Recent Additions | Contact Us Search: All EPA This Area

• You are here: EPA Home
• Water
• WATERS
• Water Quality Assessment and TMDL Information
• Maine Water Quality Assessment Report

---

Maine Assessment Summary for Reporting Year 2006

Description of this table

	Size of Water
	Rivers and Streams (Miles)	Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds (Acres)
Good Waters	29,630.7	852,663.0
Previously impaired waters       now attaining all uses
Threatened Waters
TMDL completed
TMDL alternative
Non-pollutant impairment
TMDL needed
Impaired Waters	1,214.0	110,641.0
TMDL completed	75.1
TMDL alternative	101.9	3,296.0
Non-pollutant impairment	32.2	65,832.0
TMDL needed	1,004.8	41,513.0
New TMDLs completed	79.9	15,397.0
Remaining TMDLs needed	924.9	26,116.0
Total Assessed Waters	30,844.7	963,304.0
Total Waters	31,752.0	987,283.0
Percent of Waters Assessed	97.1	97.6

Top of page

---

Summary of Water Quality Assessments for Each Waterbody Type
for Reporting Year 2006

Maine Assessed Waters
Summary of Water Quality Attainment for Rivers and Streams
Reporting Year 2006

Description of this table Assessed Status Miles Assessed 30,844.7 Unassessed 907.3 Total Miles 31,752.0

Description of this table Attainment Status Miles Good 29,630.7 Threatened .0 Impaired 1,214.0 Total Miles Assessed 30,844.7

Description of this table TMDL Development Status Miles All TMDLs completed 155.0 TMDL alternative 101.9 Non-pollutant impairment 32.2 TMDL needed 924.9 Total Threatened and Impaired 1,214.0

Top of page

Maine Assessed Waters
Designated Use Support for Rivers and Streams
Reporting Year 2006*

* Waters assessed for more than one designated use are included in multiple designated use groups below.

Description of this table

Designated Use	Miles Assessed	Percent Good	Percent Threatened	Percent Impaired	% Good
					% Threatened
					% Impaired
Drinking Water Supply After Disinfection	4,399.6	100.0	.0	.0
Drinking Water Supply After Treatment	977.4	99.7	.0	.3
Fish And Other Aquatic Life	30,638.9	98.0	.0	2.0
Fish Consumption	5,558.5	88.3	.0	11.7
Fishing	5,359.5	99.8	.0	.2
Hydroelectric Power Generation	1,572.2	100.0	.0	.0
Industrial Process And Cooling Water Supply	1,572.2	100.0	.0	.0
Navigation	5,349.9	99.9	.0	.1
Primary Contact Recreation	5,357.2	96.2	.0	3.8
Secondary Contact Recreation	5,357.2	96.2	.0	3.8

Top of page

Maine Causes of Impairment
for Threatened and Impaired Rivers and Streams
Reporting Year 2006

Description of this table

Cause of Impairment	Cause of Impairment Group	Miles Threatened or Impaired
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)	Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)	395.5
Dioxin (Including 2,3,7,8-TCDD)	Dioxins	382.7
Dissolved Oxygen	Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion	377.0
Benthic Macroinvertebrates Bioassessments	Cause Unknown - Impaired Biota	223.5
DDT	Pesticides	214.2
Escherichia Coli (E. Coli)	Pathogens	201.4
Nutrient/Eutrophication Biological Indicators	Nutrients	137.9
Habitat Assessment (Streams)	Cause Unknown - Impaired Biota	69.5
Phosphorus, Total	Nutrients	42.1
Other Flow Regime Alterations	Flow Alteration(s)	32.2
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)	Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion	32.0
Ammonia, Un-ionized	Ammonia	29.4
Zinc	Metals (other than Mercury)	26.6
Copper	Metals (other than Mercury)	26.6
Lead	Metals (other than Mercury)	26.6
Selenium	Metals (other than Mercury)	20.5
Aluminum	Metals (other than Mercury)	20.5
Silver	Metals (other than Mercury)	20.5
Arsenic	Metals (other than Mercury)	20.5
Iron	Metals (other than Mercury)	9.4
Total Suspended Solids (TSS)	Turbidity	9.2
Nickel	Metals (other than Mercury)	6.1
Cadmium	Metals (other than Mercury)	6.1
Chromium, Total	Metals (other than Mercury)	6.1
Benzene	Toxic Organics	4.5
Nitrogen, Total	Nutrients	3.5
1,1-Dichloroethane	Toxic Organics	3.2
1,2-Dichloroethane	Pesticides	3.2
pH	pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions	1.0
Cause Unknown	Cause Unknown	.6

Top of page

Maine Probable Sources of Impairments
for Threatened and Impaired Rivers and Streams
Reporting Year 2006

