Ocean Standards

Ocean standards protect the beneficial uses of California’s marine waters through establishing water quality objectives and implementation provisions in statewide water quality control plans and polices. Ocean standards plans and policies include: the Water Quality Control Plan for Ocean Waters of California (Ocean Plan); the Water Quality Control Plan for Control of Temperature in the Coastal and Interstate Waters and Enclosed Bays and Estuaries of California (California Thermal Plan); and the Water Quality Control Policy on the Use of Coastal and Estuarine Waters for Power Plant cooling (Once-Through Cooling Policy).

The Ocean Standards Unit is responsible for developing and updating the statewide plans and policies involving marine waters, and providing scientific support and inter-agency coordination regarding marine pollution and resource management.

California Ocean Plan

California Ocean Plan 2019 (effective February 4, 2019)

Ocean Plan Reviews

• 2019 Review of the Ocean Plan
  • State Water Board Adopts 2019 Ocean Plan Review that Ranks Important Water Quality Issues
  • An Overview of the Water Quality Control Plan for Ocean Waters of California and the 2019 Review - Fact Sheet
  • Resolution 2019-0066
  • Revised Responses to Comments
  • Final Staff Report and Work Plan for the 2019 Ocean Plan Review
  • Responses to Comments
  • Proposed Final Staff Report and Work Plan for the 2019 Ocean Plan Review
  • Initial Draft List of Projects (Project List) 2019
  • Revised Notice / Notice of Scoping Meetings
  • Draft Staff Report and Work Plan for the 2019 Ocean Plan Review
  • January 2019 Scoping Meetings Presentation
• 2011 Triennial Review of the Ocean Plan
  • Ocean Plan Triennial Review Workplan, 2011-2013
    • Appendix A - State Water Board Resolution 2010-0057
    • Appendix B - ASBS NWQ Committee Findings
    • Appendix C - Response to Comments

Ocean Plan Amendments Recently Adopted

State Water Boards Bacterial Objectives

The amendment to the Ocean Plan addressing new bacteria water quality objectives and implementation provisions to protect recreational users from the effects of pathogens in ocean waters of California (Bacteria Amendment) was adopted by the State Water Board on August 7, 2019 as Resolution 2018-0038. The Office of Administrative Law approved the Bacteria Amendment on February 4, 2019.

Seawater Desalination Facilities

The amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Ocean Waters of California addressing Desalination Facility Intakes, Brine Discharges, and to Incorporate Other Non-substantive Changes (Desalination Amendment) was adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board on May 6, 2015 as Resolution 2015-0033. The Office of Administrative Law approved the Desalination Amendment on January 28, 2016.

Statewide Water Quality Control Plans for Trash

The amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for Ocean Waters of California to Control Trash and Part 1 Trash Provisions of the Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California (Trash Amendments) was adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board on April 7, 2015 as Resolution 2015-0019. The Trash Amendments was approved by the Office of Administrative Law on December 2, 2015 and approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on January 12, 2016.

State Water Quality Protection Areas and Marine Protected Areas Amendment

• Amendment Adoption – October 16, 2012
  
  • Final SED  »  Appendix A  »  Appendix B  »  Appendix C
  • Resolution 2012-0056
    
• Board Adoption Hearing Workshop - October 16, 2012
  • Draft Final SED (6.3MB)  »  Appendix A (12MB) » Appendix B » Appendix C (September 26, 2012)
• Board Workshop - August 22, 2012
  
  • Public Notice
  • Draft Staff Report (dSED) and amendments with edits - July 25, 2012
• Draft Amendments and SED Public Hearing – May 1, 2012
  • Notice of Public Hearing (revised) – Comment Deadline extended to April 18, 2012
  • Comments Received
  • Staff Presentation at Public Hearing
  • Draft Staff Report (dSED) (revised) – reflects the current Marine Protected Areas (February 23, 2012)
  • Draft Staff Report (dSED) (January 6, 2012)
• Scoping Meeting – July 8, 2011
  • Notice – Comment Deadline was July 15, 2011 by Noon
  • Scoping Document

 Model Monitoring, Vessel Discharges and Non-Substantive Amendments

• Amendment Adoption – October 16, 2012
  
  • Final SED  »  Appendix A  »  Appendix B  »  Appendix C  »  Appendix D
  • Resolution 2012 - 0057
• Board Adoption Hearing - October 16, 2012
  • Draft Final SED   »  Appendix A » Appendix B » Appendix C » Appendix D (September 26, 2012)
• Board Workshop - August 22, 2012
  
  • Public Notice
  • Draft Staff Report (dSED) and amendments with edits - July 27, 2012
• Board Hearing – November 1, 2011
  • Notice of Public Hearing (revised) – Comment Deadline extended to October 24, 2011
  • Comments Received
  • Notice – Comment Deadline: October 17, 2011 by Noon
  • Draft Staff Report (dSED)   »»  Appendix A » Appendix B » Appendix C
• MQOs for SWAMP Comparabilty in Marine Waters - The draft model monitoring amendments would require that all discharger self-monitoring in receiving waters be SWAMP comparable.  Drafts as of June 2012:
  • Draft SWAMP MQO Appendix A for Fresh and Marine Waters
  • Draft SWAMP MQO Appendix A for Marine Solids
  • Proposed SWAMP MQO Tables A9, A11-A14, A16, A17, A19-A25
• The State Water Board held a public scoping meeting to seek input on proposed amendments to the 2005 California Ocean Plan. The scoping meeting was held on June 26, 2007 in San Francisco.
  • Notice of Public Scoping Meeting  »»  Comments Received
  • Agenda
  • Scoping Document | Preliminary Draft Standard Monitoring Procedure
• California Ocean Plan Amendment Model Ocean Discharge Monitoring Workshops
  • Deadline for Comment Letters extended to September 1, 2006  »»  Comments Received
  • Notice of Stakeholder Meetings - August 2006
  • Agenda
  • Proposed Draft Amendments to the Standard Monitoring Procedures (Appendix III) of the California Ocean Plan
• Model Ocean Discharge Monitoring Workshop
  • Stakeholder Meeting - February 7, 2006
    This meeting is a continuation of the May 5, 2005 workshop
    • Notice  »»  Agenda
    • Presentations:
      • Southern California Coastal Water Research Project by Ken Schiff and Brock Bernstein
      • Central Coast Long-term Environmental Assessment Network
      • Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program Presentation by Valerie Connor
  • Stakeholder Meeting - May 5, 2005
    • Notice  »»  Agenda
    • Presentations:
      • California's Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program Update 2005
      • NPDES Permit Standardization - Electronic Self Monitoring Reporting
      • Southern California Bight Model Monitoring by Ken Schiff of Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
    • Meeting Minutes Q&A
• California Ocean Plan 2012

Reasonable Potential Calculator

A program to determine when effluent limitations are needed.

• RPcalc User's Guide version 2.2 (.pdf)
• RP Calculator version 2.2 (.zip) 2MB