STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD
WORKSHOP SESSION--DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY
SUBJECT
CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF THE CLEAN WATER ACT SECTION 205(j) PHASE XIV WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLANNING PROJECT PRIORITY LIST
DISCUSSION
Section 205(j) of the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) authorizes states to reserve up to
one percent of their annual Title II Clean Water Construction Grant allocation for water quality management planning activities. Beginning in Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 1989,
CWA Section 604(b) supplemented CWA Section 205(j)(2) to maintain such funding. The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) is the agency in California designated to administer the water quality management planning program. Thirteen phases of the program have been implemented to date, funding a total of 161 projects at a cost of about $17,760,000.
The March 1999 Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued by the SWRCB for watershed management planning and implementation projects. In response to the RFP, 30 proposals were submitted for consideration for the Phase XIV water quality planning projects. Proposals were reviewed and evaluated by the appropriate Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), the Watershed Management Initiative Committee (consisting of RWQCB, SWRCB, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [U.S. EPA] senior staff), and the SWRCB/RWQCB Management Coordinating Committee using criteria specified in the March 1999 RFP. Among these criteria were: consistency with the watershed planning approach and with RWQCB priorities, resource value and condition of the water body, and the feasibility of the study to address water body conditions. The resulting ranking of projects for funding priority is shown on the attached list.
Funding for the Phase XIV projects will be obtained from the FFY 2000 Federal appropriation. Of the Federal appropriation, which is expected to total $575,000-$800,000, approximately $355,600 will be used for SWRCB water quality planning activities and for program management in accordance with the program workplan.
The 1987 CWA amendments require that at least 40 percent of the amount allocated to the State under CWA Sections 205(j)(2) and 604(b) be allotted to Regional Public Comprehensive Planning Organizations (RPCPOs) or appropriate Interstate Organizations (IOs) for water quality planning activities. Considering that the level of Federal funding for this program is uncertain, applications were restricted to local public agencies and special districts in order to meet the 40 percent allocation requirement.
POLICY ISSUE
Should the SWRCB adopt a resolution:
1. Establishing the attached priority list for CWA Section 205(j) Phase XIV water quality management planning projects?
2. Authorizing the Executive Director, or his designee, to adjust the funding levels for any project to ensure adequate funding for as many projects as feasible within the allotted Federal funds?
3. Authorizing the Executive Director, or his designee, to apply for and accept the FFY 2000 Phase XIV water quality management planning grant under CWA Sections 205(j)(2) and/or 604(b)?
4. Authorizing the Executive Director, or his designee, to approve the final Phase XIV water quality management planning workplans and to negotiate and execute contracts and amendments in accordance with the workplans to implement the projects subject to the availability of Federal funding?
The SWRCB anticipates receipt of a total of $575,000-$800,000 from the FFY 2000 allocation, of which an estimated $220,000-$450,000 will be available for project funding. Depending on the total level of Federal grant, a request for additional budget authority may be needed.
RWQCB IMPACT
Yes.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
That the SWRCB adopt a resolution:
1. Establishing the attached priority list for CWA Section 205(j) Phase XIV water quality management planning projects.
2. Authorizing the Executive Director, or his designee, to adjust the funding levels for any project to ensure adequate funding for as many projects as feasible within the allotted Federal funds.
3. Authorizing the Executive Director, or his designee, to apply for and accept the FFY 2000 Phase XIV water quality management planning grant under CWA Sections 205(j)(2) and/or 604(b).
4. Authorizing the Executive Director, or his designee, to approve the final Phase XIV water quality management planning workplans and to negotiate and execute contracts and amendments in accordance with the workplans to implement the projects subject to the availability of Federal funding.
Note: The Water Quality Management Planning
Program CWA Section 205(j) Phase XIV Draft Project List is not available
on the SWRCB Internet site. For copies,
contact: Elena Tarailo/Division of
Water Quality/SWRCB/P.O. Box 944213/Sacramento, CA 94244-2130/(916) 657-0583 or FAX (916) 654-8375
___________________________________________________________________________________________
September 27, 1999 Draft
STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD
RESOLUTION NO. 99-__
APPROVAL OF THE CLEAN WATER ACT
SECTION 205(j) PHASE XIV WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT
PLANNING PROJECT PRIORITY LIST
WHEREAS:
1. Section 205(j) of the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) authorizes states to reserve up to one percent of their annual Title II Clean Water Construction Grant allocation for water quality management planning activities. Beginning in FFY 1989, CWA Section 604(b) supplemented CWA Section 205(j)(2) to maintain such funding.
2. It is estimated that $575,000-800,000 will
be available in FFY 2000 for funding the water quality management planning
program projects from CWA Section 604(b).
3. Thirty proposals were received in response
to the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) March 1999 Request for
Proposals (RFP) for the Phase XIV water quality management planning program.
