The 303d list of Impaired Waterbodies in the Monterey Bay Region

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Figure 1: California Regional Water Quality Boards [1]

An environmental summary created by the ENVS 560/L Watershed Systems class at CSUMB.

Introduction

Section 303(d) of the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) requires every state to monitor the quality of water bodies and submit updated reports of impaired waters and observed pollutants of each to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.EPA) every two years. This 303(d) list identifies bodies of water in each state that do not "support beneficial uses" at that time [2]. These impairments are then addressed with a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) control plan put forth by regional State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) in each state to ensure compliance [3]. The 9 regional boards of California are shown in Figure 1.

The 303d list for impaired water bodies in the Monterey Bay Region is comprised of water bodies that do not currently meet water quality goals and are therefore classified as "impaired" under section 303d of the Clean Water Act. Beneficial uses are negatively impacted by pollutants which cause these impairments. Water bodies monitored for impairment are shown in Figure 2, and are listed under Section 305(d).

Political Process

Staff of each of the nine regional water boards of California and members of the public propose new impairments in each region every two years to update the list. Regional Water Board staff then report listings to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), which then must be approved by the U.S.EPA. Every state then publishes this list every two years as the Final Integrated Report. [2]. Listings proposed at regional level after 2012 are still under review, as reports are not released by calendar year and listings are delayed. [4]].

Figure 2: California Central Coast Regional Water Quality Board District [1]

2014 303(d) List Update

The most recent updates to this list are California Central Coast Water Board's recommended changes to the 2014 303(d) list. The changes were approved in 2016 by the State Water Board after a public hearing and comment period [2].

It is important to note that the list is not exhaustive, and only includes impaired bodies within the Monterey Bay Region identified up to 2014, with their associated pollutants from the Recommended Changes for The Central Coast Region's 2014 303(d) List [5]. Proposed updates in 2014 have been indicated in the table with an (**), and will not be considered final until approved by both the California State Water Board, and the U.S.EPA [2]. Observations from 1990 and 2010 have been updated in this webpage to include new impaired water bodies, new pollutants found in previously identified impaired water bodies, and removal of pollutants from previously identified impaired water bodies.

Summary Table

The following table summarizes water bodies in the Monterey Bay area [2]] that are managed by the CCRWQCB for impairments due to various pollutants.

Each waterbody is listed according to the latest year it was found with an impairment from the TMDL site [3] [2]. Category 5 describes a water body where the TMDL water quality standards are not met, and TMDLs are required but not yet complete. 5A denotes that a specific pollutant does not yet have a TMDL for that waterbody, and 5B refers to pollutants that have USEPA approved TMDLs for that water body [6].



  • (*) Indicates impaired bodies and pollutants added to 2010 Integrated Report. Not exhaustive to pollutants persisting since before 2010 Integrated Report.
  • (**) Indicates impaired bodies and pollutants proposed for the 2014 Integrated Report. Not exhaustive to pollutants persisting since before 2010 Integrated Report. Contains updates to previously impaired bodies, as well as addition of newly observed impaired bodies and associated pollutants between 2010 and 2014.
Monterey Bay Region 303(d) Water body Listings from the 2010 Integrated Report and 2014 Central Coast Region Recommended Changes
Water Bodies Impairments
Pesticide

(a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i)

Nutrients

(a, b, c, d)

Pathogens / Bacteria

(a, b, c, d, e)

Toxicity

(a, b)

Other

(a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k)

Metals

(a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h)

Alisal Slough d (2014** Category 5) a (2014** Category 5); b (2010* Category 5A) a, b (2010* Category 5A) g (2010* Category 5A); e (2014** Category 5)
Beach Road Ditch b (2010* Category 5A) e, g, h (2010* Category 5A)
Bennett Slough a, g, h (2010* Category 5A); e (2014** Category 5)
Blanco Drain e, i (2014** Category 5)
Boulder Creek i (2002 Category 5B)
Braciforte Creek c (2008 Category 5A) a, b, e (2008 Category 5A) i (2002 Category 5B)
Bradley Canyon Creek c (2014** Category 5) d (2014** Category 5)
Carneros Creek b (2014** Category 5) b (2008 Category 5A) a, e, g, h (2008 Category 5A)
Chualar Creek c, d (2008 Category 5A); j,k(2014** Category 5) a, b (2008 Category 5A) a, b (2008 Category 5A) b (2008 Category 5A) d, e, h (2008 Category 5A); g(2014** Category 5)
Corcoran Lagoon d (2010* Category 5A) h (2010* Category 5A)
Corralitos Creek a & b (2010* Category 5A) e & h (2010* Category 5A)
Elkhorn Slough h (1990 Category 5A) b (2014** Category 5) d (2008 Category 5A) g, h (2008 Category 5A) i (1996 Category 5A)
Esperanza Creek b (2010* Category 5A)
Espinosa Lake c, d (2010* Category 5A)
Espinosa Slough d (2008 Category 5A)

