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DECISION ID |
17887 |
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| Pollutant: |
Benthic Community Effects |
| 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: |
Pollution |
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| Weight of Evidence: |
Benthic Community Effects is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under sections 3.9 and 3.2 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.9, an additional line of evidence associating the Benthic Community Effects with a water or sediment concentration of pollutants is necessary to assess listing status.
One line of evidence is available in the administrative record to assess this indicator. 6 of 15 samples exceeded the water quality objective.
Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification against placing Benthic Community Effects in this water segment 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. 6 of 15 samples exceeded the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) value of "poor" water quality for this area and this exceeds the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 of the Listing Policy, however as required under section 3.9 of the Listing Policy, pollutant(s) could not be directly associated with the Benthic Community Effects.
4. Pursuant to section 3.11 of the Listing Policy, no additional data and information are available indicating that standards are not met. |
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| 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 it cannot be determined if applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded. |
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| SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: |
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| USEPA Decision: |
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| LOE ID: |
26700 |
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| Pollutant: |
Benthic Community Effects |
| LOE Subgroup: |
Adverse Biological Responses |
| Matrix: |
Water |
| Fraction: |
None |
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| Beneficial Use: |
Warm Freshwater Habitat |
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| Number of Samples: |
3 |
| Number of Exceedances: |
3 |
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| Data and Information Type: |
Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys |
| Data Used to Assess Water Quality: |
Three samples of IBI data were taken from May 2001 to May 2002 at one sampling site. All three samples exceeded the IBI impairment threshold. |
| Data Reference: |
Stream Bioassessment Data. Co-permitee Data. Collected 2002-2007. |
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| Water Quality Objective/Criterion: |
From the San Diego Basin Plan the objective is: All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances in concentrations that are toxic to, or that produce detrimental physiological responses in human, plant, animal, or aquatic life. Compliance with this objective will be determined by use of indicator organisms, analyses of species diversity, population density, growth anomalies, bioassays of appropriate duration, or other appropriate methods as specified by the Regional Board. |
| Objective/Criterion Reference: |
Water Quality Control Plan for the San Diego Basin (9). |
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| Evaluation Guideline: |
The Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) is an analytical tool that can be used to assess the biological and physical condition of streams and rivers within a zero to one hundred scoring range: Very Poor 0-19, Poor 20-39, Fair 40-59, Good 60- 79, Very Good 80-100. The IBI score of 39 was set as an impairment threshold because it is a statistical criterion of two standard deviations below the mean reference site score which defines the boundary between 'fair' and 'poor' IBI creek conditions. (Ode, p. 9) |
| Guideline Reference: |
"A Quantitative Tool for Assessing the Integrity of Southern Coastal California Streams". Environmental Management. Volume 35, number 1 (2005): 1-13.
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| Spatial Representation: |
Samples were collected at one site: CC-E on Cottonwood Creek. |
| Temporal Representation: |
Sampling occurred during three events from May 2001 to May 2002. |
| Environmental Conditions: |
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| QAPP Information: |
Quality Control for collection and identification was conducted in accordance with the Quality Assurance Manual for Freshwater Bioassessment. |
| QAPP Information Reference(s): |
QUALITY ASSURANCE MANUAL FOR FRESHWATER BIOASSESSMENT
Revision 0 |
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| LOE ID: |
26380 |
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| Pollutant: |
Benthic Community Effects |
| LOE Subgroup: |
Adverse Biological Responses |
| Matrix: |
Water |
| Fraction: |
None |
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| Beneficial Use: |
Warm Freshwater Habitat |
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| Number of Samples: |
12 |
| Number of Exceedances: |
3 |
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| Data and Information Type: |
Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys |
| Data Used to Assess Water Quality: |
Twelve samples of IBI data were taken from December 1999 to 2007 at two sampling sites. Of the total number of samples, two samples exceeded the IBI impairment threshold. |
| Data Reference: |
Fish and Game IBI Data |
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Southern California Postfire Study. IBI. 2007. |
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| Water Quality Objective/Criterion: |
From the San Diego Basin Plan the objective is: All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances in concentrations that are toxic to, or that produce detrimental physiological responses in human, plant, animal, or aquatic life. Compliance with this objective will be determined by use of indicator organisms, analyses of species diversity, population density, growth anomalies, bioassays of appropriate duration, or other appropriate methods as (SDRWQCB, 1995) |
| Objective/Criterion Reference: |
Water Quality Control Plan for the San Diego Basin (9). |
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| Evaluation Guideline: |
The Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) is an analytical tool that can be used to assess the biological and physical condition of streams and rivers within a zero to one hundred scoring range: Very Poor 0-19, Poor 20-39, Fair 40-59, Good 60- 79, Very Good 80-100. The IBI score of 39 was set as an impairment threshold because it is a statistical criterion of two standard deviations below the mean reference site score which defines the boundary between 'fair' and 'poor' IBI creek conditions. (Ode, p. 9) |
| Guideline Reference: |
"A Quantitative Tool for Assessing the Integrity of Southern Coastal California Streams". Environmental Management. Volume 35, number 1 (2005): 1-13.
