Basin Plan Program

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Lahontan Basin Plan

View or download the current Basin Plan.

Water quality standards and control measures for surface and ground waters of the Lahontan Region are contained in the Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region (Basin Plan). The plan designates beneficial uses for water bodies and establishes water quality objectives, waste discharge prohibitions, and other implementation measures to protect those beneficial uses. State water quality standards also include a Nondegradation Policy. Water quality control measures include Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs), which are often, but not always, adopted as Basin Plan amendments. See the Lahontan Water Board’s TMDL Program web page for further information.

The Lahontan Basin plan took effect in 1995, replacing three earlier plans. The current edition of the plan includes fully approved sets of amendments adopted since 1995. Chapters and sections of the plan are available in separate files to facilitate downloading.

In addition to the state standards in the Basin Plan, federal water quality standards for certain toxic pollutants apply to surface waters within California, including the Lahontan Region. These standards are contained in the National Toxics Rule (40 CFR 131.36) and the California Toxics Rule (40 CFR 131.37). The California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) has adopted a statewide implementation policy for the federal toxics standards, including summary tables listing the standards themselves. The federal standards have not yet been physically incorporated into the Basin Plan.

The National Toxics Rule and California Toxics Rule standards differ from federal water quality criteria in that they are enforceable. Federal criteria are non-enforceable, science-based thresholds that can be used in development of enforceable state water quality standards.

A number of other statewide plans and policies contain water quality control measures that apply in addition to those in the Basin Plan. Some of these documents are included in the appendices to the Basin Plan, but others have not yet been physically incorporated into or referenced in the plan. These documents include the following:

• 2000 California Nonpoint Source Management Plan
• 2004 Policy for Implementation and Enforcement of the Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program
• 2009 Water Quality Enforcement Policy (effective May 20, 2010)

Basin Plan Update Process

Basin Plan amendments are adopted following noticed public hearings. Public draft Basin Plan amendments and supporting documents (including California Environmental Quality Act substitute environmental documents) are made available for public review for at least 45 days before Water Board action. Written comments are generally requested to arrive by about 30 days before the Board action date to allow adequate time for preparation of written responses, and for full consideration of all comments and responses by the Water Board. Following approval by the Lahontan Water Board, Basin Plan amendments require further approvals by State Water Board, the California Office of Administrative Law (OAL), and (in some cases) the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Plan amendments take effect following approval by the OAL.

Draft Basin Plan Amendments Open for Public Comments

Public draft Basin Plan amendments that are currently open for written public comments and/or public hearing testimony will be posted here, together with supporting documents.

• See 2013 Basin Plan Cleanup Amendments, below

Other Basin Plan Amendments Under Development

Water Board planning staff’s work usually includes several Basin Plan amendment topics that have not yet reached the public draft stage. Announcements of preliminary public stakeholder meetings, including California Environmental Quality Act scoping meetings for these topics will be posted under this heading.

• Basin Plan Amendment Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake - Proposed MUN Use Dedesignation
  • CEQA Scoping Presentation
  • Figure 1-3: Delineated Lateral Extent of Salt Wells Valley and Shallow Groundwater in Eastern Indian Wells Valley Proposed for MUN Use De-designation in the Department of the Navy’s February 12, 2013 Technical Justification Report
  • Public Scoping Notice
• 2013 Basin Plan Cleanup Amendments
  • Public Scoping Notice
  • Summary of Proposed Amendments
  • Proposed Amendments (shown in underline/strikeout)
    • Table 2-1 – Beneficial Uses for Mojave Hydrologic Unit
    • Chapter 3 – Water Quality Objectives
    • Chapter 4 (sections 4 to 4.1) – Implementation, Prohibitions
    • Chapter 4 – Pesticide Prohibition
    • Chapter 4 (section 4.4) – Wastewater
    • Chapter 4 (portion of section 4.9) – Forest Management
    • Chapter 5 (sections 5 to 5.15) – Lake Tahoe Basin
    • Chapter 6 – Plans and Policies
• Grazing and Water Quality
  • Workshop on Livestock Grazing and Water Qualit
• Pier Prohibition Basin Plan Amendment
  • Pier Amendment - CEQAScoping Presentation
  • Notice of CEQA Scoping and Project Description
  • Environmental Checklis

Adopted Amendments Pending Further Approvals

Basin Plan amendments that have been adopted by the Lahontan Water Board and are awaiting approval by one or more other agencies will be posted under this heading.

• Pesticide Prohibition Basin Plan Amendment

Fully Approved Basin Plan Amendments

After they receive all necessary approvals, final plan amendments will be posted in this section until they can be incorporated into the main electronic text of the Basin Plan.

• None

Triennial Review of the Basin Plan

The 2012 Triennial Review December Staff Report is Water Board staff’s recommendations on future planning priorities in the next three years. The Water Board adopted these recommendations during the January 17, 2013 Board meeting in Barstow.

• Resolution R6T-2013-0008 adopting the 2013 Triennial Review
• 2013 Triennial Review Staff Report
• Individual Responses to Comments

Email Lists and Contact Information

We encourage users interested in basin planning issues to subscribe to the Basin Planning email list.

If you have questions about the content of the Basin Plan or the amendment process, please contact Lahontan’s Basin Planning Program Manager, Richard Booth, at (530) 542-5574 or RBooth@waterboards.ca.gov.

(Updated 5/15/13 )