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

Supporting Information

Regional Board 8 - Santa Ana Region

Water Body Name: Santa Ana Delhi Channel
Water Body ID: CAR8011100020011107125249
Water Body Type: River & Stream
 
DECISION ID
13071
 
Pollutant: Ammonia (Unionized)
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 placement on the section 303(d) list under section 3.1 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.1 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.

One (1) line of evidence is available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Four (4) of the samples exceed the water quality objective.

Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification 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 used satisfies the data quality requirements of section 6.1.4 of the Policy.
2. The data used satisfies the data quantity requirements of section 6.1.5 of the Policy.
3. Four (4) of sixty-seven (67) samples exceeded the Basin Plan Objective and this does not exceed the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.1 of the Listing Policy.
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, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.
 
SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation:
 
USEPA Decision:
 
 
Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 13071
 
LOE ID: 21460
 
Pollutant: Ammonia (Unionized)
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 67
Number of Exceedances: 4
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Of the 67 samples taken, 4 exceeded the Basin Plan's Objective. Three of the exceedances took place at Delhi 1 sampling station and one exceedance took place at Delhi 2 sampling station.
Data Reference: Orange County Coast Keeper Coastal Watersheds Project
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: Un-ionized ammonia Basin Plan Objective: The objective varies according to the temperature of the water being sampled and ranged during the sampling period as follows: 0.21 mg/l - 0.51 mg/l
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan-Santa Ana Region
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: The samples were collected at two stations: Delhi 1 and Delhi 2. Delhi 1 is Located in Santa Ana in the upper Delhi Channel at the Macarthur intersection with Flower Street.
Delhi 2 is Located in Costa Mesa in the lower Delhi Channel on Mesa Drive next to the intersection with Irvine Dr.
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected monthly starting on 3/18/2004 through 3/29/2006.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: The data's quality is deemed acceptable because it was collected under the auspices of a Regional Board staff's approved quality assurance plan.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
DECISION ID
13072
 
Pollutant: Escherichia coli (E. Coli)
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 placement on the section 303(d) list under section 3.2 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.2 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.

One line of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Thirty-nine (39) of the samples exceed the water quality objective.

Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification in favor of 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 used satisfies the data quality requirements of section 6.1.4 of the Policy.
2. The data used satisfies the data quantity requirements of section 6.1.5 of the Policy.
3. Thrity-nine (39) of sixty-two (62) samples exceed the US EPA 1986 Recommended Criteria for Bacteria and this exceeds the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 of the Listing Policy.
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, RWQCB staff concludes that though this water body's E. coli data exceeds EPA's Recommended Criteria it is not appropriate at this time to list it as impaired. There is a Storm Water Quality Task Force working on determining the appropriate indicators and the appropriate criteria to protect body contact recreation in fresh waters. Listing this waterbody for E. coli would circumvent a much needed process that is currently underway. Regional Board staff actively participate in this process with the SWQTF and will recommend review of this data in the 2010 listing cycle by when the appropriate criteria and indicators will have been developed.
 
SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation:
 
USEPA Decision:
 
 
Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 13072
 
LOE ID: 21465
 
Pollutant: Escherichia coli (E. Coli)
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 62
Number of Exceedances: 39
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Of the 62 samples collected, 39 exceeded EPA's single sample standard. The exceedances took place at both stations Delhi 1 and Delhi 2.
Data Reference: Orange County Coast Keeper Coastal Watersheds Project
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: USEPA Recommended Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria -1986: E. coli: log mean less than 126 organisms/100 mL based on five or more samples per 30–day period, and not more than 10% of the samples exceed 235 organisms/100mL for any 30 day period.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria - 1986. EPA440/5-84-002
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: The samples were collected at two stations: Delhi 1 and Delhi 2. Delhi 1 is Located in Santa Ana in the upper Delhi Channel at the Macarthur intersection with Flower Street.
Delhi 2 is Located in Costa Mesa in the lower Delhi Channel on Mesa Dr. next to the intersection with Irvine Dr.
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected monthly starting on March 18, 2004 through March 29, 2006.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: The data's quality is deemed appropriate because it was obtained under the auspices of a QAPP approved by the Regional Board.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
DECISION ID
13074
 
Pollutant: pH
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 placement on the section 303(d) list under section 3.2 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.2 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.

One (1) line of evidence is available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Four (4) of the samples exceed the water quality objective.

Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification 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 used satisfies the data quality requirements of section 6.1.4 of the Policy.
2. The data used satisfies the data quantity requirements of section 6.1.5 of the Policy.
3. Four (4) of seventy (70) samples exceeded the Basin Plan Objective and this does not exceed the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 of the Listing Policy.
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, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.
 
SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation:
 
USEPA Decision:
 
 
Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 13074
 
LOE ID: 21442
 
Pollutant: pH
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 70
Number of Exceedances: 4
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Of the 70 samples collected, 4 exceeded the Basin Plan Objective. Three of the exceedances occurred at Delhi Channel 1 and one of the exceedances occurred at Delhi Channel 2.
Data Reference: Orange County Coast Keeper Coastal Watersheds Project
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: Basin Plan Objective: The ph of inland surface waters shall not be raised above 8.5 pH units or depressed below 6.5 pH units as a result of controllable water quality factors.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan-Santa Ana Region
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Delhi 1 is Located in Santa Ana: Upper Delhi channel. Macarthur intersection with Flower street.
Delhi 2 is Located in Costa Mesa: Lower Delhi channel. On Mesa Dr. next to the intersection with Irvine Dr.
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected monthly starting with March 18, 2004 through March 29, 2006.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: The data's quality is deemed acceptable because it was collected under the auspices of a Regional Board staff's approved quality assurance plan.
QAPP Information Reference(s):