 Number 2, May 19, 2000 Topic: BMPs

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Volume 3 Number 1, May 10, 2000 Topic: Approaches for managing water quality impacts of urban stormwater runoff


Volume 2

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Volume 2 Number 3, November 8, 1999 Topic: Evaluation monitoring

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Volume 2 Number 2, October 16, 1999 Topic: Ninth Circuit Court Ruling

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Volume 2 Number 1, October 8, 1999 Topic: Aquatic life toxicity


Volume 1

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Volume 1 Numbers 6 & 7 (double issue), July 24, 1999 Topic: BMP ratcheting-down; Revision of water quality criteria

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Volume 1 Number 5, January 30, 1999 Topic: Water quality standards compliance

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Volume 1 Number 4, October 29, 1998 Topic: Water quality monitoring data review

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Volume 1 Number 3, October 8, 1998 Topic: Water quality standards

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Volume 1 Number 2, July 6, 1998 Topic: "Pollutant" vs "Contaminant;" "Water Quality;" Monitoring; Water quality evaluation

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Volume 1 Number 1, June 2, 1998 Topic: 303(d) listing; Dioxin pesticides