| | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | | Sec. 1. 38 MRSA §464, sub-§13 is enacted to read: |
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| | | 13.__Measurement of dissolved oxygen in riverine | | impoundments.__Compliance with dissolved oxygen criteria in | | existing riverine impoundments must be measured as follows. |
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| | | A.__Compliance with dissolved oxygen criteria may not be | | measured within 0.5 meters of the bottom of existing | | riverine impoundments. |
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| | | B.__Where mixing is inhibited due to thermal | | stratification in an existing riverine impoundment, | | compliance with numeric dissolved oxygen criteria may not | | be measured within that portion of the impoundment below | | the point of thermal stratification during the time | | stratification conditions occur, except where such | | stratification is caused in whole or in part by the | | operation of a dam. |
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| | | For purposes of this paragraph, "thermal stratification" | | means a change of temperature of at least one degree | | Celsius per meter of depth, causing water below this point | | in an impoundment to become isolated and not mix with | | water above this point in the impoundment. |
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| | | C.__Where mixing is inhibited due to natural topographic | | features in an existing riverine impoundment, compliance | | with numeric dissolved oxygen criteria may not be measured | | within that portion of the impoundment that is | | topographically isolated.__Such natural topographic | | features may include, but not be limited to, natural deep | | holes or river bottom sills. |
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| | | Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, dissolved | | oxygen concentrations in existing riverine impoundments must | | be sufficient to support existing and designated uses of these | | waters.__For purposes of this subsection, "existing riverine | | impoundments" means all impoundments of rivers and streams in | | existence as of January 1, 2001 and not otherwise classified | | as GPA. |
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| | | Sec. 2. 38 MRSA §465, sub-§3, ¶B, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 698, §15, | | is amended to read: |
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| | B. The dissolved oxygen content of Class B waters shall must | | be not less than 7 parts per million or 75% of saturation, | | whichever is higher, except that for the period from October | | 1st to May 14th, in order to ensure spawning and egg | | incubation of indigenous fish species, the 7-day |
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