Final California 2010 Integrated Report (303(d) List/305(b) Report)

Supporting Information

Regional Board 3 - Central Coast Region

Water Body Name:	Nobel Gulch Creek
Water Body ID:	CAR3041301420080603122127
Water Body Type:	River & Stream


DECISION ID	14908	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

Pollutant:	Fecal Coliform
Final Listing Decision:	Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision:	New Decision
Revision Status	Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution:	Pollutant

Regional Board Conclusion:	This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under sections 2.1 and 3.3 of the Listing Policy. Two lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Based on section 3.3 the site exceeded numeric objectives for conventional pollutants. According to the binomial distribution, waters shall be placed on the section 303(d) list if the number of measured exceedances supports rejection of the null hypothesis as presented in Table 3.2. 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. The single sample did not exceeded the water quality objective for Water Contact Recreation and this exceeds the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 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 not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded and the sample size is insufficient to determine with the power and confidence of the Listing Policy if water quality standards are met or exceeded.

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):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 14908, Fecal Coliform	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

LOE ID:

18807

Pollutant:

Fecal Coliform

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Non-Contact Recreation

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PATHOGEN MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Nobel Gulch Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceed the criterion for Coliform, Fecal.

Data Reference:

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin objective for non-contact water recreation uses (Section II.A.2. Objectives for All Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries, II.A.2.a) states the following: Fecal coliform concentration, based on a minimum of not less than five samples for any 30-day period, shall not exceed a log mean of 2000/100 ml, nor shall more than ten percent of samples collected during any 30-day period exceed 4000/100 ml.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

Data for this line of evidence for Nobel Gulch Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304NOS_SCC - NOBEL G at SOQUEL C]

Temporal Representation:

Data was collected on a single day 5/15/1990.

Environmental Conditions:

Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.

QAPP Information:

This monitoring program has been underway for thirty years, with changes over time to protocols, level of QA, and documentation. In general, QA documentation included with the dataset is minimal. However, data quality appears to be reasonably good.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 14908, Fecal Coliform	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

LOE ID:

18806

Pollutant:

Fecal Coliform

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Water Contact Recreation

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PATHOGEN MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Data Reference:

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin objective for water contact recreation uses (Section II.A.2. Objectives for All Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries, II.A.2.a) states the following: Fecal coliform concentration, based on a minimum of not less than five samples for any 30-day period, shall not exceed a log mean of 200 MPN/100 ml, nor shall more than ten percent of total samples during any 30-day period exceed 400 MPN/100 ml.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

Data for this line of evidence for Nobel Gulch Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304NOS_SCC - NOBEL G at SOQUEL C]

Temporal Representation:

Data was collected on a single day 5/15/1990.

Environmental Conditions:

Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.

QAPP Information:

QAPP Information Reference(s):


DECISION ID	14909	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

Pollutant:	Low Dissolved Oxygen
Final Listing Decision:	Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision:	New Decision
Revision Status	Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution:	Pollutant

Regional Board Conclusion:	This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under section 3.2 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.2 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. Three of the 60 samples exceed the Cold Freshwater Habitat water quality objective but none of the 60 samples exceed the Warm Freshwater Habitat water quality objective. Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification against 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. Three of the 60 samples exceed the Cold Freshwater Habitat water quality objective but none of the 60 samples exceed the Warm Freshwater Habitat water quality objective and this does not exceed the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 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 not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.

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):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 14909, Low Dissolved Oxygen	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

LOE ID:

19768

Pollutant:

Oxygen, Dissolved

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Dissolved

Beneficial Use:

Cold Freshwater Habitat

Aquatic Life Use:

Cold Freshwater Habitat

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Nobel Gulch Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 3 of 60 samples exceed the criterion for Oxygen, Dissolved.

Data Reference:

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin, Cold Water Habitat Objective, Chapter III, Section II.A.2 General Objectives for all Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays and Estuaries states the following: The dissolved oxygen concentration shall not be reduced below 7.0 mg/l at any time.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

Data for this line of evidence for Nobel Gulch Creek was collected at 2 monitoring sites [ 304NOS_SCC - NOBEL G at SOQUEL C, 304NOT_SCC - NOBEL G at TUNNEL at BAY]

Temporal Representation:

Data was collected over the time period 6/11/1998-4/25/2006.

