Biostimulation, Cyanotoxins, and Biological Condition Provisions
The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) is considering statewide water quality objectives for nutrients, other biostimulatory substances, and cyanotoxins, and a program of implementation under the Biostimulation, Cyanotoxins, and Biological Condition Provisions (Provisions). The Provisions could include statewide numeric or narrative water quality objectives and regulatory control options for point and non-point sources in California’s freshwater wadeable streams and rivers, non-wadeable streams and rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. The Provisions may also establish and implement biological condition assessment methods, scoring tools, and targets aimed at protecting the biological integrity (biointegrity) in California’s wadeable streams. The Provisions will be established as state policy for water quality control and will include a water quality control plan component.
Project Updates
State Water Board staff is continuing work to develop a statewide policy for water quality control to reduce nutrient impacts, biostimulation, and harmful algal blooms in surface waters and to support biological integrity in wadeable streams and rivers.
Currently, Water Board staff is developing policy options for applying biostimulatory science for the protection of inland surface waters in California. Over the next several months, staff will be discussing options internally to refine the options before Water Board staff present the options in a series of public workshops.
July 14, 2022 Public Workshop
Presentations
- State Water Board
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP)
Technical Documents & Tools
- A Technical Foundation for Biointegrity and Eutrophication Indicators and Thresholds for Modified Channels, Intermittent Streams, and Streams on the Central Valley Floor (PDF)
- Science Supporting the Provisions
Link to Archived Nutrient Objective Workplans and Technical Documents
Link to Archived Information from the Biological Integrity Plan Project
Public Meetings
Advisory Groups Information
Other Nutrient Related Efforts:
- San Francisco Bay Nutrients Project
- Delta Nutrient Research Plan
- San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board Biological Objectives
- SWAMP Bioassessment Program
- U.S. EPA Nutrient Criteria Webpage
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Contact
For additional information
Recorded Webinars
- Science Supporting Cyanotoxin Thresholds
Part 1: Humans and Domestic Animals - Science Supporting Cyanotoxin Thresholds
Part 2: Aquatic Life - Satellite Remote Sensing Assessment of HABs in Lakes and Reservoirs: Progress Report
- Statewide Wadeable Streams (38 min)
- Watershed Wadeable Streams (17 min)
- Estuaries (21 min)
- Stress-Response Models to Support Selection of Biostimulatory Thresholds for California Lakes and Reservoirs (54 min)
