Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay region

San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (SFBRWQCB) | March 20th, 2015

By law, the Water Board is required to develop, adopt (after public hearing), and implement a Basin Plan for the Region. The Basin Plan is the master policy document that

By law, the Water Board is required to develop, adopt (after public hearing), and implement a Basin Plan for the Region. The Basin Plan is the master policy document that contains descriptions of the legal, technical, and programmatic bases of water quality regulation in the Region. The plan must include: • A statement of beneficial water uses that the Water Board will protect; • The water quality objectives needed to protect the designated beneficial water uses; and • The strategies and time schedules for achieving the water quality objectives. The Water Board first adopted a plan for waters inland from the Golden Gate in 1968. After several revisions, the first comprehensive Basin Plan for the Region was adopted by the Water Board and approved by the State Water Board in April 1975. Subsequently, major revisions were adopted in 1982, 1986, 1992, 1995, 2002, and 2004. Each proposed amendment to the Basin Plan is subject to an extensive public review process. The Water Board must then adopt the amendment, which is then subject to approval by the State Water Board. In most cases, the Office of Administrative Law and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) must approve the amendment as well. The basin planning process drives the Water Board's effort to manage water quality. The Basin Plan provides a definitive program of actions designed to preserve and enhance water quality and to protect beneficial uses in a manner that will result in maximum benefit to the people of California. The Basin Plan fulfills the following needs: • The U.S. EPA requires such a plan in order to allocate federal grants to cities and districts for construction of wastewater treatment facilities. • The Basin Plan provides a basis for establishing priorities as to how both state and federal grants are disbursed for constructing and upgrading wastewater treatment facilities. • The Basin Plan fulfills the requirements of the Porter-Cologne Act that call for water quality control plans in California. • The Basin Plan, by defining the resources, services, and qualities of aquatic ecosystems to be maintained, provides a basis for the Water Board to establish or revise waste discharge requirements and for the State Water Board to establish or revise water rights permits. • The Basin Plan establishes conditions (discharge prohibitions) that must be met at all times. • The Basin Plan establishes or indicates water quality standards applicable to waters of the Region, as required by the federal Clean Water Act. • The Basin Plan establishes water quality attainment strategies, including total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) required by the Clean Water Act, for pollutants and water bodies where water quality standards are not currently met. The intent of this comprehensive planning effort is to provide positive and firm direction for future water quality control. However, adequate provision must be made for changing conditions and technology. The Water Board will review the Basin Plan at least once every three years. Unlike traditional plans, which often become obsolete within a few years after their preparation, the Basin Plan is updated as deemed necessary to maintain pace with technological, hydrological, political, and physical changes in the Region. This Basin Plan contains water quality regulations adopted by the Water Board, and approved by the State Water Board, the Office of Administrative Law, and U.S. EPA. It also contains statewide regulations adopted by the State Water Board and other state agencies that refer to  activities regulated by the Water Board. For the most recent list of statewide regulations applicable in the Region, please refer to the State Water Board’s Compendium of Current, Statewide Applicable Water Quality Regulations. Federal laws and regulations also specify water quality standards and are available at U.S. EPA’s website. To check for amendments and other changes, please visit the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board's basin planning page.

Water Quality Control Plan for the Tulare Lake Basin Third Edition

Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (CVRWQCB) | May 31st, 2018

Water quality control plans, or basin plans, contain California's administrative policies and procedures for protecting state waters. Basin plans are required by the sta

Water quality control plans, or basin plans, contain California's administrative policies and procedures for protecting state waters. Basin plans are required by the state Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (California Water Code Section 13240). In addition, Section 303 of the federal Clean Water Act requires states to adopt water quality standards that “consist of the designated uses of the navigable waters involved and the water quality criteria for such waters based upon such uses.” Each of California's nine regional water quality control boards must formulate and adopt a basin plan for all areas within its region. The basin plans must conform with statewide policy set forth by the legislature and by the State Water Resources Control Board. Basin plans consist of designated beneficial uses to be protected, water quality objectives to protect those uses, and a program of implementation needed for achieving the objectives {California Water Code, Section 13050(j)}. Beneficial uses, together with their corresponding water quality objectives, meet federal regulatory criteria for water quality standards. Hence, California's basin plans serve as regulatory references for meeting both State and federal requirements for water quality control {40 CFR Parts 130 and 131}.One significant difference between the state and federal programs is that California's basin plans establish standards for ground waters in addition to surface waters. Basin plans are adopted and amended by regional water boards under a structured process involving full public participation and state environmental review. Basin plans and amendments do not become effective until approved by the State Water Board. Regulatory provisions must be approved by the Office of Administrative Law. Adoption or revision of surface water standards are subject to the approval of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency before they become accepted standards for the federal program. Basin plans complement water quality control plans adopted by the State Water Board. It is the intent of the state and regional water boards to maintain basin plans in an updated and readily available edition that reflects all current water quality control programs. The first edition of this Water Quality Control Plan for the Tulare Lake Basin (Basin Plan) was adopted by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Region, on 25 July 1975, and became effective following approval by the State Water Board on 21 August 1975 and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in June 1976. Although several revisions have been adopted and approved since 1975, this revision is the first complete rewrite of the text of the Basin Plan. Regional Water Board resolutions adopted prior to 17 August 1995, that revise or supplement the first edition of the plan which are not expressly incorporated by reference into the second edition of the plan are superceded. In this Basin Plan, "Regional Water Board" refers to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board and "State Water Board" refers to the State Water Resources Control Board. *Central Valley plans split between separate documents for Tulare basin and the Sacramento and San Joaquin basins. Click here for the plan for the Sacramento and San Joaquin basins.

