General

General. General. This chapter establishes standard protocols for developing site-specific water quality criteria for total phosphorus. A phosphorus site-specific criterion may be established to appropriately protect a waterbody’s designated uses when the applicable statewide total phosphorus criterion, as specified in s. NR 102.06 , is determined by the department to be more or less stringent than necessary to protect the uses of the waterbody due to site-specific conditions. The requirements specified in s. 281.15 (1) and (2) (b) to (e) , Stats., shall be met when developing a site-specific criterion under this chapter. Protection of a waterbody’s designated uses is evaluated using indicators of the ecosystem’s response to phosphorus and overall biotic integrity. After a phosphorus site-specific criterion is adopted, approved by the U.S. EPA, and takes effect, it becomes the applicable water quality criterion under s. 281.15 , Stats., for the approved waterbody or segment.