Draft 2008 California 303(d)/305(b) Integrated Report

Supporting Information

Regional Board 2 - San Francisco Bay Region

Water Body Name: Arroyo Viejo Creek
Water Body ID: CAR2042004020080817193604
Water Body Type: River & Stream
 
DECISION ID
15169
 
Pollutant: Sediment Toxicity
Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: New Decision
Revision Status Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: Pollutant
 
Weight of Evidence: This pollutant is being considered for listing under sections 3.1 and 3.6 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.6 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.

Multiple lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess toxicity in Arroyo Viejo Creek. Based on the readily available data for this water body, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification available against placing this water segment-pollutant combination on the section 303(d) list in the Water Quality Limited Segments category.

This conclusion is based on the staff findings that:

1. The data concerning current conditions and supporting the listing decision satisfy the data quality requirements of section 6.1.4 of the Policy.

2. The data used satisfy the data quantity requirements of section 6.1.5 of the Policy.

3. Amphipod toxicity has been observed in the sample analyzed and one sample has shown exceedances of probable effect concentrations for nickel. All other metal concentrations in sediment do net exceed sediment quality guidelines. The number of exceedances does not meet the requirements listed in Table 3.1 and the sample size is insufficient to determine with the power and confidence of the Listing Policy if standards are not met.

4. Pursuant to section 3.11 of the Listing Policy, no additional data and information are available indicating that standards are not met.
 
RWQCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: After review of the available data and information, Water Board staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because there is insufficient information to confirm toxicity and to determine that the standards are not met.
 
SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation:
 
USEPA Decision:
 
 
Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 15169
 
LOE ID: 26207
 
Pollutant: Arsenic | Cadmium (sediment) | Chromium (sediment) | Copper (sediment) | Lead (sediment) | Mercury (sediment)
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Sediment
Matrix: Sediment
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury and zinc in one sediment sample collected in spring 2005 did not exceed the sediment quality guidelines.
Data Reference: Data collected by the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program, San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. Years 4 and 5 Assessment
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances that are lethal to or that produce other detrimental responses in aquatic organisms.
Objective/Criterion Reference: San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2) Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan)
 
Evaluation Guideline: Sediment Quality Guidelines (MacDonald et al., 2000): PEC (threshold effect concentration) arsenic - 33 mg/kg dw; cadmium - 4.98 mg/kg dw; chromium - 111 mg/kg dw; copper - 149 mg/kg dw; lead - 128 mg/kg dw; mercury - 1.06 mg/kg dw; zinc - 459 mg/kg dw.
Guideline Reference: Development and evaluation of consensus-based sediment quality guidelines for freshwater ecosystems. Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 39: 20-31
 
Spatial Representation: Data were collected at a sampling location at the lower part of Arroyo Viejo Creek upstream from the confluence with Lion Creek in south-east Oakland.
Temporal Representation: Sample was collected in spring 2005.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: All samples were collected and analyzed using procedures comparable with the SWAMP Quality Assurance Management Plan (SWRCB, 2002).
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
LOE ID: 21293
 
Pollutant: Nickel (sediment)
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Sediment
Matrix: Sediment
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 1
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Nickel concentration in sediment sample collected in spring 2005 was 95.5 mg/kg and exceeded the sediment quality guideline.
Data Reference: Data collected by the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program, San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. Years 4 and 5 Assessment
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances that are lethal to or that produce other detrimental responses in aquatic organisms.
Objective/Criterion Reference: San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2) Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan)
 
Evaluation Guideline: Sediment Quality Guidelines (MacDonald et al., 2000): PEC (probable effect concentration) for nickel - 48.6 mg/kg
Guideline Reference: Development and evaluation of consensus-based sediment quality guidelines for freshwater ecosystems. Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 39: 20-31
 
Spatial Representation: Data were collected at a sampling location at the lower part of Arroyo Viejo Creek upstream from the confluence with Lion Creek in south-east Oakland.
Temporal Representation: Sample was collected in spring April 2005.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: All samples were collected and analyzed using procedures comparable with the SWAMP Quality Assurance Management Plan (SWRCB, 2002).
QAPP Information Reference(s): Quality Assurance Management Plan for the State of California's Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program. Sacramento, CA. State Water Resources Control Board. SWAMP. December 2002 (1st version)
 
LOE ID: 21287
 
Pollutant: Sediment Toxicity
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Sediment
Matrix: Sediment
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 1
 
Data and Information Type: TOXICITY TESTING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Data used to evaluate sediment toxicity comprise one sediment sample collected by the SWAMP in spring 2005. This sample displayed statistically significant toxicity during the Hyalella azteca test. Hyalella azteca growth was only 64% of the control.
Data Reference: Data collected by the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program, San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. Years 4 and 5 Assessment
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances that are lethal to or that produce other detrimental responses in aquatic organisms.

There shall be no chronic toxicity in ambient waters. Chronic toxicity is a detrimental biological effect on growth rate, reproduction, fertilization success, larval development, population abundance, community composition, or any other relevant measure of the health of an organism, population, or community.
Objective/Criterion Reference: San Francisco Bay Basin (Region 2) Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan)
 
Evaluation Guideline: Sediment toxicity data were evaluated according to the SWAMP methodology. Sample toxicity was determined by comparing mean organism response in samples and in negative controls. Statistical evaluation and a default threshold of 80% of the control value were used to establish whether the sediment exhibited significant toxicity adversely impacting aquatic organisms.
Guideline Reference: Revised approach to toxicity test acceptability criteria using a statistical performance assessment. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, vol. 16, No. 6, pp 1322–1329
 
Spatial Representation: Data were collected at a sampling location at the lower part of Arroyo Viejo Creek upstream from the confluence with Lion Creek in south-east Oakland.
Temporal Representation: Sample was collected in April 2005.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: All samples were collected and analyzed using procedures comparable with the SWAMP Quality Assurance Management Plan (SWRCB, 2002).
QAPP Information Reference(s): Quality Assurance Management Plan for the State of California's Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program. Sacramento, CA. State Water Resources Control Board. SWAMP. December 2002 (1st version)