California Code of Regulations › Title 23 - Waters › Division 4 - Regional Water Quality Control Boards › Chapter 1 - Water Quality Control Plans, Policies, and Guidelines › Article 3 - Central Coast Region › Section 3929.10 - Lower Salinas River and Reclamation Canal Basin, and the Moro Cojo Slough Subwatershed Total Maximum Daily Loads and Implementation Plan for Nitrate, Nitrogen, Unionized Ammonia and Orthophosphate

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
On March 14, 2013, the Regional Water Quality Control
					 Board, Central Coast Region (Water Board) adopted Resolution No. R3-2013-0008,
					 amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coast Region (Basin
					 Plan). The State Water Resources Control Board approved the Basin Plan
					 amendment on February 4, 2014 by Resolution 2014-0008.
Resolution No. R3-2013-0008 establishes the Lower Salinas
					 River and Reclamation Canal Basin and the Moro Cojo Slough Subwatershed Total
					 Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) and Implementation Plan for nitrate, nitrogen,
					 unionized ammonia and orthophosphate. The TMDLs address nutrient-related
					 impairments of the lower Salinas Valley, which includes the following
					 waterbodies: Alisal Creek, Alisal Slough, Blanco Drain, Chualar Creek,
					 Esperanza Creek, Espinosa Slough, Gabilan Creek, Merrit Ditch, Moro Cojo
					 Slough, Natividad Creek, Old Salinas River, Quail Creek, the Reclamation Canal,
					 the Lower Salinas River (downstream of Gonzalez), Salinas River Lagoon (north),
					 Santa Rita Creek, and Tembladero Slough.
Current nutrient and nutrient-related impairments in lower
					 Salinas Valley waters are impairing a range of current or potential designated
					 beneficial uses including aquatic habitat (COLD, WARM, SPWN), drinking water
					 supply (MUN), groundwater recharge (GWR), water contact recreation (REC-1), and
					 agricultural supply (AGR). The TMDLs set numeric targets for nitrate, nitrogen,
					 unionized ammonia, orthophosphate, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll
a
, and microcystins consistent with the Basin Plan narrative
					 and numeric water quality objectives protective of the aforementioned
					 beneficial uses.
Responsibility for achieving waste load allocations and
					 load allocations falls upon several entities as described in the Basin Plan
					 amendment. An implicit margin of safety is utilized in the TMDLs to account for
					 uncertainties. The Water Board is relying on existing regulatory measures
					 (i.e., the Agricultural Order and storm water permits) to ensure implementation
					 actions are carried out by implementing parties. Interim and final
					 implementation milestones of 12, 20, and 30 years are established for showing
					 progress and achieving the TMDLs. The Water Board will track progress towards
					 achieving the TMDLs through review of implementation actions and monitoring
					 conducted by the implementing parties. Water Board staff will conduct triennial
					 reviews of implementation actions and monitoring results.
1. New
					 section summarizing amendments to basin plan filed 5-7-2014; amendment approved
					 by State Water Resources Control Board Resolution No. 2014-0008 on 2-4-2014;
					 amendment approved by OAL pursuant to Government Code section
					 11353 on
					 5-7-2014 (Register 2014, No. 19).