| Water Body Name: | Shastina, Lake |
| Water Body ID: | CAL1055007720020720134715 |
| Water Body Type: | Lake & Reservoir |
DECISION ID |
9638 |
Region 1 |
Shastina, Lake |
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| Pollutant: | Mercury |
| Final Listing Decision: | List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list) |
| Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: | New Decision |
| Revision Status | Revised |
| Sources: | Atmospheric Deposition | Natural Sources | Resource Extraction | Source Unknown |
| Expected TMDL Completion Date: | 2021 |
| Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: | Pollutant |
| Regional Board Conclusion: | Mercury in Lake Shastina is being considered for placement on the Section 303(d) list under Section 3.5 of the Listing Policy. One line of evidence is available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Two of the 3 total mercury composite samples of fish tissue taken by the Department of Water Resources from Lake Shastina exceed the evaluation guideline used to interpret the toxicity water quality objective. The evaluation guideline is the tissue residue criterion of 0.3 mg methylmercury per kg of fish tissue from the "Water Quality Criterion for the Protection of Human Health: Methylmercury" (USEPA 2001). Total mercury is usually analyzed for most fish tissue studies and assumed to be 100% methylmercury for the purposes of risk assessment (Klasing & Brodberg 2008).
Data on mercury in fish tissue was collected by the SWAMP program in 2007, however these data were not available for use in this listing cycle because (1) the data were collected after the close of the public solicitation period for new data for this listing cycle and (2) these data are draft and are still undergoing the SWAMP required final quality assurance review. Although the data have not been finalized, the draft SWAMP data suggest that fish tissue mercury concentrations exceeds the evaluation guideline of 0.3 mg/kg. These data will be considered in the next listing cycle. Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification in favor of placing this water segment-pollutant combination on the Section 303(d) list in the Water Quality Limited Segments category (i.e., sufficient justification to list). This conclusion is based on the staff findings that: (1) The data used satisfies the data quality requirements of section 6.1.4 of the Policy. (2) The data used satisfies the data quantity requirements of section 6.1.5 of the Policy. (3) Two of 3 samples exceeded the evaluation guideline, and this exceeds the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.1 of the Listing Policy. (4) Pursuant to Section 3.11 of the Listing Policy, no additional data and information are available indicating that standards are not met. |
| Regional Board Decision Recommendation: | After review of the available data and information, North Coast Regional Water Board staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should be placed on the Section 303(d) List because applicable water quality standards are not attained and a pollutant contributes to or causes the problem. |
| State Board Review of Regional Board Conclusion and Recommendation: | |
| State Board Decision Recommendation: | After review of this Regional Board decision, SWRCB staff recommend the decision be approved by the State Board. |
| USEPA Action (if applicable): | USEPA approved the listing of this water body as a water quality limited segment requiring a TMDL for this pollutant. |
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| LOE ID: | 21168 | ||||
| Pollutant: | Mercury | ||||
| LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Tissue | ||||
| Matrix: | Tissue | ||||
| Fraction: | Fish fillet | ||||
| Beneficial Use: | Commercial or recreational collection of fish, shellfish, or organisms | ||||
| Number of Samples: | 3 | ||||
| Number of Exceedances: | 2 | ||||
| Data and Information Type: | Fish tissue analysis | ||||
| Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Two of 3 total mercury composite samples of fish fillet tissue from Lake Shastina exceed the evaluation guideline. Sample composite concentrations range from 0.14 mg/kg to 0.47 mg/kg. Sample composites were made from fish of each species of approximately the same size. For Lake Shastina, 3 sample composites were made as follows: 4 large mouth bass that range in fork length size from 263 mm to 283 mm, 3 large mouth bass from 330 mm to 353 mm; and 3 large mouth bass from 375 mm to 402 mm. Sample composites were analyzed for total mercury with the risk assessment assumption that 100% of the total mercury value represents the methylmercury content of the tissue. Data is summarized by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR 2001; DWR 2007). It is also important to note that Lake Shastina is not currently designated with the Commercial and Sport Fishing Beneficial Use in the Basin Plan. However, evidence exists that sport fishing occurs in Lake Shastina (CA Lake Maps 2002, Lake Shastina Property Owners Association 2006), and it is reasonable and responsible to assume that fish caught are consumed. | ||||
| Data Reference: | Mercury Contamination in Fish from Northern California Lakes and Reservoirs. State of California. The Resources Agency. Department of Water Resources. Northern District. July 2007 | ||||
| Data for Mercury Tissue in Northern California Lakes, 2000-2001 | |||||
| California Lake Maps. Downloaded from http://www.fishersnet.com/fishmap.html#A145 on 10/13/2008 | |||||
| Lake Shastina & Siskiyou County Facts & Figures. As of December 31, 2006 | |||||
| SWAMP Data: | Non-SWAMP | ||||
| Water Quality Objective/Criterion: | Per the Basin Plan (NCRWQCB 2007): All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances in concentrations that are toxic to, or that produce detrimental physiological responses in human, plant, animal, or aquatic life. Compliance with this objective will be determined by use of indicator organisms, analyzes of species diversity, population density, growth anomalies, bioassays of appropriate duration, or other appropriate methods as specified by the Regional Water Board. | ||||
| Objective/Criterion Reference: | Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - North Coast Region (Region 1) | ||||
| Evaluation Guideline: | Per the Water Quality Criterion for the Protection of Human Health: Methylmercury (USEPA 2001): the Ambient Water Quality Criterion for methylmercury is the tissue residue criterion of 0.3 mg methylmercury per kg of fish (0.3 mg/kg). This is the concentration in fish tissue that should not be exceeded to protect human health based on a total fish and shellfish consumption-weighted rate of 0.0175 kg fish/day. Note: Total Mercury is usually analyzed for most fish studies and assumed to be 100% methylmercury for the purposes of risk assessment (Klasing & Brodberg 2008). | ||||
| Guideline Reference: | Development of Fish Contaminant Goals and Advisory Tissue Levels for Common Contaminants in California Sport Fish: Chlordane, DDTs, Dieldrin, Methylmercury, PCBs, Selenium, and Toxaphene | ||||
| Water Quality Criterion for the Protection of Human Health: Methylmercury. Final. United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Science and Technology Office of Water. EPA-823-R-01-001. January 2001 | |||||
| Spatial Representation: | Samples were collected in Lake Shastina near Dwinnell Dam. | ||||
| Temporal Representation: | Samples were collected on the 11th, 12th, and 23rd of July 2001. | ||||
| Environmental Conditions: | There are no known environmental conditions (e.g., seasonality, land use practices, fire events, storms, etc.) that are related to these data. | ||||
| QAPP Information: | Samples were collected, processed, and analyzed in accordance with the methods described in "Mercury Contamination in fish from Northern California Lakes and Reservoirs" (DWR 2007), "Mercury Bioaccumulation Assessment in Northern California Lakes and Reservoirs" (DWR 2000b), and "Fish Tissue Collection Protocol (DWR North District)" (DWR 2000a). Additional QA/QC information is available from a Personal Communication with Scott McReynolds of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR 2009). | ||||
| QAPP Information Reference(s): | Mercury Contamination in Fish from Northern California Lakes and Reservoirs. State of California. The Resources Agency. Department of Water Resources. Northern District. July 2007 | ||||
| California Department of Water Resources. 2000a. Fish Tissue Collection Protocol (DWR Northern District). | |||||
| California Department of Water Resources. 2000b. Mercury Bioaccumulation Assessment in Northern California Lakes and Reservoirs. Workplan for the 2000-02 Fiscal Years. | |||||
| Personal Communication from Scott McReynolds (California Department of Water Resources) to Steve Butkus (Regional Water Board staff). April 14, 2009. Discussion of QA/QC for Lake Shastina mercury in fish tissue sampling. | |||||