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 3929.14 - Total Maximum Daily Loads for Nitrogen Compounds and Orthophosphate in Streams of the Pajaro River Basin

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
					 (Central Coast Water Board) periodically revises and amends the Water Quality
					 Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin (Basin Plan). The Central Coast
					 Water Board has determined the Basin Plan requires amendment to incorporate
					 total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and an implementation strategy for nitrogen
					 compounds and orthophosphate in streams of the Pajaro River basin. TMDLs are a
					 requirement of the federal Clean Water Act. Waterbodies assigned TMDLs by this
					 action include the Pajaro River, Watsonville Slough, Llagas, San Juan, and
					 Furlong creeks, and other tributary surface waterbodies as identified in the
					 Basin Plan amendment.
The Central Coast Water Board adopted this Basin Plan
					 amendment by Resolution No. R3-2015-0004 at the July 30, 2015 board meeting.
					 Further, this action by the Central Coast Water Board was subsequently approved
					 by the State Water Resources Control Board by Resolution No. 2016-0018 on April
					 5, 2016.
The Central Coast Water Board's goal for establishing these
					 TMDLs in the Pajaro River basin is to rectify water quality impairments related
					 to nitrate, un-ionized ammonia, and orthophosphate, thereby providing support
					 for the designated beneficial uses of municipal and domestic water supply, cold
					 and warm fresh water habitat, groundwater recharge, agricultural water supply,
					 and to support water quality standards attainment with regard to the Basin
					 Plan's general toxicity water quality objective for un-ionized ammonia, and the
					 Basin Plan's water quality objective for biostimulatory substances.
Responsibility for achieving pollutant load reductions
					 falls upon several entities as described in Attachment A to Resolution No.
					 R3-2015-0004 (Basin Plan amendment). The Central Coast Water Board is relying
					 on existing regulatory measures in the river basin to ensure TMDL
					 implementation is carried out by implementing parties. These regulatory
					 measures include NPDES stormwater permits, NPDES wastewater permits, and the
					 Conditional Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharges from
					 Irrigated Lands (Order No. R3-2012-0011, as modified by Order WQ-2013-0101).
					 Further, this Basin Plan amendment utilizes an implicit margin of safety to
					 account for uncertainties.
Interim and final implementation milestones of 10, 15, and
					 25 years are established for showing progress towards, and attainment of
					 relevant water quality standards. The Central Coast Water Board will track
					 progress towards achieving the TMDLs through review of implementation actions
					 and monitoring conducted by the implementing parties.
1. New
					 section summarizing amendments to basin plan filed 7-12-2016; amendments
					 approved by State Water Resources Control Board Resolution No. 2016-0018 on
					 4-5-2016; amendments approved by OAL pursuant to Government Code section
					 11353 on
					 7-12-2016 (Register 2016, No. 29).