Plans and Policies

An overview of California's water quality control plans and state policies for water quality control may be found in California’s continuing planning process report, which is periodically submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

• Continuing Planning Process (CPP) Report (May 2001)

Plans

• Bay-Delta Plan - Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary
  • Adopted on December 13, 2006 (Resolution No. 2006-0098), effective on June 27, 2007 (OAL Approval Letter)
  • Program Page


• California Ocean Plan - The Water Quality Control Plan for Ocean Waters of California (Program Page) includes the following amendments:
  • State Water Quality Protection Areas & Marine Protected Areas Amendment, adopted on October 16, 2012 (Resolution No. 2012-0056), effective on July 1, 2013
    • Program Page
  • Model Monitoring, Vessel Discharges and Non-Substantive Amendments, adopted on October 16, 2012 (Resolution No. 2012-0057), effective on July 1, 2013
    • Program Page
  • Trash Control in California's Waters, adopted on April 7, 2015 (Resolution No. 2015-0019), effective on January 12, 2016 (OAL approval letter)
    • Program Page
  • Desalination Facilities and Brine Disposal, adopted on May 6, 2015 (Resolution No. 2015-0033), effective on January 28, 2016
    • Program Page
  • Bacteria Provisions and Variance Policy, adopted on August 7, 2018 (Resolution No. 2018-0038)
    • Program Page


• California Thermal Plan - Water Quality Control Plan for Control of Temperature in the Coastal and Interstate Waters and Enclosed Bays and Estuaries of California
  • Adopted on September 18, 1975 (Resolution No. 75-89)
    • Program Page


• Enclosed Bays and Estuaries Plan - Water Quality Control Plan for Enclosed Bays and Estuaries:  Part 1 Sediment Quality Objectives
  • Adopted on September 16, 2008 (Resolution No. 2008-0070), effective on January 5, 2009
  • Amended on April 6, 2011 (Resolution No. 2011-0017), effective on June 8, 2011
  • Amended on June 5, 2018 (Resolution No. 2018-0028)  


• Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries (ISWEBE) - The Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California includes the following amendments:
  • Part 1: Trash Provisions, adopted on April 7, 2015 (Resolution No. 2015-0019), effective on December 2, 2015 (OAL approval letter)
    • Program Page
  • Part 2: Tribal Subsistence Beneficial Uses and Mercury Provisions, adopted on May 2, 2017 (Resolution No. 2017-0027), effective on June 28, 2017 (OAL approval letter)
    • Program Page
  • Part 3: Bacteria Provisions and Variance Policy, adopted on August 7, 2018 (Resolution No. 2018-0038)
    • Program Page


• Regional Board Water Quality Control Plans (Basin Plans)
  • Region 1 - North Coast Region
  • Region 2 - San Francisco Bay Region
  • Region 3 - Central Coast Region
  • Region 4 - Los Angeles Region
  • Region 5 - Central Valley Region
  • Region 6 - Lahontan Region
  • Region 7 - Colorado River Basin Region
  • Region 8 - Santa Ana Region
  • Region 9 - San Diego Region

Policies

• Antidegradation Policy - Statement of Policy with Respect to Maintaining High Quality of Waters in California
  • Adopted on October 24, 1968 (Resolution No. 68-16)
  • Antidegradation Policy Implementation for NPDES Permitting (APU 90-004), effective on July 2, 1990
  • Program Page


• Cannabis Policy - Cannabis Cultivation Policy:  Principles and Guidelines for Cannabis Cultivation 
  • Adopted on October 17 2017 (Resolution No. 2017-0063), effective on December 18, 2017 (OAL approval letter)
  • Program Page


• Compliance Schedule Policy - Policy for Compliance Schedules in National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permits
  • Adopted on April 15, 2008 (Resolution No. 2008-0025) effective on December 17, 2008
  • Program Page


• Consolidated Cleanup Plan - Consolidated Toxic Hot Spots Cleanup Plan (Water Quality Control Policy)
  • Adopted on June 17, 1999 (Resolution No. 99-065), effective on November 15, 1999
  • Amended on January 22, 2004 (Resolution No. 2004-0002), effective on March 20, 2007
  • Program Page  


• Enclosed Bays and Estuaries Policy - Water Quality Control Policy for the Enclosed Bays and Estuaries of California
  • Adopted on May 16, 1974 (Resolution No. 74-43)
  • Amended on November 16, 1995 (Resolution No. 95-84), effective on March 5, 1996


• Enforcement Policy - Water Quality Enforcement Policy
  • Adopted on February 3, 2009 (Resolution No. 2009-0083), effective on May 20, 2010
  • Amended on April 4, 2017 (Resolution No. 2017-0020), effective on October 5, 2017 (OAL approval letter)
  • Program Page


• Guidance on Toxic Hot Spot Policy - Water Quality Control Policy for Guidance on Development of Regional Toxic Hot Spot Plans
  • Adopted on September 2, 1998 (Resolution No. 98-090), effective on November 11, 1998
  • Program Page


