Central Valley Water Board

Adam Laputz, Assistant Executive Officer

Permitting Programs

NPDES Program

Stormwater

NPDES Program

Lodi Aeration Basin

Brentwood Outfall w/ Cascade

Dunsmuir Secondary Clarifier

NPDES Program Priorities

❑ Permitting Efficiency and Quality

❑ Data Quality Assurance

❑ CV-SALTS Implementation

Facilities in Auburn Ravine

City of Lincoln Treatment Plant

5.9 million gallons per day

Tertiary treatment process

City of Auburn WWTP

1.7 million gallons per day

Tertiary treatment process

7

Lincoln WWTP Temperature Concerns

❑ 2019 Time Schedule Order

❑ Interim measures to reduce thermal effects during warm periods (essentially storage when effluent could cause exceedance of objectives)

❑ Temperature Study workplan – June 2020

❑ Final Temperature Study – January 2022

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

July-18 October-18 February-19 May-19 August-19 December-19

Auburn Ravine Temperature Above (R-1) and Below (R-2) Lincoln WWTP

R-1

R-2

Upper range of migration temperature for Steelhead and Chinook migration (DWR 2003)

Lethal temperatures for Steelhead and Chinook (DWR 2003)

Stormwater Program

Low-Impact Development (MS4)

Regulated Industrial Site

Construction Best Management Practices Inspection

Stormwater Program

❑ Review Regionwide MS4 General Permit Work Products

❑ Begin Work For Renewal of Regionwide MS4 General Permit

❑ Construction/Caltrans/Industrial: Conduct Targeted Inspections and Compliance/Enforcement Actions

BMP Based Program

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11

Enforcement activities

❑ Rocklin Developer Agrees to $153,000 Settlement in Environmental Threats to Nearby Ravine (2019)

❑ Sutter County Developer Agrees to $160,000 Settlement over Environmental Threats to Grass Valley’s Wolf Creek (2019)

❑ Placerville Developer Agrees to $171,000 Settlement for Illegal Diversions into Nearby Creek (2019)

Planning, Monitoring , Assessment

Basin Planning

TMDL

Delta Program

CV-SALTS

SWAMP

Nonpoint Source Program

Basin Planning Program (inc’l Delta and TMDL Programs)

Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Estuary Habitat

Delta Nutrient Study

Basin Planning Program

❑ 2018 Triennial Review Projects: Tribal Beneficial Use Evaluations, Pit River, Temperature Criteria

❑ 2020 Integrated Report

❑ TMDL Development: Mercury, Pesticides, other prioritized constituents

❑ Continued Implementation: Pyrethroid Control Program, Mercury (Clear Lake, Delta), Dissolved Oxygen in the San Joaquin River

❑ Delta Regional Monitoring Plan, Delta Nutrient Research Plan

CV-SALTS Program

CV-SALTS Program

❑ Revisions to The Salt and Nitrate Control Plans

❑ Implementation Activities: Notices to Comply, Notice of Intent Submittal Review, Document Tracking, Permit Updates

❑ Stakeholder Coordination and Public Outreach

❑ Contract Management

Nonpoint Source Program

Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Bloom

Shooting Range Lead Abatement

Nonpoint Source Program

❑ TMDL Implementation: Clear Lake, Selenium, Chlorpyrifos and Diazinon, Pyrethroids

❑ Grant Management

❑ Cyanobacteria Evaluation and Management

❑ Water Quality Impacts from Homelessness

What are Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)?

Cyanobacteria (formerly blue-green algae)

Microscopic

Photosynthetic

Some produce toxins

Slide 20

Blooms: Large accumulation of cells

Harmful Algal Blooms:Significant negative effects

Acronyms – CyanoHABs, Blue-Green Algae, Toxic Algae

Where do cyanobacteria live? Almost everywhere!

Slide 21

❖ Freshwater and estuarine waters

❖ Various background conditions & locations

❖ Presence of cyanotoxins

Deserts

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/

2012/09/29/cyanobacteria-the-desert-soil-

and-you/

Arctic & Antarctic

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2

018/april/blue-green-algae-from-

legendary-expedition-help-study-of-

climate.html

Oceans

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trich

odesmium

Rivers

South Delta

Lakes

Clear Lake

Cyanobacteria in California:

Planktonic Blooms

Slide 22

❖ surface & subsurface❖ discolor the water❖ scums & mats

Slide 23

Benthic Blooms

❖ bottom substrate❖ detach & strand

Anabaena Mats with Spires

Phormidium Mats

3 Exposure Pathways

Skin Contact

Ingestion

Inhalation

Slide 24

Various

Exposure

Activities

Health

Effects

Rashes / Itching / Irritation

Gastrointestinal Distress

Seizures / Convulsions

Paralysis

Death (pets & other animals)

Impacts of CyanoHABs: Why We Care

AESTHETICS

DRINKING WATER

ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION:❖ Low dissolved oxygen

❖ Fish kills

❖ Bioaccumulation

❖ Higher level impacts (sea otters, livestock, wildlife)

CYANOTOXINS:❖ Health impacts

❖ Beneficial use impacts

Slide 25

Miller et al., 2010

DO NOT DRINK

ADVISORY

Drivers of CyanoHABs

Slide 26

HAB Drivers: temperature, nutrients, sunlight, stable water column, grazing

Nutrients N, P

Organic Matter

L

I

G

H

T

Low Flow

Long Residence Time

Internal Nutrient Cycling

Stratification (limited mixing)

temperature

algal loss (decay and grazing)

CyanoHABs Like it Hot!