h (1996 Category 5A) j (2014** Category 5)

a, b (2008 Category 5A)

d (1996 Category 5A)

a, b (2008 Category 5A) e, h (2008 Category 5A)
Gabilan Creek a (2008 Category 5A)

b (Category 5A )

b (2002 Category 5A) a, b (2008 Category 5A) e, h (2008 Category 5A)
Galligan Slough c (2010* Category 5B)
Hanson Slough c (2010* Category 5B)
Harkins Slough c (2008 Category 5B) a, g (2008 Category 5A)
Lompico Creek c (1994 Category 5B) c (1994 Category 5A) i (1990 Category 5B)
Majors Creek a (2010 Category 5A) b, d, e (2010 Category 5A)
McGowan Ditch e, i, j (2014** Category 5) b (2010* Category 5A)
Merrit Ditch d (2014** Category 5) a, b (2010* Category 5A) a, b (2010* Category 5A) e, g (2010* Category 5A)

h (2014** Category 5)

Monterey Harbor g (2014 Category 5) a (2010* Category 5A) g (2014** Category 5) f (2010* Category 5A)

b, h (2014** Category 5)

Moore Creek a (2010* Category 5A) b, g, h (2010* Category 5A)
Moro Cojo Slough h (2002 Category 5A) a (2006 Category 5A)

b (2014** Category 5)

a, d (2008 Category 5A) b (2014** Category 5) g, i (2002 Category 5A)

h (2008 Category 5A) e (2014** Category 5)

Moss Landing Harbor c, d (2008 Category 5A)

h (1990 Category 5A) l, f, g (2014** Category 5)

c (1992 Category 5A) b (2008 Category 5A) g, h (2008 Category 5A)

i (1996 Category 5A)

c (2008 Category 5A)

h (2014** Category 5)

Natividad Creek d (2014** Category 5) a (2008 Category 5A)

b (Category 5A)

a (2008 Category 5A) a, b (2008 Category 5A) d, e, g, h (2008 Category 5A)
Noble Gulch Creek a (2010* Category 5A)
Old Salinas River c, d (2008 Category 5A) b (2008 Category 5A) a, b (2008 Category 5A) a, b (2008 Category 5A) a, e, g, h (2008 Category 5A)
Old Salinas River Estuary h (1990 Category 5A) c (1992 Category 5A)
Pacific Ocean at Capitola Beach b, e (2010* Category 5A)

d (2014** Category 5)

Pacific Ocean at Stillwater Cove Beach e (2010* Category 5A)
Pajaro River a, b, c, e, f, g (2008 Category 5A)

d, i, l (2014** Category 5)

b (2006 Category 5B)

c (1996 Category 5B)

a (2008 Category 5A)

b (2002 Category 5A)

b (2014** Category 5) c, e, g, h (2008 Category 5A)

i (1996 Category 5B)

a (2006 Category 5A)

i (2014** Category 5)

Pinto Lake l (2014** Category 5) b (2014** Category 5) a, g, h, j, k (2010* Category 5A)
Porter Gulch Creek a, e (2010* Category 5A)
Quail Creek c, d (2008 Category 5A)

k (2014** Category 5)

a (2008 Category 5A)

b (2010 Category 5A)

a, b (2008 Category 5A) a, b (2008 Category 5A) d, e, g (2008 Category 5A)
Salinas Reclamation Canal c, d (2008 Category 5A)

h (1992 Category 5A) k, m (2014** Category 5)

a (2006 Category 5A)

b (2008 Category 5A) d (1996 Category 5A)

a (2008 Category 5A)

b (2002 Category 5A)

a, b (2008 Category 5A) e, h (2008 Category 5A)

g (2002 Category 5A)

b (2008 Category 5A)
Salinas River(lower, estuary to near Gonzales Rd crossing) a, b, c, d, e, f, g (2008 Category 5A)

i (2010 Category 5A) e (2014** Category 5)

b (2010 Category 5A) e, b, e (2008 Category 5A) b (2008 Category 5A) c, e, f, h (2008 Category 5A)

l (2014** Category 5)

