California Code of Regulations
Title 23 - Waters
Division 4 - Regional Water Quality Control Boards
Chapter 1 - Water Quality Control Plans, Policies, and Guidelines
Article 3 - Central Coast Region
Section 3929.17 - Total Maximum Daily Loads for Nitrogen and Phosphorus Compounds in Streams of the Franklin Creek Watershed
The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central Coast Water Board) adopted Resolution No. R3-2018-0006 on March 23, 2018, amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin (Basin Plan). The State Water Resources Control Board approved the amendment under Resolution No. 2018-0049 on November 6, 2018. TMDLs are a requirement of the federal Clean Water Act. Waterbodies assigned TMDLs by this action include Franklin Creek and tributary surface waterbodies as identified in the Basin Plan amendment.
The Central Coast Water Board's goal for establishing TMDLs in the Franklin Creek watershed is to rectify water quality impairments related to nitrogen and phosphorus compounds. The impairments are based on surface waters not meeting the Basin Plan numeric water quality objective for drinking water supply and the narrative water quality objective for biostimulatory substances. Resolution No. R3-2018-0006 establishes total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), numeric targets, and an implementation plan for nitrogen and phosphorus compounds for streams in the Franklin Creek watershed.
Responsibility for achieving pollutant load reductions falls upon several entities as described in Attachment A to Resolution No. R3-2018-0006 (Basin Plan amendment). The Central Coast Water Board is relying on existing regulatory measures (i.e., the Agricultural Order and stormwater permits) to ensure implementation actions are carried out by implementing parties to address the impairments.
Milestones are established for achieving the TMDLs and the Central Coast Water Board will track progress towards achieving the TMDLs through review of implementation actions and monitoring conducted by the implementing parties. If existing efforts are not expected to achieve the TMDLs as scheduled, the Executive Officer or the Water Board may require changes to existing monitoring, reporting, or implementation efforts pursuant to California Water Code Sections 13263, 13267 or 13383.
1. New section summarizing amendments to basin plan filed 3-4-2019; amendments approved by State Water Resources Control Board Resolution No. 2018-0049 on 11-16-2018; amendments approved by OAL pursuant to Government Code section 11353 on 3-4-2019 (Register 2019, No. 10).