Environmental Conditions:

Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.

QAPP Information:

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 14909, Low Dissolved Oxygen	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

LOE ID:

19769

Pollutant:

Oxygen, Dissolved

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Dissolved

Beneficial Use:

Warm Freshwater Habitat

Aquatic Life Use:

Warm Freshwater Habitat

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Nobel Gulch Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 60 samples exceed the criterion for Oxygen, Dissolved.

Data Reference:

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin, General Objective, Chapter III, Section II.A.2 General Objectives for all Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays and Estuaries states the following: For waters not mentioned by a specific beneficial use, dissolved oxygen concentration shall not be reduced below 5.0 mg/l at any time.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

Data for this line of evidence for Nobel Gulch Creek was collected at 2 monitoring sites [ 304NOS_SCC - NOBEL G at SOQUEL C, 304NOT_SCC - NOBEL G at TUNNEL at BAY]

Temporal Representation:

Data was collected over the time period 6/11/1998-4/25/2006.

Environmental Conditions:

Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.

QAPP Information:

QAPP Information Reference(s):


DECISION ID	14904	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

Pollutant:	Nitrate
Final Listing Decision:	Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision:	New Decision
Revision Status	Revised
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. One line of evidence is available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. None of the 9 samples exceed the Municipal and Domestic Supply water quality objective. Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification against 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. None of the 9 samples exceed the Municipal and Domestic Supply water quality objective and this does not exceed 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 not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.

State Board Review of Regional Board Conclusion and Recommendation:

State Board Decision Recommendation:	After review of the available data and information, SWRCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards for the pollutant are not exceeded.

USEPA Action (if applicable):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 14904, Nitrate	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

LOE ID:

19710

Pollutant:

Nitrate

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Municipal & Domestic Supply

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Data Reference:

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin Objective for municipal and domestic supply uses of inland surface waters (Section II.A.2) states the following: waters shall not contain concentrations of chemical constituents in excess of the limits specified in California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Article 4, Chapter 15, Section 64435, Tables 2 and 3 as listed in Table 3-2. The maximum contaminant level listed in Table 3-2 (inorganic and fluoride concentrations not to be exceeded in domestic or municipal supply) for nitrate is 10.0 mg/L (NO3 as N).

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Title 22, Division 4, Ch. 15, Article 4, Section 64431, Table 64431-A

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

Data for this line of evidence for Nobel Gulch Creek was collected at 2 monitoring sites [ 304NOS_SCC - NOBEL G at SOQUEL C, 304NOT_SCC - NOBEL G at TUNNEL at BAY]

Temporal Representation:

Data was collected over the time period 6/11/1998-10/3/2005.

Environmental Conditions:

Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.

QAPP Information:

QAPP Information Reference(s):


DECISION ID	14902	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

Pollutant:	Nitrogen, ammonia (Total Ammonia)
Final Listing Decision:	Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision:	New Decision
Revision Status	Revised
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. One line of evidence is available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. None of the 8 samples exceed the Evaluation Guideline (EPA's Lifetime Health advisory level, 2006) applied to protect the Municipal & Domestic Supply beneficial use. Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification against 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. None of the 8 samples exceed the Evaluation Guideline (EPA's Lifetime Health advisory level, 2006) applied to protect the Municipal & Domestic Supply beneficial use and this does not exceed 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 not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.

State Board Review of Regional Board Conclusion and Recommendation:

State Board Decision Recommendation:	After review of the available data and information, SWRCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards for the pollutant are not exceeded.

USEPA Action (if applicable):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 14902, Nitrogen, ammonia (Total Ammonia)	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

LOE ID:

19744

Pollutant:

Ammonia as Nitrogen

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Municipal & Domestic Supply

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Nobel Gulch Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 8 samples exceed the criterion for Ammonia As N, Total.

Data Reference:

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

USEPA Health Advisory 2006 Edition of the Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories (EPA 822-R-06-013, 2006).

Objective/Criterion Reference:

2006 edition of the drinking water standards and health advisories. EPA 822-R-03-013

Evaluation Guideline:

EPA's Lifetime Health advisory level for total ammonia is 30.0 mg/L as stated on page 8 of the 2006 edition of the drinking water standards and health advisories. This Advisory Level is defined as "the concentration of a chemical in drinking water that is not expected to cause any adverse noncarcinogenic effects for up to ten days of exposure."

