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The California Water Boards' Annual Performance Report - Fiscal Year 2013-14
PLAN AND ASSESS: BASIN PLANNING |
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MEASUREMENTS
| Basin Planning Amendments Adopted by Regional Boards in Fiscal Year 2013-2014 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Title | Description Implementation Through |
Adoption Date | |||
| 1 | Amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the North Coast Region to include the Policy for the Implementation of the Water Quality Objectives for Temperature, and Action Plans to Address Temperature Impairments in the Mattole, Navarro, and Eel River Watersheds (Resolution No. R1-2014-0006) | The amendment adds a policy to implement the water quality objective for temperature, The purpose of the Policy for the Implementation of the Water Quality Objectives for Temperature (Temperature Policy) is to describe the range of tools available for protection against anthropogenically elevated water temperatures to remediate, restore, and protect temperature-impaired waterbodies and to control the cumulative impacts of elevated water temperature on other waterbodies. The Temperature Policy affirms the need to address water temperatures region-wide, but on a case-by-case basis in the context of a given permit or other action to reduce impairments and prevent further impairment. The amendment also establishes implementation plans for the Navarro, Mattole, Upper Main Eel, Middle Main Eel, Lower Eel, Middle Fork Eel, North Fork Eel, and South Fork Eel River temperature total maximum daily loads. | 3/13/2014 | |||
| 1 | Amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the North Coast Basin Regarding the Onsite Wastewater System Implementation Program (Resolution No. R1-2014-0009) | The amendment revises the onsite wastewater sections of the Basin Plan and incorporates by reference the State Water Board's Water Quality Control Policy for Siting, Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems into the Basin Plan. | 6/19/2014 | |||
| 2 | Amending the Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) for the San Francisco Bay to establish a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for fine sediment in the Lagunitas Creek Watershed and an Implementation Plan to Achieve the TMDL and Related Habitat Enhancement Goals (Resolution No. R2-2014-0027) | The amendment incorporates the TMDL addressing the elevated concentration of sand and fine gravel in the streambed in Lagunitas Creek. Lagunitas Creek provides critical habitat for Coho salmon, steelhead, and California freshwater shrimp, all of which are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. The TMDL calls for implementation measures to control fine sediment, enhance channel habitat, and restore the floodplain to restore properly functioning habitat conditions. | 6/11/2014 | |||
| 2 | Amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay Basin to incorporate new Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Policy; Amend Wet Weather Overflow Policy; Update Graywater Information; and Update Table of Municipal Wastewater Discharge Locations (Resolution No. R2-2014-0028) | The amendment revises onsite wastewater sections of the Basin Plan to incorporate by reference the State Water Board's Water Quality Control Policy for Siting, Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems into the Basin Plan. The amendment also revised wet weather overflow policy, updated a table of discharge locations, and updated graywater system information. | 6/11/2014 | |||
| 3 | Amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin to adopt Total Maximum Daily Loads for Toxicity and Pesticides in the Santa Maria Watershed in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura Counties, California (Resolution No. R3-2014-0009) | The amendment incorporates the TMDL and implementation plan for toxicity and pesticides in the Santa Maria Watershed in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties. The TMDLs are set at levels necessary to attain and maintain the applicable Basin Plan narrative objectives to protect beneficial uses from toxicity and pesticides. The Basin Plan does not have numeric water quality objectives for individual pesticides, relying instead on narrative objectives. | 1/30/2014 | |||
| 4 | Amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Los Angeles Region to revise the TMDLs for metals in Ballona Creek and the TMDLs for toxic pollutants in the Ballona Creek Estuary (Resolution No. R4-2013-010) | The amendment incorporates the TMDL to address dry- and wet-weather discharges of copper, lead and zinc in Ballona Creek and Sepulveda Canyon Channel. Numeric water quality targets are based on the numeric water quality criteria established for metals by the California Toxics Rule (CTR). Numeric targets were established for both dry- and wet-weather. | 12/5/2013 | |||
| 5 | Amendment to establish a drinking water policy for surface waters of the Delta and its upstream tributaries (Resolution No. R5-2013-0098) | The amendment includes new narrative water quality objectives for Cryptosporidium and Giardia, along with implementation provisions. The amendment also clarifies the existing narrative water quality objective for chemical constituents. | 7/26/2013 | |||
| 5 | Amendments to the Water Quality Control Plans for the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River Basins and the Tulare Lake Basin Regarding Onsite Wastewater System Implementation Program (Resolution No. R5-2014-0036) | The amendment incorporates by reference the State Water Board's Water Quality Control Policy for Siting, Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems into both of the Central Valley Water Board's basin plans. | 3/27/2014 | |||
| 5 | Amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River Basins to Edit and Update Language (Resolution R5-2014-0037) |
The amendment corrects the description of the boundary between the San Joaquin River Basin and the Tulare Lake Basin; remove, correct and update footnotes in several tables; correct typographical errors; and update references to the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Additionally, the amendments incorporate the State Water Board policies for compliance schedules and recycled water and update the incorporation of the implementation policy for toxics and the enforcement policy. | 3/27/2014 | |||
| 5 | Amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Tulare Lake Basin to Edit and Update Language (Resolution No. R5-2014-0038) | The amendment corrects the description of the boundary between the San Joaquin River Basin and the Tulare Lake Basin; correct a typographical error in the confined animal provisions; incorporate State Water Board policies that are pertinent to the Basin Plan; and correct other typographic errors and update Basin Plan language. | 3/27/2014 | |||
