Development of Site-Specific Dissolved Oxygen Criteria for a River that Receives Paper Mill Wastewater, 1997 Environmental Conference Proceedings

Champion International Corporation operates a paper mill in Lufkin, Texas which discharges treated wastewater into the Angelina River via Paper Mill Creek. The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) proposed water quality-based permit limits for the mill effluent of 12 mg/L Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) to achieve the existing 5 mg/L average and 4 mg/L minimum dissolved oxygen (D.O.) criteria in the Angelina River. It is known that dissolved oxygen less than the state-wide criteria values naturally occurs in the streams of East Texas during periods of high temperatures and minimal stream flow. An use attainability and site-specific criteria study was completed to determine if the existing D.O. criteria were necessary to protect indigenous aquatic life in the Angelina River.

Comparative data were collected from the Angelina River and Attoyac Bayou, a least-disturbed reference stream, during two summer low-flow sampling events and two spring high-flow sampling events. These data included diurnal D.O. concentrations, hydraulic measurements, habitat assessment, and qualitative collection of the fish and benthic macro invertebrate communities.

A justification was developed for site-specific D.O criteria based on similar biological integrity in the Angelina River and Attoyac Bayou despite differences in the D.O. regimes in the two streams. Biological integrity was calculated using TNRCC biocriteria.