On This Page
- Alabama Assessment Summary
- Water Quality by Waterbody Type
- Causes of Impairment
- Probable Sources Contributing to Impairments
- TMDL Alternatives by Cause of Impairment
- Previously 303(d)-Listed Waters Now Attaining All Applicable Water Quality Standards
- Causes of Impairment for 303(d) Listed Waters
- Cumulative TMDLs by Pollutant
- Cumulative Number of TMDLs
Data are also available for these cycles:
2002
2004
2006
2010
Waterbody Changes from Prior Cycle
For More Information:
Alabama Assessment Report
State Water Quality Program
Alabama Water Quality Assessment Report
Features
- About This Database (Integrated Report)
- Assessing Water Quality (Questions and Answers)
- Integrated Reporting Guidance
- Previous National Water Quality Reports
- EnviroMapper for Water
- AskWATERS
- EPA WATERS Homepage
- Exchange Network
- Assessment Database
- Statewide Statistical Surveys
- How's My Waterway Local Search tool
- Pollution Categories Summary Document
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Summary Results
Alabama (2008)
Description of this table| Size of Water | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivers and Streams (Miles) |
Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds (Acres) |
Bays and Estuaries (Square Miles) |
Ocean and Near Coastal (Square Miles) |
||||||||||||
| Good Waters | 7,658.1 | 337,689.9 | 78.7 | ||||||||||||
| Previously impaired waters now attaining all uses |
55.7 | ||||||||||||||
| Threatened Waters | |||||||||||||||
| TMDL completed | |||||||||||||||
| TMDL alternative | |||||||||||||||
| Non-pollutant impairment | |||||||||||||||
| TMDL needed | |||||||||||||||
| Impaired Waters | 2,567.9 | 91,911.9 | 426.8 | 201.0 | |||||||||||
| TMDL completed | 760.0 | 28,886.7 | |||||||||||||
| TMDL alternative | 48.8 | ||||||||||||||
| Non-pollutant impairment | 22.8 | ||||||||||||||
| TMDL needed | 1,736.3 | 63,025.2 | 426.8 | 201.0 | |||||||||||
| New TMDLs completed | 124.1 | 14,594.6 | 108.1 | .0 | |||||||||||
| Remaining TMDLs needed | 1,612.2 | 48,430.6 | 318.8 | 201.0 | |||||||||||
![]() |
|||||||||||||||
| Total Assessed Waters | 10,226.0 | 429,601.8 | 505.5 | 201.0 | |||||||||||
| Total Waters | 77,242.0 | 490,472.0 | 610.0 | Unavailable | |||||||||||
| Percent of Waters Assessed | 13.2 | 87.6 | 82.9 | Unavailable | |||||||||||
Summary of Water Quality Assessments for Each Waterbody Type
for Reporting Year 2008
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Alabama Rivers and Streams 2008
Description of this table
|
|
Description of this table
|
|
Description of this table
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Individual Designated Use Support
Alabama Rivers and Streams 2008
* 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Recreation | 7,040.3 | 85.0 | .0 | 15.0 | |
| Drinking And Food Processing | 758.9 | 96.7 | .0 | 3.3 | |
| Fishing | 10,200.7 | 77.4 | .0 | 22.6 | |
| Industrial And Agriculture Uses | 10,217.0 | 95.7 | .0 | 4.3 | |
| Outstanding Alabama Water | 270.1 | 67.1 | .0 | 32.9 | |
| Propagation Of Fish And Wildlife | 7,028.1 | 73.9 | .0 | 26.1 |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Causes of Impairment
Alabama Rivers and Streams 2008
Description of this table
| Cause of Impairment | Cause of Impairment Group | Miles Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Sedimentation/Siltation | Sediment | |
| Fecal Coliform | Pathogens | |
| BOD, Carbonaceous | Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | |
| Phosphorus, Total | Nutrients | |
| Nitrogenous BOD | Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | |
| Mercury | Mercury | |
| Nitrogen, Total | Nutrients | |
| Ammonia, Total | Ammonia | |
| Iron | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Turbidity | Turbidity | |
| Aluminum | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Zinc | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Cyanide | Toxic Inorganics | |
| pH | pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions | |
| Endosulfan | Pesticides | |
| Methyl Parathion | Pesticides | |
| Benzo[a]pyrene (PAHs) | Toxic Organics | |
| Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) | Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) | |
| Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) | Total Toxics | |
| Cause Unknown | Cause Unknown | |
| Lead | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Chromium, Trivalent | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Dieldrin | Pesticides | |
| Atrazine | Pesticides | |
| Chlorpyrifos | Pesticides | |
| Dissolved Oxygen | Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | |
| Arsenic | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| DDT | Pesticides | |
| Copper | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Other Flow Regime Alterations | Flow Alteration(s) | |
