Toxics TMDL for San Diego Creek and Newport Bay

Selenium TMDLs for The Newport Bay Watershed

Notice of Opportunity to Comment on the proposed approval of the Santa Ana Region Water Quality Control Board’s amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Santa Ana River Basin that would incorporate Total Maximum Daily Loads for Selenium in Freshwater, Newport Bay Watershed, Orange County, California

2017 Selenium TMDLs for Freshwater, Newport Bay Watershed

On August 4, 2017, the Water Board adopted Resolution No. R8-2017-0014 amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the Santa Ana River Basin to Incorporate Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for Selenium in Freshwater, Newport Bay Watershed, Orange County, California. This amendment applies to the following freshwater subwatersheds, all of which are tributary to Upper Newport Bay:

  • San Diego Creek Subwatershed
  • Santa Ana-Delhi Channel Subwatershed
  • Big Canyon Wash Subwatershed

The next steps in the process include approvals from the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board), Office of Administrative Law, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We are currently undergoing the State Water Board approval process.

Available Documents

Public and scientific peer review comments on the draft Selenium TMDLs Basin Plan Amendment documents were received in May 2017 (see information on public and peer review comments below). Revisions to the staff report, Appendix U – Substitute Environmental Document, and the Basin Plan Amendment were made in response to the comments received. Clean and strikeout/underline versions of these revised documents can be found here: Revised Selenium TMDLs Basin Plan Amendment Documents - This link will open our ftp site.  In order to download the revised document files, you will need to open the Planning folder to find the NBW Selenium TMDLs folder. As an alternative, you may request via e-mail a copy of these documents on DVD from Terri Reeder. A table of contents for the files in the ftp folder is provided below:

 

On May 1, 2017, public comments were submitted by the following organizations:

Appendix B2 - Responses to Public Comments

 

On May 10, 2017, scientific peer review comments were submitted to Regional Board staff.  The complete peer review package can be found here. Scientific peer review comments were received from the following reviewers:

  • Dr. Marjorie L. Brooks, Associate Professor of Aquatic Biology and Biogeochemistry, Southern Illinois University (CV, comment letter)
  • Dr. Dirk Wallschläger, Professor, School of the Environment and Director, Water Quality Center, Trent University, Ontario, Canada (CV, comment letter)
  • Dr. Judson Harvey, U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, Reston, Virginia (CV, comment letter)

Appendix B1 - Responses to Peer Review Comments

 

Development of Revised Selenium TMDLs

Update presented to the Regional Board at the June 13, 2014 Regional Board Meeting

Public Workshops to discuss development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for Selenium in the Newport Bay Watershed

Workshop #2 was held January 30, 2014. Terri Reeder, staff with the Regional Board, and others gave presentations. The workshop agenda had been slightly revised from that sent out with the Public Notice, and is below, along with the presentations as they were given at the workshop.

Workshop #1 was held January 15, 2014. Santa Ana Regional Board staff and Larry Walker Associates gave presentations. Below are the presentations as given at the workshop.

 

2009 Draft Selenium TMDLs and Site-Specific Objectives

In 2009, revised draft TMDLs and Site Specific Objectives (SSOs) for selenium in the Newport Bay watershed were developed and submitted for independent peer review. Three public workshops will be held for the purposes of reviewing the TMDLs, and to identify appropriate revisions. Due to timing constraints, the TMDLs are being separated from the SSOs and will be proposed first for adoption by the Regional Board in December 2014. SSOs for selenium will be developed in parallel with the TMDLs but are not expected to be completed and proposed for adoption until 2015/2016. The revised TMDLs will include numeric targets based on fish tissue and bird egg tissue criteria that will also be proposed as SSOs, as well as the current, legally-applicable criteria in the California Toxics Rule (CTR). The following documents include the sections of the 2009 draft staff report, associated appendices and references, and the 2009 draft Basin Plan Amendment (BPA).

Please contact Terri Reeder at Terri.Reeder@waterboards.ca.gov or 951-782-4995 or Hope Smythe at Hope.Smythe@waterboards.ca.gov or 951-782-4493 if you need additional information regarding the workshops or draft documents.

 

Historical Documents

Presentation by Terri Reeder at November 20, 2008 CEQA Scoping Meeting

Notice of CEQA Scoping Meeting, San Diego Creek/Newport Bay Selenium TMDL, November 20, 2008

CEQA Environmental Checklist, San Diego Creek/Newport Bay Selenium TMDL and SSO - Draft

The studies and reports on selenium completed by the Nitrogen and Selenium Management Program (NSMP), including analysis of potential treatment technologies and BMPs, can be found in the NSMP Library

 

Regional Board orders and associated documents related to selenium discharges in the Newport Bay watershed.

 

Order Number

Description

R8-2004-0021

General Waste Discharge Requirements for Short-term Groundwater-Related Dischargers and De Minimus Wastewater Discharges to Surface Waters Within the San Diego Creek/Newport Bay Watershed, NPDES No. CAG998002
THIS ORDER, AS AMENDED BY ORDER NO. R8-2006-0065 (SEE BELOW), HAS BEEN REPLACED BY ORDER NO. R8-2007-0041 AS AMENDED BY ORDER NO. R8-2009-0045.

