North San Francisco Bay Selenium TMDL

The North San Francisco Bay is identified as impaired by selenium, a pollutant that is also an essential trace element occurring naturally in the Bay-Delta Estuary. The first listing on the Clean Water Act 303(d) list of impaired waters occurred in 1998. Anthropogenic sources of selenium to the Bay-Delta Estuary include agricultural inputs to the San Joaquin River and refinery discharges. Despite implementation of actions to reduce these two sources taken during the last decade, San Francisco Bay biota have selenium concentrations higher than levels commonly associated with toxicity and reproductive impairment in fish and other wildlife species. Selenium concentrations are highest in species like white sturgeon which feed mainly on sediment-dwelling organisms such as the invasive Asian clam (Corbula amurensis). The selenium TMDL project was initiated in 2007 to: assess the current state of impairment in the North Bay, identify pathways for bioaccumulation, enhance our understanding of the relationship between sources of selenium and fish and wildlife exposure, and establish site-specific water quality targets protective of aquatic biota. In developing the TMDL, the Water Board, with support from stakeholders, is conducting a series of analysis to refine our understanding of the behavior of selenium in the Estuary that will help formulate a strategy for attaining water quality standards.

Project Documents

• Selenium TMDL – Preliminary Project Report (January 2011) - NEW

The Preliminary Project Report synthesizes the available information on impairment of the North Bay due to selenium and integrates the technical analyses that have been completed in support of the TMDL. The report also provides an overview of our understanding of selenium transformations and biological uptake in the North Bay. See the Status Report and Revised Project Plan (below) for details on the next steps and the TMDL schedule.

• Status Report and Revised Project Plan (July 2010)
• Selenium TMDL Project Plan (July 2007)
• Memorandum of understanding for TMDL

Technical Reports

• Technical Memorandum 2: North San Francisco Bay Selenium Data Summary and Source Analysis (July 2008)
• Technical Memorandum 3: North San Francisco Bay Selenium Toxicological Assessment (April 2008)
• Technical Memorandum 4: Conceptual Model of Selenium in North San Francisco Bay (August 2008)
• Technical Memorandum 5: Recommendations for Numerical Model Development (August 2008)
• Technical Memorandum 6: Application of ECoS3 for Simulation of Selenium Fate and Transport (February 2010)

Public Involvement in the TMDL
We have established a North Bay Selenium TMDL Advisory Committee, which includes representatives of stakeholders most directly involved with North Bay selenium issues. The Advisory Committee has five primary responsibilities:

• Review background policy and technical-level information about North Bay selenium conditions and selenium TMDL activities
• Provide stakeholder perspectives on items reviewed, and on the overall North Bay selenium TMDL process
• Advise the Water Board on the selection of technical review specialists that will review technical deliverables and also assist the Advisory Committee
• Collectively identify topics of agreement and disagreement regarding the development of the TMDL
• Work in good faith with other stakeholders to identify any potential options for agreement regarding the development of the TMDL

2009 State of the Estuary Conference: Poster Presentations

• Development of Selenium TMDL
• Modeling Selenium in North San Francisco Bay

Advisory Committee Documents
Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public, and everyone who is interested in the project is welcome to attend. To sign up for email notifications of meeting times and locations, please sign up Here. Watch this page for future developments.

• Advisory Committee Draft Operating Rules
• Stakeholder Process Assessment Report

Meeting #4 April 28, 2010

• Agenda
• Status Report and Next Steps Presentation
• Selenium Fate and Transport Model Presentation
• Species at Risk US FWS Report

Meeting #3 September 16, 2008

• Meeting Summary from Third Advisory Committee Meeting
• Draft Numeric Target Presentation (Power Point)
• Conceptual Model and Recommendations for Numerical Model Presentation (Power Point)

Meeting #2 April 1, 2008

• Meeting Summary from Second Advisory Committee Meeting
• Data and Source Assessment Presentation
• Toxicological Assessment Presentation
• Conceptual Model for North Bay Presentation
• Technical Review Committee Recommendations Presentation
• Central Valley Selenium Control Program Presentation

Meeting #1 December 12, 2007

• Meeting Summary from First Advisory Committee Meeting
• TMDL Project Background Presentation
• Stakeholder Process Presentation
  

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For more information contact:
Barbara Baginska
Engineering Geologist
San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board
1515 Clay Street, Suite 1400
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: 510-622-2474
Fax: 510-622-2460
E-mail: bbaginska@waterboards.ca.gov