Water Quality Control Plan for Santa Ana River (Basin Plan)

Santa Ana River Basin Plan

The Water Quality Control Plan for the Santa Ana River Basin (Basin Plan) contains the Region Board's policies for managing the Region's water quality. The Basin Plan includes the water quality standards (water quality objectives, beneficial uses, and anti-degradation policy) for the Region, regionally important water quality management and improvement initiatives, policies and practices for implementing water quality standards, and implementation plans. The Clean Water Act requires review of water quality management plans every three years, and the California Water Code, basin plans are reviewed periodically for areas where improvements or updates are needed.
The Basin Plan for the Santa Ana Region includes the upper and lower Santa Ana River watersheds, the San Jacinto River watershed, and several other small drainage areas. The Santa Ana Region covers parts of southwestern San Bernardino County, western Riverside County, and northwestern Orange County. The Basin Plan establishes water quality standards for the ground and surface waters of the region. The Basin Plan includes an implementation plan describing the actions by the Regional Board and others that are necessary to achieve and maintain the water quality standards.

Basin Plan Cover

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Contacts

Regional Programs Section
Jagroop.Khela@waterboards.ca.gov
(951) 782-3288
Environmental Program Manager I (Supervisor)

The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board (Santa Ana Water Board) is initiating the triennial review of the Water Quality Control Plan for the Santa Ana River Basin (Basin Plan). Section 13240 of the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act and section 303(c)(1) of the federal Clean Water Act require the Basin Plan be reviewed periodically (at a minimum every three years) to incorporate key changes in regulations, policies, and physical changes within the region.

The Santa Ana Water Board solicits written and oral input, which it will consider before adopting a prioritized list of basin planning projects. Following an opportunity for public review and a formal public hearing, the Santa Ana Water Board will adopt the prioritized list of projects. The highest priority projects will establish the workplan for the next three-year period.

2024-2027 Triennial Review

Notice of Scoping Meeting: Triennial Review of the Water Quality Control Plan for the Santa Ana River Basin

Preliminary Triennial Review Priority List

Presentation: Triennial Review Scoping Meeting, January 31, 2024

Please contact Claudia Tenorio at Claudia.Tenorio@waterboards.ca.gov

The Basin Plan Portal is home to the California Basin Plan Mapping Project (BPMP), a GIS dataset that contains information about beneficial use designations and waterbody segments identified in regional Basin Plan.

On January 22, 2004, the Santa Ana Water Board adopted a Basin Plan Amendment (Resolution No. R8-2004-0001). The amendment updated the groundwater basin boundaries and water quality objectives of total dissolved solids (TDS) and nitrogen. The updated Basin Plan also incorporated a revised salt and nitrogen management plan, which included revised nitrogen and TDS waste load allocations for discharges to the Santa Ana River and its tributaries, revised findings regarding assimilative capacity in ground water, and a plan for wastewater reclamation in the Region

Resolutions for Basin Plan amendments are listed below: Years 2020-2029
• Resolution No. R8-2020-0038 Upper Temescal Valley Groundwater Management Zone (GMZ) and Associated TDS and Nitrate Water Quality Objectives, and Implementation Tasks in the Salt and Nutrient Management Plan for the GMZ
• Resolution No. R8-2020-0004 Expand Exemptions to a Waste Discharge Prohibition on the Use of Onsite Septic Tank-Subsurface Disposal Systems in the Quail Valley Area of the City of Menifee, Riverside County

Years 2010-2019
• Resolution No. R8-2017-0036 Water Quality Objective for Nitrate-as-Nitrogen in the Chino-South Groundwater Management Zone
• Resolution No. R8-2017-0019 Revised Compliance Schedule for Fecal Coliform TMDL for Shellfish Harvesting (SHEL) in Newport Bay
• Resolution No. R8-2017-0014 TMDL for Selenium in Freshwater, Newport Bay Watershed, Orange County
• Resolution No. R8-2014-0005 Updates Related to the Salt Management Plan
• Resolution No. R8-2012-0002 Updates Related to the Salt Management Plan
• Resolution No. R8-2012-0001 Bacteria Quality Objectives and Implementation Strategies, Recreation Beneficial Uses, the Addition and Deletion of Certain Waters Listed in the Basin Plan and Designation of Appropriate Beneficial Uses
• Resolution No. R8-2011-0037 Organochlorine Compounds TMDL for San Diego Creek, Upper and Lower Newport Bay, Orange County
• Resolution No. R8-2010-0039 Maximum Benefit Salt Management Plan for the San Jacinto Upper Pressure Management Zone

Years 2020-2009
• Resolution No. R8-2006-0024 Onsite Septic Tank-subsurface Disposal System in Quail Valley Area
• Resolution No. R8-2006-0023 Dry Hydrological Conditions for Big Bear Lake TMDL
• Resolution No. R8-2005-0001 Middle Santa Ana River Watershed Waterbodies TMDL
• Resolution No. R8-2004-0037 Lake Elsinore and Canyon Lake Nutrient TMDL
• Resolution No. R8-2004-0001 Updated Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Nitrogen Management Plan
• Resolution No. R8-2003-0039 Diazinon and Chlorpyrifos in the Upper Newport Bay Watershed TMDL
• Resolution No. 00-27 Language Authorizing Compliance Schedules in NPDES