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

Supporting Information

Regional Board 5 - Central Valley Region

Water Body Name:	Empire Creek (Butte County)
Water Body ID:	CAR5186002020210414034667
Water Body Type:	River & Stream


DECISION ID	147976	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

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 147976, Alkalinity as CaCO3	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

LOE ID:

292906

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, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Waters shall not contain chemical constituents in concentrations that adversely affect beneficial uses.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan for the California Regional Water Quality Control Board Central Valley Region, Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins; Fifth Edition. Revised May 2018 (with approved amendments)

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: 518EMPR01 (Empire Creek at 130V).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2019-10-09 and 2019-10-09

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Sierra Pacific Industries. 2020. Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Project Plan

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Manual

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP


DECISION ID	151428	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

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 three 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 three 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 151428, Benthic Community Effects	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

LOE ID:

305614

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 518EMPR01 to determine beneficial use support and the results are as follows: 0 of 3 samples exceeded the threshold. CSCI scores were from 0.803765 to 1.11981.

Data Reference:

California Stream Condition Index (CSCI) Scores for the 2024 Integrated Report for Region 5, Sacramento River sub-region.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances in concentrations that produce detrimental physiological responses in human, plant, animal, or aquatic life. Region 5 Basin Plan

Objective/Criterion Reference:

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.

Guideline Reference:

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

Spatial Representation:

Samples were collected from station 518EMPR01.

Temporal Representation:

Samples were collected from 10/9/2019 to 8/26/2021.

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Data were collected using Sierra Pacific Industries Research protocols

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Manual


DECISION ID	153716	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

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 153716, Chloride	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

LOE ID:

311562

Pollutant:

Chloride

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Dissolved

Beneficial Use:

Municipal & Domestic Supply

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Water Board staff assessed Sierra Pacific Industries Research data for Empire Creek (Butte County) to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceeded the upper limit of the range for Chloride. Additionally, 0 of the 1 samples fall within the range, and 1 of 1 samples fall below the threshold.

Data Reference:

Field, Habitat, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The California Secondary MCL that is incorporated by reference into the Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins specifies a range for chloride of 250 - 500 mg/L assessed as an annual average.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 518EMPR01 (Empire Creek at 130V).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2019-10-09 and 2019-10-09

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Sierra Pacific Industries. 2020. Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Project Plan

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Manual

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP


DECISION ID	150183	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

Pollutant:	Nitrogen, 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:	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:

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 150183, Nitrogen, Nitrate	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

LOE ID:

295591

Pollutant:

Nitrogen, Nitrate

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Dissolved

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:

Field, Habitat, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The California Primary Maximum Contaminant Level for Nitrate as N incorporated by reference in the Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins is 10 mg/L.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 518EMPR01 (Empire Creek at 130V).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2019-10-09 and 2019-10-09

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Sierra Pacific Industries. 2020. Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Project Plan

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Manual

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP


DECISION ID	149204	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

Pollutant:	Nitrogen, Nitrite
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:

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 149204, Nitrogen, Nitrite	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

LOE ID:

295597

Pollutant:

Nitrogen, Nitrite

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Dissolved

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:

Field, Habitat, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The California Primary Maximum Contaminant Level for Nitrite as N incorporated by reference in the Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins is 1000 ug/L .

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 518EMPR01 (Empire Creek at 130V).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2019-10-09 and 2019-10-09

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Sierra Pacific Industries. 2020. Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Project Plan

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Manual

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP


DECISION ID	148535	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

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:	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:

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 148535, Nitrogen, ammonia (Total Ammonia)	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

LOE ID:

293278

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, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-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: 518EMPR01 (Empire Creek at 130V).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2019-10-09 and 2019-10-09

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Sierra Pacific Industries. 2020. Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Project Plan

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Manual

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP


DECISION ID	147973	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

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 147973, Oxygen, Dissolved	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

LOE ID:

295529

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, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The minimum dissolved oxygen concentration for waters designated as COLD is 7.0 mg/L. (Water Quality Control Plan, Central Valley Region, Sacramento River Basin and San Joaquin Basin)

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 518EMPR01 (Empire Creek at 130V).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2019-10-09 and 2019-10-09

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Sierra Pacific Industries. 2020. Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Project Plan

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Manual

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 147973, Oxygen, Dissolved	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

LOE ID:

296028

Pollutant:

Oxygen, Dissolved

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial Use:

Fish Spawning

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Data Reference:

Field, Habitat, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The minimum dissolved oxygen concentration for waters designated as SPWN is 7.0 mg/L. (Water Quality Control Plan, Central Valley Region, Sacramento River Basin and San Joaquin Basin)

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 518EMPR01 (Empire Creek at 130V).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2019-10-09 and 2019-10-09

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Sierra Pacific Industries. 2020. Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Project Plan

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Manual

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP


DECISION ID	153770	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

Pollutant:	Specific Conductivity
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 153770, Specific Conductivity	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

LOE ID:

311656

Pollutant:

Specific Conductivity

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial Use:

Municipal & Domestic Supply

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Water Board staff assessed Sierra Pacific Industries Research data for Empire Creek (Butte County) to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceeded the upper limit of the range for SpecificConductivity. Additionally, 0 of the 1 samples fall within the range, and 1 of 1 samples fall below the threshold.

Data Reference:

Field, Habitat, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The California Secondary MCL that is incorporated by reference into the Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins specifies a range for specific conductance of 900 - 1600 uS/cm assessed as an annual average.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 518EMPR01 (Empire Creek at 130V).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2019-10-09 and 2019-10-09

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Sierra Pacific Industries. 2020. Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Project Plan

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Manual

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP


DECISION ID	153717	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

Pollutant:	Sulfates
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 153717, Sulfates	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

LOE ID:

312002

Pollutant:

Sulfates

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Dissolved

Beneficial Use:

Municipal & Domestic Supply

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Water Board staff assessed Sierra Pacific Industries Research data for Empire Creek (Butte County) to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceeded the upper limit of the range for Sulfate. Additionally, 0 of the 1 samples fall within the range, and 1 of 1 samples fall below the threshold.

Data Reference:

Field, Habitat, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The California Secondary MCL that is incorporated by reference into the Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins specifies a range for sulfate of 250 - 500 mg/L assessed as an annual average.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 518EMPR01 (Empire Creek at 130V).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2019-10-09 and 2019-10-09

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Sierra Pacific Industries. 2020. Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Project Plan

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Manual

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP


DECISION ID	147975	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

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 147975, Temperature, water	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

LOE ID:

296861

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, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The natural receiving water temperature of intrastate waters shall not be altered unless it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Regional Water Board that such alteration in temperature does not adversely affect beneficial uses (Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basin Plans).

Objective/Criterion Reference:

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:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 518EMPR01 (Empire Creek at 130V).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2019-10-09 and 2019-10-09

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Sierra Pacific Industries. 2020. Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Project Plan

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Manual

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP


DECISION ID	147974	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

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 147974, pH	Region 5
Empire Creek (Butte County)

LOE ID:

296165

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, WQ data from the California Environmental Data Exchange Network assembled for the 2024 Integrated Report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Water Quality Control Plan, Central Valley Region Sacramento River Basin and San Joaquin River Basin: pH should not be lower than 6.5 or higher than 8.5.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 518EMPR01 (Empire Creek at 130V).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2019-10-09 and 2019-10-09

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Sierra Pacific Industries. 2020. Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Project Plan

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Research and Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Manual

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Sierra Pacific Industries Research and Monitoring Program QAPP