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

Supporting Information

Regional Board 5 - Central Valley Region

Water Body Name: Hamilton Slough (from south of Thermalito Afterbay to south of Biggs, Butte County)
Water Body ID: CAR5204000020080702171637
Water Body Type: River & Stream
 
DECISION ID
74026
Region 5     
Hamilton Slough (from south of Thermalito Afterbay to south of Biggs, Butte County)
 
Pollutant: Toxicity
Final Listing Decision: Do Not Delist from 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: Do Not Delist from 303(d) list (TMDL required list)(2016)
Revision Status Original
Sources: A Source Unknown
Expected TMDL Completion Date: 2027
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 4.1 of the Listing Policy. Under this section a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.

Four lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess pollutant. Five of fifteen samples exceed the evaluation guideline for toxicity in water. Zero of one samples exceed the evaluation guideline for toxicity in sediment.

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. Five of fifteen samples exceed the evaluation guideline for toxicity in water. Zero of one samples exceed the evaluation guideline for toxicity in sediment. This exceeds the allowable frequency listed in Table 4.1 of the Listing Policy.
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 74026, Toxicity
Region 5     
Hamilton Slough (from south of Thermalito Afterbay to south of Biggs, Butte County)
 
LOE ID: 22469
 
Pollutant: Toxicity
LOE Subgroup: Toxicity
Matrix: Sediment
Fraction: Total
 
Beneficial Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 1
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: TOXICITY TESTING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Zero of one samples tested with Hyalella azteca were toxic.
Data Reference: Revised Draft of the 2007 Review of the Monitoring Data for the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Conditional Waiver Program
  Monitoring and Reporting Program, Order Nos. R5-2003-0826, R5-2005-0833, and R5-2008-0005 for Coalition Groups Under Resolution No. R5-2003-0105, Conditional Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharges From Irrigated Lands Within the Central Valley Region
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances in concentrations that produce detrimental physiological responses in human, plant, animal, or aquatic life. This objective applies regardless of whether the toxicity is caused by a single substance or the interactive effect of multiple substances. (CVRWQCB, 2007)
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan for the California Regional Water Quality Control Board Central Valley Region, Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins. 4th ed
 
Evaluation Guideline: Statistically significant difference from control sediment using Dunnett's test in 10-day Hyalella azteca sediment toxicity tests. Arcsin squareroot transformation was used when necessary to meet the assumptions of normality and homogeneity of variance. Steel's Many-One Rank Test was used for comparison to control if these assumptions were not met after transformation.
Guideline Reference: Methods for Measuring the Toxicity and Bioaccumulation of Sediment-associated Contaminants with Freshwater Invertebrates, Second Edition. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development, Duluth, MI , U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water, Washington, DC EPA-600/R-99/064
 
Spatial Representation: Samples were collected from Hamilton Slough at Highway 99
Temporal Representation: Samples were collected August 2004
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: Data quality: Excellent. Monitoring was conducted in accordance with Central Valley Water Board Monitoring and Reporting Program (order number R5-2003-0826) requirements (CVRWQCB, 2003)
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 74026, Toxicity
Region 5     
Hamilton Slough (from south of Thermalito Afterbay to south of Biggs, Butte County)
 
LOE ID: 22526
 
Pollutant: Toxicity
LOE Subgroup: Toxicity
Matrix: Water
Fraction: Total
 
Beneficial Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 5
Number of Exceedances: 1
 
Data and Information Type: TOXICITY TESTING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: One of five samples tested with Pimephales promelas were toxic and violated the narrative toxicity objective.The sample collected 10 August 2004 exhibited 80% survival (84% of the control).
Data Reference: Revised Draft of the 2007 Review of the Monitoring Data for the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Conditional Waiver Program
  Monitoring and Reporting Program, Order Nos. R5-2003-0826, R5-2005-0833, and R5-2008-0005 for Coalition Groups Under Resolution No. R5-2003-0105, Conditional Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharges From Irrigated Lands Within the Central Valley Region
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances in concentrations that produce detrimental physiological responses in human, plant, animal, or aquatic life. This objective applies regardless of whether the toxicity is caused by a single substance or the interactive effect of multiple substances. (CVRWQCB, 2007)
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan for the California Regional Water Quality Control Board Central Valley Region, Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins. 4th ed
 
