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A Compilation of Water Quality Goals
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A Compilation of Water Quality Goals
State Water Resources Control Board | January 1, 2016...
Summary
This State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) staff report, A Compilation of Water Quality Goals, supersedes the April 2011 edition and...
This State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) staff report, A Compilation of Water Quality Goals, supersedes the April 2011 edition and all prior editions and updates published by the State Water Resources Control Board and the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. Earlier editions and updates should be discarded, as they contain outdated information.

The text of this edition has been updated mainly to reflect the transfer of California’s Drinking Water Program from the Department of Public Health (CDPH) to the Division of Drinking Water (DDW) at the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board). Information about this transfer is online at http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/programs/DW_PreJuly2014.shtml. Cited examples and hyperlinks to reference materials have also been updated.

Water Quality Goals includes an online searchable database of water quality based numeric thresholds available at http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/water_quality_goals/. The database contains up-to-date numeric thresholds from a variety of sources for over 860 chemical constituents and water quality parameters, including:
- California and Federal drinking water standards (MCLs)
- California Public Health Goals (PHGs)
- California State Notification and Response Levels for drinking water
  Health Advisories, Water Quality Advisories, and Drinking Water Advisories
- Cancer Risk Estimates
- Health-based criteria from USEPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)
- California Proposition 65 Safe Harbor Levels
- California Toxics Rule Criteria to protect human health and aquatic life
- California Ocean Plan Water Quality Objectives
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Recommended Water Quality Criteria to Protect Human Health and Aquatic Life
- Agricultural use protective thresholds
- Taste and odor based criteria
The narrative Selecting Water Quality Goals contains information to help users to understand California’s water quality standards adopted to protect the beneficial uses of surface water and groundwater resources, available criteria and guidance for evaluating water quality, and to help users select defensible numeric assessment thresholds based on applicable water quality standards. To use this information correctly, it is necessary to read Selecting Water Quality Goals carefully before using numeric thresholds from the database.

Water Quality Goals is a technical report prepared by staff of the State Water Board. It is intended to help identify and assess potential water quality concerns. This report is an informational tool only and does not establish State Water Board policy or regulation. The information presented in this report is not binding on any person or entity, nor does it represent final action of the State Water Board or any Regional Water Board. This report is not intended, nor can it be relied upon, to create any rights enforceable by any party in litigation in the State of California. The overseeing regulatory authority may decide to use the information provided herein, or to act at a variance with the information, based on analysis of site and case-specific circumstances.
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Applying the connectivity approach: Water and food supply projects in California that connect, link, and engage
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Applying the connectivity approach: Water and food supply projects in California that connect, link, and engage
California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply | April 11, 2014...
Summary
In delving into the connectivity concept and approach, members of the California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply (CRWFS) felt that it was...
In delving into the connectivity concept and approach, members of the California Roundtable on Water and Food Supply (CRWFS) felt that it was very important to look to existing and emerging projects that were already embracing the concepts being discussed. Projects were selected to highlight the three high priority areas for effecting change: connected thinking, institutional linkages, and public engagement.

The five examples included in this booklet as case assessments illustrate several ways the connectivity approach is currently being applied throughout California. The assessments are intended to generate ideas for applying the guiding principles of the connectivity approach and the positive impacts that emerge from them. The assessments are not meant to serve as an evaluation of the merit of the projects.

This booklet is intended to accompany From Crisis to Connectivity: Renewed Thinking About Managing California’s Water and Food Supply, which more fully describes the connectivity approach illustrated here.

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Cal-EPA: An Umbrella for the Environment
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Cal-EPA: An Umbrella for the Environment
Little Hoover Commission | June 1, 1991...
Summary
Cal-EPA was created to consolidate environmental programs and concentrate on vigorous enforcement of environmental regulations. The report discusses risk assessment activities, uniform permit...
Cal-EPA was created to consolidate environmental programs and concentrate on vigorous enforcement of environmental regulations. The report discusses risk assessment activities, uniform permit processes, public involvement, and the advantages and consequences of bringing all environmental entities into Cal-EPA. In addition, the Commission addresses the short- and long-term costs and savings. The Cal-EPA report has seven findings and seven recommendations.

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CalFed: Still Imperiled, Still Important
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CalFed: Still Imperiled, Still Important
Little Hoover Commission | November 17, 2005...
Summary
The Little Hoover Commission on Thursday recommended overhauling how state and federal agencies are managing the massive, multibillion-dollar effort to restore the Bay-Delta...
The Little Hoover Commission on Thursday recommended overhauling how state and federal agencies are managing the massive, multibillion-dollar effort to restore the Bay-Delta estuary. The Commission’s review affirmed the importance of the CALFED Bay-Delta program and the need to fundamentally change how the multi-agency effort is governed.

