California Code of Regulations
Title 23 - Waters
Division 3 - State Water Resources Control Board and Regional Water Quality Control Boards
Chapter 23 - Water Quality Control Plans
Section 3002.1 - Clear and Concise Summary of Amendments to Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary

Universal Citation: 23 CA Code of Regs 3002.1

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024

On December 11, 2018, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) adopted Resolution No. 2018-0059 amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Bay-Delta Plan) as follows:

(a) Introduction. Update the introductory chapter, including information to reflect the new and revised flow water quality objectives for the Lower San Joaquin River and its tributaries and the revised salinity water quality objectives for the southern Delta, which were identified as two emerging issues in the 2006 revisions to the Bay-Delta Plan.

(b) Beneficial Uses. Clarify that the beneficial uses designated in the "Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento River Basin and San Joaquin River Basin" for the Stanislaus River, Tuolumne River, Merced River, and the San Joaquin River from the mouth of the Merced River to Vernalis remain in effect and that the Bay-Delta Plan includes measures to protect those uses.

(c) Water quality objectives. Adopt new and revised narrative and numeric flow water quality objectives for the Lower San Joaquin River watershed, including the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced Rivers, (the LSJR flow objectives or flow objectives) to reasonably protect fish and wildlife beneficial uses in the Bay-Delta Estuary and its tributaries, the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced Rivers. Adopt a revised salinity water quality objective for the southern Delta to reasonably protect agricultural beneficial uses in the southern Delta (the southern Delta salinity objective).

(d) Program of Implementation.

(1) Implementation measures within State Water Board Authority. Amend the program of implementation for the Lower San Joaquin River to implement the LSJR flow objectives through water right or water quality actions. It describes how the State Water Board will exercise its authorities to:

(i) ensure the required flows are used for their intended purpose;

(ii) ensure that actions taken in response to implementation of the flow objectives do not result in unreasonable redirected groundwater impacts;

(iii) require the development and implementation of minimum reservoir carryover storage targets or other requirements to help ensure that providing flows to meet the flow objectives will not have significant adverse temperature or other impacts on fish and wildlife or, if feasible, on other beneficial uses; and

(iv) ensure that implementation of the flow objectives does not impact supplies of water for minimum health and safety needs. The program of implementation allows adaptive adjustments to the required flows where criteria are met and specifies the information, procedures, plans, and comprehensive monitoring and evaluation needed to inform implementation, compliance, and effectiveness of the program of implementation in meeting the flow objectives. The program of implementation allows the State Water Board to authorize a temporary change in the implementation of the flow objectives in defined states of emergencies. It recognizes that voluntary agreements may serve as an implementation mechanism for the flow objectives.

(2) Measures Requiring a Combination of State Water Board Authorities and Actions by Other Agencies. Amend the program of implementation to implement the southern Delta salinity objective to describe the actions necessary to achieve the objective and the monitoring, special studies, and reporting requirements that the State Water Board will require to evaluate compliance with the objective and to obtain additional information to inform implementation of the objective and understanding of salinity conditions in the southern Delta. Update the information on the efforts, projects, and actions undertaken by other agencies that will or may assist in implementing the southern Delta salinity objective.

(3) Recommendations to Other Agencies. Amend the program of implementation to recommend that other agencies and parties implement non-flow actions in the San Joaquin River watershed that are complementary to the LSJR flow objectives.

1. New section summarizing amendment to basin plan filed 2-25-2019; amendment approved by State Water Resources Control Board Resolution No. 2018-0059 on 12-11-2018; amendment approved by OAL pursuant to Government Code section 11353 on 2-25-2019 (Register 2019, No. 9).

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