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

Supporting Information

Regional Board 5 - Central Valley Region

Water Body Name:	Thomes Creek (Tahema County)
Water Body ID:	CAR5231003020211020033244
Water Body Type:	River & Stream


DECISION ID	132152	Region 5
Thomes Creek (Tahema County)

Pollutant:	Aluminum
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:	Data for this waterbody were initially evaluated using the chronic 1988 USEPA Recommended Aquatic Life Criterion for aluminum of 87 ug/L. In 2018, the USEPA published an updated chronic Recommended Aquatic Life Criterion for aluminum, which is expressed as a variable aluminum concentration based on pH, dissolved organic carbon, and total hardness values. For the 2020-2022 Integrated Report, sufficient pH, dissolved organic carbon, and total hardness data were not readily available for this waterbody to calculate the 2018 aluminum criterion. Because it was not possible to apply the 2018 criterion, the 1988 criterion was initially applied to evaluate aluminum data. Based on a cursory review, the 1988 criterion may be overly protective. Therefore, the listing recommendation was changed to “Do Not List.” Aluminum data for this waterbody will be re-evaluated during the 2024 Integrated Report using the 2018 criterion should pH, dissolved organic carbon, and total hardness data be available.

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 the available data and information, SWRCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards for the pollutant are not exceeded.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 132152, Aluminum	Region 5
Thomes Creek (Tahema County)

LOE ID:

234149

Pollutant:

Aluminum

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial Use:

Cold Freshwater Habitat

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Water Board staff assessed STORET data for Thomes Creek (Tehama County) to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 6 of 10 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for Aluminum.

Data Reference:

WQX data for the 2020/2022 integrated report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Waters shall not contain chemical constituents in concentrations that adversely affect beneficial uses.

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Control Plan for the California Regional Water Quality Control Board Central Valley Region, Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins; Fifth Edition. Revised May 2018 (with approved amendments)

Evaluation Guideline:

Aluminum levels were assessed for the protection of freshwater aquatic life by comparison to the Evaluation Guideline value of 87 ug/L (4 day average) (National Recommended Water Quality Criteria, 2009).

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site (CALWR_WQX-A0321800)

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2010-11-02 and 2015-02-10

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

STORET

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.


DECISION ID	132151	Region 5
Thomes Creek (Tahema County)

Pollutant:	Temperature, water
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:	Insufficient information is available to determine beneficial use support for this waterbody-pollutant combination with the statistical power and confidence required by the Listing Policy. Beneficial use support will be reassessed in a future cycle, if more data are available.

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:

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 132151, Temperature, water	Region 5
Thomes Creek (Tahema County)

LOE ID:

234148

Pollutant:

Temperature, water

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Not Recorded

Beneficial Use:

Cold Freshwater Habitat

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Water Board staff assessed STORET data for Thomes Creek (Tehama County) to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 1 of 10 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for Temperature.

Data Reference:

WQX data for the 2020/2022 integrated report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The natural receiving water temperature of intrastate waters shall not be altered unless it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Regional Water Board that such alteration in temperature does not adversely affect beneficial uses (Sacramento-San Juoaquin River Basin Plans).

Objective/Criterion Reference:

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:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site (CALWR_WQX-A0321800)

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2010-11-02 and 2015-02-10

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

STORET

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 132151, Temperature, water	Region 5
Thomes Creek (Tahema County)

LOE ID:

234150

Pollutant:

Temperature, water

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Not Recorded

Beneficial Use:

Fish Spawning

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Data Reference:

WQX data for the 2020/2022 integrated report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

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:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site (CALWR_WQX-A0321800)

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2010-11-02 and 2015-02-10

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

STORET

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 132151, Temperature, water	Region 5
Thomes Creek (Tahema County)

LOE ID:

234147

Pollutant:

Temperature, water

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Not Recorded

Beneficial Use:

Fish Migration

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Data Reference:

WQX data for the 2020/2022 integrated report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

Objective/Criterion Reference:

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:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site (CALWR_WQX-A0321800)

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2010-11-02 and 2015-02-10

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

STORET

QAPP Information Reference(s):

This is a placeholder reference for data that was collected after QAPP requirements were developed, but exempt from the requirements.