Final California 2018 Integrated Report (303(d) List/305(b) Report)

Supporting Information

Regional Board 2 - San Francisco Bay Region

Water Body Name: Shell Beach (Tomales Bay)
Water Body ID: CAC2011403320110712204931
Water Body Type: Coastal & Bay Shoreline
 
DECISION ID
98213
Region 2     
Shell Beach (Tomales Bay)
 
Pollutant: Indicator Bacteria
Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)(2016)
Revision Status Original
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: Pollutant
 
Regional Board Conclusion: This pollutant is being considered for placement on the CWA section 303(d) List under section 3.3 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.3 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.

Six lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Two of the one hundred twenty-seven samples exceed the enterococcus geometric mean 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 CWA section 303(d) 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 the one hundred twenty-seven samples exceed the enterococcus geometric mean 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.
 
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 98213, Indicator Bacteria
Region 2     
Shell Beach (Tomales Bay)
 
LOE ID: 90860
 
Pollutant: Total Coliform
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 150
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed BeachWatch data for Shell Beach (Tomales Bay) to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 150 samples exceed the criterion for Coliform, Total.
Data Reference: Data for Region 2 Beach Watch.
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The San Francisco Bay Basin Plan states that the single sample maximum for total coliform shall not exceed 10,000 MPN/100 mL
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Shell Beach (Tomales Bay) was collected at 1 monitoring site [ Shell Beach]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 4/5/2005-8/24/2010.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might affect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: The samples were collected for the Beach Watch program.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 98213, Indicator Bacteria
Region 2     
Shell Beach (Tomales Bay)
 
LOE ID: 90813
 
Pollutant: Fecal Coliform
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 150
Number of Exceedances: 1
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed BeachWatch data for Shell Beach (Tomales Bay) to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 1 of 150 samples exceed the criterion for Coliform, Fecal.
Data Reference: Data for Region 2 Beach Watch.
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The San Francisco Bay Basin Plan states that the single sample maximum for fecal coliform shall not exceed 400 MPN/100 mL
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Shell Beach (Tomales Bay) was collected at 1 monitoring site [ Shell Beach]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 4/5/2005-8/24/2010.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might affect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: The samples were collected for the Beach Watch program.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 98213, Indicator Bacteria
Region 2     
Shell Beach (Tomales Bay)
 
LOE ID: 90671
 
Pollutant: Fecal Coliform
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 127
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: Not Specified
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Zero of the 127 geomeans exceeded the objective.
Data Reference: Data for Region 2 Beach Watch.
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The geometric mean standard for fecal coliform states that the fecal coliform density shall not exceed 200 per 100 mL. San Francisco Bay Basin Water Quality Control Plan.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Samples were collected at the Shell Beach site.
Temporal Representation: Samples were collected from April 2005 to August 2010.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: The samples were collected for the beach watch program.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 98213, Indicator Bacteria
Region 2     
Shell Beach (Tomales Bay)
 
LOE ID: 90669
 
Pollutant: Enterococcus
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 127
Number of Exceedances: 2
 
Data and Information Type: Not Specified
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Two of the 127 geomeans exceeded the objective.
Data Reference: Data for Region 2 Beach Watch.
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The geometric mean standard for entercoccus states that the entercoccus density shall not exceed 35 per 100 mL. San Francisco Bay Basin Water Quality Control Plan.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Samples were collected at the Shell Beach site.
Temporal Representation: Samples were collected from April 2005 to August 2010.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: The samples were collected for the Beach Watch program.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 98213, Indicator Bacteria
Region 2     
Shell Beach (Tomales Bay)
 
LOE ID: 90904
 
Pollutant: Enterococcus
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 150
Number of Exceedances: 5
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed BeachWatch data for Shell Beach (Tomales Bay) to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 5 of 150 samples exceed the criterion for Enterococci.
Data Reference: Data for Region 2 Beach Watch.
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The San Francisco Bay Basin Plan states that the single sample maximum for Enterococcus shall not exceed 104 MPN/100 mL.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Shell Beach (Tomales Bay) was collected at 1 monitoring site [ Shell Beach]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 4/5/2005-8/24/2010.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might affect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: The samples were collected for the Beach Watch program.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 98213, Indicator Bacteria
Region 2     
Shell Beach (Tomales Bay)
 
LOE ID: 90670
 
Pollutant: Total Coliform
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 37
Number of Exceedances: 6
 
Data and Information Type: Not Specified
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Six of the thirty-seven monthly medians exceeded the objective.
Data Reference: Data for Region 2 Beach Watch.
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The standard for total coliform states that the coliform density shall not exceed a monthly median of 240 per 100 mL. San Francisco Bay Basin Water Quality Control Plan.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Samples were collected at the Shell Beach site.
Temporal Representation: Samples were collected from April 2005 to August 2010.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: The samples were collected for the Beach Watch program.
QAPP Information Reference(s):