Draft California 2020 Integrated Report (303(d) List/305(b) Report)

Supporting Information

Regional Board 3 - Central Coast Region

Water Body Name: Kings Creek
Water Body ID: CAR3041201119990304115830
Water Body Type: River & Stream
 
DECISION ID
131838
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
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: Pollutant
 
Regional Board Conclusion: Benthic Community Effects are being considered for placement on the CWA section 303(d) List under sections 3.9 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.9, additional lines of evidence (LOEs) associating the Benthic Community Effects decision with a water or sediment concentration of pollutants other than benthic-macroinvertebrate bioassessment or habitat assessment LOEs are necessary to place a water body on the 303(d) List for Benthic Community Effects.

One line of evidence evaluating benthic-macroinvertebrate bioassessment data is available in the administrative record to assess this indicator. Zero of one benthic-macroinvertebrate samples exceed the California Stream Condition Index (CSCI) impairment threshold. These data indicate that the waterbody is likely unimpaired for Benthic Community Effects and therefore no other pollutant LOEs need be associated with this decision at this time.

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 waterbody segment on the CWA section 303(d) List.

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. Zero of one benthic-macroinvertebrate bioassessment samples had CSCI scores below 0.79. Therefore, this water body is not exceeding the water quality threshold for the protection of the COLD beneficial use. The available information indicates that the waterbody/pollutant combination should not be placed on the 303(d) List of impaired waters at this time.
4. Pursuant to section 3.11 of the Listing Policy, no additional data and information are available indicating that standards are not met.
 
Regional Board Decision 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 applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.
 
State Board Review of Regional Board Conclusion and Recommendation:
 
State Board Decision Recommendation:
 
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 131838, Benthic Community Effects
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 232636
 
Pollutant: Benthic-Macroinvertebrate Bioassessments
LOE Subgroup: Population/Community Degradation
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed data for 304KNGCOP to determine beneficial use support and the results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceeded the threshold. CSCI scores were from 1.07651 to 1.07651.
Data Reference: California Stream Condition Index (CSCI) Scores for the 2020 Integrated Report for Region 3.
 
SWAMP Data: SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances in concentrations which are toxic to, or which produce detrimental physiological responses in, human, plant, animal, or aquatic life. Region 3 Basin Plan.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin
 
Evaluation Guideline: The California Stream Condition Index (CSCI) is a biological scoring tool that helps aquatic resource managers translate complex data about benthic macroinvertebrates found living in a stream into an overall measure of stream health. The CSCI score is calculated by comparing the expected condition with actual (observed) results (Rehn, A.C. et al., 2015). CSCI scores range from 0 (highly degraded) to greater than 1 (equivalent to reference). CSCI scoring of biological condition are as follows (per the scientific paper supporting the development of the CSCI scoring tool): greater than or equal to 0.92 = likely intact condition, 0.91 to 0.80 = possibly altered condition, 0.79 to 0.63 = likely altered condition, less than or equal to 0.62 = very likely altered condition. Sites with scores below 0.79 are considered to have exceeded the water quality objective for the aquatic life beneficial use.  
Guideline Reference: Bioassessment in complex environments: designing an index for consistent meaning in different settings
 
Spatial Representation: Samples were collected from station 304KNGCOP.
Temporal Representation: Samples were collected from 5/2/2017 to 5/2/2017.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: Data collected following SWAMP QA protocols.
QAPP Information Reference(s): Quality Assurance Program Plans, Quality Assurance Project Plans, and Standard Operating Procedures for the SWAMP program
 
 
DECISION ID
131009
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
Pollutant: Fecal Coliform
Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)(2018)
Revision Status Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: Pollutant
 
Regional Board Conclusion: This pollutant is being considered for placement on the CWA section 303(d) List under section 3.3 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.3 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.

The State Water Boards Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California (the ISWEBE Plan) contains two bacteria water quality objectives applicable to the REC-1 beneficial use which were adopted on August 7, 2018: where the salinity level of a waterbody is equal to or less than 1 part per thousand 95 percent or more of the time, the E. coli bacteria objective applies; and where the salinity level of a waterbody is greater than 1 part per thousand 95 percent or more of the time, the Enterococci bacteria objective applies.

