The California Water Boards' Annual Performance Report - Fiscal Year 2014-15

MEASUREMENTS  - Data last updated on: 

WHAT THE MEASURE IS SHOWING

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2014-15, the Regional Water Boards worked on 34 Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) projects that will be adopted by the Regional Water Boards in a future FY. When adopted, the 34 TMDLs will address water quality issues for 267 impaired waterbody listings. In FY 2014-15, the Regional Water Boards also adopted one new TMDL project and four reconsidered TMDL projects that addressed water quality issues for 49 impaired waterbody listings.

WHY THIS MEASURE IS IMPORTANT

TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Data Source: TMDL Planner/Tracker Database. Period: July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015. Extracted in September 2015.
• Unit of Measure: Number of TMDL projects under development, during the FY, and the number of 303(d) listings associated with the TMDL projects under development.
• Data Definitions: TMDL Projects Under Development: The number of TMDL projects that were under development, during the FY, but were not adopted during the FY. TMDL Projects include new USEPA approved TMDLs, or USEPA approved alternatives to TMDLs (category 4b projects), or reconsideration of existing USEPA approved TMDLs, or USEPA approved alternatives to TMDLs, that will enact the necessary control actions to restore water quality. Listings Addressed by TMDL Projects Under Development: The number of waterbody-pollutant combinations associated with the TMDL projects under development during the FY.
• References: Information on the Water Boards' TMDL activities
  Water Boards' 2010 303(d) List

GLOSSARY

303(d) Listing (Impaired Water)

A 303(d) listings is a waterbody-pollutant combination that is responsible for the impairment as specified on the Clean Water Act Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waterbodies (i.e., each waterbody-pollutant combination is called a listing). If a single waterbody is impaired by multiple pollutants, the waterbody will have multiple listings, one for each pollutant. The geographic extent of a listing may vary from a small segment of a stream to an entire watershed. The current TMDL projects and listings are documented in the Water Boards' 2010 Clean Water Act Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waterbodies.

Pollutant

A pollutant is a waste or substance that, at certain levels, can cause waterbody impairment. The monitoring programs of the Water Boards and others provide information on the levels of pollutants in the State's waters.

TMDL

A mathematical calculation of the assimilative capacity of a specific waterbody for a specific pollutant, and the allocation of acceptable levels of the pollutant load to the sources of the pollutants.

TMDL Project

A TMDL project is a planned strategy to reduce pollution in an impaired waterbody so that its water quality standards are met. A TMDL project may address more than one or more waterbody-pollutant combinations for a given waterbody or segment of waterbody (known as 303(d) listings). A TMDL project includes the development of the TMDL, and TMDL implementation plan, or a USEPA approved alternatives to TMDLs, category 4b projects. A TMDL is comprised of a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that the waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards (i.e., waterbody's assimilative capacity); an allocation of acceptable pollutant loading to the various sources of the pollutant; and in California, an implementation plan for restoring water quality. A category 4b project is an alternative approach that implements pollution control requirements (e.g., best management practices) that is stringent enough to implement applicable water quality standards within a reasonable period of time.

( Page last updated:  10/27/15 )

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