Cal. Code Regs. tit. 23 § 3919.4

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 37, September 13, 2024

Section 3919.4 - Walker Creek Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load

On January 23, 2007, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (San Francisco Bay Water Board) adopted Resolution No. R2-2007-0010 amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay Region (Basin Plan). This amendment revised the Basin Plan to:

(1) establish new methylmercury water quality objectives in Walker Creek and Soulajule Reservoir and their tributaries,

(2) vacate an existing objective for Walker Creek and Soulajule Reservoir and their tributaries, and

(3) establish a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and implementation plan to reduce mercury in the Walker Creek Watershed, which is located in western Marin County. On July 15, 2008, the State Water Resources Control Board approved the amendment under Resolution No. 2008-0055.

The overall goal of this amendment is to reduce mercury levels in Walker Creek and Soulajule Reservoir so that fish-eating wildlife and humans who consume local sport fish are protected from the toxic effects of this persistent, bioaccumulative pollutant. The amendment establishes two new fish tissue-based water quality objectives for mercury in Walker Creek and Soulajule Reservoir. The TMDL allocates discharges of mercury-laden sediment and methylmercury production to sources in the watershed. It includes wasteload allocations for the Gambonini Mine site and load allocations for Soulajule Reservoir and Walker Creek mercury-laden stream deposits.

To implement required control measures, the San Francisco Bay Water Board will rely on the Industrial Stormwater General Permit Program, Waste Discharge Requirements, Waivers of Waste Discharge Requirements, Marin County's Creek Permit Program, and Clean Water Act Section 401 permits.

Approximately every five years, the San Francisco Bay Water Board will evaluate monitoring results and assess progress made towards attaining targets and load allocations. New and relevant information from monitoring, special studies and the scientific literature will be taken into account as it becomes available.

Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 23, § 3919.4

1. New section summarizing amendments to basin plan filed 9-17-2008; amendment approved by State Water Resources Control Board Resolution No. 2008-0055 on 7-15-2008; amendment approved by OAL pursuant to Government Code Section 11353 on 9-17-2008 (Register 2008, No. 38).