These objectives supersede the fecal coliform water quality objective for water contact recreation uses. Therefore, the fecal coliform objective for water contact recreation is not applicable to this waterbody and those LOEs have been removed from this decision.

However, one line of evidence (LOE) is available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant and the non-contact recreation use.

Zero of the two samples exceed the water quality objective for non-contact recreation. This sample size is insufficient to determine, with the power and confidence of the Listing Policy, the applicable beneficial use support rating. A minimum of 26 samples is needed to determine if a beneficial use is supported and a minimum of five exceedances is needed to determine if beneficial uses are not supported using table 3.2. Therefore, the use support rating is set to 'insufficient information'.

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 CWA section 303(d) List.

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. Zero of the two samples exceed the water quality objective for non-contact recreation, and this does not exceed the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 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.
 
Regional Board Decision 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. The readily available data and information is insufficient to determine, with the power and confidence of the Listing Policy, the applicable beneficial use support rating.
 
State Board Review of Regional Board Conclusion and Recommendation:
 
State Board Decision Recommendation: After review of this Regional Board decision, SWRCB staff recommend the decision be approved by the State Board.
 
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 131009, Fecal Coliform
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 18809
 
Pollutant: Fecal Coliform
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Non-Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 2
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 2 samples exceed the criterion for Coliform, Fecal.
Data Reference: Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996
  Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin objective for non-contact water recreation uses (Section II.A.2. Objectives for All Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries, II.A.2.a) states the following: Fecal coliform concentration, based on a minimum of not less than five samples for any 30-day period, shall not exceed a log mean of 2000/100 ml, nor shall more than ten percent of samples collected during any 30-day period exceed 4000/100 ml.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Kings Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304KGC_SCC - KINGS CR. at HWY 9]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 2/20/1990-2/21/1990.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: This monitoring program has been underway for thirty years, with changes over time to protocols, level of QA, and documentation. In general, QA documentation included with the dataset is minimal. However, data quality appears to be reasonably good.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
 
DECISION ID
106441
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
Pollutant: Oxygen, Dissolved
Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)(2018)
Revision Status Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: Pollutant
 
Regional Board Conclusion: This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) List under section 3.2 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.2 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.

Four lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant.

Three of 129 samples exceed the water quality objective for cold freshwater habitat (Basin Plan) and zero of one samples exceed the water quality objective for fish spawning (Basin Plan). Note that there is no difference between samples fractions ‘dissolved’ and ‘total,’ therefore sample and exceedance counts will be summed for the purpose of this decision.

Previous decisions (pre-2020) included dissolved oxygen saturation LOEs as ancillary evidence. This decision will no longer include dissolved oxygen saturation and these LOEs will be retired next cycle.

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. The data support the conclusion that the aquatic life beneficial use is fully supported. For fish spawning only, there is insufficient information to determine, with the power and confidence of the Listing Policy, the applicable beneficial use support rating.

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. Three of 129 samples- exceed the objective for cold freshwater habitat and zero of one samples exceed the objective for fish spawning. These do not exceed the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 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.
 
Regional Board Decision 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 applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.
 
State Board Review of Regional Board Conclusion and Recommendation:
 
State Board Decision Recommendation: After review of this Regional Board decision, SWRCB staff recommend the decision be approved by the State Board.
 
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 106441, Oxygen, Dissolved
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 18210
 
Pollutant: Oxygen, Dissolved
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: Dissolved
 
Beneficial Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Coastal Watershed Council (Snapshot day monitoring) (R3_Snap) data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceed the criterion for Oxygen, Dissolved.
Data Reference: Final Data File used for assessment: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Volunteer Monitoring Network Data. 2003-2006
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin, Cold Water Habitat Objective, Chapter III, Section II.A.2 General Objectives for all Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays and Estuaries states the following: The dissolved oxygen concentration shall not be reduced below 7.0 mg/l at any time.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Kings Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304-SANLO-25 - King's Creek]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected on a single day 5/17/2003. Coastal Watershed Council Snapshot Day Monitoring is conducted annually.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: State Board approved QAPP. Multiple errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with Project staff) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 106441, Oxygen, Dissolved
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 19833
 
