Announcement- 2025 Basin Plan Update

Amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan for the North Coast Region to Incorporate Applicable Provisions of Statewide Plans and Policies and Improve Clarity 

The purpose of the 2025 Basin Plan Update is to ensure the Basin Plan for the North Coast Region is clear, accurate, current, and accessible. The revisions to the Basin Plan under this project are non-regulatory changes because they are editorial in nature or incorporate provisions that were adopted by the State Water Board and are already in effect statewide (and therefore, the North Coast Water Board is already subject to and implementing those provisions). Basin Plan amendments require approval by the North Coast Water Board, State Water Board and Office of Administrative Law.

The North Coast Water Board adopted the Amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan for the North Coast Region to Incorporate Applicable Provisions of Statewide Plans and Policies and Improve Clarity on June 13, 2025, by Resolution R1-2025‑0019 (Basin Plan Amendment or Amendment). The Amendment was approved by State Water Board on March 3, 2026 by Resolution No. 2026-0007.

The Amendment updates the North Coast Basin Plan from the 2018 edition to the 2025 edition, incorporating applicable provisions of State Water Board plans and policies, incorporating by reference US EPA adopted TMDLs, ensuring web accessibility requirements are met, and improving the overall clarity.

The Basin Plan amendment is not final until approved by the Office of Administrative Law (pending).

North Coast Water Board Project Documents

The Staff Report provides an overview of the project and is a guide to the non-regulatory amendments in each chapter.

 

State Water Board Approval Documents

How to Access the Basin Plan

We encourage users to access the electronic version of the Basin Plan from the Internet, by going to the Basin Plan Documents page. The Basin Plan can be downloaded and printed directly from the Internet. Users can also explore the Basin Plan and other layers relevant to the North Coast by web application (web app). A Story Map tutorial on using the Basin Plan web app is forthcoming.

If you require a hardcopy of the Basin Plan be mailed to you, the Regional Water Board can print and mail a copy of the plan, though charges for copying and postage will apply.  To request a copy to be printed for you, please call 707-576-2220 or e-mail lisa.bernard@waterboards.ca.gov

Mailing List

We maintain an email list of persons interested in basin planning issues, including individual basin planning projects.  We encourage those interested in basin planning issues to subscribe to the Basin Planning email list. You may subscribe to as many of the email lists as are of interest to you.

Contact Us

Contact information for specific planning projects are posted on the project web pages. If you have general questions about the content of the Basin Plan or the amendment process, please contact:

Lisa Bernard, Regional Water Board's Program Manager

707-576-2677

Lisa.Bernard@waterboards.ca.gov

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