Guideline Reference:

2006 edition of the drinking water standards and health advisories. EPA 822-R-03-013

Spatial Representation:

Data for this line of evidence for Nobel Gulch Creek was collected at 2 monitoring sites [ 304NOS_SCC - NOBEL G at SOQUEL C, 304NOT_SCC - NOBEL G at TUNNEL at BAY]

Temporal Representation:

Data was collected over the time period 6/11/1998-12/27/2004.

Environmental Conditions:

Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.

QAPP Information:

QAPP Information Reference(s):


DECISION ID	14910	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

Pollutant:	Temperature, water
Final Listing Decision:	Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision:	New Decision
Revision Status	Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution:	Pollutant

Regional Board Conclusion:	This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under section 3.2 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.2 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status. One line of evidence is available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. None of the 61 samples exceed the Evaluation Guideline (Moyle 1976) applied to protect the Cold Freshwater Habitat beneficial use. Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification against 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. None of the 61 samples exceed the Evaluation Guideline (Moyle 1976) applied to protect the Cold Freshwater Habitat beneficial use and this does not exceed the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 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 not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.

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):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 14910, Temperature, water	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

LOE ID:

19915

Pollutant:

Temperature, water

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Cold Freshwater Habitat

Aquatic Life Use:

Cold Freshwater Habitat

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Nobel Gulch Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 61 samples exceed the criterion for Water Temperature.

Data Reference:

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Natural receiving water temperature of intrastate waters shall not be altered unless it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Regional Board that such alteration in temperature does not adversely affect beneficial uses (General Objective in Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin, Chapter III, Section II.A.2 Objectives for all Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays and Estuaries).

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)

Evaluation Guideline:

Inland Fishes of California (Moyle 1976) states that for rainbow trout the optimum range for growth and completion of most life stages is 13-21 degrees C (page 129).

Guideline Reference:

Inland Fishes of California

Spatial Representation:

Data for this line of evidence for Nobel Gulch Creek was collected at 2 monitoring sites [ 304NOS_SCC - NOBEL G at SOQUEL C, 304NOT_SCC - NOBEL G at TUNNEL at BAY]

Temporal Representation:

Data was collected over the time period 5/15/1990-4/25/2006.

Environmental Conditions:

Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.

QAPP Information:

QAPP Information Reference(s):


DECISION ID	14911	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

Pollutant:	Turbidity
Final Listing Decision:	Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision:	New Decision
Revision Status	Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution:	Pollutant

Regional Board Conclusion:	This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under sections 2.1 and 3.2 of the Listing Policy. Two lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Based on section 3.2 the site exceeded numeric objectives for conventional pollutants. According to the binomial distribution, waters shall be placed on the section 303(d) list if the number of measured exceedances supports rejection of the null hypothesis as presented in Table 3.2. Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification against placing this water segment-pollutant combination on the section 303(d) list in the Water Quality Limited Segments category. However, staff are unaware of any documentation of steelhead in Nobel Gulch. Therefore this Evaluation Guideline is not appropriate for this waterbody. 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. This Evaluation Guideline is not appropriate for this waterbody. 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 not be placed on the section 303(d) list because this Evaluation Guideline is not appropriate for this waterbody.

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):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 14911, Turbidity	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

LOE ID:

19383

Pollutant:

Turbidity

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Warm Freshwater Habitat

Aquatic Life Use:

Warm Freshwater Habitat

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Nobel Gulch Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 23 of 59 samples exceed the criterion for Turbidity(NTU).

Data Reference:

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Waters shall be free of changes in turbidity that cause nuisance or adversely affect beneficial uses. Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin, Chapter III, Section II.A.2 Objectives for all Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays and Estuaries.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)

Evaluation Guideline:

Sigler et al. (1984) states that turbidities of 25 NTU's or greater caused reduction in juvenile salmonid growth due to interference with their ability to find food.