Pollutant: Oxygen, Dissolved
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: Dissolved
 
Beneficial Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 127
Number of Exceedances: 3
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 3 of 127 samples exceed the criterion for Oxygen, Dissolved.
Data Reference: Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996
  Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin, Cold Water Habitat Objective, Chapter III, Section II.A.2 General Objectives for all Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays and Estuaries states the following: The dissolved oxygen concentration shall not be reduced below 7.0 mg/l at any time.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Kings Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304KGC_SCC - KINGS CR. at HWY 9]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 2/20/1990-8/2/2006.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: This monitoring program has been underway for thirty years, with changes over time to protocols, level of QA, and documentation. In general, QA documentation included with the dataset is minimal. However, data quality appears to be reasonably good.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 106441, Oxygen, Dissolved
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 175362
 
Pollutant: Oxygen, Dissolved
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: Total
 
Beneficial Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed SWAMP RWB3 CCAMP Pajaro and Santa Cruz Area data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for Oxygen, Dissolved.
Data Reference: Field, Habitat, Sediment, Toxicity, Water data for the 2020/2022 integrated report in Region 3.
 
SWAMP Data: SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The dissolved oxygen concentration shall not be reduced below 7.0 mg/l at any time (Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin).
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site (304KNGCOP)
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected between the dates of 2017-05-02 and 2017-05-02
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: SWAMP 2008
QAPP Information Reference(s): Quality Assurance Program Plans, Quality Assurance Project Plans, and Standard Operating Procedures for the SWAMP program
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 106441, Oxygen, Dissolved
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 175516
 
Pollutant: Oxygen, Dissolved
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: Total
 
Beneficial Use: Fish Spawning
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed SWAMP RWB3 CCAMP Pajaro and Santa Cruz Area data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for Oxygen, Dissolved.
Data Reference: Field, Habitat, Sediment, Toxicity, Water data for the 2020/2022 integrated report in Region 3.
 
SWAMP Data: SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The dissolved oxygen concentration shall not be reduced below 7.0 mg/l at any time (Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin).
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site (304KNGCOP)
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected between the dates of 2017-05-02 and 2017-05-02
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: SWAMP 2008
QAPP Information Reference(s): Quality Assurance Program Plans, Quality Assurance Project Plans, and Standard Operating Procedures for the SWAMP program
 
 
DECISION ID
126101
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
Pollutant: Temperature, water
Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)(2018)
Revision Status Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: Pollutant
 
Regional Board Conclusion: This pollutant is being considered for placement on the Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) List under section 3.2 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.2 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.

A total of three lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. A total of zero of 129 samples exceed the evaluation guideline (Moyle 1976) applied to protect the cold freshwater habitat beneficial use.

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.

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. A total of zero of 129 samples exceed the evaluation guideline applied to protect the cold freshwater habitat beneficial use and this does not exceed the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 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.
 
Regional Board Decision 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 applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.
 
State Board Review of Regional Board Conclusion and Recommendation:
 
State Board Decision Recommendation: After review of this Regional Board decision, SWRCB staff recommend the decision be approved by the State Board.
 
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 126101, Temperature, water
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 216997
 
Pollutant: Temperature, water
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: Not Recorded
 
Beneficial Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed SWAMP RWB3 CCAMP Pajaro and Santa Cruz Area data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for Temperature.
Data Reference: Field, Habitat, Sediment, Toxicity, Water data for the 2020/2022 integrated report in Region 3.
 
SWAMP Data: SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: Natural receiving water temperature of intrastate waters shall not be altered unless it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Regional Board that such alteration in temperature does not adversely affect beneficial uses (Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin).
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin
 
Evaluation Guideline: The optimum range for growth and completion of most life stages of rainbow trout is 13-21 degrees Celsius (Moyle 1976).
Guideline Reference: Inland Fishes of California
 
Spatial Representation: The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site (304KNGCOP)
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected between the dates of 2017-05-02 and 2017-05-02
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: SWAMP 2008
QAPP Information Reference(s): Quality Assurance Program Plans, Quality Assurance Project Plans, and Standard Operating Procedures for the SWAMP program
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 126101, Temperature, water
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 18595
 