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| Spatial Representation: |
Samples were collected at two sites: 911CCH80x and 911MCCBML on Cottonwood Creek. |
| Temporal Representation: |
Sampling occurred during nine events from December 1999 to 2007. |
| Environmental Conditions: |
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| QAPP Information: |
Quality Control for collection and identification was conducted in accordance with the Quality Assurance Project Plan for the California Stream Bioassessment Procedure and the State of California, California Monitoring an Assessment Program: "CMAP", Quality Assurance Project Plan. |
| QAPP Information Reference(s): |
State of California, California Monitoring and Assessment Program: "CMAP". |
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Quality Assurance Project Plan for the California Stream Bioassessment Procedure |
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The San Diego Stream Team Quality Assurance Project Plan |
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DECISION ID |
16390 |
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| Pollutant: |
Selenium |
| Final Listing Decision: |
List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list) |
| Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: |
New Decision |
| Revision Status |
Revised |
| Sources: |
Source Unknown |
| Expected TMDL Completion Date: |
2019 |
| Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: |
Pollutant |
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| 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 line of evidence is available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Two of the 2 samples exceed the CTR criteria for selenium.
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. Two of the 2 samples exceed the CTR criteria for selenium and this exceeds 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. |
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| RWQCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: |
After review of the available data and information, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are exceeded and a pollutant contributes to or causes the problem. |
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| SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: |
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| USEPA Decision: |
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Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 16390 |
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| LOE ID: |
21199 |
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| Pollutant: |
Selenium |
| LOE Subgroup: |
Pollutant-Water |
| Matrix: |
Water |
| Fraction: |
Dissolved |
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| Beneficial Use: |
Warm Freshwater Habitat |
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| Number of Samples: |
2 |
| Number of Exceedances: |
2 |
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| Data and Information Type: |
Fixed station physical/chemical (conventional plus toxic pollutants) |
| Data Used to Assess Water Quality: |
Two water samples were collected at Cottonwood Creek 10, station 911TCWD10 on June 2005, and April 2006. |
| Data Reference: |
Monitoring data for Region 9 |
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| Water Quality Objective/Criterion: |
CTR Freshwater Chronic (CCC) 5 ug/L. (U.S. EPA, 2000). |
| Objective/Criterion Reference: |
Water Quality Control Plan for the San Diego Basin (9). |
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Water Quality Standards; Establishment of Numeric Criteria for Priority Toxic Pollutants for the State of California; Rule. 40 CFR Part 131. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, Water Division, San Francisco, CA. |
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| Evaluation Guideline: |
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| Guideline Reference: |
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| Spatial Representation: |
Water samples were collected at Cottonwood Creek station 2, 911TCWD10. |
| Temporal Representation: |
Samples were collected on June 2005, and April 2006. |
| Environmental Conditions: |
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| QAPP Information: |
Quality control for the chemical analysis portion of this study was conducted in accordance with the California's Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program. |
| QAPP Information Reference(s): |
2002. Quality Assurance Management Plan for the State of California's Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program. California Department of Fish and Game, Monterey, CA. |