Salinas River Lagoon (North) c, i, (2014** Category 5) c (2010* Category 5A) b (2014** Category 5) d, h (2014** Category 5)
Salinas River Refuge Lagoon (South) e, h (2010* Category 5A)
Salsipuedes Creek b (2014** Category 5) a, b (2010* Category 5A) e, g, h (2010* Category 5A)
San Lorenzo River a, c, g (2008 Category 5A)

b (2014** Category 5)

c (1996 Category 5B) c (1998 Category 5A)

b (2014** Category 5) a, b, e (2014** Category 5)

i (1998 Category 5B)

c, d (2014** Category 5)

San Lorenzo River Lagoon c (2010* Category 5A)
San Vicente Creek i (2010* Category 5A)
Santa Rita Creek a, b (2010* Category 5A) a, b (2010* Category 5A) c, g, e (2010* Category 5A)
Schwan Lake c (2010* Category 5A) a, b, d (2010* Category 5A)
Struve Slough c (2010* Category 5A)

a, b (2014** Category 5)

g, h (2010* Category 5A)

a (2014** Category 5)

Tembladero Slough c, d (2008 Category 5A)

h (1996 Category 5A) j (2014** Category 5)

b (2008 Category 5A)

c (1996 Category 5A)

a, d(2008 Category 5A)

b (2002 Category 5A) e (2010 Category 5A)

a, b (2008 Category 5A) a, e, h (2008 Category 5A)

g (2014** Category 5)

c (2014** Category 5)
Tularcitos Creek b(2010* Category 5A) b (2010* Category 5A) c (2010* Category 5A)
Watsonville Creek b (2010* Category 5A) a, b (2010* Category 5A) g, h (2010* Category 5A)
Watsonville Slough i. j (2014** Category 5) b (2014** Category 5) c (1996 Category 5B)

a, b (2014** Category 5)

b (2014** Category 5) e, g (2008 Category 5A)
Zayante Creek c (2008 Category 5A) b (2008 Category 5A) i (2002 Category 5B)



Pesticide (a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h)
  • a) Chlordane
  • b) Chloride
  • c) Chlorpyrifos
  • d) Diazinon
  • e) DDD (Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane)
  • f) Dieldrin
  • g) PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls)
  • h) Pesticides
  • i) DDE
  • j) Malathion
  • k) Dimethoate
  • l) DDT
  • m) Permethrin

Nutrients (a, b, c, d)
  • a) Ammonia (Unionized)
  • b) Nitrate
  • c) Nutrients
  • d) Priority Organics

Pathogens/Bacteria (a, b, c, d, e)
  • a) Escherichia coli (E.coli)
  • b) Fecal Coliform
  • c) Pathogens
  • d) Total Coliform
  • e) Enterococcus

Toxicity / Sedimentation (a, b)
  • a) Sediment Toxicity
  • b) Unknown Toxicity

Other (a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k)
  • a) Chlorophyll-a
  • b) Electrical Conductivity
  • c) Sodium
  • d) Temperature
  • e) Turbidity
  • f) TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)
  • g) Low Dissolved Oxygen
  • h) pH
  • i) Sedimentation
  • j) Cyanobacteria hepatotoxic microcystins
  • k) Scum/Foam-unnatural
  • l) Benthic Community Effects

Metals (a, b, c, d, e, f)
  • a) Boron
  • b) Copper
  • c) Nickel
  • d) Lead
  • e) Zinc
  • f) Metals (general)
  • g) Mercury
  • h) Arsenic
  • i) Chromium

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 / Newman, Julie. 2012. "New" Ag Waivers from two regional water quality control boards. UC Nursery and Floriculture Alliance.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 / CWB (California Water Board). Central Coast Region- Clean Water Act Section 303(d) List of Water Quality Limited Segments (the 303(d) List). State Water Resources Control Board.
  3. 3.0 3.1 / CWB (California Water Board). 2017. Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program. State Water Resources Control Board.
  4. /. CWB (California Water Board). 2017. Water Quality Assessment. State Water Resources Control Board.
  5. / CWB (California Water Board). 2016. Appendix A: Proposed Changes to the 303(d) List. Central Coast Water Board approved changes to the Integrated Report (including changes to the 303(d) List and the 305(b) Report). State Water Resources Control Board.
  6. / CWB (California Water Board). 2016. Appendix B: Central Coast Water Board 2014 305(b) Report- Category 5. State Water Resources Control Board.

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This page may contain student work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessary reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.