Most of the beaches in the Bay are impaired for excessive bacteria counts, particularly during the wet season. The goal is to limit loading of the pollutant to meet acceptable water quality standards. TMDL s are determined by estimating the concentration of the pollutant translated into an amount per day that can go into the system without overloading it. They assign a limit of acceptable discharge of a pollutant from all the contributing sources. In Topanga, the majority of sources are non-point, which means they are spread out, rather than coming from a particular drainpipe or outfall.
Atmospheric distribution is a real contributor to water degradation.
It is possible to be de-listed if current data indicates that a problem no longer exists. Evaluation of appropriate TMDL s for Topanga is not yet scheduled, but is expected to take place within 3-5 years. Watershed management is the ideal way for communities to come up with solutions for reducing TMDL s and avoiding the need for regulatory oversight. The long term goal is to develop workable solutions so that impaired waters are restored. Monitoring is a key way to check on the status of the creek.