Tribal and Subsistence Fishing Beneficial Uses

On May 2, 2017, the State Water Resources Control Board adopted Resolution 2017-0027, which approved the "Tribal and Subsistence Fishing Beneficial Uses and Mercury Provisions”. Resolution 2017-0027 established new beneficial use definitions for use by the State and Regional Water Boards that include Tribal Tradition and Culture (CUL), Tribal Subsistence Fishing (T-SUB) and Subsistence (SUB) beneficial uses. These beneficial uses are meant to protect water quality in waterbodies where activities specific to Native American culture and subsistence fishing occur, including practices not covered by existing beneficial uses. For Tribal Beneficial Uses (TBUs) to be memorialized in a region and for waterbodies to be protected, a Regional Water Board needs to complete one or more Basin Plan Amendment processes to incorporate the definitions for the TBUs into the region’s Basin Plan and to designate waterbodies with the TBUs.

General information regarding Tribal Beneficial Uses is available on the State Water Board Tribal Affairs website.

Information about the Lahontan Water Board's Tribal Beneficial Uses effort is available in a Fact Sheet

Mono Basin Tribal Beneficial Uses Designation Project

The Board will hold an adoption meeting on November 13, 2024 in Bishop, California to consider the proposed Basin Plan amendment that designates Tribal Beneficial Uses to waterbodies in the Mono Basin. Additional details regarding the adoption meeting can be found in the Notice below.

The Final Staff Report/SED , Response to Comments, and proposed Basin Plan Amendment will be posted on this website no later than October 11, 2024 meeting.

Details for how to participate at the November 13, 2024 meeting can be found on the Lahontan website. You do not need to create a Zoom account to join the meeting. To request to speak at the meeting see the website below for how to register for the Zoom meeting and to receive the meeting password:

https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/lahontan/board_info/remote_meeting/

Project Announcements and Documents

Tribal Cultural, Tribal Subsistence Fishing and Subsistence Fishing Beneficial Uses Definitions Basin Plan Amendment

The Lahontan Water Board completed a Basin Plan Amendment process to add the definitions for the Tribal Beneficial Uses to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region. Documents related to this action are provided below.

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