Water Reliability in the West - 2021 SECURE Water Act Report

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | January 4th, 2021

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is the largest wholesaler of water in the country. Reclamation delivers water for municipal, agricultural, tribal, and environment

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is the largest wholesaler of water in the country. Reclamation delivers water for municipal, agricultural, tribal, and environmental water uses, including providing one out of five farmers in the Western United States (West) with irrigation water for 10 million acres of farmland that produce 60 percent of the Nation’s vegetables and 25 percent of its fruits and nuts. The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-11), Subtitle F of Title IX of the Act (Science and Engineering to Comprehensively Understand and Responsibly Enhance [SECURE] Water Act) recognizes that changes to temperature, precipitation (rainfall and snowfall), and the timing and quantity of snowpack and runoff pose a significant challenge to the protection and use of water resources. Every 5 years, Reclamation submits a report to Congress under the SECURE Water Act that analyzes projected risks to water supplies in the West using the best available science and highlights collaborative efforts to mitigate those risks. This Water Reliability in the West - 2021 SECURE Water Act Report (2021 Report) provides a West-wide assessment of expected changes to water supplies, uses, and demands; highlights progress; and describes actions taken to increase water supply reliability since the 2016 SECURE Water Act Report. Reclamation has a broad range of programs and projects that help increase the reliability of water and power deliveries. Our activities include science and research, planning, infrastructure sustainability, efficient hydropower production, and on-the-ground actions to increase reliable water supplies to meet water demands. These activities are undertaken in collaboration with our customers, stakeholders, and partners. In the West, competing demands for water for farms, cities, Tribes, the environment, recreation, hydropower, and other uses can lead to conflict. Conflict escalates particularly during droughts, which are expected to be more frequent and severe with climate change. Fostering strong relationships is essential to carry out Reclamation’s everyday operations, conduct long-term planning efforts, and avoid unnecessary conflicts. Reclamation operators and planners rely on information about precipitation, snowpack, streamflow, temperatures, water demands, and groundwater to make informed decisions. Reclamation’s 2021 West-Wide Climate and Hydrology Assessment (2021 Assessment) builds on our 2011 and 2016 West-wide assessments of future temperature and precipitation change by using several complementary approaches, including analyses based in paleohydrology derived from tree rings (dendochronology) that help answer this question: “If droughts in the distant past were to occur today, how would water systems perform?” With our Federal, State, Tribal, and local partners, we address challenges resulting from climate change and shifting demographics. We use a multi-faceted approach to support reliable water and hydropower deliveries; to help maintain healthy ecosystems; to protect federally-listed fish, wildlife, and plants, as well as designated critical habitat; and to manage risks (e.g., droughts, floods, and fires). Implementing the SECURE Water Act has served as a catalyst for collaboration and innovation, improving our understanding of climate change impacts to water resources and our ability to address those impacts.

Water Resilience Assessment Framework

Pacific Institute | August 24th, 2021

A traditional saying in China is that the water that holds the boat afloat is the same that sinks it. In the context of climate change, water is both a threat and a solu

A traditional saying in China is that the water that holds the boat afloat is the same that sinks it. In the context of climate change, water is both a threat and a solution for most climate impacts. Climate change is driving many types of water challenges, such as water scarcity and abundance, worsening water quality, and shifts in timing of the hydrologic cycle. Shocks and stresses, both predictable and unforeseen, affect the resilience of water systems and the stakeholders that rely on them. Specific guidance on how to understand system resilience and measure systematic changes and intervening actions can ensure a more resilient future for all. The Water Resilience Assessment Framework (WRAF) is intended to inform resilient decision-making to avoid shocks and stresses from becoming crises. The WRAF emphasizes water resilience, not only because water is vital for life, but also because water is embedded in nearly every aspect of our daily lives and the systems that enable and fuel our economies—often in ways we cannot see and do not regularly think about. As such, the WRAF is a method to be used, either individually or collectively, along with existing water-management processes and approaches to gain insight into how we measure progress towards building long-term water resilience.  

