Final Great Salt Lake Comprehensive Management Plan
Table 2.10. Beneficial Uses Designated to Great Salt Lake Class
Geographical Boundary
Beneficial Uses
Class 5A: Gilbert Bay
All open waters at or below an approximately 4,208foot elevation south of the Southern Railroad Causeway, excluding all of Farmington Bay south of the Antelope Island Causeway* and salt evaporation ponds.
Protected for frequent primary and secondary contact recreation, waterfowl, shorebirds and other water-oriented wildlife, including their necessary food chain.
Class 5B: Gunnison Bay
All open waters at or below an approximately 4,208foot elevation north of the Southern Railroad Causeway and west of the Promontory Mountains, excluding salt evaporation ponds.
Protected for infrequent primary and secondary contact recreation, waterfowl, shorebirds, and other water-oriented wildlife including their necessary food chain.
Class 5C: Bear River Bay
All open waters at or below an approximately 4,208foot elevation north of the Southern Railroad Causeway and east of the Promontory Mountains, excluding salt evaporation ponds.
Protected for infrequent primary and secondary contact recreation, waterfowl, shorebirds, and other water-oriented wildlife including their necessary food chain.
Class 5D: Farmington Bay
All open waters at or below an approximately 4,208foot elevation east of Antelope Island and south of the Antelope Island Causeway*, excluding salt evaporation ponds.
Protected for infrequent primary and secondary contact recreation, waterfowl, shorebirds, and other water-oriented wildlife including their necessary food chain.
Class 5E: Transitional waters along the shoreline of GSL
All waters below an approximately 4,208-foot elevation to the current lake level of the open water of GSL receiving their source water from naturally occurring springs and streams, impounded wetlands, or facilities requiring a Utah Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit. The geographical areas of these transitional waters change corresponding to the fluctuation of open water elevation.
Protected for infrequent primary and secondary contact recreation, waterfowl, shorebirds, and other water-oriented wildlife including their necessary food chain.
* Referred to as the Davis County Causeway in this plan.
Under the CWA, states are required to develop water quality standards for their surface waters, including wetlands. The EPA has established numeric standards (toxicity thresholds) for many toxic pollutants; these standards are refined and used by the states in conjunction with assessments of the beneficial uses for the various types of waterbodies. The application of national freshwater or marine quality criteria to GSL may not be applicable because 1) the lake has unique biogeochemical processes that alter the fate and transport of pollutants and 2) the lake supports unique species different from those on which national criteria are based. To date, DWQ has established a single numeric water quality criterion for selenium, which is applicable to Class 5A, Gilbert Bay (UTAH ADMIN. CODE R317-2-14). Until numeric criteria can be developed, the beneficial uses of GSL are protected with the following narrative criterion (UTAH ADMIN. CODE R317-2-7.2): It shall be unlawful, and a violation of these regulations, for any person to discharge or place any waste or other substance in such a way as will be or may become offensive such as unnatural deposits, floating debris, oil, scum or other nuisances such as color, odor or taste; or cause conditions which produce undesirable aquatic life or which produce objectionable tastes in edible aquatic organisms; or result in concentrations or combinations of substances which produce undesirable physiological responses in desirable resident fish, or other
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