| Chlordane | Pesticides | |
| Chloride | Salinity/Total Dissolved Solids/Chlorides/Sulfates |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Probable Sources
Alabama Rivers and Streams 2008
Description of this table
| Probable Source | Probable Source Group | Miles Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Livestock (Grazing Or Feeding Operations) | Agriculture | |
| Urban Runoff/Storm Sewers | Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater | |
| Source Unknown | Unknown | |
| Agriculture | Agriculture | |
| Municipal Point Source Discharges | Municipal Discharges/Sewage | |
| Impacts From Abandoned Mine Lands (Inactive) | Resource Extraction | |
| Non-Irrigated Crop Production | Agriculture | |
| Site Clearance (Land Development Or Redevelopment) | Construction | |
| Animal Feeding Operations (Nps) | Agriculture | |
| Industrial Point Source Discharge | Industrial | |
| Surface Mining | Resource Extraction | |
| Sanitary Sewer Overflows (Collection System Failures) | Municipal Discharges/Sewage | |
| Atmospheric Deposition - Toxics | Atmospheric Deposition | |
| Contaminated Sediments | Legacy/Historical Pollutants | |
| Habitat Modification - Other Than Hydromodification | Habitat Alterations (Not Directly Related To Hydromodification) | |
| Highways, Roads, Bridges, Infrastructure (New Construction) | Construction | |
| Loss Of Riparian Habitat | Habitat Alterations (Not Directly Related To Hydromodification) | |
| Landfills | Land Application/Waste Sites/Tanks | |
| Impacts From Hydrostructure Flow Regulation/Modification | Hydromodification | |
| On-Site Treatment Systems (Septic Systems And Similar Decentralized Systems) | Municipal Discharges/Sewage | |
| Mine Tailings | Resource Extraction | |
| Mill Tailings | Industrial | |
| Natural Sources | Natural/Wildlife | |
| Historic Bottom Deposits (Not Sediment) | Legacy/Historical Pollutants |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Alabama Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds 2008
Description of this table
|
|
Description of this table
|
|
Description of this table
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Individual Designated Use Support
Alabama Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds 2008
* 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Recreation | 417,555.3 | 83.8 | .0 | 16.2 | |
| Drinking And Food Processing | 177,634.1 | 81.0 | .0 | 19.0 | |
| Fishing | 429,601.8 | 78.6 | .0 | 21.4 | |
| Industrial And Agriculture Uses | 429,601.8 | 97.2 | .0 | 2.8 | |
| Propagation Of Fish And Wildlife | 421,390.2 | 80.1 | .0 | 19.9 |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Causes of Impairment
Alabama Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds 2008
Description of this table
| Cause of Impairment | Cause of Impairment Group | Acres Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus, Total | Nutrients | |
| Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) | Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) | |
| BOD, Carbonaceous | Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | |
| Nitrogenous BOD | Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | |
| pH | pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions | |
| Mercury | Mercury | |
| Sedimentation/Siltation | Sediment | |
| DDT | Pesticides |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Probable Sources
Alabama Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds 2008
Description of this table
| Probable Source | Probable Source Group | Acres Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Impacts From Hydrostructure Flow Regulation/Modification | Hydromodification | |
| Sources Outside State Jurisdiction Or Borders | Other | |
| Contaminated Sediments | Legacy/Historical Pollutants | |
| Urban Runoff/Storm Sewers | Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater | |
| Industrial Point Source Discharge | Industrial | |
| Municipal Point Source Discharges | Municipal Discharges/Sewage | |
| Atmospheric Deposition - Toxics | Atmospheric Deposition | |
| Dam Or Impoundment | Hydromodification | |
| Non-Irrigated Crop Production | Agriculture | |
| Source Unknown | Unknown | |
| Livestock (Grazing Or Feeding Operations) | Agriculture | |
| Sanitary Sewer Overflows (Collection System Failures) | Municipal Discharges/Sewage | |
| Impacts From Abandoned Mine Lands (Inactive) | Resource Extraction | |
| Spills From Trucks Or Trains | Spills/Dumping |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Alabama Bays and Estuaries 2008
Description of this table
|
|
Description of this table
|
|
Description of this table
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Individual Designated Use Support
Alabama Bays and Estuaries 2008
* Waters assessed for more than one designated use are included in multiple designated use groups below.
