| Water Body Name: | New Bullards Bar Reservoir |
| Water Body ID: | CAL5175101120020418111348 |
| Water Body Type: | Lake & Reservoir |
DECISION ID |
12592 |
Region 5 |
New Bullards Bar Reservoir |
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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: | Resource Extraction |
| Expected TMDL Completion Date: | 2021 |
| Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: | Pollutant |
| Regional Board Conclusion: | This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under section 3.1 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.1 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.
Two lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Thirty-two of the samples exceed the water quality objective. 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. 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. Thirty-two of 40 samples exceed the USEPA fish tissue criterion for human health 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, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are exceeded 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: | 22545 | ||||
| Pollutant: | Mercury | ||||
| LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Tissue | ||||
| Matrix: | Tissue | ||||
| Fraction: | Total | ||||
| Beneficial Use: | Commercial or recreational collection of fish, shellfish, or organisms | ||||
| Number of Samples: | 2 | ||||
| Number of Exceedances: | 2 | ||||
| Data and Information Type: | PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING | ||||
| Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Fish were sampled for tissue analysis at one location from New Bullards Bar Reservoir. A total of 2 out of 2 samples exceeded the USEPA fish tissue criterion for human health. The average wet-weight mercury concentration in fish tissue was 0.62 ppm for all 2 samples collected. The number of fish collected per sample, the measured mercury concentrations in fish tissue, and the number of exceedances are, by species: Carp- one 6-fish composite sample, 0.61 ppm, 1 exceedance; Smallmouth Bass- one 5-fish composite sample, 0.63 ppm, 1 exceedance. Both composite samples were collected from fish with average total lengths greater than 150 mm, which represent fish most commonly caught and consumed by sport fishers and their families. | ||||
| Data Reference: | Toxic Substances Monitoring Program: Freshwater Bioaccumulation Monitoring: TSM Program Data 1978-2000. State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality | ||||
| SWAMP Data: | Non-SWAMP | ||||
| Water Quality Objective/Criterion: | All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances in concentrations that produce detrimental physiological responses in human, plant, animal, or aquatic life. The objective applies regardless of whether the toxicity is caused by a single substance or the interactive effect of multiple substances. | ||||
| Objective/Criterion Reference: | Water Quality Control Plan for the California Regional Water Quality Control Board Central Valley Region, Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins. 4th ed | ||||
| Evaluation Guideline: | The USEPA Fish Tissue Residue Criterion for methylmercury in fish is 0.3 mg/kg (0.3 ppm) for the protection of human health. This is the concentration in fish tissue that should not be exceeded based on a total fish and shellfish consumption-weighted rate of 0.0175 kg fish/day. (USEPA, 2001) | ||||
| Guideline Reference: | 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 at one location from the East Arm of New Bullards Bar Reservoir near the Willow Creek inlet. | ||||
| Temporal Representation: | Fish samples were collected during two sampling events on 10/12/1989 and 10/26/1990. | ||||
| Environmental Conditions: | Significant gold mining activity occurred during the Gold Rush era within the New Bullards Bar Reservoir watershed and the lands inundated by New Bullards Bar Reservoir (USGS, 2005). | ||||
| QAPP Information: | Data quality: Good.. Quality Control for the fish sampling, tissue preparation, mercury analysis, and QA sample analysis portions of this study was conducted as described in the Toxic Substance Monitoring Reports for 1988-89 and 1990 (Rasmussen and Blethrow, 1991; Rasmussen, 1992). Additional Quality Control information for the laboratory analysis portions of the data collected in 1990 is found in the Laboratory Quality Assurance Program Plan prepared by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG, 1990). | ||||
| QAPP Information Reference(s): | |||||
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| LOE ID: | 22414 | ||||
| Pollutant: | Mercury | ||||
| LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Tissue | ||||
| Matrix: | Tissue | ||||
| Fraction: | Total | ||||
| Beneficial Use: | Commercial or recreational collection of fish, shellfish, or organisms | ||||
| Number of Samples: | 38 | ||||
| Number of Exceedances: | 30 | ||||
| Data and Information Type: | PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING | ||||
| Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Fish were sampled for tissue analysis at two locations from New Bullards Bar Reservoir. A total of 30 out of 38 samples exceeded the USEPA fish tissue criterion for human health. 1) East Arm near its confluence with the West Arm: Thirteen Smallmouth Bass samples were collected for tissue analysis at this location. Eight of the 13 samples exceeded the USEPA fish tissue criterion for human health. The wet weight mercury concentrations of the 13 samples ranged from 0.22 ppm to 0.68 ppm, with an average of 0.39 ppm. 2) East Arm near the Willow Creek inlet: The average wet weight mercury concentration in fish tissue was 0.47 ppm for the 25 samples collected at this location. The number of fish collected per sample, the measured mercury concentrations in fish tissue, and the number of exceedances are, by species: Bluegill- 3 samples, 0.12-0.39 ppm (average 0.21 ppm), 1 exceedance; Carp- 11 samples, 0.34-0.83 ppm (average 0.52 ppm), 11 exceedances; Largemouth Bass- 1 sample, 0.61 ppm, 1 exceedance; Smallmouth Bass- 10 samples, 0.29-0.72 ppm (average 0.48 ppm), 9 exceedances. All 38 samples were collected from fish with total lengths greater than 150 mm, which represent fish most commonly caught and consumed by sport fishers and their families. | ||||
| Data Reference: | Fish Mercury Project, Year 2 Annual Report, Sport Fish Sampling and Analysis. Final Report. October 2007 | ||||
| SWAMP Data: | Non-SWAMP | ||||
| Water Quality Objective/Criterion: | All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances in concentrations that produce detrimental physiological responses in human, plant, animal, or aquatic life. The objective applies regardless of whether the toxicity is caused by a single substance or the interactive effect of multiple substances. | ||||
| Objective/Criterion Reference: | Water Quality Control Plan for the California Regional Water Quality Control Board Central Valley Region, Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins. 4th ed | ||||
| Evaluation Guideline: | The USEPA Fish Tissue Residue Criterion for methylmercury in fish is 0.3 mg/kg (0.3 ppm) for the protection of human health. This is the concentration in fish tissue that should not be exceeded based on a total fish and shellfish consumption-weighted rate of 0.0175 kg fish/day. (USEPA, 2001) | ||||
| Guideline Reference: | 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 at two locations from the East Arm of New Bullards Bar Reservoir: near the Willow Creek inlet, and the approximately 1.3 miles from the confluence with the West Arm. | ||||
| Temporal Representation: | Fish samples were collected during one sampling event on 8/14/2006. | ||||
| Environmental Conditions: | Significant gold mining activity occurred during the Gold Rush era within the New Bullards Bar Reservoir watershed and the lands inundated by New Bullards Bar Reservoir (USGS, 2005). | ||||
| QAPP Information: | Data quality: Excellent.. Quality Control for all of the elements described in section 6.1.4 of the Policy was conducted in accordance with the Laboratory QAPP developed by Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML, 2005). This data was also collected and analyzed in accordance with the CALFED Mercury Project QAPP (Puckett and van Buuren, 2000). | ||||
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