Description of this table

Probable Source	Probable Source Group	Miles Threatened or Impaired
Agriculture	Agriculture	329.6
Non-Point Source	Unspecified Nonpoint Source	98.5
Municipal Point Source Discharges	Municipal Dishcarges/Sewage	89.7
Industrial Point Source Discharge	Industrial	68.0
Post-Development Erosion And Sedimentation	Hydromodification	58.1
Dam Or Impoundment	Hydromodification	55.5
Wet Weather Discharges (Point Source And Combination Of Stormwater, Sso Or Cso)	Municipal Dishcarges/Sewage	50.9
Unspecified Urban Stormwater	Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater	33.8
Habitat Modification - Other Than Hydromodification	Habitat Alterations (Not Directly Related To Hydromodification)	25.8
Flow Alterations From Water Diversions	Hydromodification	25.0
Upstream Source	Other	15.8
Inappropriate Waste Disposal	Spills/Dumping	13.9
Rcra Hazardous Waste Sites	Industrial	12.2
Aquaculture (Permitted)	Aquaculture	9.1
Sources Outside State Juristiction Or Borders	Other	8.2
Impacts From Abandoned Mine Lands (Inactive)	Resource Extraction	3.0
Airports	Industrial	2.5
Impacts From Hydrostructure Flow Regulation/Modification	Hydromodification	1.0
Source Unknown	Unknown	.8
Illegal Dumps Or Other Inappropriate Waste Disposal	Spills/Dumping	.6
Wet Weather Discharges (Non-Point Source)	Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater	.6

Top of page

---

Maine Assessed Waters
Summary of Water Quality Attainment for Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds
Reporting Year 2006

Description of this table Assessed Status Acres Assessed 963,304.0 Unassessed 23,979.0 Total Acres 987,283.0

Description of this table Attainment Status Acres Good 852,663.0 Threatened .0 Impaired 110,641.0 Total Acres Assessed 963,304.0

Description of this table TMDL Development Status Acres All TMDLs completed 15,397.0 TMDL alternative 3,296.0 Non-pollutant impairment 65,832.0 TMDL needed 26,116.0 Total Threatened and Impaired 110,641.0

Top of page

Maine Assessed Waters
Designated Use Support for Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds
Reporting Year 2006*

* Waters assessed for more than one designated use are included in multiple designated use groups below.

Description of this table

Designated Use	Acres Assessed	Percent Good	Percent Threatened	Percent Impaired	% Good
					% Threatened
					% Impaired
Drinking Water Supply After Disinfection	391,920.0	100.0	.0	.0
Fish And Other Aquatic Life	963,304.0	91.9	.0	8.1
Fish Consumption	391,920.0	99.7	.0	.3
Fishing	391,920.0	100.0	.0	.0
Hydroelectric Power Generation	391,920.0	100.0	.0	.0
Industrial Process And Cooling Water Supply	391,920.0	100.0	.0	.0
Navigation	391,920.0	100.0	.0	.0
Primary Contact Recreation	391,920.0	91.9	.0	8.1
Secondary Contact Recreation	391,920.0	100.0	.0	.0

Top of page

Maine Causes of Impairment
for Threatened and Impaired Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds
Reporting Year 2006

Description of this table

Cause of Impairment	Cause of Impairment Group	Acres Threatened or Impaired
Habitat Assessment (Lakes)	Cause Unknown - Impaired Biota	65,832.0
Phosphorus, Total	Nutrients	43,285.0
Secchi Disk Transparency	Turbidity	35,204.0
Dissolved Oxygen	Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion	8,081.0
Turbidity	Turbidity	7,865.0
Nutrient/Eutrophication Biological Indicators	Nutrients	448.0

Top of page

Maine Probable Sources of Impairments
for Threatened and Impaired Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds
Reporting Year 2006

Description of this table

Probable Source	Probable Source Group	Acres Threatened or Impaired
Impacts From Hydrostructure Flow Regulation/Modification	Hydromodification	65,832.0
Rural (Residential Areas)	Other	37,571.0
Non-Irrigated Crop Production	Agriculture	12,058.0
Internal Nutrient Recycling	Natural/Wildlife	11,490.0
Livestock (Grazing Or Feeding Operations)	Agriculture	10,929.0
Natural Sources	Natural/Wildlife	10,195.0
Crop Production (Crop Land Or Dry Land)	Agriculture	7,784.0
Residential Districts	Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater	6,019.0
Municipal Point Source Discharges	Municipal Dishcarges/Sewage	4,288.0
Unspecified Urban Stormwater	Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater	3,296.0
Unspecified Unpaved Road Or Trail	Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater	3,296.0
Industrial Land Treatment	Industrial	1,820.0
Upstream/Dowstream Source	Other	83.0
Flow Alterations From Water Diversions	Hydromodification	30.0
Landfills	Land Application/Waste Sites/Tanks	29.0

