Draft California 2024 Integrated Report (303(d) List/305(b) Report)

Supporting Information

Regional Board 2 - San Francisco Bay Region

Water Body Name:	Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)
Water Body ID:	CAR2043005020210603046510
Water Body Type:	River & Stream


DECISION ID	144426	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

Pollutant:	Alkalinity as CaCO3
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:	Insufficient information is available to determine beneficial use support for this waterbody-pollutant combination with the statistical power and confidence required by the Listing Policy. Beneficial use support will be reassessed in a future cycle, if more data are available.

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. The readily available data and information is insufficient to determine, with the power and confidence of the Listing Policy, the applicable beneficial use support rating.

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 it cannot be determined if applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 144426, Alkalinity as CaCO3	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

277466

Pollutant:

Alkalinity as CaCO3

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Dissolved

Beneficial Use:

Warm Freshwater Habitat

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Water Board staff assessed SWAMP RWB2 Monitoring data for Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek) to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for Alkalinity as CaCO3.

Data Reference:

Field, Habitat, Tissue, Toxicity, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay Basin: Controllable water quality factors shall not cause a detrimental increase in concentrations of toxic substances found in bottom sediments or aquatic life. Effects on aquatic organisms, wildlife, and human health will be considered.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)

Evaluation Guideline:

The USEPA recommended alkalinity criterion continuous concentration (CCC) for the protection of aquatic life in freshwater is a minimum value of 20,000 ug/L (4-day average).

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 204VAL400 (Valpe Creek - 1.25mi upstream of confluence with Alameda Creek; 204R00221).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2014-05-19 and 2014-05-19

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

SWRCB. 2018. This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements..

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 144426, Alkalinity as CaCO3	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

277302

Pollutant:

Alkalinity as CaCO3

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial 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:

Field, Habitat, Tissue, Toxicity, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)

Evaluation Guideline:

The USEPA recommended alkalinity criterion continuous concentration (CCC) for the protection of aquatic life in freshwater is a minimum value of 20,000 ug/L (4-day average).

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 204VAL400 (Valpe Creek - 1.25mi upstream of confluence with Alameda Creek; 204R00221).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2014-05-19 and 2014-05-19

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

SWRCB. 2018. This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements..

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 144426, Alkalinity as CaCO3	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

277461

Pollutant:

Alkalinity as CaCO3

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial 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:

Field, Habitat, Tissue, Toxicity, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)

Evaluation Guideline:

The USEPA recommended alkalinity criterion continuous concentration (CCC) for the protection of aquatic life in freshwater is a minimum value of 20,000 ug/L (4-day average).

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 204VAL400 (Valpe Creek - 1.25mi upstream of confluence with Alameda Creek; 204R00221).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2014-05-19 and 2014-05-19

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

SWRCB. 2018. This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements..

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 144426, Alkalinity as CaCO3	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

277467

Pollutant:

Alkalinity as CaCO3

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Dissolved

Beneficial 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:

Field, Habitat, Tissue, Toxicity, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)

Evaluation Guideline:

The USEPA recommended alkalinity criterion continuous concentration (CCC) for the protection of aquatic life in freshwater is a minimum value of 20,000 ug/L (4-day average).

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 204VAL400 (Valpe Creek - 1.25mi upstream of confluence with Alameda Creek; 204R00221).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2014-05-19 and 2014-05-19

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

SWRCB. 2018. This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements..

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.


DECISION ID	151041	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

Pollutant:	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:	Insufficient information is available to determine beneficial use support for this waterbody-pollutant combination with the statistical power and confidence required by the Listing Policy. Beneficial use support will be reassessed in a future cycle, if more data are available

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. The readily available data and information is insufficient to determine, with the power and confidence of the Listing Policy, the applicable beneficial use support rating.

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 it cannot be determined if applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 151041, Ammonia	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

278092

Pollutant:

Nitrogen, ammonia (Total Ammonia)

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial 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:

Field, Habitat, Tissue, Toxicity, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The Total Ammonia criterion continuous concentration (expressed as a 30-day average) to protect aquatic life in freshwater is Temperature and pH dependent, and was calculated according to the formula listed in the Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Ammonia - Freshwater 2013 document.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Ammonia - Freshwater 2013

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 204VAL400 (Valpe Creek - 1.25mi upstream of confluence with Alameda Creek; 204R00221).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2014-05-19 and 2014-05-19

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

SWRCB. 2018. This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements..

