Big Black River Basin
The Big Black River Basin, located in west-central Mississippi, is approximately 155 miles long and averages 22 miles in width. The Basin drainage area covers 3,400 square miles. The only major waterway in the basin is the Big Black River which begins in Webster County near the town of Eupora and flows southwesterly for approximately 300 miles to its outlet to the Mississippi River twenty-five miles south of Vicksburg.
Features
Resource Agency Partners
There are 14 state and federal agencies coordinating their activities in the Big Black River Basin.
Approved Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Reports
Each impaired water body will have a report completed for each pollutant causing impairment. Each TMDL report includes the suspected sources of impairment, and predicts a reduction for the pollutant necessary to restore the water body to its intended use. For more information about the TMDL program, please click on the TMDL Quick Link.
Water Quality Assessment Report- Section 305(b) Report
MDEQ monitors the quality of surface water throughout the state. Monitoring data and information are used to make water quality assessments. Assessments are general characterizations of water body health. The state’s most comprehensive assessment report is the Federal Clean Water Act Section 305(b) Water Quality Inventory Report. For more information about the 305(b) report and the water assessment process, please go to the Assessment Section Quick Link. The most recent 305(b) report with assessment information for this basin can be found at the link below:
Water Quality Impairments- Section 303(d) List
The Section 303(d) List of Water Bodies lists the impaired segments of specific water bodies, the location and length impaired, the cause of impairment, and the intended use.
Water Quality Standards
Surface waters (e.g., streams, rivers, lakes, estuearies, etc) are assigned intended uses. These designations allow regulatory agencies to establish water quality goals, which protect aquatic life and allow safe use by the public. These goals are referred to as Water Quality Standards. The designations that exist in Mississippi are Public Water Supply, Shellfish Harvesting, Recreation, and Fish and Wildlife (i.e., Aquatic Life Use Support and Ephemeral). Click the link below for a map or a list of the designated waters of the Big Black River Basin.
The Basin Management Approach, TMDLs, Assessments, andSections are all part of the Surface Water Division of MDEQ. For more information about activities relating to surface water, please visit the link to the Surface Water Division Home Page.
For more information, contact Donetta McCullum.
