Draft California 2026 Integrated Report (303(d) List/305(b) Report)

Supporting Information

Regional Board 1 - North Coast Region

Water Body Name: Eureka Plain HU, Gannon Slough
Water Body ID: CAR1100005219990617095337
Water Body Type: River & Stream
 
DECISION ID
161527
Region 1     
Eureka Plain HU, Gannon Slough
 
Pollutant: Indicator Bacteria
Final Listing Decision: Delist from 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)(2018)
Revision Status Revised
Reason for Delisting: Applicable WQS attained; due to change in WQS
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: Pollutant
 
Regional Board Conclusion: The State Water Board’s Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California (the “ISWEBE Plan”) was adopted on August 7, 2018, and contains bacteria water quality objectives applicable to the REC-1 beneficial use. This has resulted in a change from assessing fecal coliform to assessing E. coli in fresh water and Enterococcus in saline water. Fecal coliform and freshwater enterococcus lines of evidence used in previous REC-1 beneficial use indicator bacteria decisions in the North Coast Region are not included in the 2026 Integrated Report assessment. The pollutant will again be considered for placement on the CWA section 303(d) List under section 3.2 of the Listing Policy.

In accordance with section 6.1.5.3 of the Listing Policy, data should be representative of the critical timing that the pollutant is expected to impact the waterbody. Lacking constant inputs, indicator bacteria do not persist in the environment for a long period and effects are of relatively short duration. As a result, the historic levels of E. coli in the waterbody may be a poor indicator of current risks to human health, particularly when more recent data are available to sufficiently assess the water quality standard. Historic lines of evidence for data collected prior to October 21, 2012 (i.e., data collected more than 10 years from the 2026 data solicitation cutoff date) were evaluated pursuant to these considerations and, when more recent data were available, the pre-October 21, 2012, data were not used to assess water quality standards attainment because they do not meet the temporal representation requirements of section 6.1.5.3 of the Listing Policy.

This pollutant is being considered for placement on the CWA section 303(d) List under section 3.2 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.2 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.

Three of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Geometric means are used for the assessment. If no geometric means are available, statistical threshold values are used. No geometric means are available for Eureka Plain HU, Gannon Slough, so the STV will be assessed.

*CAMPBELL CREEK has two LOEs (321858, 321877) and 3 of 8 samples exceed the STV objective.
*GANNON SLOUGH has one LOE (321900) and 3 of 10 samples exceed the STV 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. Three of 8 samples for Campbell Creek and 3 of 10 samples for Gannon Slough exceeded the STV 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. 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 161527, Indicator Bacteria
Region 1     
Eureka Plain HU, Gannon Slough
 
LOE ID: 321877
 
Pollutant: Escherichia coli (E. coli)
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: STV
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 4
Number of Exceedances: 1
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed Coastal Pathogen TMDL data for Eureka Plain HU, Gannon Slough to determine beneficial use support and the results are as follows: 1 of the 4 samples exceeded the Statistical Threshold Value (STV) water quality threshold for E. coli. The STV is based on a 10% exceedance rate that is calculated monthly.
Data Reference: WQ from the RWQCB1 TMDL for the 2026 Integrated Report in Region 1
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The bacteria water quality objective to protect the REC-1 beneficial use where the salinity is less than 1 parts per thousand 95 percent or more of the time applies a statistical threshold value to E. coli of 320 cfu/100 mL, not to be exceeded by more than 10 percent of samples within a calendar month (ISWEBE 2018).
Objective/Criterion Reference: Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries Plan. Part 1: Trash Provisions; Part 2: Tribal Subsistence Beneficial Uses and Mercury Provisions; Part 3: Bacteria Provisions and Variance Policy
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site(s), station(s): 110GS6500 (Campbell Creek at 14th and Union Street).
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected between the days of 2016-12-13 and 2018-01-09 .
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: QAPP for RWQCB1_RussianRiver
QAPP Information Reference(s): North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board - QA Doc (2015) - RWQCB1 Russian River TMDL - 402682
QAPP Information Reference(s): North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board - QA Doc (2015) - RWQCB1 Russian River TMDL - 402683
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 161527, Indicator Bacteria
Region 1     
Eureka Plain HU, Gannon Slough
 
LOE ID: 321858
 
Pollutant: Escherichia coli (E. coli)
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: STV
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 4
Number of Exceedances: 2
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed Coastal Pathogen TMDL data for Eureka Plain HU, Gannon Slough to determine beneficial use support and the results are as follows: 2 of the 4 samples exceeded the Statistical Threshold Value (STV) water quality threshold for E. coli. The STV is based on a 10% exceedance rate that is calculated monthly.
Data Reference: WQ from the RWQCB1 TMDL for the 2026 Integrated Report in Region 1
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The bacteria water quality objective to protect the REC-1 beneficial use where the salinity is less than 1 parts per thousand 95 percent or more of the time applies a statistical threshold value to E. coli of 320 cfu/100 mL, not to be exceeded by more than 10 percent of samples within a calendar month (ISWEBE 2018).
Objective/Criterion Reference: Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries Plan. Part 1: Trash Provisions; Part 2: Tribal Subsistence Beneficial Uses and Mercury Provisions; Part 3: Bacteria Provisions and Variance Policy
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site(s), station(s): 110GS5000 (Campbell Creek at 7th Street).
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected between the days of 2016-12-13 and 2018-01-09 .
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: QAPP for RWQCB1_RussianRiver
QAPP Information Reference(s): North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board - QA Doc (2015) - RWQCB1 Russian River TMDL - 402682
QAPP Information Reference(s): North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board - QA Doc (2015) - RWQCB1 Russian River TMDL - 402683
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 161527, Indicator Bacteria
Region 1     
Eureka Plain HU, Gannon Slough
 
LOE ID: 321900
 
Pollutant: Escherichia coli (E. coli)
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: STV
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 10
Number of Exceedances: 3
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed Coastal Pathogen TMDL data for Eureka Plain HU, Gannon Slough to determine beneficial use support and the results are as follows: 3 of the 10 samples exceeded the Statistical Threshold Value (STV) water quality threshold for E. coli. The STV is based on a 10% exceedance rate that is calculated monthly.
Data Reference: WQ from the RWQCB1 TMDL for the 2026 Integrated Report in Region 1
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The bacteria water quality objective to protect the REC-1 beneficial use where the salinity is less than 1 parts per thousand 95 percent or more of the time applies a statistical threshold value to E. coli of 320 cfu/100 mL, not to be exceeded by more than 10 percent of samples within a calendar month (ISWEBE 2018).
Objective/Criterion Reference: Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries Plan. Part 1: Trash Provisions; Part 2: Tribal Subsistence Beneficial Uses and Mercury Provisions; Part 3: Bacteria Provisions and Variance Policy
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site(s), station(s): 110GS1625 (Gannon Slough near Hwy 101).
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected between the days of 2016-02-17 and 2018-01-09 .
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: QAPP for RWQCB1_RussianRiver
QAPP Information Reference(s): North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board - QA Doc (2015) - RWQCB1 Russian River TMDL - 402682
QAPP Information Reference(s): North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board - QA Doc (2015) - RWQCB1 Russian River TMDL - 402683