• Impaired Waters Policy - Water Quality Control Policy for Addressing Impaired Waters:  Regulatory Structure and Options
  • Adopted on June 16, 2005 (Resolution No. 2005-0050), effective on April 10, 2006
  • Program Page


• Instream Flows Policy- Policy for Maintaining Instream Flows in Northern California Coastal Streams
  • Adopted on October 22, 2013 (Resolution No. 2013-0035), effective on February 4, 2014
  • Program Page


• Investigation and Cleanup and Abatement of Discharges Under Water Code Section 13304   
  • Adopted on June 17, 1992 (Resolution No. 92-49) amended on April 21, 1994, effective on July 8, 1994
  • Amended on October 2, 1996 (Resolution No. 96-079 – Containment Zone Policy), effective on January 13, 1997
  • Program Page


• Listing Policy - Water Quality Control Policy for Developing California’s Clean Water Act Section 303(d) List
  • Adopted on September 30, 2004 (Resolution No. 2004-0063), effective on December 13, 2004
  • Amended on February 3, 2015 (Resolution No. 2015-0005), effective on May 15, 2015 (OAL approval letter)
  • Program Page


• Municipal Solid Waste Policy - Policy for Regulation of Discharges of Municipal Solid Waste
  • Adopted on June 17, 1993 (Resolution No. 93-62)
  • Amended on July 21, 2005 (Resolution No. 2005-0058), effective on October 4, 2005
  • Program Page


• Nonpoint Source Pollution Enforcement Policy - Policy for Implementation and Enforcement of the Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program
  • Adopted on May 20, 2004 (Resolution No. 2004-0030), effective on August 26, 2004
  • Program Page


• Once-Through Cooling Water Policy for Coastal and Estuarine Waters - Water Quality Control Policy on the Use of Coastal and Estuarine Waters for Power Plant Cooling
  • Adopted on May 4, 2010 (Resolution No. 2010-0020), effective on October 1, 2010 (OAL approval letter)
  • Amended on July 19, 2011 (Resolution No. 2011-0033)
  • Amended on June 18, 2013 (Resolution No. 2013-0018),  effective on February 27, 2014 (OAL approval letter)
  • Amended on April 7, 2015 (Resolution No. 2015-0018)
  • Amended on August 15, 2017 (Resolution No. 2017-0047)
  • Program Page


• Once-Through Cooling Water Policy for Inland Waters - Water Quality Control Policy on the Use and Disposal of Inland Waters Used for Powerplant Cooling
  • Adopted on June 19, 1975 (Resolution No. 75-58)


• Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS) Policy - Water Quality Control Policy for Siting, Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems
  • Adopted on June 19, 2012 (Resolution No. 2012-0032), effective on May 13, 2013 (OAL approval letter)
  • Amended on April 17, 2018 (Resolution No. 2018-0019), effective on June 11, 2018 (OAL approval letter)
  • Program Page


• Pollutant Policy Document for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Appendices)
  • Adopted on June 21, 1990 (Resolution No. 90-67)


• Recycled Water Policy
  • Adopted on February 3, 2009 (Resolution No. 2009-0011)
  • Amended on January 22, 2013 (Resolution No. 2013-0003), effective on April 25, 2013
  • Program Page


• Russian River Frost Regulation
  • Adopted on September 20, 2011 (Resolution No. 2011-0047), effective on December 29, 2011
  • Program Page


• SEP Policy – Supplemental Environmental Projects Policy
  • Adopted on December 5, 2017 (Resolution No. 2017-0074), effective on May 3, 2018
  • Program Page


• Sources of Drinking Water Policy - The Sources of Drinking Water Policy includes the following resolution and amendments, except the January 20, 2015 amendment:
  • Adopted on May 19, 1988 (Resolution No. 88-63)
  • Amended on February 1, 2006 (Resolution No. 2006-0008)
    • Revision to the Sources of Drinking Water Policy to Establish a Site-Specific Exception for Old Alamo Creek
  • Amended on January 20, 2015 (Resolution No. 2015-0002), effective on May 19, 2016 (OAL approval letter)
    • Revision to the Sources of Drinking Water Policy to Establish a Site-Specific Exception for the Royal Mountain King Mine Site
    • Program Page


• State Implementation Policy (SIP) - Policy for Implementation of Toxics Standards for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California
  • Adopted on February 24, 2005 (Resolution No. 2005-0019) effective on May 31, 2006
  • Program Page


• UST Low-Threat Closure Policy - Low-Threat Underground Storage Tank Closure Policy 
  • Adopted on May 1, 2012 (Resolution No. 2012-0016), effective on August 17, 2012
  • Program Page


• Water Reclamation Policy- Policy with Respect to Water Reclamation in California
  • Adopted on January 6, 1977 (Resolution No. 77-1)
  • Program Page

Plans and Policies Under Development

• Bay-Delta Plan Updates
• Biostimulatory Substances Objective Program to Implement Biological Integrity
• State Wetland Definition and Procedures for Discharges of Dredged or Fill Materials to Waters of the State
• Toxicity Assessment and Control