The Rogue Valley Council of Governments (RVCOG) has performed water quality sampling and analysis in the Bear Creek Watershed since the 1960s. The monitoring program was developed to help the cities of Central Point, Medford, Phoenix, Talent, Ashland, Jacksonville, and Jackson County identify what kinds of pollutants (if any) were causing a problem to local waters. In addition, Bear Creek was identified as a water quality limited stream leading to the development of the initial Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) determination in 1992 which identified pollutants and required Designated Management Agencies (DMAs) including local municipalities to implement programs under the Clean Water Act to help improve and protect water quality.  Monitoring program are vital to identify pollutants, prioritize projects, and show long term improvements in water quality as programs are implemented and revised.  The last major changes to the TMDL monitoring program were made in 2011 when the Rogue Basin TMDL was completed.

The experience and resources (e.g., materials, match funding) provided by the TMDL program monitoring allows for additional monitoring to be completed in the Watershed through partnerships and grants.  Examples of recent monitoring efforts include the Almeda Post Fire Monitoring Program (2021-2023) and the W.I.S.E Effectiveness monitoring (2012-2014).

• Call the DEQ Complaint Hotline at 1-888-997-7888 or visit the DEQ website for more information.
• Refer to the appropriate Agency or Local Contact using the Hot Spot Contact List (Updated April 2021).
• Document the complaint or concern using photos.
• By request, RVCOG can investigate complaints. Contact Greg Stabach at (541) 423-1370. RVCOG keeps an ongoing record of complaints and field investigations.

3. QA/QC Sampling: This program is conducted as part of the effectiveness monitoring program. The Quality Assurance/Quality Control program consists of both external measures (e.g., split sampling with DEQ) and internal measures (splits, duplicates, blanks).

Results from the monitoring are used in meeting the TMDL requirements, in project effectiveness monitoring, to prioritize restoration projects, and for long term watershed health evaluation. The monitoring program operates under a DEQ-approved Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plan, and RVCOG’s data has been consistently rated as high quality data by DEQ.

Other Program Elements: Annual water quality reports, quarterly TMDL meetings, education and outreach, and serving as a point of contact for water quality concerns.

Water Quality Standards

Water quality standards are benchmarks established to assess whether the quality of Oregon’s rivers and lakes is adequate for fish and other aquatic life, recreation, drinking, agriculture, industry and other uses. Water quality standards are also regulatory tools used by DEQ and the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prevent pollution of our waters. States are required to adopt water quality standards by the CWA. States submit their standards to EPA for approval.

Under the Clean Water Act (CWA), States must identify water bodies (streams, lakes, rivers, etc.) that are not meeting water quality standards. Pollutants causing impairments to local streams include bacteria, nutrients (ammonia, nitrates, and phosphorus), sediment, and temperature. The CWA also includes a process for calculating total maximum daily loads (TMDLs). TMDLs define the theoretical amount of pollutants that can be present in a given waterbody without causing impairments to its designated beneficial uses (e.g., swimming, irrigation, fish rearing and spawning). Waterbodies can have multiple TMDLs, which are completed periodically for a set number of pollutants. The allowable contribution is divided up among sources in the watershed including urban, agricultural, forestry, and natural (background) sources. Designated Management Agencies (DMAs) are also identified through the process. DMAs are responsible for meeting the TMDL requirements and must implement actions to improve water quality conditions over time and track progress by monitoring and other methods.

TMDLs were completed for Bear Creek in 1992 and 2008. Central Point, Medford, Phoenix, Talent, Ashland, Jacksonville, Jackson County, Medford Irrigation District, Talent Irrigation District, and Rogue River Valley Irrigation Districts were identified as the DMAs. As a result, plans were developed and are being implemented to meet TMDL goals. Key components include water quality monitoring, implementing low impact development (LID) strategies, restoring riparian areas, and providing educational outreach programs.