Basin Planning

Basin Plan / Triennial Review / Basin Plan Amendments / Basin Planning Projects / Monitoring Programs / TMDLs

The Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay Basin (Basin Plan) is the Board's master water quality control planning document. It designates beneficial uses and water quality objectives for waters of the State, including surface waters and groundwater. It also includes programs of implementation to achieve water quality objectives. The Basin Plan has been adopted and approved by the State Water Resources Control Board, U.S. EPA, and the Office of Administrative Law where required.

Please address any questions regarding these pages or the Basin Plan Triennial Review to Richard Looker, Basin Planner, 510-622-2451, rlooker@waterboards.ca.gov.

Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) for the San Francisco Bay Basin

The Basin Plan has been updated to reflect the Basin Plan amendments adopted up through 2011. We are providing downloadable, printable chapters in both PDF and in html (which may be read online or printed from the web; html pages also contain many links to related laws, Board orders, etc.). Chapter 7 of the Basin Plan contains all of the adopted Water Quality Attainment Strategies including TMDLs. This chapter is organized geographically by basin. You can see maps of all the basins in the region in Chapter 2.

Complete Basin Plan - All Chapters Combined (PDF, 64 MB)

Cover page and introduction (PDF, 333 KB)
Figure 1.1: Map of San Francisco Bay Basin

Chapter 2: Beneficial Uses (includes tables; PDF, 450 KB)
links to figures in Chapter 2

Chapter 3: Water Quality Objectives (includes tables; PDF, 334 KB)

Chapter 4: Implementation Plans (no tables or figures, PDF, 848 KB)
links to figures and tables in Chapter 4

Chapter 5: Plans and Policies (PDF, 212 KB)

Chapter 6: Surveillance and Monitoring (191 KB)
links to figures in Chapter 6

Chapter 7: Water Quality Attainment Strategies including Total Maximum Daily Loads (includes tables or figures. PDF, 995 KB)

The links below will take you to html pages of Basin Plan chapters:
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Beneficial Uses
Chapter 3: Water Quality Objectives
Chapter 4: Implementation Plans
Chapter 5: Plans and Policies
Chapter 6: Surveillance and Monitoring
Chapter 7: Water Quality Attainment Strategies Including Total Maximum Daily Loads

Click here to see supporting documentation for each beneficial use added to Table 2-1 in 2012 (Basin Plan amendment R2-2010-0100). This document contains information on nearly 400 water bodies within the region.

Basin Plan Amendments

Periodically, the Water Board considers amendments to the Basin Plan. Each amendment is subject to an extensive public review process. At a public hearing, the Water Board may act to adopt the amendment. Adopted amendments are subject to approval by State Board. In most cases, the Office of Administrative Law and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) must approve the amendment as well. Click here to see a table of recent Basin Plan Amendments (that have all their approvals and have been incorporated into the Basin Plan) with links to supporting documentation.

Amendments in Progress

Stream and Wetland Protection Policy
A proposed amendment is under development that will protect stream and wetland systems, and also includes measures to protect riparian areas and floodplains. The amendment is being developed in conjunction with staff at Region 1 (North Coast region). Click here to learn more about the Policy.

Basin Planning Projects

San Francisco Bay Estuary Numeric Nutrient Endpoint (NNE) project - Click here to see the project page.

Adopted Amendments Pending Further Approval

Addition of Unnamed Water Bodies & Beneficial Uses
This Basin Plan amendment was adopted by the Water Board on July 14, 2010. The Amendment adds nearly 275 surface water bodies to Table 2-1 of the Basin Plan. It also designates beneficial uses for the newly added and for some existing water bodies. The objective of this Basin Plan amendment is to provide clarity and transparency about what uses we are protecting water quality for in surface waters in the Region.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved this amendment on April 3, 2012.

State Board Resolution.

Responses to Comments submitted to the State Board.

For more information, please contact Jan O’Hara at (510) 622-5681.

Regional Board Resolution Number: R2-2010-0100, July 14, 2010

Water Board Hearing Materials, July 14, 2010

Staff Summary Report
Appendix A – Resolution and Proposed BPA
Appendix B – Proposed BPA with Changes
Final Staff Report
Attachment A – Documentation Tables
Attachment B – Environmental Checklist
Appendix D – Response to Comments
Appendix E – Comment Letters
Appendix F – Transcript of May Board Item 7

Refinement of Beneficial Uses of Hayward Marsh
This Basin Plan amendment was adopted by the Water Board on September 14, 2011. The Amendment refines the beneficial uses of Hayward Marsh, which was created in 1988 for the purpose of reclaiming treated wastewater to create brackish marsh habitat. This amendment removes water contact recreation as a beneficial use; adds preservation of rare and endangered species; and clarifies the bacterial water quality objectives that apply to wastewater discharges into Hayward Marsh. Other designated beneficial uses, estuarine habitat, fish spawning, wildlife habitat, and noncontact water recreation, would remain the same.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved this amendment on April 3, 2012. .

State Board Resolution.

Responses to Comments submitted to the State Board.

For more information, please contact Jan O’Hara at (510) 622-5681.

Regional Board Resolution No. 2011-0057, September 14, 2011 (PDF)

Water Board hearing materials, September 14, 2011

Staff Summary Report
Tentative Resolution and Basin Plan Amendment
Staff Report
Response to Comments
Comment Letters

Triennial Review

2012 Triennial Review

Because the Basin Plan is the master planning document for water quality in the Bay Area, we regularly consider whether updates are needed to address new or changing water quality issues, and we involve stakeholders in this deliberation. This evaluation, called the Triennial Review, is required by, and follows the guidelines of, the federal Clean Water Act and the California Water Code.

We will initiate the 2012 Triennial Review by holding a public workshop on March 27, 2012. You can find links below to the public notice of the workshop, the workshop agenda and a description of candidate Basin Planning issues for the 2012 Triennial Review.

The Water Board completed its last Triennial Review in 2009. You can read the Water Board resolution adopting the 2009 Prioritized List of Basin Plan Issues for Investigation (Attachment A to the Resolution) as well as the 2009 Triennial Review Staff Report by clicking on the links below.

Please note that you need Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4.0 & higher to view the above PDF files.. If you don't have it, please click on the button below to download the reader for free.