Welcome to the Surface Water Quality Assessment Program Webpage

The federal Clean Water Act (“CWA”) requires that California report on the quality of its surface waterbodies (such as rivers, streams, reservoirs, estuaries, lagoons, bays, and ocean waters) every two years. In order to meet this requirement, California develops the Integrated Report. The Integrated Report consists of the Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of impaired waters and 305(b) condition report. To develop the Integrated Report, data from California surface waters are evaluated and, if appropriate, assessed to determine if they contain pollutants at levels that exceed water quality standards. Development of the Integrated Report is a collaborative process between the State Water Resources Control Board and Regional Water Quality Control Boards and input from the public.

Placing a waterbody on the 303(d) list initiates the prioritization of Total Maximum Daily Load (“TMDL”) development, or another alternative restoration project, to restore and maintain water quality standards. The State Water Resources Control Board adopts the 303(d) list prior to submittal to the U.S. EPA for final approval.

The 305(b) condition report, commonly known as “305(b) report,” assigns an overall water quality condition to all assessed waterbody segments. The 305(b) condition report does not require U.S. EPA approval. However, the U.S. EPA will compile 305(b) reports from states and transmit the summaries in their “National Water Quality Inventory Report” to the United States Congress.

California’s Integrated Report is developed in "cycles" with submittal to the U.S. EPA every two years. Each listing cycle builds on assessments from the previous listing cycle; therefore, each time the Integrated Report is released, it contains all prior statewide assessments as well as any new or revised assessments based on the data received prior to the end of the data solicitation period.

Each Integrated Report cycle consists primarily of data assessments from waters within three Regional Water Quality Control Board regions that are identified in a Notice of Public Solicitation of Water Quality Data. The other six Regional Water Quality Control Boards may assess high-priority data, make listing or delisting recommendations, or propose changes to the 305(b) condition report as an “off-cycle” assessment. The State Water Resources Control Board and the Regional Water Quality Control Boards work in collaboration to develop the Integrated Report. For more information on data submittal for a Notice of Public Solicitation of Water Quality Data, please see Submitting Data and Information for the Integrated Report.

For more information on the Integrated Report, please refer to the Fact Sheet. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) coming soon!

Current, In Progress, and Future Listing Cycles

The following table provides important information about each Integrated Report Cycle. The general timeframes provided are subject to change. For the most up to date information, please subscribe to the State Water Resources Control Boards Integrated Report 303(d)/305(b) email list. For more detailed information and official documentation for each cycle, please select the links for each cycle in the boxes below.