Draft 2008 California 303(d)/305(b) Integrated Report

Supporting Information

Regional Board 3 - Central Coast Region

Water Body Name: Pacific Ocean at Pismo State Beach (San Luis Obispo County), south of Pismo Pier
Water Body ID: 3028
Water Body Type: Coastal & Bay Shoreline
 
DECISION ID
15591
 
Pollutant: Enterococcus
Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: New Decision
Revision Status Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: Pollutant
 
Weight of Evidence: This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under section 3.3 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.3 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.

This stretch of beach was listed by USEPA in 2006 based on the following assessment: "There were 15 out of 165 samples exceeding the geomean for enterococci, and 20 out of 219 samples exceeding the single sample maximum for fecal coliform (USEPA, 2007)." However, the number of exceedances of the EPA criteria for Enterococcus do not exceed the allowable frequencies for the respective samples counts. Based on the Listing Policy, this beach should not have been listed.

Two lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. These LOEs assess data from AB411 monitoring conducted weekly between January 2005 and December 2006. When compared to the Ocean Plan Objectives for Water Contact Recreation, 10 of 111 samples exceeded the single sample maximum Objective, 4 of 24 geomean assessments exceeded the geomean Objective.

Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification against placing this water segment-pollutant combination on the section 303(d) list in the Water Quality Limited Segments category.

This conclusion is based on the staff findings that:
1. The data used satisfies the data quality requirements of section 6.1.4 of the Policy.
2. The data used satisfies the data quantity requirements of section 6.1.5 of the Policy.
3. Ten of 111 samples exceeded the single sample maximum Objective, 4 of 24 geomean assessments exceeded the geomean Objective. Neither of these exceeds the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 of the Listing Policy.
4. Pursuant to section 3.11 of the Listing Policy, no additional data and information are available indicating that standards are not met.
 
RWQCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: After review of the available data and information, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.
 
SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation:
 
USEPA Decision:
 
 
Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 15591
 
LOE ID: 20099
 
Pollutant: Enterococcus
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 111
Number of Exceedances: 10
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed data for Pacific Ocean at Pismo State Beach (San Luis Obispo County), south of Pismo Pier to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 10 of 111 samples exceed the criterion for Enterococci.
Data Reference: AB 411 Data for 2004
  AB 411 Data for 2005
  AB 411 Data for 2006
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: California Ocean Plan (SWRCB 2005) states that the single sample maximum for Enterococcus shall not exceed 104 MPN/100 mL.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan Ocean Waters of California. California Ocean Plan 2005. Sacramento, CA: State Water Resources Control Board, California Environmental Protection Agency
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Pacific Ocean at Pismo Beach (San Luis Obispo County) was collected at one AB411 monitoring site (PB4)
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 1/4/2005 - 12/28/2006. This includes weekly AB411 monitoring between April 1 and October 31 of each year.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: QA information not available
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
LOE ID: 20082
 
Pollutant: Enterococcus
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 24
Number of Exceedances: 4
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed data for Pacific Ocean at Pismo State Beach (San Luis Obispo County), south of Pismo Pier to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 4 of 24 samples exceed the criterion for Enterococci.
Data Reference: AB 411 Data for 2004
  AB 411 Data for 2005
  AB 411 Data for 2006
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: California Ocean Plan (SWRCB 2005) states that the geometric mean for Enterococcus shall not exceed 35 MPN/100 mL.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan Ocean Waters of California. California Ocean Plan 2005. Sacramento, CA: State Water Resources Control Board, California Environmental Protection Agency
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Pacific Ocean at Pismo Beach (San Luis Obispo County) was collected at one AB411 monitoring site (PB4)
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 1/4/2005 - 12/28/2006. This includes weekly AB411 monitoring between April 1 and October 31 of each year.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: QA information not available
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
DECISION ID
15592
 
Pollutant: Fecal Coliform
Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: New Decision
Revision Status Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: Pollutant
 
Weight of Evidence: This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under section 3.3 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.3 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.

Two lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. When compared to the Ocean Plan Objectives for Water Contact Recreation, 19 of 122 samples exceeded the single sample maximum Objective, 3 of 24 geomean assessments exceeded the geomean Objective.

Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification against placing this water segment-pollutant combination on the section 303(d) list in the Water Quality Limited Segments category.

This conclusion is based on the staff findings that:
1. The data used satisfies the data quality requirements of section 6.1.4 of the Policy.
2. The data used satisfies the data quantity requirements of section 6.1.5 of the Policy.
3. Ninteen of 122 samples exceeded the single sample maximum Objective, 3 of 24 geomean assessments exceeded the geomean Objective. Neither of these exceeds the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 of the Listing Policy.
4. Pursuant to section 3.11 of the Listing Policy, no additional data and information are available indicating that standards are not met.
 
RWQCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: After review of the available data and information, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.
 
SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation:
 
USEPA Decision:
 
 
Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 15592
 
LOE ID: 20081
 
Pollutant: Fecal Coliform
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 122
Number of Exceedances: 19
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed data for Pacific Ocean at Pismo State Beach (San Luis Obispo County), south of Pismo Pier to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 19 of 122 samples exceed the criterion for Coliform, Fecal.
Data Reference: AB 411 Data for 2004
  AB 411 Data for 2005
  AB 411 Data for 2006
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: California Ocean Plan (SWRCB 2005) states that the single sample maximum for fecal coliform shall not exceed 400 MPN/100 mL.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan Ocean Waters of California. California Ocean Plan 2005. Sacramento, CA: State Water Resources Control Board, California Environmental Protection Agency
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Pacific Ocean at Pismo Beach (San Luis Obispo County) was collected at one AB411 monitoring site (PB4)
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 1/4/2005 - 12/28/2006. This includes weekly AB411 monitoring between April 1 and October 31 of each year.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: QA information not available
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
LOE ID: 20080
 
Pollutant: Fecal Coliform
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 24
Number of Exceedances: 3
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed data for Pacific Ocean at Pismo State Beach (San Luis Obispo County), south of Pismo Pier to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 3 of 24 samples exceed the criterion for Coliform, Fecal.
Data Reference: AB 411 Data for 2004
  AB 411 Data for 2005
  AB 411 Data for 2006
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: California Ocean Plan (SWRCB 2005) states that the 30-day geometric mean for fecal coliform shall not exceed 200 MPN/100 mL.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan Ocean Waters of California. California Ocean Plan 2005. Sacramento, CA: State Water Resources Control Board, California Environmental Protection Agency
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Pacific Ocean at Pismo Beach (San Luis Obispo County) was collected at one AB411 monitoring site (PB4)
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 1/4/2005 - 12/28/2006. This includes weekly AB411 monitoring between April 1 and October 31 of each year.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: QA information not available
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
DECISION ID
15593
 
Pollutant: Total Coliform
Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: New Decision
Revision Status Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: Pollutant
 
Weight of Evidence: This pollutant is being considered for placement on the section 303(d) list under section 3.3 of the Listing Policy. Under section 3.3 a single line of evidence is necessary to assess listing status.

Two lines of evidence are available in the administrative record to assess this pollutant. When compared to the Ocean Plan Objectives for Water Contact Recreation, 2 of 122 samples exceeded the single sample maximum Objective, none of 24 geomean assessments exceeded the geomean Objective and 3 of the 122 total to fecal ratio assessments exceeded the Objective.

Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is sufficient justification against placing this water segment-pollutant combination on the section 303(d) list in the Water Quality Limited Segments category.

This conclusion is based on the staff findings that:
1. The data used satisfies the data quality requirements of section 6.1.4 of the Policy.
2. The data used satisfies the data quantity requirements of section 6.1.5 of the Policy.
3. Two of 122 samples exceeded the single sample maximum Objective, none of 24 geomean assessments exceeded the geomean Objective and 3 of the 122 total to fecal ratio assessments exceeded the Objective. None of these exceeds the allowable frequency listed in Table 3.2 of the Listing Policy.
4. Pursuant to section 3.11 of the Listing Policy, no additional data and information are available indicating that standards are not met.
 
RWQCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation: After review of the available data and information, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.
 
SWRCB Board Decision / Staff Recommendation:
 
USEPA Decision:
 
 
Lines of Evidence (LOEs) for Decision ID 15593
 
LOE ID: 19963
 
Pollutant: Total Coliform
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 24
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed data for Pacific Ocean at Pismo State Beach (San Luis Obispo County), south of Pismo Pier to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 0 of 24 samples exceed the criterion for Coliform, Total.
Data Reference: AB 411 Data for 2004
  AB 411 Data for 2005
  AB 411 Data for 2006
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: California Ocean Plan (2005) 30-day geometric mean standard for total coliform states that total coliform density shall not exceed 1,000 MPN/100 mL.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan Ocean Waters of California. California Ocean Plan 2005. Sacramento, CA: State Water Resources Control Board, California Environmental Protection Agency
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Pacific Ocean at Pismo Beach (San Luis Obispo County) was collected at one monitoring site (PB4)
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 1/4/2005 - 12/28/2006. This includes weekly AB411 monitoring between April 1 and October 31 of each year.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: QA information not available
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
LOE ID: 19962
 
Pollutant: Total Coliform
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 122
Number of Exceedances: 2
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed data for Pacific Ocean at Pismo State Beach (San Luis Obispo County), south of Pismo Pier to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 2 of 122 samples exceed the criterion for Coliform, Total.
Data Reference: AB 411 Data for 2004
  AB 411 Data for 2005
  AB 411 Data for 2006
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: California Ocean Plan (2005) single sample maximum states that total coliform density shall not exceed 10,000 MPN/100 mL.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan Ocean Waters of California. California Ocean Plan 2005. Sacramento, CA: State Water Resources Control Board, California Environmental Protection Agency
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Pacific Ocean at Pismo Beach (San Luis Obispo County) was collected at one monitoring site (PB4)
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 1/4/2005 - 12/28/2006. This includes weekly AB411 monitoring between April 1 and October 31 of each year.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: QA information not available
QAPP Information Reference(s):
 
LOE ID: 19964
 
Pollutant: Total Coliform
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 122
Number of Exceedances: 3
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Central Coast Regional Board Staff assessed data for Pacific Ocean at Pismo State Beach (San Luis Obispo County), south of Pismo Pier to determine beneficial use support and results are as follows: 3 of 122 samples exceed the criterion for Coliform, Total.
Data Reference: AB 411 Data for 2004
  AB 411 Data for 2005
  AB 411 Data for 2006
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: California Ocean Plan (2005) single sample maximum standard for total coliform states that total coliform density shall not exceed 1,000 MPN/100 mL when the fecal coliform/total coliform ratio exceeds 0.1.
Objective/Criterion Reference: Water Quality Control Plan Ocean Waters of California. California Ocean Plan 2005. Sacramento, CA: State Water Resources Control Board, California Environmental Protection Agency
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: Data for this line of evidence for Pacific Ocean at Pismo Beach (San Luis Obispo County) was collected at one monitoring site (PB4)
Temporal Representation: Data was collected over the time period 1/4/2005 - 12/28/2006. This includes weekly AB411 monitoring between April 1 and October 31 of each year.
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: QA information not available
QAPP Information Reference(s):