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

Supporting Information

Regional Board 9 - San Diego Region

Water Body Name: Mission Bay at Quivira Basin
Water Body ID: CAB9075200020090712233945
Water Body Type: Bay & Harbor
 
DECISION ID
17485
 
Pollutant: Toxicity
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 3.6 of the Listing Policy.

One line of evidence is available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. The sample did not exceed the water quality objective for toxicity.

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. None of one sample exceeded the toxicity water quality objective and this sample size is insufficient to determine with the power and confidence of the Listing Policy if standards are not met. A minimum of two samples is needed for application of table 3.1.
4. Pursuant to SECTION 3.11of 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 it cannot be determined if applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.
 
SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation:
 
USEPA Decision:
 
 
Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 17485
 
LOE ID: 30282
 
Pollutant: Toxicity
LOE Subgroup: Toxicity
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Estuarine Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Marine Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: Fixed station physical/chemical (conventional plus toxic pollutants)
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: A toxicity test was conducted using the upper water column sample on the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis at three locations for the Extent and Magnitude of Copper Contamination Study. Toxicity was not observed.
Data Reference: Extent and Magnitude of Copper Contamination in Marinas of the San Diego Region, California. Technical Report 483.
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: From the Basin Plan on toxicity, all waters shall be free of toxic substances that are toxic to, or that produce detrimental physiological responses in human, plant, animal, or aquatic life.

No individual pesticide or combination of pesticides shall be present in the water column, sediments or biota at concentration(s) that adversely affect beneficial uses. Pesticides shall not be present at levels which will bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms to levels which are harmful to human health, wildlife or aquatic organisms
(RWQCB, 2007).
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan for the San Diego Basin (9).
 
Evaluation Guideline: The threshold for toxicity was less than 80% development relative to the control test species (Schiff et al, 2006).
Guideline Reference: 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.
  Extent and Magnitude of Copper Contamination in Marinas of the San Diego Region, California. Technical Report 483.
 
Spatial Representation: One station was sampled in Quivera Basin (M1) in Mission Bay. Water samples were collected at upper, middle and lower levels within the water column at each station however toxicity was only conducted on the upper samples.
Temporal Representation: Samples were collected on August 15, 2005.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: Quality assurance conducted according to the Quality Assurance Project Plan for Marina Copper Monitoring Study.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
DECISION ID
17484
 
Pollutant: Copper
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 | Unknown Nonpoint Source | Unknown Point Source
Expected TMDL Completion Date: 2021
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 line of evidence is available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Four of the samples exceed the water quality objective for copper.

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. All four samples exceed the copper water quality objective 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.
 
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.
 
SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation:
 
USEPA Decision:
 
 
Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 17484
 
LOE ID: 30279
 
Pollutant: Copper
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: Dissolved
 
Beneficial Use: Estuarine Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Marine Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 3
Number of Exceedances: 3
 
Data and Information Type: Fixed station physical/chemical (conventional plus toxic pollutants)
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Three water samples were collected in Quivera Basin of Mission Bay by the Regional Harbor Monitoring Program Pilot Project. Two of the three samples exceeded the acute criteria and all three exceeding the chronic criteria.
Data Reference: Regional Harbor Monitoring Program Pilot Project 2005-06.
  Regional Harbor Monitoring Program Pilot Project 2006-07.
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: From the CTR, the dissolved copper chronic criterion is 3.1 ppb and the acute criterion is 4.8 ppb.
Objective/Criterion Reference: 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.
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: One station (M1M) was sampled in 2005 and two stations (M206M and M306M) were sampled in 2006 from Quivera Basin, Mission Bay.
Temporal Representation: Samples were collected on August 15, 2005 and August 22, 2006.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: Quality assurance conducted according to the Quality Assurance Project Plan for San Diego Regional Harbor Monitoring Program Pilot Project.
QAPP Information Reference(s): Quality Assurance Project Plan for San Diego Regional Harbor Monitoring Program Pilot Project.
 
LOE ID: 30280
 
Pollutant: Copper
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: Dissolved
 
Beneficial Use: Estuarine Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Marine Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 1
 
Data and Information Type: Fixed station physical/chemical (conventional plus toxic pollutants)
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: The mean of the three water column samples exceed the chronic water quality objective but not the acute water quality objective.

The upper sample exceeds the CTR values for both acute and chronic objective. The mid sample exceeds only the chronic CTR value. The deep sample does not exceed either water quality objectives.
Data Reference: Extent and Magnitude of Copper Contamination in Marinas of the San Diego Region, California. Technical Report 483.
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: From the CTR, the dissolved copper chronic criterion is 3.1 ppb and the acute criterion is 4.8 ppb.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan for the San Diego Basin (9).
  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.
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: One station (M1) was sampled in Quivera Basin of Mission Bay. Each station was sampled at upper, middle and lower levels within the water column to total three samples.
Temporal Representation: The sampling occurred on August 15, 2005.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: Quality assurance conducted according to the Marina Copper Monitoring Study Quality Assurance Plan, June 2005.
QAPP Information Reference(s): Quality Assurance Project Plan, Marina Copper Monitoring Study. SWRCB Agreement No. 04-236-190-0. A