Description of this table| Designated Use | Square Miles Assessed | Percent Good | Percent Threatened | Percent Impaired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Recreation | 505.5 | 100.0 | .0 | .0 | |
| Fishing | 505.3 | 100.0 | .0 | .0 | |
| Industrial And Agriculture Uses | 490.7 | 100.0 | .0 | .0 | |
| Propagation Of Fish And Wildlife | 484.8 | 100.0 | .0 | .0 | |
| Shellfishing | 447.5 | 4.6 | .0 | 95.4 |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Causes of Impairment
Alabama Bays and Estuaries 2008
Description of this table
| Cause of Impairment | Cause of Impairment Group | Square Miles Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Enterococcus Bacteria | Pathogens |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Probable Sources
Alabama Bays and Estuaries 2008
Description of this table
| Probable Source | Probable Source Group | Square Miles Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Runoff/Storm Sewers | Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater | |
| On-Site Treatment Systems (Septic Systems And Similar Decentralized Systems) | Municipal Discharges/Sewage | |
| Municipal Point Source Discharges | Municipal Discharges/Sewage | |
| Source Unknown | Unknown |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Alabama Ocean and Near Coastal 2008
Description of this table
|
|
Description of this table
|
|
Description of this table
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Individual Designated Use Support
Alabama Ocean and Near Coastal 2008
* Waters assessed for more than one designated use are included in multiple designated use groups below.
Description of this table| Designated Use | Square Miles Assessed | Percent Good | Percent Threatened | Percent Impaired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Recreation | 201.0 | 100.0 | .0 | .0 | |
| Fishing | 201.0 | .0 | .0 | 100.0 | |
| Industrial And Agriculture Uses | 201.0 | 100.0 | .0 | .0 | |
| Propagation Of Fish And Wildlife | 201.0 | 100.0 | .0 | .0 | |
| Shellfishing | 201.0 | .0 | .0 | 100.0 |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Causes of Impairment
Alabama Ocean and Near Coastal 2008
Description of this table
| Cause of Impairment | Cause of Impairment Group | Square Miles Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Mercury |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Probable Sources
Alabama Ocean and Near Coastal 2008
Description of this table
| Probable Source | Probable Source Group | Square Miles Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Source Unknown | Unknown |
Alabama Causes of Impairment for Reporting Year 2008
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. See also Pollution categories summary document (PDF) (20 pp, 557K, About PDF) for brief, non-technical descriptions of general cause categories. | |||||||||||||||
| Cause of Impairment Group | Size of Assessed Waters with Listed Causes of Impairment | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivers and Streams (Miles) |
Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds (Acres) |
Bays and Estuaries (Square Miles) |
Ocean and Near Coastal (Square Miles) |
||||||||||||
| Ammonia | 185.5 | ||||||||||||||
| Cause Unknown | 36.8 | ||||||||||||||
| Flow Alteration(s) | 3.2 | ||||||||||||||
| Mercury | 494.9 | 8,794.3 | 201.0 | ||||||||||||
| Metals (other than Mercury) | 233.4 | ||||||||||||||
| Nutrients | 579.1 | 75,314.0 | |||||||||||||
| Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | 824.9 | 46,353.5 | |||||||||||||
| Pathogens | 806.4 | 426.8 | |||||||||||||
| Pesticides | 95.8 | 85.7 | |||||||||||||
| pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions | 56.0 | 12,702.5 | |||||||||||||
| Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) | 42.2 | 57,715.1 | |||||||||||||
