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

Supporting Information

Regional Board 9 - San Diego Region

Water Body Name: Mission Bay (area at Santa Barbara Cove)
Water Body ID: CAB9075100020090713000515
Water Body Type: Bay & Harbor
 
DECISION ID
17475
 
Pollutant: Copper
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 one line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.

One line of evidence is available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. None 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 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. The lone sample did not exceed the copper 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 3.11 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 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 17475
 
LOE ID: 30281
 
Pollutant: Copper
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
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: One station in Santa Barbara Cove in Mission Bay was sampled for dissolved copper. Each station was sampled at upper, middle, and lower levels within the water column to total three samples. The mean of the three water samples did not exceed the acute or chronic objective. None of the individual samples exceeded the 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 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 (M3) was sampled in Santa Barbara Cove Basin, Mission Bay.
Temporal Representation: The sample was collected on August 15, 2005.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: Quality assurance conducted according to the Quality Assurance Project Plan for the Marina Copper Monitoring Study.
QAPP Information Reference(s): Quality Assurance Project Plan, Marina Copper Monitoring Study. SWRCB Agreement No. 04-236-190-0. A
 
DECISION ID
17476
 
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 lines of evidence is available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. None of the samples 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 3.11 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 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 17476
 
LOE ID: 30284
 
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 one location 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 Santa Barbara Cove (M3) 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): Quality Assurance Project Plan, Marina Copper Monitoring Study. SWRCB Agreement No. 04-236-190-0. A