The Commission recommended dissolving the Bay-Delta Authority, which was created in 2003, and creating a stronger management structure that could be held accountable for achieving the program’s four objectives: improving water supply reliability, levee stability, water quality and the ecosystem of the vast, yet fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

The Delta supplies water to 22 million Californians, irrigates 5 million acres of farmland and is home to 750 wildlife species. Through CALFED, 24 state and federal agencies were committed to working cooperatively and relying on science and public involvement to improve conditions in the Bay-Delta. But after five years and $3 billion, the Governor and the Legislature have questioned the progress and the ability of the Bay-Delta Authority to lead the effort.

The Commission’s review was requested by Governor Schwarzenegger as part of an effort to revitalize CALFED. The Commission concluded that the current structure diffuses authority and fragments responsibility and lacks the focused leadership needed to get adversarial stakeholders and reluctant government agencies to cooperate.

“Because of a faulty design, the Bay-Delta Authority cannot effectively coordinate activities, push agencies to perform, or provide rigorous oversight. It is unable to control or cajole,” said Michael E. Alpert, chairman of the Little Hoover Commission.

The Commission found that growing disagreements about CALFED’s mission and the role of the Bay-Delta Authority are jeopardizing the critical water supply and restoration effort. The Commission recommended recreating a policy group of public officials, co-chaired by the U.S. Secretary of Interior and the California Secretary of Resources. It recommended deploying performance management techniques to improve progress toward specific goals. And it recommended refinements to the program’s use of a lead scientist and an independent science board to improve decision-making.

“The most important factor in CALFED’s success will be leadership,” Alpert said. “One lesson of the last five years is that CALFED will require an amount of political capital and leadership that can only flow from the institution of the Governor.” The Commission’s report includes recommendations for reforming the governance structure of the CALFED program.

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California Water Action Plan (2014)
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California Water Action Plan (2014)
State of California | January 1, 2014...
Summary
California has seen many flood events, including the most recent flood of 1995 when 48 of 58 counties declared a state of emergency....
California has seen many flood events, including the most recent flood of 1995 when 48 of 58 counties declared a state of emergency. After two years of dry weather and shrinking reservoir supplies, we are reminded once again that nothing focuses Californians’ attention on our limited water resources like drought.

There is broad agreement that the state’s water management system is currently unable to satisfactorily meet both ecological and human needs, too exposed to wet and dry climate cycles and natural disasters, and inadequate to handle the additional pressures of future population growth and climate change. Solutions are complex and expensive, and they require the cooperation and sustained commitment of all Californians working together. To be sustainable, solutions must strike a balance between the need to provide for public health and safety (e.g., safe drinking water, clean rivers and beaches, flood protection), protect the environment, and support a stable California economy. This action plan lays out our challenges, our goals and decisive actions needed now to put California’s water resources on a safer, more sustainable path. While this plan commits the state to moving forward, it also serves to recognize that state government cannot do this alone. Collaboration between federal, state, local and tribal governments, in coordination with our partners in a wide range of industry, government and nongovernmental organizations is not only important—it is essential. The input and contributions received from all of these partners throughout the drafting of this action plan have resulted in a comprehensive and inclusive plan.

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California Water Action Plan (2016 Update)
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California Water Action Plan (2016 Update)
State of California | January 1, 2016...
Summary
California is currently experiencing one of the worst droughts in memory. The 2016 water year is off to a good start, but with...
California is currently experiencing one of the worst droughts in memory. The 2016 water year is off to a good start, but with four consecutive dry years and the record low snowpack of 2015, drought conditions may continue for a fifth straight year.

Flooding in the midst of drought is likely, given strong El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean. Nothing focuses Californians’ attention on our water resources like the extremes of flood and drought.

There is broad agreement that the state’s water management system is currently unable to satisfactorily meet both ecological and human needs, too exposed to wet and dry climate cycles and natural disasters, and inadequate to handle the additional pressures of future population growth and climate change. Solutions are complex and expensive, and they require the cooperation and sustained commitment of all Californians working together. To be sustainable, solutions must strike a balance between the need to provide for public health and safety (e.g., safe drinking water, clean rivers and beaches, flood protection), protect the environment, and support a stable California economy.

This action plan lays out our challenges, our goals and decisive actions needed now to put California’s water resources on a safer, more sustainable path. While this plan commits the state to moving forward, it also serves to recognize that state government cannot do this alone. Collaboration between federal, state, local and tribal governments, in coordination with our partners in a wide range of industry, government and nongovernmental organizations is not only important—it is essential. The input and contributions received from all of these partners throughout the drafting of this action plan have resulted in a comprehensive and inclusive plan.

