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

# Supporting Information

## Regional Board 3 - Central Coast Region

Water Body Name: | Cieneguitas Creek
Water Body ID: | CAR3153101120080612165908
Water Body Type: | River & Stream

DECISION ID | 12398
Pollutant: | Nitrate
Final Listing Decision: | Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: | New Decision
Revision Status | Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: | Pollutant
Weight of Evidence: | This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under section 3.1 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.1 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 56 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. However, there are an insufficient number of samples to make a "use rating" decision. Central Coast Water Board staff require a minimum of 16 samples to make a "use rating" decision of Fully Supporting. 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 56 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. Back 2 top
RWQCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: | After review of the available data and information, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.
SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: |
USEPA Decision: |

Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 12398

LOE ID: | 14794
Pollutant: | Nitrate
LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Water
Matrix: | Water
Fraction: | None
Beneficial Use: | Municipal & Domestic Supply
Number of Samples: | 56
Number of Exceedances: | 0
Data and Information Type: | PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 56 samples exceed the criterion for Nitrate as N.
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
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: | Title 22, Division 4, Ch. 15, Article 4, Section 64431, Table 64431-A
| Water Quality Control Plan Central Coast Region (R3) Basin Plan
Evaluation Guideline: |
Guideline Reference:
Spatial Representation: | Data for this line of evidence for Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-1/7/2007. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis

DECISION ID | 12399
Pollutant: | Turbidity
Final Listing Decision: | Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: | New Decision
Revision Status | Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: | Pollutant
Weight of Evidence: | This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under section 3.2 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.2 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. One of the 54 samples exceed the Evaluation Guideline (Sigler et al., 1984) applied to protect for aquatic life beneficial uses. 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. One of the 54 samples exceed the Evaluation Guideline (Sigler et al., 1984) applied to protect for aquatic life beneficial uses 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.
RWQCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: | After review of the available data and information, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.
SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: |
USEPA Decision: |

Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 12399

LOE ID: | 15009
Pollutant: | Turbidity
LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Water
Matrix: | Water
Fraction: | None
Beneficial Use: | Warm Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: | Warm Freshwater Habitat
Number of Samples: | 54
Number of Exceedances: | 1
Data and Information Type: | PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 1 of 54 samples exceed the criterion for Turbidity(NTU).
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
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 Central Coast Region (R3) Basin Plan
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 Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-1/7/2007. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis
LOE ID: | 15008
Pollutant: | Turbidity
LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Water
Matrix: | Water
Fraction: | None
Beneficial Use: | Cold Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: | Cold Freshwater Habitat
Number of Samples: | 54
Number of Exceedances: | 1
Data and Information Type: | PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 1 of 54 samples exceed the criterion for Turbidity(NTU).
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
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 Central Coast Region (R3) Basin Plan
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 Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-1/7/2007. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis

DECISION ID | 12402
Pollutant: | pH
Final Listing Decision: | Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: | New Decision
Revision Status | Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: | Pollutant
Weight of Evidence: | This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under section 3.2 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.2 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status. Five line of evidence is available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. One sample exceeds the Cold and Warm Freshwater Habitat water quality objective and 2 samples exceed the numeric objective for Municipal & Domestic Supply, Non-Contact Recreation and Water Contact Recreation. 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. One sample exceeds the Cold and Warm Freshwater Habitat water quality objective and 2 samples exceed the numeric objective for Municipal & Domestic Supply, Non-Contact Recreation and Water 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.
RWQCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: | After review of the available data and information, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.
SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: |
USEPA Decision: |

Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 12402

LOE ID: | 14950
Pollutant: | pH
LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Water
Matrix: | Water
Fraction: | None
Beneficial Use: | Non-Contact Recreation
Number of Samples: | 54
Number of Exceedances: | 2
Data and Information Type: | PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 2 of 54 samples exceed the criterion for pH.
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
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 Central Coast Region (R3) Basin Plan
Evaluation Guideline: |
Guideline Reference:
Spatial Representation: | Data for this line of evidence for Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-12/3/2006. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis
LOE ID: | 14949
Pollutant: | pH
LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Water
Matrix: | Water
Fraction: | None
Beneficial Use: | Water Contact Recreation
Number of Samples: | 54
Number of Exceedances: | 2
Data and Information Type: | PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 2 of 54 samples exceed the criterion for pH.
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
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 Central Coast Region (R3) Basin Plan
Evaluation Guideline: |
Guideline Reference:
Spatial Representation: | Data for this line of evidence for Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-12/3/2006. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis
LOE ID: | 14948
Pollutant: | pH
LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Water
Matrix: | Water
Fraction: | None
Beneficial Use: | Municipal & Domestic Supply
Number of Samples: | 54
Number of Exceedances: | 2
Data and Information Type: | PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 2 of 54 samples exceed the criterion for pH.
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
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 Central Coast Region (R3) Basin Plan
Evaluation Guideline: |
Guideline Reference:
Spatial Representation: | Data for this line of evidence for Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-12/3/2006. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis
LOE ID: | 14951
Pollutant: | pH
LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Water
Matrix: | Water
Fraction: | None
Beneficial Use: | Warm Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: | Warm Freshwater Habitat
Number of Samples: | 54
Number of Exceedances: | 1
Data and Information Type: | PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 1 of 54 samples exceed the criterion for pH.
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
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 Central Coast Region (R3) Basin Plan
Evaluation Guideline: |
Guideline Reference:
Spatial Representation: | Data for this line of evidence for Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-12/3/2006. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis
LOE ID: | 14932
Pollutant: | pH
LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Water
Matrix: | Water
Fraction: | None
Beneficial Use: | Cold Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: | Cold Freshwater Habitat
Number of Samples: | 54
Number of Exceedances: | 1
Data and Information Type: | PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 1 of 54 samples exceed the criterion for pH.
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
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 Central Coast Region (R3) Basin Plan
Evaluation Guideline: |
Guideline Reference:
Spatial Representation: | Data for this line of evidence for Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-12/3/2006. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis

DECISION ID | 12392
Pollutant: | Enterococcus
Final Listing Decision: | List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: | New Decision
Revision Status | Revised
Sources: | Natural Sources | Pasture Grazing-Upland | Urban Runoff/Storm Sewers
Expected TMDL Completion Date: | 2021
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: | Pollutant
Weight of Evidence: | This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under sections 2.1 and 3.3 of the Listing Policy. Two lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Based on section 3.3 the site exceeded numeric objectives for conventional pollutants. According to the binomial distribution, waters shall be placed on the section 303(d) list if the number of measured exceedances supports rejection of the null hypothesis as presented in Table 3.2. Forty-four of 54 samples exceed the Evaluation Guideline (USEPA Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria, 1986) as it applies to the Water Contact Recreation beneficial use. Two of 54 samples exceed the water quality objective for Non-Contact Recreation. Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification in favor of 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. Forty-four of 54 samples exceed the Evaluation Guideline (USEPA Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria, 1986) as it applies to the Water Contact Recreation beneficial use and this exceeds 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.
RWQCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: | After review of the available data and information, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are exceeded and a pollutant contributes to or causes the problem.
SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: |
USEPA Decision: |

Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 12392

LOE ID: | 15005
Pollutant: | Enterococcus
LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Water
Matrix: | Water
Fraction: | None
Beneficial Use: | Non-Contact Recreation
Number of Samples: | 54
Number of Exceedances: | 2
Data and Information Type: | PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 2 of 54 samples exceed the criterion for Enterococci.
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
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. Enterococcus is a fecal coliform.
Objective/Criterion Reference: | Water Quality Control Plan Central Coast Region (R3) Basin Plan
Evaluation Guideline: |
Guideline Reference:
Spatial Representation: | Data for this line of evidence for Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-2/4/2007. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis
LOE ID: | 15004
Pollutant: | Enterococcus
LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Water
Matrix: | Water
Fraction: | None
Beneficial Use: | Water Contact Recreation
Number of Samples: | 54
Number of Exceedances: | 44
Data and Information Type: | PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 44 of 54 samples exceed the EPA criterion for Enterococci.
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: | USEPA Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria -1986.
Objective/Criterion Reference: | Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria - 1986. EPA440/5-84-002
Evaluation Guideline: | Single sample maximum allowable density for Enterococci in freshwater is 61 MPN/100mL (as stated in Table 4, page 15)
Guideline Reference: | Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria - 1986. EPA440/5-84-002
Spatial Representation: | Data for this line of evidence for Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-2/4/2007. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis

