Cal. Code Regs. tit. 23 § 3949.1

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 25, June 21, 2024

Section 3949.1 - Amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River Basins for the Control of Salt and Boron Discharges into the Lower San Joaquin River

The Amendments:

1. Defines the location of the Lower San Joaquin River (LSJR) Watershed, which is the area that the salinity control program applies to.

2. Defines, for the purposes of this control program:

a. Nonpoint source land uses as all irrigated lands.

b. Nonpoint source discharges as discharges from irrigated lands.

c. Irrigated lands as lands where water is applied for producing crops and includes, but is not limited to, land planted to row, field and tree crops as well as commercial nurseries, nursery stock production, managed wetlands, and rice production.

3. Requires dischargers of irrigation return flows from irrigated lands to comply with one of the following conditions:

a. Cease discharge to surface water

b. Discharge does not exceed 315?S/cm electrical conductivity (based on a 30-day running average)

c. Operate under waste discharge requirements that include effluent limits for salt

d. Operate under a waiver of waste discharge requirements for salt and boron discharges to the LSJR

4. Establishes salinity base load allocations and real-time load allocations for nonpoint source dischargers. Base load allocations are fixed and real time load allocations are based on the available loading capacity minus a margin of safety.

5. Establishes a method for apportioning load allocations among nonpoint source dischargers.

6. Establishes salinity waste load allocations for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitted sources equal to the existing salinity water quality objectives for the San Joaquin River at the Airport Way Bridge near Vernalis.

7. Establishes supply water load allocations for salts in irrigation water imported to the LSJR Watershed from the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta.

8. Requires compliance with load allocations within eight to 20 years from the effective date of the control program (depending on the location of the discharge, threat to water quality, and water year type).

9. Requires existing NPDES dischargers to comply with waste load allocations within 20 years from the effective date of the control program for critically dry water years and 16 years from the effective date of the control program for all other water year types.

10. Requires new NPDES permitted dischargers to comply with waste load allocations upon commencement of their discharge.

11. Requires the Regional Board to review and update the load allocations and waste load allocations every six years from effective date of this control program.

12. Requires the Regional Board to incorporate load allocations and/or conditions of program compliance into waste discharge requirements and/or waiver of waste discharge requirements within two years from the effective date of this control program.

Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 23, § 3949.1

1. New section summarizing amendment to basin plan filed 7-21-2006; amendment approved by State Water Resources Control Board Resolution No. 2005-0087 on 11-16-2005; amendment approved by OAL pursuant to Government Code section 11353 on 7-21-2006 (Register 2006, No. 29).