| 5 | Amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins for the Control of Diazinon and Chlorpyrifos (Resolution No. R5-2014-0041) | The amendment establishes water quality objectives for diazinon and chlorpyrifos and an implementation program to achieve the water quality objectives. | 3/28/2014 | |||
| 5 | Amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins to Provide a Groundwater Regulatory Framework towards Closure of the Royal Mountain King Mine Site, Calaveras County (Resolution No. R5-2014-0047) | The amendment provides a regulatory framework for the closure of mining waste management units at the former Royal Mountain King Mine Site (RMKM Site) in southwestern Calaveras County. The amendment de-designates MUN and AGR in groundwater in certain locations of the RMKM Site, require the discharger to continue implementing a groundwater management strategy at the site and establish a variance for IND and PRO in the same groundwaters that MUN and AGR were de-designated. | 3/28/2014 | |||
| 5 | Amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River Basins and the Water Quality Control Plan for the Tulare Lake Basin to Add Policies for Variances from Surface Water Quality Standards for Point Source Dischargers | The amendment includes authority for the Central Valley Water Board to issue a variance from meeting water quality standards to NPDES dischargers in accordance with Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, section 131.13. The amendment also includes a program offering relief from salinity requirements while CV-SALTS is under development. | 6/6/2014 | |||
| 6 | Amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region clarifying the antidegradation policy, adding mixing zone provisions, revising certain waste discharge prohibitions, and amending Chapter 5 - Water Quality Control Measures for the Lake Tahoe Basin (Resolution No. R6T-2014-0027) | The amendment clarifies implementation of the State Water Resources Control Board's Resolution 68-16, "Statement of Policy with Respect to Maintaining High Quality Waters in California" (also known as the Antidegradation Policy, adds mixing zone provisions, revises certain waste discharge prohibitions, amends Chapter 5 - Water Quality Control Measures for the Lake Tahoe Basin, corrects grammatical and typographical errors, updates discussion of wastewater treatment and vegetation management, and updates discussion of State and Lahontan Water Board policies. The amendment also makes editorial changes, modifies Table 2-1, and amends Chapter 3, Chapter 4, and various other sections. | 4/9/2014 | |||
| 7 | Amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Colorado River Basin Region regarding the Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Implementation Program (Resolution No. R7-2013-0049) | The amendment revises the septic system sections of the Basin Plan and incorporates by reference the State Water Board's Water Quality Control Policy for Siting, Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems into the Basin Plan. | 9/19/2013 | |||
| 8 | Amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Santa Ana Region to incorporate Updates Related to the Salt Management Plan for the Santa Ana Region (Resolution No. R8-2014-0005) | The amendment updates the Region’s Salt Management Plan to recognize the hydrogeological boundary for the Yucaipa/Beaumont Plains Management Zones that differs from the legal boundary; to update the Basin Plan language related to the groundwater management zone (GMZ) ambient TDS and nitrate-nitrogen determination; to incorporate a nitrogen loss coefficient for the San Jacinto area GMZ; to update the descriptive language relating to wastewater reclamation; and, to revise the Yucaipa, Beaumont and San Timoteo Management Zones "Maximum Benefit" programs. The amendment also incorporates by reference the State Water Boards’ Water Quality Control Policy for Siting, Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS Policy) into the Basin Plan, and revises the minimum lot size criteria applicable on-site wastewater treatment systems consistent with the OWTS Policy. | 4/25/2014 | |||
WHAT THE MEASURE IS SHOWING
In Fiscal Year 2013-14, the Regional Water Boards adopted amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) though 16 separate resolutions. The table above provides a summary of the amendments that were adopted by each region with information about what each set of amendments is intended to do. One-quarter (4) of the resolutions were to adopt TMDLs, and over one-quarter (5) of the resolutions were to adopt the State Water Board's Water Quality Control Policy for Siting, Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems. Other adoptions included amendments to simply clarify and update the basin plan without making substantive regulatory changes. Each set of amendments may include numerous implementation tools that will be used to implement these regulatory changes; most amendments involve one or more changes to permitting and monitoring programs.
WHY THIS MEASURE IS IMPORTANT
Basin Plans are the Water Boards primary water quality planning documents. Basin Plans designate beneficial uses for waters of the state, water quality objectives designed to protect those uses, and establish implementation plans to achieve the water quality objectives. Basin Plans are living documents that are regularly updated to meet changing needs. They serve as the principal basis for waste discharge requirements (permits) issued and cleanup requirements established by the Water Boards, and also are used by outside agencies in their permitting and resource management activities. The Regional Water Boards review and revise their Basin Plans periodically to address new information and changes in policy.
TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS
- Data Source: Basin Plan Amendments tracking database. Period: July 1, 2013-June 30, 2014. Extracted: August 2014.
- Unit of Measure: Number of Regional Water Board adoptions to address amendments to Regional Water Quality Control Plans (Basin Plans).
- Data Definitions: Title: Regional Water Board resolution to make changes (amendments) to their Basin Plan. The title includes a link to the program page for that resolution. Description: A short narrative description of the purpose of the amendments. Adoption Date: The date that the Resolution was adopted by the Regional Water Board. The adoption date is not the effective date of the amendments. For most amendments an effective date has not yet been determined, as additional approvals by state and federal agencies are still pending.
- References: Regional Water Quality Control Plans (Basin Plans)