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 151041, Ammonia	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

278230

Pollutant:

Nitrogen, ammonia (Total Ammonia)

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial 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:

Field, Habitat, Tissue, Toxicity, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Ammonia - Freshwater 2013

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 204VAL400 (Valpe Creek - 1.25mi upstream of confluence with Alameda Creek; 204R00221).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2014-05-19 and 2014-05-19

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

SWRCB. 2018. This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements..

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 151041, Ammonia	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

279421

Pollutant:

Ammonia (Unionized)

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial 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:

Field, Habitat, Tissue, Toxicity, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Water Quality Control Plan, San Francisco Bay Basin, Chapter III Water Quality Objectives, Section 3.3.20 Un-Ionized Ammonia: The discharge of wastes shall not cause receiving waters to contain concentrations of un-ionized ammonia in excess 0.025 mg/l (as N), expressed as an annual median.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 204VAL400 (Valpe Creek - 1.25mi upstream of confluence with Alameda Creek; 204R00221).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2014-05-19 and 2014-05-19

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

SWRCB. 2018. This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements..

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 151041, Ammonia	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

279422

Pollutant:

Ammonia (Unionized)

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial 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:

Field, Habitat, Tissue, Toxicity, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 204VAL400 (Valpe Creek - 1.25mi upstream of confluence with Alameda Creek; 204R00221).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2014-05-19 and 2014-05-19

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

SWRCB. 2018. This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements..

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.


DECISION ID	151662	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

Pollutant:	Benthic Community Effects
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:	Benthic Community Effects are being considered for placement on the CWA section 303(d) List under sections 3.9 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.9, additional lines of evidence (LOEs) associating the Benthic Community Effects decision with a water or sediment concentration of pollutants other than benthic-macroinvertebrate bioassessment or habitat assessment LOEs are necessary to place a water body on the 303(d) List for Benthic Community Effects. One line(s) of evidence evaluating benthic-macroinvertebrate bioassessment data is/are available in the administrative record to assess this indicator. Zero of one benthic-macroinvertebrate samples exceed the California Stream Condition Index (CSCI) impairment threshold. These data indicate that the waterbody is likely unimpaired for Benthic Community Effects and therefore no other pollutant LOEs need be associated with this decision at this time. Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification against placing Benthic Community Effects in this waterbody segment 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. Zero of one benthic-macroinvertebrate bioassessment samples had CSCI scores below 0.79. Therefore, this water body is not exceeding the water quality threshold for the protection of the COLD beneficial use. The available information indicates that the waterbody/pollutant combination should not be placed on the 303(d) List of impaired waters at this time. 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:

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 151662, Benthic Community Effects	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

306914

Pollutant:

Benthic-Macroinvertebrate Bioassessments

LOE Subgroup:

Population/Community Degradation

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial Use:

Cold Freshwater Habitat

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Water Board staff assessed data for 204VAL400 to determine beneficial use support and the results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceeded the threshold. CSCI scores were from 0.952105036 to 0.952105036.

Data Reference:

California Stream Condition Index (CSCI) Scores for the 2024 Integrated Report for Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances in concentrations that are lethal to or that produce significant alterations in population or community ecology or receiving water biota. In addition, the health and life history characteristics of aquatic organisms in waters affected by controllable water quality factors shall not differ significantly from those for the same waters in areas unaffected by controllable water quality factors.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)

Evaluation Guideline:

The California Stream Condition Index (CSCI) is a biological scoring tool that helps aquatic resource managers translate complex data about benthic macroinvertebrates found living in a stream into an overall measure of stream health. The CSCI score is calculated by comparing the expected condition with actual (observed) results (Rehn, A.C. et al., 2015). CSCI scores range from 0 (highly degraded) to greater than 1 (equivalent to reference). CSCI scoring of biological condition are as follows (per the scientific paper supporting the development of the CSCI scoring tool): greater than or equal to 0.92 = likely intact condition, 0.91 to 0.80 = possibly altered condition, 0.79 to 0.63 = likely altered condition, less than or equal to 0.62 = very likely altered condition. Sites with scores below 0.79 are considered to have exceeded the water quality objective for the aquatic life beneficial use.Â

Guideline Reference:

Bioassessment in complex environments: designing an index for consistent meaning in different settings

Spatial Representation:

Samples were collected from station 204VAL400.