What Are The Water Boards Doing To

Address CyanoHABs?

Slide 27

HAB Event Response Monitoring Risk Assessment

Immediate Long-Term

HABs Assessment and Support Strategy

INFRASTRUCTURE

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California Recreation Trigger Levels

Slide 29

Statewide HAB Reporting System

Year Number Of Locations

With Bloom Reports

2016 91

2017 181

2018 190

2019 229

Slide 30

Central Valley Region Has Highest Number of Locations With HAB Reports

Year Number of Locations With

Bloom Reports

Statewide Central

Valley

2016 91 NA

2017 181 61

2018 190 92

2019 229 128

Total 691 281

Slide 31

HAB Bloom Reports in the Central Valley2016-2019

No Toxin Data Available

Does Not Exceed Health Trigger Levels

Exceeds Caution Trigger Levels

Exceeds Warning Trigger Levels

Exceeds Danger Trigger Levels

Slide 32

Approximately 35%

of reports exceed

health trigger levels

EPA Developed Drinking Water Health Advisories

Slide 33

Slide 34

Focus on proactive long-term strategy to address CyanoHABs

• Assess beneficial use impairments and develop guidance for 303(d) listings

Develop management and mitigation strategies

• Pilot mitigation project in Discovery Bay

• Clear Lake Environmental Drivers Study to start spring 2020

Develop statewide standards and objectives to protect beneficial uses

Next Steps To Address Challenges

Slide 35

Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP)

Water Quality Sampling Sacramento River Basin

SWAMP

❑ Support for Delta Monitoring Efforts

❑ Lower American River Recreational Beneficial Use Assessment

❑ Sacramento Watershed Coordinated Monitoring

❑ cyanoHAB Monitoring

❑ Data Management

Lower American River

❑ Impaired for fecal indicator bacteria (E.coli)

❑ DNA source identification study ongoing

❑ Potential sources: human (leaky sewer lines, homeless encampments, septic), birds, pets, other animals

Study Area and Monitoring Locations

Station ID Station Name

R-PBUL Paradise Beach Upstream left bank

R-PBUM Paradise Beach Upstream midstream

R-PBUR Paradise Beach Upstream right bank

R-PBDL Paradise Beach Downstream left bank

R-PBDR Paradise Beach Downstream right bank

R-U80L Upstream of Business 80 left bank

R-D80R Downstream of Business 80 right bank

R-SULL Sutter’s Landing Regional Park left bank

R-SULM Sutter’s Landing Regional Park midstream

R-SULR Sutter’s Landing Regional Park right bank

UD-UR-08 Sump 10

UD-UR-02 D5 Basin Outfall

Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP)

Almond Trees

Irrigation Well

Vineyards

ILRP

❑ Revisions to General Orders to Incorporate CV-SALTS

❑ Drinking Water Monitoring

❑ Low-Threat Alternative ILRP Framework

❑ Group Management Practices Evaluation Program, Individual Groundwater Quality Management Plans, and the Groundwater Trend Monitoring Plan

❑ Surface Water Protection

❑ Compliance/Enforcement

Forest Activities Program

Carr Fire

Cable Logging

Improved Drafting Site

Forest Activities Program

❑ Review/Compliance/Enforcement of Timber Projects on State, Private and USFS Lands

❑ Utility Corridor Vegetation Treatment

❑ Implementation of and Reporting on AB 1492 Requirements

❑ Watershed-Based Plan for Battle Creek

❑ Post-Fire Response

❑ Federal NPS Permit Development

❑ Forest Management Task Force and Regulations Work Group

2013-2018 Fires 5.4 million acres in CA

7 million acres nationwide

California Fires 2018Most destructive wildfire season ever recorded

Indiana Public Media 2018

Mendocino Complex

CNN 2018Carr Fire

Camp Fire www.firehouse.com

Central Valley Water Board Fire Response

▪Post-Fire assessments

▪Timberland General Order enrollments

▪Inspections

▪CAL FIRE EM/EX monitoring

Mines Program

Hardrock Mine

Engineered Wetland(Acid Mine Drainage Treatment)

Mine Portal

Mines Program

❑ Abandoned Mine Site Charter / Strategy

❑ Water Quality Threat Prioritization Scheme

❑ Review Financial Assurances For Mine Waste Management Units

❑ Mines Tracking List

❑ PRP Searches

Cannabis Program

Permitted Fields

Pre-harvest

Same Site, Before and After Enforcement

Cannabis Program

❑ Enrollment Enforcement

❑ Continue to Expand Program South

❑ Assess Effectiveness of the Statewide General Order Requirements

❑ Indoor Waste Discharge Requirements (Not Connected to Sewer)

❑ Local Enforcement Case Development

Site Preparation

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Poor Road Design

52

Timber Clearing and Conversion

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Erosion and Sediment Discharge

54

Improper Storage and Disposal

55

Unauthorized Diversion and Storage

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Questions?