Pollutant: Temperature, water
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Coastal Watershed Council (Snapshot day monitoring) (R3_Snap) data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceed the criterion for Water Temperature.
Data Reference: Final Data File used for assessment: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Volunteer Monitoring Network Data. 2003-2006
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: Natural receiving water temperature of intrastate waters shall not be altered unless it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Regional Board that such alteration in temperature does not adversely affect beneficial uses (General Objective in Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin, Chapter III, Section II.A.2 Objectives for all Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays and Estuaries).
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)
 
Evaluation Guideline: Inland Fishes of California (Moyle 1976) states that for rainbow trout the optimum range for growth and completion of most life stages is 13-21 degrees C (page 129).
Guideline Reference: Inland Fishes of California
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Kings Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304-SANLO-25 - King's Creek]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected on a single day 5/17/2003. Coastal Watershed Council Snapshot Day Monitoring is conducted annually.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: State Board approved QAPP. Multiple errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with Project staff) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 126101, Temperature, water
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 19918
 
Pollutant: Temperature, water
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 127
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 127 samples exceed the criterion for Water Temperature.
Data Reference: Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996
  Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: Natural receiving water temperature of intrastate waters shall not be altered unless it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Regional Board that such alteration in temperature does not adversely affect beneficial uses (General Objective in Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin, Chapter III, Section II.A.2 Objectives for all Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays and Estuaries).
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)
 
Evaluation Guideline: Inland Fishes of California (Moyle 1976) states that for rainbow trout the optimum range for growth and completion of most life stages is 13-21 degrees C (page 129).
Guideline Reference: Inland Fishes of California
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Kings Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304KGC_SCC - KINGS CR. at HWY 9]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 2/20/1990-8/2/2006.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: This monitoring program has been underway for thirty years, with changes over time to protocols, level of QA, and documentation. In general, QA documentation included with the dataset is minimal. However, data quality appears to be reasonably good.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
 
DECISION ID
106442
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
Pollutant: pH
Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)(2018)
Revision Status Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: Pollutant
 
Regional Board Conclusion: This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) List under section 3.2 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.2 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.

Twelve lines of evidence is available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Eight of the 132 samples exceed the maximum pH water quality objective for Municipal and Domestic Supply, Contact and Non-contact Recreation beneficial uses. Three of the 132 samples exceed the maximum pH water quality objective for Cold Freshwater Habitat.

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. Eight of the 132 samples exceed the maximum pH water quality objective for Municipal and Domestic Supply, Contact and Non-contact Recreation beneficial uses, 3 of the 132 samples exceed the maximum pH water quality objective for Cold Freshwater Habitat and this does not exceed the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 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.
 
Regional Board Decision 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 applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.
 
State Board Review of Regional Board Conclusion and Recommendation:
 
State Board Decision Recommendation: After review of this Regional Board decision, SWRCB staff recommend the decision be approved by the State Board.
 
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 106442, pH
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 19800
 
Pollutant: pH
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Non-Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 130
Number of Exceedances: 8
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 8 of 130 samples exceed the criterion for pH.
Data Reference: Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996
  Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin objective for non-contact water recreation uses (Section II.A.2. Objectives for All Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries, II.A.2.a) states the following: pH value shall neither be depressed below 6.5 nor raised above 8.3.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Kings Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304KGC_SCC - KINGS CR. at HWY 9]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 2/20/1990-8/2/2006.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: This monitoring program has been underway for thirty years, with changes over time to protocols, level of QA, and documentation. In general, QA documentation included with the dataset is minimal. However, data quality appears to be reasonably good.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 106442, pH
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 18971
 
Pollutant: pH
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Non-Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Coastal Watershed Council (Snapshot day monitoring) (R3_Snap) data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceed the criterion for pH.
Data Reference: Final Data File used for assessment: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Volunteer Monitoring Network Data. 2003-2006
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin objective for non-contact water recreation uses (Section II.A.2. Objectives for All Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries, II.A.2.a) states the following: pH value shall neither be depressed below 6.5 nor raised above 8.3.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Kings Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304-SANLO-25 - King's Creek]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected on a single day 5/17/2003. Coastal Watershed Council Snapshot Day Monitoring is conducted annually.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: State Board approved QAPP. Multiple errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with Project staff) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 106442, pH
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 19799
 