Temporal Representation:

Samples were collected from 5/19/2014 to 5/19/2014.

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Data were collected using Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program protocols

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.


DECISION ID	144421	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

Pollutant:	Chloride
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:	Insufficient information is available to determine beneficial use support for this waterbody-pollutant combination with the statistical power and confidence required by the Listing Policy. Beneficial use support will be reassessed in a future cycle, if more data are available.

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. The readily available data and information is insufficient to determine, with the power and confidence of the Listing Policy, the applicable beneficial use support rating.

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 it cannot be determined if applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 144421, Chloride	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

281607

Pollutant:

Chloride

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Dissolved

Beneficial 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:

Field, Habitat, Tissue, Toxicity, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)

Evaluation Guideline:

The chloride criterion continuous concentration (expressed as a 4-day average) to protect aquatic life in freshwater is 230000 ug/L (230 mg/L)(USEPA National Recommended Water Quality Criteria, 2006).

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 204VAL400 (Valpe Creek - 1.25mi upstream of confluence with Alameda Creek; 204R00221).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2014-05-19 and 2014-05-19

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

SWRCB. 2018. This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements..

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 144421, Chloride	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

281826

Pollutant:

Chloride

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Dissolved

Beneficial 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:

Field, Habitat, Tissue, Toxicity, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 204VAL400 (Valpe Creek - 1.25mi upstream of confluence with Alameda Creek; 204R00221).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2014-05-19 and 2014-05-19

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

SWRCB. 2018. This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements..

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.


DECISION ID	144422	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

Pollutant:	Oxygen, Dissolved
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:	Insufficient information is available to determine beneficial use support for this waterbody-pollutant combination with the statistical power and confidence required by the Listing Policy. Beneficial use support will be reassessed in a future cycle, if more data are available.

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. The readily available data and information is insufficient to determine, with the power and confidence of the Listing Policy, the applicable beneficial use support rating.

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 it cannot be determined if applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 144422, Oxygen, Dissolved	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

285611

Pollutant:

Oxygen, Dissolved

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial 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:

Field, Habitat, Tissue, Toxicity, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Dissolved oxygen objectives for waters designated as cold water habitat shall be of a 7.0 mg/l minimum. (Water Quality Control Plan, San Francisco Bay Basin, Chapter III Water Quality Objectives.)

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 204VAL400 (Valpe Creek - 1.25mi upstream of confluence with Alameda Creek; 204R00221).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2014-05-19 and 2014-05-19

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

SWRCB. 2018. This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements..

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 144422, Oxygen, Dissolved	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

286726

Pollutant:

Oxygen, Dissolved

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial 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:

Field, Habitat, Tissue, Toxicity, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Dissolved oxygen objectives for waters designated as warm water habitat shall be of a 5.0 mg/l minimum. (Water Quality Control Plan, San Francisco Bay Basin, Chapter III Water Quality Objectives.)

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 204VAL400 (Valpe Creek - 1.25mi upstream of confluence with Alameda Creek; 204R00221).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2014-05-19 and 2014-05-19

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

SWRCB. 2018. This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements..

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.


DECISION ID	144424	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda 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:	Insufficient information is available to determine beneficial use support for this waterbody-pollutant combination with the statistical power and confidence required by the Listing Policy. Beneficial use support will be reassessed in a future cycle, if more data are available.

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. The readily available data and information is insufficient to determine, with the power and confidence of the Listing Policy, the applicable beneficial use support rating.

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 it cannot be determined if applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 144424, Temperature, water	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

288795

Pollutant:

Temperature, water

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Not Recorded

Beneficial 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:

Field, Habitat, Tissue, Toxicity, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Temperature objectives for surface waters are specified in the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Plan. The following temperature objectives apply to surface waters: “- The natural receiving water temperature of inland surface 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. - The temperature of any cold or warm freshwater habitat shall not be increased by more than 5°F (2.8°C) above natural receiving water temperature.”

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)

Evaluation Guideline:

Per Effects of Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen/Total Dissolved Gas, Ammonia, and pH on Salmonids (Carter 2008, Moyle 1976, and USEPA 1977), the lethal temperature evaluation guideline for both the steelhead adult migration and holding and the steelhead juvenile growth and rearing life stages is 24°C.