Evaluation Guideline: Statistically significant difference from control using a t-test with 4-day acute-style toxicity tests.
Guideline Reference: Methods for Measuring the Acute Toxicity of Effluents and Receiving Waters to Freshwater and Marine Organisms, Fifth Edition. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water, Washington, DC EPA-821-R-02-012
 
Spatial Representation: Samples were collected from Hamilton Slough at Highway 99
Temporal Representation: Samples were collected from July - September 2004
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: Data quality: Excellent. Monitoring was conducted in accordance with Central Valley Water Board Monitoring and Reporting Program (order number R5-2003-0826) requirements (CVRWQCB, 2003)
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 74026, Toxicity
Region 5     
Hamilton Slough (from south of Thermalito Afterbay to south of Biggs, Butte County)
 
LOE ID: 22525
 
Pollutant: Toxicity
LOE Subgroup: Toxicity
Matrix: Water
Fraction: Total
 
Beneficial Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 5
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: TOXICITY TESTING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Zero of five samples tested with Ceriodaphnia dubia were toxic.
Data Reference: Revised Draft of the 2007 Review of the Monitoring Data for the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Conditional Waiver Program
  Monitoring and Reporting Program, Order Nos. R5-2003-0826, R5-2005-0833, and R5-2008-0005 for Coalition Groups Under Resolution No. R5-2003-0105, Conditional Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharges From Irrigated Lands Within the Central Valley Region
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances in concentrations that produce detrimental physiological responses in human, plant, animal, or aquatic life. This objective applies regardless of whether the toxicity is caused by a single substance or the interactive effect of multiple substances. (CVRWQCB, 2007)
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan for the California Regional Water Quality Control Board Central Valley Region, Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins. 4th ed
 
Evaluation Guideline: Statistically significant difference from control using a t-test with 4-day acute-style toxicity tests.
Guideline Reference: Methods for Measuring the Acute Toxicity of Effluents and Receiving Waters to Freshwater and Marine Organisms, Fifth Edition. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water, Washington, DC EPA-821-R-02-012
 
Spatial Representation: Samples were collected from Hamilton Slough at Highway 99
Temporal Representation: Samples were collected from July - September 2004
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: Data quality: Excellent. Monitoring was conducted in accordance with Central Valley Water Board Monitoring and Reporting Program (order number R5-2003-0826) requirements (CVRWQCB, 2003)
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 74026, Toxicity
Region 5     
Hamilton Slough (from south of Thermalito Afterbay to south of Biggs, Butte County)
 
LOE ID: 22470
 
Pollutant: Toxicity
LOE Subgroup: Toxicity
Matrix: Water
Fraction: Total
 
Beneficial Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: Warm Freshwater Habitat
 
Number of Samples: 5
Number of Exceedances: 4
 
Data and Information Type: TOXICITY TESTING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Four of five samples tested with Selenastrum capricornutum were toxic and violated the narrative toxicity objective. Percent of control is indicated in parentheses below.Samples collected 13 July (70), 27 July (66), 10 August (62), and 7 September 2004 (81) exhibited a statistically significant decrease in growth compared to the control.
Data Reference: Revised Draft of the 2007 Review of the Monitoring Data for the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Conditional Waiver Program
  Monitoring and Reporting Program, Order Nos. R5-2003-0826, R5-2005-0833, and R5-2008-0005 for Coalition Groups Under Resolution No. R5-2003-0105, Conditional Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharges From Irrigated Lands Within the Central Valley Region
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: All waters shall be maintained free of toxic substances in concentrations that produce detrimental physiological responses in human, plant, animal, or aquatic life. This objective applies regardless of whether the toxicity is caused by a single substance or the interactive effect of multiple substances. (CVRWQCB, 2007)
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan for the California Regional Water Quality Control Board Central Valley Region, Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins. 4th ed
 
Evaluation Guideline: Statistically significant difference from control using a t-test with 4-day chronic-style toxicity tests.
Guideline Reference: Short-term Methods for Estimating the Chronic Toxicity of Effluents and Receiving Waters to Freshwater and Marine Organisms, Fourth Edition. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water, Washington, DC EPA-821-R-02-013
 
Spatial Representation: Samples were collected from Hamilton Slough at Highway 99
Temporal Representation: Samples were collected from July - September 2004
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: Data quality: Excellent. Monitoring was conducted in accordance with Central Valley Water Board Monitoring and Reporting Program (order number R5-2003-0826) requirements (CVRWQCB, 2003)
QAPP Information Reference(s):