Water Resources Systems Planning and Management: An Introduction to Methods, Models and Applications

United Nations (UN) | January 1st, 2017

Throughout history, much of the world has witnessed ever-greater demands for reliable, high-quality and inexpensive water supplies for domestic consumption, agriculture,

Throughout history, much of the world has witnessed ever-greater demands for reliable, high-quality and inexpensive water supplies for domestic consumption, agriculture, and industry. In recent decades there have also been increasing demands for hydrological regimes that support healthy and diverse ecosystems, provide for water-based recreational activities, reduce if not prevent floods and droughts, and in some cases, provide for the production of hydropower and ensure water levels adequate for ship navigation. Water managers are challenged to meet these multiple and often conflicting demands. At the same time, public stakeholder interest groups have shown an increasing desire to take part in the water resources development and management decision-making process. Added to all these management challenges are the uncertainties of natural water supplies and demands due to changes in our climate, changes in people's standards of living, changes in watershed land uses and changes in technology. How can managers develop, or redevelop and restore, and then manage water resources systems - systems ranging from small watersheds to those encompassing large river basins and coastal zones - in a way that meets society's changing objectives and goals? In other words, how can water resources systems become more integrated and sustainable?

Water shortage risks from perennial crop expansion in California's Central Valley

Environmental Research Letters (IOP) | October 15th, 2019

California's Central Valley is one of the world's most productive agricultural regions. Its high-value fruit, vegetable, and nut crops rely on surface water imports from

California's Central Valley is one of the world's most productive agricultural regions. Its high-value fruit, vegetable, and nut crops rely on surface water imports from a vast network of reservoirs and canals as well as groundwater, which has been substantially overdrafted to support irrigation. The region has undergone a shift to perennial (tree and vine) crops in recent decades, which has increased water demand amid a series of severe droughts and emerging regulations on groundwater pumping. This study quantifies the expansion of perennial crops in the Tulare Lake Basin, the southern region of the Central Valley with limited natural water availability. A gridded crop type dataset is compiled on a 1 mi2 spatial resolution from a historical database of pesticide permits over the period 1974–2016 and validated against aggregated county-level data. This spatial dataset is then analyzed by irrigation district, the primary spatial scale at which surface water supplies are determined, to identify trends in planting decisions and agricultural water demand over time. Perennial crop acreage has nearly tripled over this period, and currently accounts for roughly 60% of planted area and 80% of annual revenue. These trends show little relationship with water availability and have been driven primarily by market demand. From this data, we focus on the increasing minimum irrigation needs each year to sustain perennial crops. Results indicate that under a range of plausible future regulations on groundwater pumping ranging from 10% to 50%, water supplies may fail to consistently meet demands, increasing losses by up to 30% of annual revenues. More broadly, the datasets developed in this work will support the development of dynamic models of the integrated water-agriculture system under uncertain climate and regulatory changes to understand the combined impacts of water supply shortages and intensifying irrigation demand.

Water Special Districts: A Look at Governance and Public Participation

Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) | March 15th, 2002

Chapter 107, Statutes of 2001 (AB 38, Strom-Martin), requires the Legislative Analyst’s Office to undertake a study of these special districts. In this review we find t

Chapter 107, Statutes of 2001 (AB 38, Strom-Martin), requires the Legislative Analyst’s Office to undertake a study of these special districts. In this review we find that while some individual districts have pursued controversial policies, there is no evidence of a statewide structural governance problem.

Water Stress and a Changing San Joaquin Valley

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | March 1st, 2017

The San Joaquin Valley—California’s largest agricultural region, and an important contributor to the nation’s food supply—is in a time of great change and growing

The San Joaquin Valley—California’s largest agricultural region, and an important contributor to the nation’s food supply—is in a time of great change and growing water stress. Agriculture is a leading economic driver and the predominant water user. The region’s farms and related manufacturing businesses account for 25 percent of the valley’s revenues and 16 percent of local jobs—and 89 percent of annual net water use. The latest drought underscored valley agriculture’s vulnerability to water scarcity and long-term declines in groundwater reserves. The region has a greater abundance of productive farmland than local water supplies for irrigation. In most years since the mid-1980s, groundwater has been used faster than it is being replenished (“groundwater overdraft”). Over the past three decades, overdraft has averaged nearly 2 million acre-feet per year, or 13 percent of net water use. This has contributed to increased pumping costs, dry wells, sinking lands, and declining reliability of this vital drought reserve.

Water Supply Conditions in Southern California during 1958-1959, Volume II, Water Level Data, Central Coastal and Los Angeles Regions

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | May 1st, 1961

Water Surplus and Drought Management Update - Conditions as of 11/29/2022

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) | December 13th, 2022