Guideline Reference:

Temperature criteria for freshwater fish: protocol and procedures. Ecological Research Series. EPA-600/3-77-061 (NTIS PB270032). Prepared by W.A. Brungs and B.R. Jones. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C

Guideline Reference:

Inland Fishes of California

Guideline Reference:

Effects of Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen/Total Dissolved Gas, Ammonia, and pH on Salmonids. Implications for California's North Coast TMDLs. California Regional Water Quality Control Board, North Coast Region

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 204VAL400 (Valpe Creek - 1.25mi upstream of confluence with Alameda Creek; 204R00221).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2014-05-19 and 2014-05-19

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

SWRCB. 2018. This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements..

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.


DECISION ID	144425	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda 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:	Insufficient information is available to determine beneficial use support for this waterbody-pollutant combination with the statistical power and confidence required by the Listing Policy. Beneficial use support will be reassessed in a future cycle, if more data are available.

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. The readily available data and information is insufficient to determine, with the power and confidence of the Listing Policy, the applicable beneficial use support rating.

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 it cannot be determined if applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 144425, Turbidity	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

289875

Pollutant:

Turbidity

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial 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:

Field, Habitat, Tissue, Toxicity, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)

Evaluation Guideline:

Sigler et al. (1984) states that turbidities of 25 NTUs or greater caused reduction in juvenile salmonid growth due to interference with their ability to find food. The application of this evaluation guideline was restricted to the dry season (May to October) because Coho and steelhead early life stages are present during the dry season and feeding becomes infrequent during the winter months (Moyle 2002). Additionally, runoff and resuspension of fine substrate during storm events may naturally elevate turbidity compared to baseflow conditions. The magnitude and duration of these increases will vary depending on the watershed’s geology and land use and may not represent a chronic turbidity problem. Turbidity is naturally higher in tidal river systems, so sample locations with salinity regimes (i.e., Freshwater or Marine) designated as “Marine” were excluded from this analysis.

Guideline Reference:

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

Guideline Reference:

Inland Fishes of California

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 204VAL400 (Valpe Creek - 1.25mi upstream of confluence with Alameda Creek; 204R00221).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2014-05-19 and 2014-05-19

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

SWRCB. 2018. This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements..

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 144425, Turbidity	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

302921

Pollutant:

Turbidity

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial 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:

Field, Habitat, Tissue, Toxicity, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)

Evaluation Guideline:

Turbidities of 40 NTU or greater can cause a reduced foraging efficiency and a shift in prey selection in piscivorous fish (largemouth bass) due to interference with their ability to find prey (Shoup, D.E. and Wahl D.H., 2009). The application of this evaluation guideline was restricted to the dry season (May to October) because runoff and resuspension of fine substrate during storm events may naturally elevate turbidity compared to baseflow conditions. The magnitude and duration of these increases will vary depending on the watershed’s geology and land use and may not represent a chronic turbidity problem. Turbidity is naturally higher in tidal river systems, so sample locations with salinity regimes (i.e., Freshwater or Marine) designated as “Marine” were excluded from this analysis.

Guideline Reference:

The Effects of Turbidity on Prey Selection by Piscivorous Largemouth Bass

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 204VAL400 (Valpe Creek - 1.25mi upstream of confluence with Alameda Creek; 204R00221).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2014-05-19 and 2014-05-19

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

SWRCB. 2018. This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements..

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.


DECISION ID	144423	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda 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:	Insufficient information is available to determine beneficial use support for this waterbody-pollutant combination with the statistical power and confidence required by the Listing Policy. Beneficial use support will be reassessed in a future cycle, if more data are available.

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. The readily available data and information is insufficient to determine, with the power and confidence of the Listing Policy, the applicable beneficial use support rating.

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 it cannot be determined if applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 144423, pH	Region 2
Valpe Creek subwatershed (Alameda and Santa Clara County, tributary to Alameda Creek)

LOE ID:

287249

Pollutant:

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

Beneficial 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:

Field, Habitat, Tissue, Toxicity, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 2.

SWAMP Data:

SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Water Quality Control Plan, San Francisco Bay Basin, Chapter III Water Quality Objectives, Section 3.3.9 pH states: The pH shall not be depressed below 6.5 nor raised above 8.5. This encompasses the pH range usually found in waters within the basin. Controllable water quality factors shall not cause changes greater than 0.5 units in normal ambient pH levels.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 204VAL400 (Valpe Creek - 1.25mi upstream of confluence with Alameda Creek; 204R00221).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2014-05-19 and 2014-05-19

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

SWRCB. 2018. This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements..

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.