Pollutant: pH
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 130
Number of Exceedances: 8
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 8 of 130 samples exceed the criterion for pH.
Data Reference: Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996
  Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin objective for water contact recreation uses (Section II.A.2. Objectives for All Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries, II.A.2.a) states the following: pH value shall neither be depressed below 6.5 nor raised above 8.3.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Kings Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304KGC_SCC - KINGS CR. at HWY 9]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 2/20/1990-8/2/2006.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: This monitoring program has been underway for thirty years, with changes over time to protocols, level of QA, and documentation. In general, QA documentation included with the dataset is minimal. However, data quality appears to be reasonably good.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 106442, pH
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 18970
 
Pollutant: pH
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Coastal Watershed Council (Snapshot day monitoring) (R3_Snap) data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceed the criterion for pH.
Data Reference: Final Data File used for assessment: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Volunteer Monitoring Network Data. 2003-2006
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin objective for water contact recreation uses (Section II.A.2. Objectives for All Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries, II.A.2.a) states the following: pH value shall neither be depressed below 6.5 nor raised above 8.3.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Kings Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304-SANLO-25 - King's Creek]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected on a single day 5/17/2003. Coastal Watershed Council Snapshot Day Monitoring is conducted annually.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: State Board approved QAPP. Multiple errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with Project staff) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 106442, pH
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 179559
 
Pollutant: pH
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed SWAMP RWB3 CCAMP Pajaro and Santa Cruz Area data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for pH.
Data Reference: Field, Habitat, Sediment, Toxicity, Water data for the 2020/2022 integrated report in Region 3.
 
SWAMP Data: SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin objective for water contact recreation (Section 3.3.2 Objectives for All Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries) states that the pH value shall neither be depressed below 6.5 nor raised above 8.3.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site (304KNGCOP)
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected between the dates of 2017-05-02 and 2017-05-02
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: SWAMP 2008
QAPP Information Reference(s): Quality Assurance Program Plans, Quality Assurance Project Plans, and Standard Operating Procedures for the SWAMP program
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 106442, pH
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 19797
 
Pollutant: pH
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 130
Number of Exceedances: 3
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 3 of 130 samples exceed the criterion for pH.
Data Reference: Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996
  Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin, General Objective, Chapter III, Section II.A.2 General Objectives for all Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays and Estuaries states the following: For waters not mentioned by a specific beneficial use, the pH value shall not be depressed below 7.0 or raised above 8.5.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Kings Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304KGC_SCC - KINGS CR. at HWY 9]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 2/20/1990-8/2/2006.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: This monitoring program has been underway for thirty years, with changes over time to protocols, level of QA, and documentation. In general, QA documentation included with the dataset is minimal. However, data quality appears to be reasonably good.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 106442, pH
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 178857
 
Pollutant: pH
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed SWAMP RWB3 CCAMP Pajaro and Santa Cruz Area data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for pH.
Data Reference: Field, Habitat, Sediment, Toxicity, Water data for the 2020/2022 integrated report in Region 3.
 
SWAMP Data: SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin objective for cold fresh water habitat (Section 3.3.2 Objectives for All Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries) states that the pH value shall neither be depressed below 7.0 nor raised above 8.5.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site (304KNGCOP)
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected between the dates of 2017-05-02 and 2017-05-02
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: SWAMP 2008
QAPP Information Reference(s): Quality Assurance Program Plans, Quality Assurance Project Plans, and Standard Operating Procedures for the SWAMP program
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 106442, pH
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 179560
 
Pollutant: pH
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Municipal & Domestic Supply
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed SWAMP RWB3 CCAMP Pajaro and Santa Cruz Area data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for pH.
Data Reference: Field, Habitat, Sediment, Toxicity, Water data for the 2020/2022 integrated report in Region 3.
 
