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

Supporting Information

Regional Board 5 - Central Valley Region

Water Body Name:	San Luis Canal (Merced County)
Water Body ID:	CAR5412000020190906033387
Water Body Type:	River & Stream


DECISION ID	124052	Region 5
San Luis Canal (Merced County)

Pollutant:	Oxygen, Dissolved
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:	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. A total of one line of evidence is available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. A total of zero of 16 samples exceed the water quality objective for the warm freshwater habitat beneficial use. These data are insufficient to determine the applicable beneficial use support rating with the power and confidence required by the Listing Policy. 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. A total of zero of 16 samples exceed the water quality objective for the warm freshwater habitat beneficial use. 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:

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 124052, Oxygen, Dissolved	Region 5
San Luis Canal (Merced County)

LOE ID:

208324

Pollutant:

Oxygen, Dissolved

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial Use:

Warm 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 Westside San Joaquin River Watershed Coalition data for San Luis Canal (Merced County) to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 16 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 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The minimum dissolved oxygen concentration for waters designated as WARM is 5.0 mg/L. (Water Quality Control Plan, Central Valley Region, Sacramento River Basin and San Joaquin Basin)

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:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site (541MER563)

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2016-02-09 and 2017-08-08

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Pacific EcoRisk. 2013. QAPP for Westside San Joaquin River Watershed Coalition.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

QAPP for Westside San Joaquin River Watershed Coalition


DECISION ID	120469	Region 5
San Luis Canal (Merced County)

Pollutant:	Selenium
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:	This pollutant is being considered for placement on the Clean Water Act (CWA) section 303(d) List under section 3.1 of the Listing Policy. A total of two lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. A total of zero of 181 samples exceed the water quality objective for the warm 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 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. A total of zero of 181 samples exceed the water quality objective for the warm freshwater habitat beneficial use. 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:	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 120469, Selenium	Region 5
San Luis Canal (Merced County)

LOE ID:

193549

Pollutant:

Selenium

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial Use:

Warm Freshwater Habitat

Number of Samples:

159

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Water Board staff assessed Grasslands Bypass Project data for San Luis Canal (Merced County) to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 159 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for Selenium.

Data Reference:

Field, Habitat, Toxicity, Water data for the 2020/2022 integrated report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The selenium criterion continuous concentration (expressed as a 4-day average) to protect aquatic life in freshwater is 5 ug/L (California Toxics Rule, 2000).

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Water Quality Standards 2000. Establishment of numeric criteria for priority toxic pollutants for the State of California: Rules and regulations. Federal Register Vol. 65, No. 97. Washington, D.C.: Environmental Protection Agency

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site (541MER563)

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2010-09-07 and 2013-09-23

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. 2006. Quality Assurance Project Plan for the Compliance Monitoring Program for the Operation of the Grasslands Bypass Project., U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. 2015. Quality Assurance Project Plan for the Compliance Monitoring Program for the Operation of the Grassland Bypass Project.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Quality Assurance Project Plan for the Compliance Monitoring Program for the Operation of the Grasslands Bypass Project

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Quality Assurance Project Plan for the Compliance Monitoring Program for the Operation of the Grassland Bypass Project

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 120469, Selenium	Region 5
San Luis Canal (Merced County)

LOE ID:

193504

Pollutant:

Selenium

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial Use:

Warm 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 Westside San Joaquin River Watershed Coalition data for San Luis Canal (Merced County) to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 22 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for Selenium.

Data Reference:

Field, Habitat, Sediment, Toxicity, Water data for the 2020/2022 integrated report in Region 5.

SWAMP Data:

Non-SWAMP

Water Quality Objective/Criterion:

The selenium criterion continuous concentration (expressed as a 4-day average) to protect aquatic life in freshwater is 5 ug/L (California Toxics Rule, 2000).

Objective/Criterion Reference:

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site (541MER563)

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2016-02-09 and 2018-02-13

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Pacific EcoRisk. 2013. QAPP for Westside San Joaquin River Watershed Coalition.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

QAPP for Westside San Joaquin River Watershed Coalition


DECISION ID	120468	Region 5
San Luis Canal (Merced County)

Pollutant:	Boron
Final Listing Decision:	List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision:	New Decision
Revision Status	Revised
Sources:	A Source Unknown
Expected TMDL Completion Date:	2033
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 3.1 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. Eighty-three of the 164 samples exceed the Agricultural Supply threshold. 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 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. Eighty-three of the 164 samples exceed the Agricultural Supply threshold and this exceeds 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:	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.

State Board Review of Regional Board Conclusion and Recommendation:

State Board Decision Recommendation:

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 120468, Boron	Region 5
San Luis Canal (Merced County)

LOE ID:

186606

Pollutant:

Boron

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial Use:

Agricultural Supply

Number of Samples:

142

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Water Board staff assessed Grasslands Bypass Project data for San Luis Canal (Merced County) to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 74 of 142 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for Boron.

Data Reference:

Field, Habitat, Toxicity, Water 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:

Evaluation Guideline:

Water Quality for Agriculture, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1985, contains criteria protective of various agricultural uses of water, including irrigation of various types of crops and stock watering. At or below the limits presented in the Water Quality Goals tables, agricultural uses of water should not be limited. These criteria were used to translate narrative water quality objectives for chemical constituents that prohibit chemicals in concentrations that would impair agricultural uses of water. The criteria for boron is 700 ug/L (0.7 mg/L).

Guideline Reference:

Water Quality for Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 29, Rev 1, Rome (1985)

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site (541MER563)

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2010-09-13 and 2013-09-23

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Quality Assurance Project Plan for the Compliance Monitoring Program for the Operation of the Grasslands Bypass Project

QAPP Information Reference(s):

Quality Assurance Project Plan for the Compliance Monitoring Program for the Operation of the Grassland Bypass Project

Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 120468, Boron	Region 5
San Luis Canal (Merced County)

LOE ID:

186589

Pollutant:

Boron

LOE Subgroup:

Pollutant-Water

Matrix:

Water

Fraction:

Total

Beneficial Use:

Agricultural Supply

Number of Samples:

Number of Exceedances:

Data and Information Type:

PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL MONITORING

Data Used to Assess Water Quality:

Water Board staff assessed Westside San Joaquin River Watershed Coalition data for San Luis Canal (Merced County) to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 9 of 22 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for Boron.

Data Reference:

Field, Habitat, Sediment, Toxicity, Water 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:

Evaluation Guideline:

Guideline Reference:

Water Quality for Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 29, Rev 1, Rome (1985)

Spatial Representation:

The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site (541MER563)

Temporal Representation:

The samples were collected between the dates of 2016-02-09 and 2018-02-13

Environmental Conditions:

QAPP Information:

Pacific EcoRisk. 2013. QAPP for Westside San Joaquin River Watershed Coalition.

QAPP Information Reference(s):

QAPP for Westside San Joaquin River Watershed Coalition