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 3929.19 - Total Maximum Daily Loads for Turbidity in the Gabilan Creek Watershed

The California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Coast Region (Central Coast Water Board) adopted Resolution No. R3-2022-0002 on February 18, 2022, amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin (Basin Plan) to establish Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for turbidity in the Gabilan Creek watershed, Monterey County. The State Water Resources Control Board approved the Basin Plan amendment under Resolution No. 2022-0023 on June 7, 2022.

TMDLs are a requirement of the federal Clean Water Act when a waterbody is identified as not attaining applicable water quality standards. Waterbodies assigned TMDLs by this action include Alisal Creek, Alisal Slough, Espinosa Slough, Gabilan Creek, Merritt Ditch, Natividad Creek, Old Salinas River, Salinas Reclamation Canal, Santa Rita Creek, and Tembladero Slough.

Responsibility for achieving turbidity TMDLs falls upon point source and nonpoint source responsible parties as described in the Basin Plan amendment. The Central Coast Water Board will rely on existing regulatory mechanisms (e.g., the Agricultural Order and stormwater permits), nonpoint source implementation programs, and Basin Plan prohibitions for implementation.

The Basin Plan amendment establishes milestones 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. To ensure implementation actions are carried out, the Basin Plan amendment establishes interim and final implementation milestones of 7, 15, and 20 years for showing progress and achieving the TMDLs. If existing efforts are not expected to achieve the TMDLs as scheduled, the Executive Officer or the Central Coast Water Board may require changes to existing monitoring, reporting, and/or implementation efforts pursuant to California Water Code sections 13263, 13267, or 13383.

1. New section summarizing amendments to basin plan filed 12-8-2022; amendments approved by State Water Resources Control Board Resolution No. 2022-0023 on 6-7-2022; amendments approved by OAL pursuant to Government Code section 11353 on 12-8-2022 (Register 2022, No. 49).