SWAMP Data: SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin objective for municipal and domestic supply (Section 3.3.2 Objectives for All Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries) states that the pH value shall neither be depressed below 6.5 nor raised above 8.3.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site (304KNGCOP)
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected between the dates of 2017-05-02 and 2017-05-02
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: SWAMP 2008
QAPP Information Reference(s): Quality Assurance Program Plans, Quality Assurance Project Plans, and Standard Operating Procedures for the SWAMP program
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 106442, pH
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 18969
 
Pollutant: pH
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Municipal & Domestic Supply
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Coastal Watershed Council (Snapshot day monitoring) (R3_Snap) data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceed the criterion for pH.
Data Reference: Final Data File used for assessment: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Volunteer Monitoring Network Data. 2003-2006
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin, Section II.A.2. Municipal and Domestic Supply Objectives, Section II.A.2.a states the following: The pH value shall neither be depressed below 6.5 or raised above 8.3.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Kings Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304-SANLO-25 - King's Creek]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected on a single day 5/17/2003. Coastal Watershed Council Snapshot Day Monitoring is conducted annually.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: State Board approved QAPP. Multiple errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with Project staff) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 106442, pH
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 18968
 
Pollutant: pH
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Coastal Watershed Council (Snapshot day monitoring) (R3_Snap) data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceed the criterion for pH.
Data Reference: Final Data File used for assessment: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Volunteer Monitoring Network Data. 2003-2006
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin, General Objective, Chapter III, Section II.A.2 General Objectives for all Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays and Estuaries states the following: For waters not mentioned by a specific beneficial use, the pH value shall not be depressed below 7.0 or raised above 8.5.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Kings Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304-SANLO-25 - King's Creek]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected on a single day 5/17/2003. Coastal Watershed Council Snapshot Day Monitoring is conducted annually.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: State Board approved QAPP. Multiple errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with Project staff) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 106442, pH
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 19798
 
Pollutant: pH
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Municipal & Domestic Supply
 
Number of Samples: 130
Number of Exceedances: 8
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 8 of 130 samples exceed the criterion for pH.
Data Reference: Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996
  Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin, Section II.A.2. Municipal and Domestic Supply Objectives, Section II.A.2.a states the following: The pH value shall neither be depressed below 6.5 or raised above 8.3.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Kings Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304KGC_SCC - KINGS CR. at HWY 9]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 2/20/1990-8/2/2006.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: This monitoring program has been underway for thirty years, with changes over time to protocols, level of QA, and documentation. In general, QA documentation included with the dataset is minimal. However, data quality appears to be reasonably good.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 106442, pH
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 179426
 
Pollutant: pH
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Non-Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed SWAMP RWB3 CCAMP Pajaro and Santa Cruz Area data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for pH.
Data Reference: Field, Habitat, Sediment, Toxicity, Water data for the 2020/2022 integrated report in Region 3.
 
SWAMP Data: SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin objective for non-contact water recreation (Section 3.3.2 Objectives for All Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries) states that the pH value shall neither be depressed below 6.5 nor raised above 8.3.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site (304KNGCOP)
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected between the dates of 2017-05-02 and 2017-05-02
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: SWAMP 2008
QAPP Information Reference(s): Quality Assurance Program Plans, Quality Assurance Project Plans, and Standard Operating Procedures for the SWAMP program
 
 
DECISION ID
90206
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
Pollutant: Sedimentation/Siltation
Final Listing Decision: Do Not Delist from 303(d) list (being addressed with USEPA approved TMDL)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: Do Not Delist from 303(d) list (being addressed with USEPA approved TMDL)(2016)
Revision Status Original
Sources: Erosion/Siltation | Highway/Road/Bridge Construction | Logging Road Construction/Maintenance
TMDL Name: San Lorenzo River Sediment
TMDL Project Code: 243
Date TMDL Approved by USEPA: 02/19/2004
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: Pollutant
 
Regional Board Conclusion: This pollutant is being considered for removal from the CWA section 303(d) List under section 4.9 of the Listing Policy. Under this section a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.

Two lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. The initial decision to place this water body segment-pollutant combination on the 303(d) list was made prior to 2006 and associated data and documentation are not held in an assessment database. As a result, there are no data associated with the LOE that is a placeholder for the original decision to add this water body segment-pollutant combination to the List. However, recent physical habitat and benthic invertebrate community data have been collected and are summarized in one LOE. None of the three samples have degraded biological community composition (EPT taxa richness less than 12) associated with more than 40 percent cover of deposited fine and sand sized sediment on the streambed. However, there are an insufficient number of samples to determine beneficial use support.

Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification against removing this water segment-pollutant combination from the CWA section 303(d) List.

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 the three samples have degraded biological community composition (EPT taxa richness less than 12) nor do they have more than 40 percent cover of deposited fine and sand sized sediment on the streambed and this sample size is insufficient to determine, with the power and confidence of the Listing Policy, the applicable beneficial use support rating.
4. Pursuant to section 4.11 of the Listing Policy, no additional data and information are available indicating that standards are met.
 
Regional Board Decision Recommendation: After review of the available data and information, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be removed from the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards for the pollutant are being exceeded.
 
State Board Review of Regional Board Conclusion and Recommendation:
 
State Board Decision Recommendation: After review of this Regional Board decision, SWRCB staff recommend the decision be approved by the State Board.
 
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 90206, Sedimentation/Siltation
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 3951
 
Pollutant: Sedimentation/Siltation
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: Not Recorded
 
Beneficial Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 0
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: Not Specified
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Unspecified--This LOE is a placeholder to support a 303(d) listing decision made prior to 2006.
Data Reference: Placeholder reference pre-2006 303(d)
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: Unspecified
Objective/Criterion Reference: Placeholder reference pre-2006 303(d)
 
Evaluation Guideline: Unspecified
Guideline Reference: Placeholder reference pre-2006 303(d)
 
Spatial Representation: Unspecified
Temporal Representation: Unspecified
Environmental Conditions: Unspecified
QAPP Information: Unspecified
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 90206, Sedimentation/Siltation
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 95251
 
Pollutant: Sediment
LOE Subgroup: Population/Community Degradation
Matrix: Not Specified
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 3
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: BIOLOGICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff evaluated sediment grain size and EPT taxa data that was collected following the SWAMP physical habitat and benthic invertebrate protocol from Kings Creek. At zero of the three stations, deposited fine and sand (FS) sediments on the stream bed were greater than 40%. all three stations had more than than 12 EPT taxa (EPT richness) the threshold indicating degraded biological diversity and community composition at these locations.
Data Reference: Three papers summarizing numeric TMDL targets for benthic invertebrates and sediment indicators in the San Lorenzo River Watershed
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: Central Coast Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) general water quality objective. Waters shall not contain settable material in concentrations that result in deposition of material that cause nuisance or adversely affects beneficial uses.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin
 
Evaluation Guideline: Loss of benthic invertebrate species diversity and altered community composition (based on the number of mayfly, stonefly and caddisfly taxa or EPT taxa richness) occurs when deposited fine and sand (FS) sediments on the stream bed exceeds 40% relative to Central Coast reference stream species composition and diversity (Herbst, D.B., et al, 2014 and Herbst, D.B., et al, 2011).
Guideline Reference: Three papers summarizing numeric TMDL targets for benthic invertebrates and sediment indicators in the San Lorenzo River Watershed
 
Spatial Representation: One monitoring location: County Land (2007, 2008, 2009).
Temporal Representation: Samples were collected in the spring - early season of 2007, 2008 and 2009
Environmental Conditions: None
QAPP Information: SWAMP protocols were followed for sample collection. SWAMP QAPP was followed.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
 
DECISION ID
75205
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
Pollutant: Nitrate
Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)(2016)
Revision Status Original
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: Pollutant
 
Regional Board Conclusion: 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.

Two lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. None of the 103 samples exceed the water quality objective for Municipal and Domestic Supply.

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 the 103 samples exceed the water quality objective for Municipal and Domestic Supply and this does not exceed 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.
 
Regional Board Decision Recommendation: This is a decision previously approved by the State Water Resources Control Board and the USEPA. No new data were assessed by the Regional Board for the current cycle. The decision has not changed.
 
State Board Review of Regional Board Conclusion and Recommendation:
 
State Board Decision Recommendation: After review of this Regional Board decision, SWRCB staff recommend the decision be approved by the State Board.
 