R8-2005-0079

Waste Discharge Requirements for City of Irvine, Groundwater Dewatering Facilities, Irvine, Orange County, NPDES No. CA8000406

R8-2006-0065

Amending Order R8-2004-0021, NDPES No. CAG998002, General Waste Discharge Requirements for Short-Term Groundwater-Related Discharges to Surface Waters and De Minimus Wastewater Discharges to Surface Water within the San Diego Creek/Newport Bay Watershed. SEE NOTE ABOVE RE STATUS OF ORDER NO. R8-2004-0021, AS AMENDED

R8-2007-0041

Issuance of general discharge permit for discharges to surface waters of groundwater resulting from groundwater dewatering operations and/or groundwater cleanup activities at sites within the San Diego Creek/Newport Bay Watershed polluted by petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents, metals and/or salts, NPDES No. CAG918002. THIS ORDER HAS BEEN AMENDED BY ORDER NO. R8-2009-0045.

R8-2009-0045

Amendment of Order No. R8-2007-0041, NPDES No. CAG918002, general discharge permit for discharges to surface waters of groundwater resulting from groundwater dewatering operations and/or groundwater cleanup activities at sites within the San Diego Creek/Newport Bay Watershed polluted by petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents, metals and/or salts

R8-2009-0030 Waste Discharge Requirements for the County of Orange, Orange County Flood Control District and The Incorporated Cities of Orange County within the Santa Ana Region Areawide Urban Storm Water Runoff Orange County, NPDES No. CAS618030. THIS ORDER HAS BEEN AMENDED BY ORDER NO. R8-2010-0062.

R8-2009-0069

Time Schedule Order for Dischargers Enrolled in Order No. R8-2007-0041, NPDES No. CAG918002, General Discharge Permit for Discharges to Surface Waters of Groundwater Resulting from Groundwater Dewatering Operations and/or Groundwater Cleanup Activities at sites within the San Diego Creek/Newport Bay Watershed Polluted by Petroleum Hydrocarbons, Solvent, Metals and/or Salts.  THIS ORDER HAS BEEN AMENDED BY ORDER NO. R8-2013-0060.

R8-2009-0070

Time Schedule Order for the City of Irvine, Groundwater Dewatering Facilities, Order No. R8-2005-0079, NPDES No. CA800040.6 THIS ORDER HAS BEEN AMENDED BY R8-2013-0061.
R8-2010-0062 Amending Order No. R8-2009-0030, NPDES No. CAS 618030, Waste Discharge Requirements for Areawide Urban Storm Water Runoff for the County of Orange, Orange County Flood Control District and the incorporated cities of Orange County within the Santa Ana Region.

R8-2013-0060

Amending Time Schedule Order No.RB-2009-0069 for Dischargers Enrolled in Order No. RB-2007-0041, NPDES No.CAG918002, General Discharge Permit for Discharges to Surface Waters of Groundwater Resulting from Groundwater Dewatering Operations and/or Groundwater Cleanup Activities at Sites within the San Diego Creek/Newport Bay Watershed Polluted by Petroleum Hydrocarbons, Solvents, Metals and/or Salts. THIS ORDER HAS BEEN AMENDED BY R8-2014-0025.

R8-2013-0061

Amending Time Schedule Order No. RB-2009-0070, as amended on October 4, 2013, for the City of Irvine, Groundwater Dewatering Facilities, Order No. RB-2005-0079, NPDES No. CA8000406, Irvine, Orange County. THIS ORDER HAS BEEN AMENDED BY R8-2014-0026
R8-2014-0025 Amending Time Schedule Order No. R8-2009-0069, as amended by Order No. R8-2013-0060 on December 6, 2013, for Dischargers Enrolled in Order No. R8-2007-0041, NPDES No.CAG918002, General Discharge Permit for Discharges to Surface Waters of Groundwater Resulting from Groundwater Dewatering Operations and/or Groundwater Cleanup Activities at Sites within the San Diego Creek/Newport Bay Watershed Polluted by Petroleum Hydrocarbons, Solvents, Metals and/or Salts.
R8-2014-0026 Amending Time Schedule Order No. R8-2009-0070, as amended on October 4, 2013, and as further amended by Order No. R8-2013-0061 on December 6, 2013, for the City of Irvine, Groundwater Dewatering Facilities, Order No. R8-2005-0079, NPDES No. CA8000406, Irvine, Orange County

TSO BMP Strategic Plan

Best Management Practices Strategic Plan for the Santa Ana Delhi and San Diego Creek Sub-watersheds. Submitted in response to Time Schedule Order No. R8-2009-0069 and R8-2009-0070.  Regional Board staff letter approving the TSO BMP Strategic Plan.

 

 

Regional Board studies related to Selenium

Reeder, T. 2011. Geology, Hydrology, and Water Quality with a Focus on Selenium Sources and Potential Impacts, Big Canyon Wash Watershed, Newport Beach, California. Special report dated August 17, 2011.

Hibbs et al. 2008. Selenium, Nitrate, and Other Constituents in San Diego Creek and Newport Bay Watersheds, 2004-2008 (27 MB)

Meixner et al. 2004. Sources of Selenium, Arsenic and Nutrients in the Newport Bay Watershed (4 MB)