Guideline Reference:

Effects of chronic turbidity on density and growth of steelheads and coho salmon. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 113:142-150

Spatial Representation:

Data for this line of evidence for Nobel Gulch Creek was collected at 2 monitoring sites [ 304NOS_SCC - NOBEL G at SOQUEL C, 304NOT_SCC - NOBEL G at TUNNEL at BAY]

Temporal Representation:

Data was collected over the time period 12/8/2004-4/25/2006.

Environmental Conditions:

Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.

QAPP Information:

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 14911, Turbidity	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

LOE ID:

19357

Pollutant:

Turbidity

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Cold Freshwater Habitat

Aquatic Life Use:

Cold Freshwater Habitat

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Nobel Gulch Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 23 of 59 samples exceed the criterion for Turbidity(NTU).

Data Reference:

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)

Evaluation Guideline:

Sigler et al. (1984) states that turbidities of 25 NTU's or greater caused reduction in juvenile salmonid growth due to interference with their ability to find food.

Guideline Reference:

Effects of chronic turbidity on density and growth of steelheads and coho salmon. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 113:142-150

Spatial Representation:

Data for this line of evidence for Nobel Gulch Creek was collected at 2 monitoring sites [ 304NOS_SCC - NOBEL G at SOQUEL C, 304NOT_SCC - NOBEL G at TUNNEL at BAY]

Temporal Representation:

Data was collected over the time period 12/8/2004-4/25/2006.

Environmental Conditions:

Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.

QAPP Information:

QAPP Information Reference(s):


DECISION ID	14912	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

Pollutant:	pH
Final Listing Decision:	Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision:	New Decision
Revision Status	Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution:	Pollutant

Regional Board Conclusion:	This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under section 3.2 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.2 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status. Five lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Four of the 62 samples exceed the Cold and Warm Freshwater Habitat water quality objectives and 1 of 62 samples exceed the numeric objectives for Municipal & Domestic Supply, Non-Contact Recreation and Water Contact Recreation. Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification against 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. Four of the 62 samples exceed the Cold and Warm Freshwater Habitat water quality objectives and 1 of 62 samples exceed the numeric objectives for Municipal & Domestic Supply, Non-Contact Recreation and Water Contact Recreation. None of these exceed the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 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 not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.

State Board Review of Regional Board Conclusion and Recommendation:

State Board Decision Recommendation:	After review of the available data and information, SWRCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards for the pollutant are not exceeded.

USEPA Action (if applicable):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 14912, pH	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

LOE ID:

19755

Pollutant:

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Water Contact Recreation

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Data Reference:

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

Data for this line of evidence for Nobel Gulch Creek was collected at 2 monitoring sites [ 304NOS_SCC - NOBEL G at SOQUEL C, 304NOT_SCC - NOBEL G at TUNNEL at BAY]

Temporal Representation:

Data was collected over the time period 6/11/1998-4/25/2006.

Environmental Conditions:

Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.

QAPP Information:

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 14912, pH	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

LOE ID:

19754

Pollutant:

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Municipal & Domestic Supply

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Data Reference:

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin, Section II.A.2. Municipal and Domestic Supply Objectives, Section II.A.2.a states the following: The pH value shall neither be depressed below 6.5 or raised above 8.3.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

Data for this line of evidence for Nobel Gulch Creek was collected at 2 monitoring sites [ 304NOS_SCC - NOBEL G at SOQUEL C, 304NOT_SCC - NOBEL G at TUNNEL at BAY]

Temporal Representation:

Data was collected over the time period 6/11/1998-4/25/2006.

Environmental Conditions:

Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.

QAPP Information:

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 14912, pH	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

LOE ID:

19711

Pollutant:

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Warm Freshwater Habitat

Aquatic Life Use:

Warm Freshwater Habitat

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Data Reference:

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin, General Objective, Chapter III, Section II.A.2 General Objectives for all Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays and Estuaries states the following: For waters not mentioned by a specific beneficial use, the pH value shall not be depressed below 7.0 or raised above 8.5.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

Data for this line of evidence for Nobel Gulch Creek was collected at 2 monitoring sites [ 304NOS_SCC - NOBEL G at SOQUEL C, 304NOT_SCC - NOBEL G at TUNNEL at BAY]

Temporal Representation:

Data was collected over the time period 6/11/1998-4/25/2006.

Environmental Conditions:

Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.

