Cal. Code Regs. tit. 23 § 3929.9
The Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Coast Region (Central Coast Water Board) adopted Resolution No. R3-2012-0002 on March 15, 2012, amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coast Region (Basin Plan). The State Water Resources Control Board approved the amendment under Resolution No. 2012-0055 on October 16, 2012.
Resolution No. R3-2012-0002 establishes Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) and an Implementation Plan for the Santa Maria River Watershed for Fecal Indicator Bacteria. The TMDL addresses impairment of the Santa Maria River Watershed (including Alamo Creek, Blosser Channel, Bradley Canyon Creek, Bradley Channel, Cuyama River, La Brea Creek, Little Oso Flaco Creek, Main Street Canal, Nipomo Creek, Orcutt Creek, Oso Flaco Creek, Oso Flaco Lake, Santa Maria River Estuary, and the Santa Maria River) due to elevated levels of fecal indicator bacteria. Resolution R3-2012-0002 also adds the Santa Maria River Watershed, including the Oso Flaco subwatershed, to the Domestic Animal Waste Discharge Prohibition established by the Central Coast Water Board in March 2009.
Current fecal indicator bacteria concentrations in Santa Maria River Watershed waters are impairing the water contact beneficial use (REC-1). Additionally, fecal indicator bacteria concentrations are impairing the shellfishing (SHELL) beneficial use in the Santa Maria River Estuary. The TMDL establishes a numeric target for fecal coliform consistent with current Basin Plan objectives protecting the REC-1 beneficial use and a numeric target for total coliform consistent with current Basin Plan objectives protecting the SHELL beneficial use for the Santa Maria River Estuary. The TMDL also establishes a numeric target for E. coli consistent with USEPA recommended criteria. Responsibility for achieving the numeric target falls upon several entities as described in the Attachment to Resolution R3-2012-0002 in Table IX P-1. An implicit margin of safety is utilized in the TMDL to account for uncertainties. The Central Coast Water Board is relying on existing regulatory authority (waste discharge permits and Phase II Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Program's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit) and a discharge prohibition to ensure implementation actions are carried out by the implementing parties.
An implementation target of 15 years is established for achieving the TMDL. The Central Coast Water Board will track progress towards achieving the TMDL through review of implementation actions and monitoring. Water Board staff will conduct triennial reviews of implementation actions and monitoring results dependent upon staff availability and priorities. Responsible parties will continue monitoring and reporting for at least three years, at which time the Central Coast Water Board will determine the need for continuing or otherwise modifying the monitoring requirements. Responsible parties may also demonstrate that although water quality objectives are not being achieved in receiving waters, controllable sources of pathogens are not contributing to the exceedances. If this is the case, the Central Coast Water Board may re-evaluate the numeric targets and allocations.
Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 23, § 3929.9