| Salinity/Total Dissolved Solids/Chlorides/Sulfates | .2 | ||||||||||||||
| Sediment | 947.9 | 2,840.5 | |||||||||||||
| Total Toxics | 41.1 | ||||||||||||||
| Toxic Inorganics | 57.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Toxic Organics | 44.6 | ||||||||||||||
| Turbidity | 110.5 | ||||||||||||||
Alabama Probable Sources Contributing to Impairments
for Reporting Year 2008
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) |
Bays and Estuaries (Square Miles) |
Ocean and Near Coastal (Square Miles) |
||||||||||||
| Agriculture | 1,123.1 | 4,728.2 | |||||||||||||
| Atmospheric Deposition | 100.8 | 6,592.5 | |||||||||||||
| Construction | 297.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Habitat Alterations (Not Directly Related To Hydromodification) | 56.4 | ||||||||||||||
| Hydromodification | 31.2 | 58,712.6 | |||||||||||||
| Industrial | 194.2 | 12,276.8 | |||||||||||||
| Land Application/Waste Sites/Tanks | 44.8 | ||||||||||||||
| Legacy/Historical Pollutants | 69.0 | 32,281.9 | |||||||||||||
| Municipal Discharges/Sewage | 448.8 | 12,276.8 | 157.6 | ||||||||||||
| Natural/Wildlife | 17.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Other | 50,019.3 | ||||||||||||||
| Resource Extraction | 425.7 | 412.5 | |||||||||||||
| Spills/Dumping | 412.5 | ||||||||||||||
| Unknown | 528.0 | 3,551.2 | 1.0 | 201.0 | |||||||||||
| Urban-Related Runoff/Stormwater | 575.6 | 22,499.2 | 376.3 | ||||||||||||
Alabama TMDL Alternatives by Cause of Impairment 2008
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) |
||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zinc | 49 | |||||||||||||
| Ammonia, Total | 45 | |||||||||||||
| BOD, Carbonaceous | 45 | |||||||||||||
| Benzo[a]pyrene (PAHs) | 45 | |||||||||||||
| Cyanide | 45 | |||||||||||||
Total: 6 TMDL Alternatives
Alabama Previously 303(d)-Listed Waters Now Attaining All Applicable Water Quality Standards
Description of this table| NOTE: Click on the underlined "Number of Waters Attaining" value for a detailed list of those previously 303(d)-listed waters now attaining all applicable water quality standards. | ||
| Year Attaining | Number of Waters Attaining | Number of Causes of Impairment Addressed |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 3 | |
Alabama 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 |
|---|---|
| Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | |
| Sediment | |
| Pathogens | |
| Mercury | |
| Nutrients | |
| Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions | |
| Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) | |
| Pesticides | |
| Ammonia | |
| Total Toxics | |
| Cause Unknown | |
| Turbidity | |
| Toxic Inorganics | |
| Salinity/Total Dissolved Solids/Chlorides/Sulfates | |
Total: 340 Causes of Impairment
Alabama 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Carbonaceous Bod | 60 | |
| Fecal Coliform | 48 | |
| Phosphorus, Total | 61 | |
| Nitrogenous BOD | 31 | |
| Sediment | 31 | |
| Nitrogen, Total | 19 | |
| Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) | 15 | |
| NH3-N | 12 | |
| Ammonia | 5 | |
| Enterococcus Bacteria | 5 | |
| Aluminum | 3 | |
| Iron | 3 | |
| Pathogens | 3 | |
| Endosulfan | 2 | |
| Methyl Parathion | 2 | |
| pH | 2 | |
| Atrazine | 1 | |
| Chemical Biological Oxygen Demand 5 Day Average | 1 | |
| Chlorpyrifos | 1 | |
| Copper | 1 | |
| Lead | 1 | |
| Priority Organics - PCBs | 1 | |
| Turbidity | 1 | |
| Zinc | 1 | |
Total: 287 TMDLs; 310 Causes of Impairment Addressed
Alabama 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 22 | |
| 2003 | 116 | |
| 2004 | 27 | |
| 2005 | 41 | |
| 2006 | 4 | |
| 2007 | 24 | |
| 2008 | 9 | |
| 2009 | 45 | |
| 2010 | 5 | |
| 2011 | 12 | |
| 2012 | 5 | |
Total: 287 TMDLs; 310 Causes of Impairment Addressed
![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif)