DECISION ID | 12394
Pollutant: | Escherichia coli (E. Coli)
Final Listing Decision: | List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: | New Decision
Revision Status | Revised
Sources: | Grazing-Related Sources | Natural Sources | Urban Runoff/Storm Sewers
Expected TMDL Completion Date: | 2021
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: | Pollutant
Weight of Evidence: | This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under sections 2.1 and 3.3 of the Listing Policy. Two lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Based on section 3.3 the site exceeded numeric objectives for conventional pollutants. According to the binomial distribution, waters shall be placed on the section 303(d) list if the number of measured exceedances supports rejection of the null hypothesis as presented in Table 3.2. Twenty-nine of 55 samples exceed the Evaluation Guideline (USEPA Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria, 1986) as it applies to the Water Contact Recreation beneficial use. Five of the 55 samples exceed the water quality objective for Non-Contact Recreation., and this beneficial use is fully supported. Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification in favor of 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. Twenty-nine of 55 samples exceed the Evaluation Guideline (USEPA Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria, 1986) as it applies to the Water Contact Recreation beneficial use and this exceeds 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.
RWQCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: | After review of the available data and information, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are exceeded and a pollutant contributes to or causes the problem.
SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: |
USEPA Decision: |

Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 12394

LOE ID: | 14967
Pollutant: | Escherichia coli (E. Coli)
LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Water
Matrix: | Water
Fraction: | None
Beneficial Use: | Water Contact Recreation
Number of Samples: | 55
Number of Exceedances: | 29
Data and Information Type: | PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 29 of 55 samples exceed the criterion for Escherichia coli.
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: | USEPA Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria -1986.
Objective/Criterion Reference: | Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria - 1986. EPA440/5-84-002
Evaluation Guideline: | Single sample maximum allowable density for E. coli in freshwater is 235 MPN/100mL (as stated in Table 4, page 15)
Guideline Reference: | Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria - 1986. EPA440/5-84-002
Spatial Representation: | Data for this line of evidence for Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-2/4/2007. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis
LOE ID: | 14982
Pollutant: | Escherichia coli (E. Coli)
LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Water
Matrix: | Water
Fraction: | None
Beneficial Use: | Non-Contact Recreation
Number of Samples: | 55
Number of Exceedances: | 5
Data and Information Type: | PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 5 of 55 samples exceed the criterion for Escherichia coli.
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
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. E. coli is a fecal coliform.
Objective/Criterion Reference: | Water Quality Control Plan Central Coast Region (R3) Basin Plan
Evaluation Guideline: |
Guideline Reference:
Spatial Representation: | Data for this line of evidence for Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-2/4/2007. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis

DECISION ID | 12390
Pollutant: | Low Dissolved Oxygen
Final Listing Decision: | List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: | New Decision
Revision Status | Revised
Sources: | Source Unknown
Expected TMDL Completion Date: | 2021
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: | Pollutant
Weight of Evidence: | This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under sections 2.1 and 3.2 of the Listing Policy. Four lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess these pollutants. Two water quality objectives are assessed: Eighteen of the 56 samples exceed the dissolved oxygen water quality objective for Cold Freshwater Habitat and this exceeds the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 of the Listing Policy. However, 27 of 55 samples exceed the general water quality objective for oxygen saturation (applied as a single sample maximum). The Basin Plan objective states that the median oxygen saturation value shall not fall below 85% and the median value did not exceed this criterion (by a single measure). The Warm Freshwater Habitat objective is fully supported, with only 4 of 56 samples exceeding the objective. Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification in favor of 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. Eighteen of the 56 samples exceed the dissolved oxygen water quality objective for Cold Freshwater Habitat and this exceeds 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.
RWQCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: | After review of the available data and information, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are exceeded and a pollutant contributes to or causes the problem.
SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: |
USEPA Decision: |

Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 12390

LOE ID: | 15183
Pollutant: | Oxygen, Dissolved
LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Water
Matrix: | Water
Fraction: | Dissolved
Beneficial Use: | Warm Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: | Warm Freshwater Habitat
Number of Samples: | 56
Number of Exceedances: | 4
Data and Information Type: | PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 4 of 56 samples exceed the criterion for Oxygen, Dissolved.
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
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, dissolved oxygen concentration shall not be reduced below 5.0 mg/l at any time.
Objective/Criterion Reference: | Water Quality Control Plan Central Coast Region (R3) Basin Plan
Evaluation Guideline: |
Guideline Reference:
Spatial Representation: | Data for this line of evidence for Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-1/7/2007. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis
LOE ID: | 14923
Pollutant: | Dissolved oxygen saturation
LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Water
Matrix: | Water
Fraction: | None
Beneficial Use: | Cold Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: | Cold Freshwater Habitat
Number of Samples: | 55
Number of Exceedances: | 27
Data and Information Type: | PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 27 of 55 samples exceed the criterion for Oxygen, Saturation.
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
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: Median values should not fall below 85% saturation as a result of controllable water quality conditions.
Objective/Criterion Reference: | Water Quality Control Plan Central Coast Region (R3) Basin Plan
Evaluation Guideline: |
Guideline Reference:
Spatial Representation: | Data for this line of evidence for Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-1/7/2007. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis
LOE ID: | 14924
Pollutant: | Dissolved oxygen saturation
LOE Subgroup: | Pollutant-Water
Matrix: | Water
Fraction: | None
Beneficial Use: | Warm Freshwater Habitat
Aquatic Life Use: | Warm Freshwater Habitat
Number of Samples: | 55
Number of Exceedances: | 27
Data and Information Type: | PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 27 of 55 samples exceed the criterion for Oxygen, Saturation.
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
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: Median values should not fall below 85% saturation as a result of controllable water quality conditions.
Objective/Criterion Reference: | Water Quality Control Plan Central Coast Region (R3) Basin Plan
Evaluation Guideline: |
Guideline Reference:
Spatial Representation: | Data for this line of evidence for Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-1/7/2007. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis
LOE ID: | 15182
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: | 56
Number of Exceedances: | 18
Data and Information Type: | PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 18 of 56 samples exceed the criterion for Oxygen, Dissolved.
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
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 Central Coast Region (R3) Basin Plan
Evaluation Guideline: |
Guideline Reference:
Spatial Representation: | Data for this line of evidence for Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-1/7/2007. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis

DECISION ID | 12393
Pollutant: | Temperature, water
Final Listing Decision: | List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: | New Decision
Revision Status | Revised
Sources: | Unknown Point Source | Urban Runoff/Storm Sewers
Expected TMDL Completion Date: | 2021
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: | Pollutant
Weight of Evidence: | This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under sections 2.1 and 3.2 of the Listing Policy. One line of evidence is available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. Based on section 3.2 the site exceeded numeric objectives for conventional pollutants. According to the binomial distribution, waters shall be placed on the section 303(d) list if the number of measured exceedances supports rejection of the null hypothesis as presented in Table 3.2. Ten of 55 samples exceeded the Evaluation Guideline (Moyle 1976) applied to protect the Cold Freshwater Habitat beneficial use. This supports rejection of the null hypothesis. Unknown point sources contribute to this impairment. Santa Barbara Channel Keeper staff documented water temperature reading near 30 decrees Celsius in January 2006 in Cieneguitas Creek and downstream in Atascadero Creek. Staff were unable to identify the source of the warm water on that date. This Evaluation Guideline is relevant for this waterbody as it is a tributary to Atascadero Creek. A recent publication (Steelhead/Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Resources South of the Golden Gate, California (Becker, G.S and I.J Reining, October 2008) identifies Atascadero Creek as having "Definite run or population" of steelhead trout. Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification in favor of 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. Ten of 55 samples exceeded the Evaluation Guideline (Moyle 1976) applied to protect the Cold Freshwater Habitat beneficial use and this exceeds 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.
RWQCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: | After review of the available data and information, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are exceeded and a pollutant contributes to or causes the problem.
SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: |
USEPA Decision: |

Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 12393

LOE ID: | 15045
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: | 55
Number of Exceedances: | 10
Data and Information Type: | PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: | Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring Program (R3_SBKeepers) data for Cieneguitas Creek to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 10 of 55 samples exceed the criterion for Water Temperature.
Data Reference: | Final Data File used for assessment: Mutiple data sets, City of Santa Maria, Watsonville and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper Data
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 Central Coast Region (R3) Basin Plan
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 Cieneguitas Creek was collected at 1 monitoring site [ CG1 - Cieneguitas Creek at Nogal Drive]
Temporal Representation: | Data was collected over the time period 6/2/2002-1/7/2007. Santa Barbara Channelkeepers Citizen Monitoring is conducted monthly.
Environmental Conditions: | Staff is not aware of any special conditions that might effect interpretation of the data.
QAPP Information: | State Board approved QAPP, data entry completed by volunteers. Several errors were identified in data and were flagged or fixed by RB staff (in communication with SB Channel Keepers) prior to assessment of data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): | e-mail documenting QA procedures and analytical methods uses for sample analysis