QAPP Information:

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 14912, pH	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

LOE ID:

19753

Pollutant:

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Cold Freshwater Habitat

Aquatic Life Use:

Cold Freshwater Habitat

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Data Reference:

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin, General Objective, Chapter III, Section II.A.2 General Objectives for all Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays and Estuaries states the following: For waters not mentioned by a specific beneficial use, the pH value shall not be depressed below 7.0 or raised above 8.5.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

Data for this line of evidence for Nobel Gulch Creek was collected at 2 monitoring sites [ 304NOS_SCC - NOBEL G at SOQUEL C, 304NOT_SCC - NOBEL G at TUNNEL at BAY]

Temporal Representation:

Data was collected over the time period 6/11/1998-4/25/2006.

Environmental Conditions:

Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.

QAPP Information:

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 14912, pH	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

LOE ID:

19756

Pollutant:

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Non-Contact Recreation

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Data Reference:

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

Data for this line of evidence for Nobel Gulch Creek was collected at 2 monitoring sites [ 304NOS_SCC - NOBEL G at SOQUEL C, 304NOT_SCC - NOBEL G at TUNNEL at BAY]

Temporal Representation:

Data was collected over the time period 6/11/1998-4/25/2006.

Environmental Conditions:

Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.

QAPP Information:

QAPP Information Reference(s):


DECISION ID	14906	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

Pollutant:	Escherichia coli (E. coli)
Final Listing Decision:	List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision:	New Decision
Revision Status	Revised
Sources:	Source Unknown
Expected TMDL Completion Date:	2011
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution:	Pollutant

Regional Board Conclusion:	This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under sections 2.1 and 3.3 of the Listing Policy. Two lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Based on section 3.3 the site exceeded numeric objectives for conventional pollutants. According to the binomial distribution, waters shall be placed on the section 303(d) list if the number of measured exceedances supports rejection of the null hypothesis as presented in Table 3.2. This waterbody is included in the TMDL for the San Lorenzo River Watershed Pathogen TMDL (which specifically includes San Lorenzo River Estuary, San Lorenzo River, Branciforte Creek, Camp Evers Creek, Carbonera Creek and Lompico Creek) was approved by the Central Coast Regional Board on March 21, 2008. This TMDL is awaiting State Board and USEPA approval. 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. Twenty-two of the 25 samples exceed the Evaluation Guideline (USEPA Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria, 1986) as it applies to the Water Contact Recreation beneficial use. Eight of the 25 samples exceed the water quality objective for Non-Contact Recreation. Each of these exceeds the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 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.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 14906, Escherichia coli (E. coli)	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

LOE ID:

19822

Pollutant:

Escherichia coli (E. coli)

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Water Contact Recreation

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PATHOGEN MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Nobel Gulch Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 22 of 25 samples exceed the criterion for Escherichia coli.

Data Reference:

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

USEPA Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria -1986.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria - 1986. EPA440/5-84-002

Evaluation Guideline:

Single sample maximum allowable density for E. coli in freshwater is 235 MPN/100mL (as stated in Table 4, page 15)

Guideline Reference:

Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria - 1986. EPA440/5-84-002

Spatial Representation:

Data for this line of evidence for Nobel Gulch Creek was collected at 2 monitoring sites [ 304NOS_SCC - NOBEL G at SOQUEL C, 304NOT_SCC - NOBEL G at TUNNEL at BAY]

Temporal Representation:

Data was collected over the time period 1/6/2003-12/28/2004.

Environmental Conditions:

Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.

QAPP Information:

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 14906, Escherichia coli (E. coli)	Region 3
Nobel Gulch Creek

LOE ID:

19823

Pollutant:

Escherichia coli (E. coli)

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Non-Contact Recreation

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PATHOGEN MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Nobel Gulch Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 8 of 25 samples exceed the criterion for Escherichia coli.

Data Reference:

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996

Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

Data for this line of evidence for Nobel Gulch Creek was collected at 2 monitoring sites [ 304NOS_SCC - NOBEL G at SOQUEL C, 304NOT_SCC - NOBEL G at TUNNEL at BAY]

Temporal Representation:

Data was collected over the time period 1/6/2003-12/28/2004.

Environmental Conditions:

Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.

QAPP Information:

QAPP Information Reference(s):