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California’s Water: An LAO Primer
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California’s Water: An LAO Primer
Legislative Analyst's Office | October 22, 2008...
Summary
California’s water delivery system is facing a series of challenges due in part to a combination of increasingly variable weather conditions, legal requirements,...
California’s water delivery system is facing a series of challenges due in part to a combination of increasingly variable weather conditions, legal requirements, and system operation and conveyance constraints. These challenges affect water availability, reliability, and delivery. Recent public and private efforts have sought ways to address these challenges. These measures include proposals to increase water through groundwater storage, surface storage, infrastructure changes, and system operation improvements, among others.

This report provides, through a “quick reference” document relying heavily on charts to present information, a snapshot of water in California, including: (1) An Overview of California’s Water Governance; (2) Water Supply, Source, and Delivery; (3) How Do We Finance Water Projects? (4) What Drives the Cost of Water?, and (5) Issues for Legislative Consideration

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Central Valley Project Municipal and Industrial Water Shortage Policy Guidelines and Procedures
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Central Valley Project Municipal and Industrial Water Shortage Policy Guidelines and Procedures
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | February 2, 2017...
Summary
The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) prepared the Central Valley Project (CVP) Municipal and Industrial (M&I) Water Shortage Policy (WSP) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)...
The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) prepared the Central Valley Project (CVP) Municipal and Industrial (M&I) Water Shortage Policy (WSP) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential impacts of CVP M&I WSP alternatives. A Record of Decision was signed on November 13, 2015, to implement Alternative 4 (Appendix A), Updated M&I WSP (preferred alternative).

The purposes of the M&I WSP are to:

Define water shortage terms and conditions for applicable CVP Contractors.

Determine the quantity of water made available to CVP Contractors from the CVP that; together with the M&I Contractors’ drought water conservation measures and other Non-CVP water supplies, would assist the M&I Contractors in their efforts to protect public health and safety (PHS) during severe or continuing droughts.

Provide information to Contractors for their use in water supply planning and development of drought contingency plans.

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Clean Water, Clean Beaches Water Quality Funding Measure*

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Clean Water, Clean Beaches Water Quality Funding Measure*
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Los Angeles County Flood Control District | September 21, 2012...
Summary
The Problem: Stormwater and runoff rushes down the street, picking up trash and toxic pollutants. On a rainy day, over 10 billion gallons...

The Problem: Stormwater and runoff rushes down the street, picking up trash and toxic pollutants. On a rainy day, over 10 billion gallons of contaminated stormwater flows directly — untreated — into rivers, creeks, lakes and our bay and coastal waters. Polluted stormwater and urban runoff include toxins and pathogens that can affect our health, drinking water supplies, and the health of marine life. Contaminants include: Industrial solvents, paints and chemicals; heavy metals like lead, mercury, chromium and arsenic; infection-causing bacteria; pesticides and fertilizers; and trash like plastics, cigarette butts, candy wrappers and syringes.

*The proposed solution, a parcel tax to fund stormwater remediation and capture projects, failed before the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 2013.

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Clearer Structure, Cleaner Water: Improving Performance and Outcomes at the State Water Boards
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Clearer Structure, Cleaner Water: Improving Performance and Outcomes at the State Water Boards
Little Hoover Commission | January 1, 2009...
Summary
The Little Hoover Commission on Thursday urged the governor and the Legislature to reform the State Water Resources Control Board and nine Regional...
The Little Hoover Commission on Thursday urged the governor and the Legislature to reform the State Water Resources Control Board and nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards by expanding the state board to nine members, with five members representing statewide interests and four drawn on a rotating basis from the nine regional board chairpersons, whose positions would become full-time. In addition, the Commission called for a revamped appeals process; to improve the use of data and science in water quality regulatory processes; and urged the water boards to focus on new ways to solve modern water quality problems and set priorities.

In its report, Clearer Structure, Cleaner Water: Improving Performance and Outcomes at the State Water Boards, the Commission also recommends refocusing both the state board and regional boards on policy-making and updating basin plans. During its study, the Commission found that the water boards face increasingly complex water quality problems, caused in part by hard-to-regulate sources such as urban and agricultural runoff. The Commission also found that a decentralized governance structure, with nine regional water quality boards operating with distinct policies and processes, hinders accountability and transparency. The result is a system that has lost the confidence of most stakeholders. To restore accountability and increase focus on clean-water outcomes, the Commission recommends strengthening the relationship between the state and regional boards.

“The governance structure for water quality regulation in California is 40 years old and is ill-prepared to handle modern problems,” Little Hoover Commission Chairman Daniel Hancock said. “Major reform is needed to help protect and improve water quality, which is a key to the state’s future.”

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