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

Supporting Information

Regional Board 6 - Lahontan Region

Water Body Name:	Unnamed tributary of Grass Lake Creek
Water Body ID:	CAR6341004020230503053651
Water Body Type:	River & Stream


DECISION ID	162881	Region 6
Unnamed tributary of Grass Lake 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:

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 162881, Alkalinity as CaCO3	Region 6
Unnamed tributary of Grass Lake Creek

LOE ID:

337996

Pollutant:

Alkalinity as CaCO3

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:

Benthic, Field, Habitat from the Tahoe Regional Planning Authority for the 2026 Integrated Report in Region 6

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances in concentrations that are toxic to, or that produce detrimental physiological responses in human, plant, animal, or aquatic life (Water Quality Control Plan, Lahontan Region).

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region (as amended)

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: 634S17334 (634S17334 Grass Lake Creek tributary Status 2017).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2017-06-29 and 2017-06-29

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Generic SWAMP QAPrP

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Generic SWAMP QAPrP


DECISION ID	171014	Region 6
Unnamed tributary of Grass Lake 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 of evidence evaluating benthic-macroinvertebrate bioassessment data is available in the administrative record to assess this indicator. One of one benthic-macroinvertebrate samples exceed the California Stream Condition Index (CSCI) impairment threshold. However, a minimum of two benthic-macroinvertebrate samples are needed to assess listing status. 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 does not satisfy the data quantity requirements of section 6.1.5 of the Policy. 3. One of one benthic-macroinvertebrate bioassessment samples had CSCI scores below 0.79. The available information is insufficient to determine whether the waterbody/pollutant combination should 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. 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 171014, Benthic Community Effects	Region 6
Unnamed tributary of Grass Lake Creek

LOE ID:

352832

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 634S17334 to determine beneficial use support and the results are as follows: 1 of 1 samples exceeded the water quality standard. CSCI scores were from 0.645535 to 0.645535 .

Data Reference:

Benthic, Field, Habitat from the Tahoe Regional Planning Authority for the 2026 Integrated Report in Region 6

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances in concentrations that are toxic to, or that produce detrimental physiological responses in, human, plant, animal, or aquatic life. (Lahontan Basin Plan)

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region (as amended)

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 (Rhen, 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:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 634S17334 (634S17334 Grass Lake Creek tributary Status 2017).

Temporal Representation:

Samples were collected from 2017-06-29 to 2017-06-29.

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Generic SWAMP QAPrP

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Generic SWAMP QAPrP


DECISION ID	162879	Region 6
Unnamed tributary of Grass Lake 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:

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 162879, Oxygen, Dissolved	Region 6
Unnamed tributary of Grass Lake Creek

LOE ID:

339308

Pollutant:

Oxygen, Dissolved

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:

Benthic, Field, Habitat from the Tahoe Regional Planning Authority for the 2026 Integrated Report in Region 6

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

For waters with the beneficial uses of COLD, COLD with SPWN, WARM, and WARM with SPWN, the minimum dissolved oxygen concentration shall not be less than that specified in Table 3-6. (Water Quality Control Plan, Lahontan Region)

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region (as amended)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 634S17334 (634S17334 Grass Lake Creek tributary Status 2017).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2017-06-29 and 2017-06-29

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Generic SWAMP QAPrP

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Generic SWAMP QAPrP

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 162879, Oxygen, Dissolved	Region 6
Unnamed tributary of Grass Lake Creek

LOE ID:

339378

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:

Benthic, Field, Habitat from the Tahoe Regional Planning Authority for the 2026 Integrated Report in Region 6

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region's water quality objective states that the dissolved oxygen concentration shall not be less than 80 percent of saturation.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region (as amended)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 634S17334 (634S17334 Grass Lake Creek tributary Status 2017).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2017-06-29 and 2017-06-29

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Generic SWAMP QAPrP

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Generic SWAMP QAPrP


DECISION ID	170321	Region 6
Unnamed tributary of Grass Lake Creek

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 170321, Specific Conductivity	Region 6
Unnamed tributary of Grass Lake Creek

LOE ID:

340500

Pollutant:

Specific Conductivity

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

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:

Benthic, Field, Habitat from the Tahoe Regional Planning Authority for the 2026 Integrated Report in Region 6

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Water designated as MUN shall not contain concentrations of chemical constituents in excess of the maximum contaminant level (MCL) or secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL) based upon drinking water standards specified in Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations (Water Quality Control Plan, Lahontan Region).

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region (as amended)

Evaluation Guideline:

California Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) apply to ambient waters under the Lahontan Basin Plan's 'Chemical Constituents' objective. The California Secondary MCL for specific conductivity is 900 uS/cm.

Guideline Reference:

California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Division 4, Chapter 15. Domestic Water Quality and Monitoring

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 634S17334 (634S17334 Grass Lake Creek tributary Status 2017).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2017-06-29 and 2017-06-29

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Generic SWAMP QAPrP

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Generic SWAMP QAPrP


DECISION ID	162880	Region 6
Unnamed tributary of Grass Lake 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:

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 162880, pH	Region 6
Unnamed tributary of Grass Lake Creek

LOE ID:

339797

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:

Water Board staff assessed TRPA Tahoe Ambient Monitoring data for Unnamed tributary of Grass Lake Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for pH. The objective for this pollutant requires background information that is currently unavailable, and therefore an assessment of water quality thresholds could not be made.

Data Reference:

Benthic, Field, Habitat from the Tahoe Regional Planning Authority for the 2026 Integrated Report in Region 6

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The Lahontan Basin Plan's regionwide objective for pH states: 'In fresh waters with designated beneficial uses of COLD or WARM, changes in normal ambient pH levels shall not exceed 0.5 pH units. For all other waters of the region, the pH shall not be depressed below 6.5 nor raised above 8.5 units. The Regional Board recognizes that some waters of the Region may have natural pH levels outside of the 6.5 to 8.5 range. Compliance with the pH objective for these waters will be determined on a case-by-case basis.'

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region (as amended)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 634S17334 (634S17334 Grass Lake Creek tributary Status 2017).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2017-06-29 and 2017-06-29

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Generic SWAMP QAPrP

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Generic SWAMP QAPrP

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 162880, pH	Region 6
Unnamed tributary of Grass Lake Creek

LOE ID:

339677

Pollutant:

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

None

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:

Benthic, Field, Habitat from the Tahoe Regional Planning Authority for the 2026 Integrated Report in Region 6

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region (as amended)

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site: 634S17334 (634S17334 Grass Lake Creek tributary Status 2017).

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2017-06-29 and 2017-06-29

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Generic SWAMP QAPrP

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Generic SWAMP QAPrP