Overcoming Data Limitations to Establish Nitrate and Ammonia TMDLs for Stone Dam Creek, Arkansas

Many 303(d) listed water bodies need to have Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) developed with limited time, budget, and, most restrictively, data. Although in an ideal situation the use of a calibrated model is optimum, for many systems the data availability and schedule do not support the implementation of a deterministic model for the establishment of the TMDL and load allocations. As a result, scientists and engineers charged with developing these TMDLs need to consider other methods, including simple models or mass balance approaches, that can address the difficulties involved with limited data availability. This paper presents the challenges encountered when establishing TMDLs for nitrate and ammonia in a small creek in Arkansas and how these challenges were overcome to establish the TMDLs.