| Water Body Name: | Eureka Plain HU, Elk River Watershed, Upper Little South Fork Elk River |
| Water Body ID: | CAR1100003020140113047449 |
| Water Body Type: | River & Stream |
DECISION ID |
73684 |
Region 1 |
Eureka Plain HU, Elk River Watershed, Upper Little South Fork Elk River |
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| Pollutant: | Sediment |
| Final Listing Decision: | Delist from 303(d) list (being addressed by USEPA approved TMDL) |
| Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: | List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)(2016) |
| Revision Status | Revised |
| Reason for Delisting: | Other |
| TMDL Name: | Upper Elk River and Upper Little South Fork Elk River Sediment TMDL |
| TMDL Project Code: | 93 |
| Date TMDL Approved by USEPA: | 04/04/2018 |
| Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: | Pollutant |
| Regional Board Conclusion: | The pollutant name has been changed from "sedimentation/siltation" to "sediment".
This pollutant is being considered for removal from the CWA section 303(d) List under section 4.11 of the Listing Policy. Under this section when all other delisting factors do not result in the delisting of a water segment but information indicates attainment of standards, a water segment shall be evaluated to determine whether the weight of evidence demonstrates that water quality standard is attained. If the weight of evidence indicates attainment, the water segment shall be removed from the CWA section 303(d) List. Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification for removing this water segment-pollutant combination from 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) Per the "Peer Review Draft Staff Report to Support the Technical Sediment Total Maximum Daily Load for the Upper Elk River" and Resolution No. R1-2016-0017 adopting the Action Plan for the Upper Elk River Sediment TMDL: As part of the TMDL development process, the Upper Little South Fork Elk River portion of the watershed was selected as a reference waterbody due to the unmanaged old-growth redwood forest characteristic present throughout much of the subbasin (Headwaters Forest Reserve). Staff assumes that the past, present and reasonably foreseeable sediment loads and instream conditions are representative of natural conditions. The TMDL analysis indicates that onsite beneficial uses of water are not impaired, water quality objectives for sediment are achieved in the subbasin, and that the existing sediment discharge rate from this subbasin does not contribute to the impairment of beneficial uses lower in the watershed. As a result of this analysis Regional Water Board staff has propose that the Upper Little South Fork be removed from the 303(d) list of impaired waterbodies. (3) This process is scientifically defensible and reproducible. |
| Regional Board Decision Recommendation: | After review of the available data and information, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should be removed from the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards for the pollutant 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. |
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| LOE ID: | 133911 | ||||
| Pollutant: | Sediment | ||||
| LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Water | ||||
| Matrix: | Water | ||||
| Fraction: | None | ||||
| Beneficial Use: | Cold Freshwater Habitat | ||||
| Number of Samples: | 0 | ||||
| Number of Exceedances: | 0 | ||||
| Data and Information Type: | Not Specified | ||||
| Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Per the "Peer Review Draft Staff Report to Support the Technical Sediment Total Maximum Daily Load for the Upper Elk River" and Resolution No. R1-2016-0017 adopting the Action Plan for the Upper Elk River Sediment TMDL: As part of the TMDL development process, the Upper Little South Fork Elk River portion of the watershed was selected as a reference waterbody due to the unmanaged old-growth redwood forest characteristic present throughout much of the subbasin (Headwaters Forest Reserve). Staff assumes that the past, present and reasonably foreseeable sediment loads and instream conditions are representative of natural conditions. The TMDL analysis indicates that onsite beneficial uses of water are not impaired, water quality objectives for sediment are achieved in the subbasin, and that the existing sediment discharge rate from this subbasin does not contribute to the impairment of beneficial uses lower in the watershed. As a result of this analysis Regional Water Board staff has propose that the Upper Little South Fork be removed from the 303(d) list of impaired waterbodies. | ||||
| Data Reference: | Resolution No. R1-2016-0017 adopting the Action plan for the Upper Elk River Sediment TMDL. | ||||
| Peer Review Draft Staff Report to Support the Technical Sediment Total Maximum Daily Load for the Upper Elk River. Includes Appendix 1-A. | |||||
| SWAMP Data: | |||||
| Water Quality Objective/Criterion: | The suspended sediment load and suspended sediment discharge rate to surface waters shall not be altered in such a manner as to cause nuisance or adversely affect beneficial uses. | ||||
| Objective/Criterion Reference: | Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) for the North Coast Region | ||||
| Evaluation Guideline: | |||||
| Guideline Reference: | |||||
| Spatial Representation: | Information pertains to the "Eureka Plain HU, Elk River Watershed, Upper Little South Fork Elk River" waterbody. | ||||
| Temporal Representation: | |||||
| Environmental Conditions: | |||||
| QAPP Information: | N/A | ||||
| QAPP Information Reference(s): | |||||