4. These water quality management planning projects consist of
actions taken by regulatory agencies, as authorized by State law or local
ordinance to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of
water quality or the environment. As
such, these projects are exempt from the provisions of the California
Environmental Quality Act, Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq., in
accordance with 14 California Code of Regulations, Sections 15307 and 15308.
5. Following
a thorough evaluation process, including public participation, the SWRCB has
selected projects that will be fully considered for Phase XIV funding
contingent on availability of funds and development of acceptable workplans and
contractual agreements.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
The SWRCB:
1. Establishes the attached priority list for CWA Section 205(j) Phase XIV water quality management planning projects.
2. Authorizes the Executive Director, or his designee, to adjust the funding levels for any project to ensure adequate funding for as many projects as feasible within the allotted Federal funds.
3. Authorizes the Executive Director, or his designee, to apply for and accept the FFY 2000 Phase XIV water quality management planning project grant under CWA Sections 205(j) and/or 604(b).
4. Authorizes the Executive Director, or his designee, to approve the final Phase XIV water quality management planning workplans and to negotiate and execute contracts and amendments in accordance with the workplans to implement the projects subject to the availability of federal funding.
The undersigned, Administrative Assistant to the Board, does hereby certify that the foregoing is a full, true, and correct copy of a resolution duly and regularly adopted at a meeting of the State Water Resources Control Board held on October 21, 1999.
_____________________________________
Maureen Marché
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
SECTION 205(j) PHASE
XIV PROJECTS
Proposed Priority for
Funding
Rank Project
Title/Agency Cost Region
1 Moffett
Creek Upland Assessment $
90,968 1
Siskiyou
RCD & Scott River W/shed CRMP
2 Loma
Alta Creek Watershed Management Plan $
75,000 9
City
of Oceanside
3 Napa
River Watershed Sediment TMDL Study $125,000 2
San
Francisco Estuary Institute
4 Las
Virgenes Creek Assessment & Mgt. Plan $124,949 4
City
of Calabasas
5 Imperial
Co. Farm Bureau Watershed Program $116,000 7
Imperial Co. Farm Bureau
6 Pit
River Watershed Project $
30,450 5
Pit
RCD
7 Upper
Salinas River Watershed Study $
87,800 3
Upper
Salinas-Las Tablas RCD
8 Sedimentation
Assessment; Lower Pajaro River $124,992 3
Santa
Cruz Co. Plng. Dept. & S.C. Co. RCD
9 San
Diego Creek Water Quality Objectives $125,000 8
Co. of Orange, Public Fac’s. & Resources Dept.
10 Septic
Systems & Threats to Water Quality $100,000 4
So.
CA Assoc. of Gov’ts.
11 Phototoxicity
of Watercraft; Lake Tahoe $121,732 6
Tahoe
Regional Planning Agency
12 Truckee
River, Four-Mile Section Mgt. Plan $110,500 6
Placer
Co. RCD
13 Silver
Creek Drainage Impairment Evaluation $124,674 5
Westside
RCD
14 Nitrogen
and Phosphorus Budgets for Salton Sea $129,603 7
Salton
Sea Authority
15 Nitrogen
TDS Study for the Santa Ana River $125,000 8
Santa
Ana Watershed Project Authority
16 Glenn
Co. Dairy Groundwater Protection Plan $124,500 5
Glenn
Co. RCD
17 Road
Sediment Assessments $124,500 1
Trinity
County Plng. Dept.
18 Shasta
County Watershed Analysis $
82,000 5
Western
Shasta RCD
19 Aliso
Creek WQ Planning-Toxicity Studies $108,000 9
Co.
of Orange, Public Fac’s. & Resources Dept.
20 San
Pedro Creek Sediment Source Analysis $
34,000 2
San
Francisco Estuary Institute
21 TMDL
for Suspended Sediment/Category I $
43,770 2
Sonoma
Co. Water Agency
22 Paso
Robles Basin Groundwater Quality Study $125,000 3
SLO
Co. Engineering Dept.
23 Nitrate
in Groundwater; Newport Bay Watershed $125,000 8
Co.
of Orange, Public Fac’s. & Resources Dept.
24 Illicit
Sewer Connection Survey of LA River $
50,000 4
City
of L.A., Dept. of Public Works
25 Feasibility
of Constructed Wetlands, Morro Bay $
22,238 3
Los
Osos CSD
26 Bailey
Wetlands Mgt. and Enhancement Plan $
45,000 3
City
of Lompoc CSD
27 Sediment
Management Plan; Twitchell Reservoir $125,000 3
Santa
Barbara Co. Water Agency
28 Isotopic
Signatures as ID of Pollutant Sources $
70,125 9
Elsinore-Murieta-Anza
RCD
29 San
Joaquin River Watershed Improvement Project $105,000 5
Fresno
County
30 Development
Plan for Nature Learning Center $125,000 8
East
Valley RCD
INELIGIBLE 205
PROPOSAL
Sampling
& TMDL Data; Auto Recycling $115,400 4