Bioassessment and Biocriteria Program Status for Fort Belknap Indian Community (FBIC) Aaniiih & Nakoda Tribes: Streams and Wadeable Rivers

State Program Contact

Fort Belknap Indian Community

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Water Quality Standards

WQS Information

The Fort Belknap Indian Community Aaniiih & Nakoda Tribes drafted WQS that have not been Tribally-adopted or approved by the EPA in accordance to Clean Water Act purposes. Please contact their WQ Program for additional information.

Designated Aquatic Life Uses

• Aquatic Life Fishery, Cold-water
• Aquatic Life Fishery, Warm-water
• Aquatic Life, Non-fishery Cold-water
• Aquatic Life, Non-fishery Warm-water

Biological Criteria

_____ Narrative
_____ Numeric
__X__ No criteria

At this time the FBIC does not have specific, numeric biological standards or criteria, however, it is the intent of the Tribes to develop such criteria or standards as resources allow.

Antidegradation Policy

Biocriteria or bioassessment not used in antidegradation policy.

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Biological Assessment

What biological assemblages are used in the bioassessment program?
Benthic macroinvertebrates, fish, and amphibians

Are bioassessments used to support 303(d) listings? 
No.

How are assemblages used to make impairment decisions?
Not applicable.

Other uses of biocriteria or bioassessment within  the water quality program:
In the TWQS Draft, refining ALU, TMDL development and assessment, antidegradation, non-point source assessments, BMP evaluation, 303(d) water quality standards assessment, 305(b) surface water condition assessment, and restoration goals may be incorporated.

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Technical Support Information and Documents

Reference condition

“Reference conditions” describe the characteristics of water body segments least impaired by human activities. As such, reference conditions can be used to describe attainable biological or habitat conditions for water body segments with common watershed/catchment characteristics within defined geographical regions.

Technical reference material

• TWQS Document

Biocriteria

Not applicable.

Stressor identification/causal analysis approach

Not applicable.