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 75205, Nitrate
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 18432
 
Pollutant: Nitrate
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Municipal & Domestic Supply
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Coastal Watershed Council (Snapshot day monitoring) (R3_Snap) data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 1 samples exceed the criterion for Nitrate as N.
Data Reference: Final Data File used for assessment: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Volunteer Monitoring Network Data. 2003-2006
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin Objective for municipal and domestic supply uses of inland surface waters (Section II.A.2) states the following: waters shall not contain concentrations of chemical constituents in excess of the limits specified in California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Article 4, Chapter 15, Section 64435, Tables 2 and 3 as listed in Table 3-2. The maximum contaminant level listed in Table 3-2 (inorganic and fluoride concentrations not to be exceeded in domestic or municipal supply) for nitrate is 10.0 mg/L (NO3 as N).
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)
Objective/Criterion Reference: Title 22, Division 4, Ch. 15, Article 4, Section 64431, Table 64431-A
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Kings Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304-SANLO-25 - King's Creek]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected on a single day 5/17/2003. Coastal Watershed Council Snapshot Day Monitoring is conducted annually.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: State Board approved QAPP. Multiple errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with Project staff) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 75205, Nitrate
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 18643
 
Pollutant: Nitrate
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Municipal & Domestic Supply
 
Number of Samples: 102
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 102 samples exceed the criterion for Nitrate as N.
Data Reference: Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996
  Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: The Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin Objective for municipal and domestic supply uses of inland surface waters (Section II.A.2) states the following: waters shall not contain concentrations of chemical constituents in excess of the limits specified in California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Article 4, Chapter 15, Section 64435, Tables 2 and 3 as listed in Table 3-2. The maximum contaminant level listed in Table 3-2 (inorganic and fluoride concentrations not to be exceeded in domestic or municipal supply) for nitrate is 10.0 mg/L (NO3 as N).
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)
Objective/Criterion Reference: Title 22, Division 4, Ch. 15, Article 4, Section 64431, Table 64431-A
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Kings Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304KGC_SCC - KINGS CR. at HWY 9]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 2/21/1990-8/2/2006.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: This monitoring program has been underway for thirty years, with changes over time to protocols, level of QA, and documentation. In general, QA documentation included with the dataset is minimal. However, data quality appears to be reasonably good.
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
 
DECISION ID
75211
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
Pollutant: Turbidity
Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)(2016)
Revision Status Original
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: Pollutant
 
Regional Board Conclusion: This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under section 3.2 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.2 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. None of the 118 samples exceed the water quality objective Evaluation Guideline (Moyle 1976) applied to protect the Cold Freshwater Habitat beneficial use.

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 the 118 samples exceed the water quality objective Evaluation Guideline (Moyle 1976) applied to protect the Cold Freshwater Habitat beneficial use and this does not exceed the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 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.
 
Regional Board Decision Recommendation: This is a decision previously approved by the State Water Resources Control Board and the USEPA. No new data were assessed by the Regional Board for the current cycle. The decision has not changed.
 
State Board Review of Regional Board Conclusion and Recommendation:
 
State Board Decision Recommendation: After review of this Regional Board decision, SWRCB staff recommend the decision be approved by the State Board.
 
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 75211, Turbidity
Region 3     
Kings Creek
 
LOE ID: 19682
 
Pollutant: Turbidity
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Cold Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 118
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Monitoring Program (R3_SCCEH) data for Kings Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 118 samples exceed the criterion for Turbidity(NTU).
Data Reference: Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1971-1996
  Final Data File used for assessment: Santa Cruz County Environmental Health data 1997-2006
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: Waters shall be free of changes in turbidity that cause nuisance or adversely affect beneficial uses. Water Quality Control Plan, Central Coast Basin, Chapter III, Section II.A.2 Objectives for all Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays and Estuaries.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan (Basin Plan) - Central Coast Region (Region 3)
 
Evaluation Guideline: Sigler et al. (1984) states that turbidities of 25 NTU's or greater caused reduction in juvenile salmonid growth due to interference with their ability to find food.
Guideline Reference: Effects of chronic turbidity on density and growth of steelheads and coho salmon. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 113:142-150
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Kings Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ 304KGC_SCC - KINGS CR. at HWY 9]
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 2/20/1990-8/2/2006.
Environmental Conditions: Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: This monitoring program has been underway for thirty years, with changes over time to protocols, level of QA, and documentation. In general, QA documentation included with the dataset is minimal. However, data quality appears to be reasonably good.
QAPP Information Reference(s):