Wenatchee River pollution plan OK’d
Goal is to reduce phosphorus to federal clean-water levels
WENATCHEE – A plan to reduce pollution in the Wenatchee River and Icicle Creek won federal approval this week. Now comes the daunting task of making it work.
The plan would bring the levels of phosphorus and dissolved oxygen into compliance with federal clean-water standards, making the creek and river friendlier for fish.
State Department of Ecology spokeswoman Joye Redfield-Wilder said other plans already approved have goals for reducing DDT in Mission Creek, fecal coliform in 11 different creeks, and temperatures in the Wenatchee River.
“This means that we’ve set out plans or goals to address all of the pollutants in the Wenatchee River basin,” she said.
A plan with specifics on how to reduce phosphorus will soon be complete, she added. Local septic systems and wastewater treatment plants will be among the polluting sources to be evaluated.