Top of page

---

Maine Causes of Impairment for Reporting Year 2006

Description of this table

NOTE: Click on the underlined Cause of Impairment Group to see a list of specific state causes of impairment making up the Cause of Impairment Group.
Cause of Impairment Group	Size of Assessed Waters with Listed Causes of Impairment
	Rivers and Streams (Miles)	Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds (Acres)
Ammonia	29.4
Cause Unknown	.6
Cause Unknown - Impaired Biota	254.4	65,832.0
Dioxins	382.7
Flow Alteration(s)	32.2
Metals (other than Mercury)	29.9
Nutrients	183.5	43,733.0
Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion	398.5	8,081.0
Pathogens	201.4
Pesticides	217.4
pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions	1.0
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)	395.5
Toxic Organics	7.7
Turbidity	9.2	43,069.0

Top of page

---

Maine Probable Sources Contributing to Impairments
for Reporting Year 2006

Description of this table

NOTE: Click on the underlined Probable Source Group to see a list of specific state Probable Sources making up the Probable Source Group.
Probable Source Group	Size of Assessed Waters with Probable Sources of Impairments
	Rivers and Streams (Miles)	Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds (Acres)
Agriculture	329.6	30,478.0
Aquaculture	9.1
Habitat Alterations (Not Directly Related To Hydromodification)	25.8
Hydromodification	139.6	65,862.0
Industrial	79.5	1,820.0
Land Application/Waste Sites/Tanks		29.0
Municipal Dishcarges/Sewage	96.3	4,288.0
Natural/Wildlife		21,639.0
Other	23.9	37,654.0
Resource Extraction	3.0
Spills/Dumping	14.5
Unknown	.8
Unspecified Nonpoint Source	98.5
Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater	34.5	6,019.0

Top of page

---

Maine TMDL Alternatives by Cause of Impairment 2006

Description of this table

NOTE: Click on the underlined "Number of TMDL Alternatives by Cause of Impairment " value to see a listing of those Causes of Impairment.
Cause of Impairment	Number of TMDL Alternatives	Rivers and Streams (Miles)	Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds (Acres)
Dioxin (Including 2,3,7,8-TCDD)	20	313
Benthic Macroinvertebrates Bioassessments	7	35
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)	3	42
Phosphorus, Total	2		3,296
Secchi Disk Transparency	2		3,296
Ammonia, Un-ionized	1	1
Benzene	1	5
Dissolved Oxygen	1	6
Nitrogen, Total	1	4

Total: 38 TMDL Alternatives

Top of page

---

Maine Previously Impaired Waters Now Attaining All Uses

Description of this table

NOTE: Click on the underlined "Number of Waters Attaining" value for a detailed list of those waters now attaining all uses.
Cycle Attaining	Number of Waters Attaining	Number of Causes of Impairment Addressed
2008	1	1

Top of page

---

Maine Causes of Impairment for 303(d) Listed Waters

Description of this table

NOTE: Click on a cause of impairment (e.g. pathogens) to see the specific state-reported causes that are grouped to make up this category. Click on the "Number of Causes of Impairment Reported" to see a list of waters with that cause of impairment.
Cause of Impairment Group Name	Number of Causes of Impairment Reported
Cause Unknown - Impaired Biota	64
Pathogens	62
Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion	53
Nutrients	32
Turbidity	28
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)	25
Pesticides	6
Dioxins	5
Metals (other than Mercury)	2
Toxic Organics	1
pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions	1
Cause Unknown	1

Total: 280 Causes of Impairment

Top of page

---

Maine Cumulative TMDLs by Pollutant

This chart includes TMDLs since October 1, 1995.

Description of this table

NOTE: Click on the underlined "Pollutant" value to see associated listed waters for which a TMDL was developed. Click on the underlined "Number of TMDLs" value to see a listing of those TMDLs for the pollutant.
Pollutant	Number of TMDLs	Number of Causes of Impairment Addressed
Fecal Coliform	143	143
Escherichia Coli (E. Coli)	62	62
Phosphorus, Total	43	47
Lead	6	6
Zinc	6	6
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)	5	5
NH3	4	4
Copper	3	3
Pollutants in Urban Stormwater	3	3
Total Suspended Solids (TSS)	3	5
Cadmium	2	2
Iron	2	2
Aluminum	1	1
Arsenic	1	1
Carbonaceous Bod	1	3
Chromium	1	1
Nickel	1	1
Nitrogen, Total	1	1
Orthophosphorus	1	3
Sediment	1	1
Selenium	1	1
Silver	1	1

Total: 292 TMDLs; 302 Causes of Impairment Addressed

Top of page

Maine Cumulative Number of TMDLs

EPA Fiscal Year starts October 1 and ends September 30.

Description of this table

NOTE: Click on the underlined "Number of TMDLs Completed" value for a detailed list of the TMDLs for the fiscal year.
Fiscal Year	Number of TMDLs	Number of Causes of Impairment Addressed
1999	2	2
2000	11	11
2001	12	12
2002	2	2
2003	12	12
2004	7	7
2005	19	27
2006	6	8
2007	11	11
2008	5	5
2009	205	205

Total: 292 TMDLs; 302 Causes of Impairment Addressed

Top of page

---

TMDL Document Search

Top of page

• EPA Home
• Privacy and Security Notice
• Contact Us