5.7 Hydrology and Water Quality
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BEACH BOULEVARD SPECIFIC PLAN DRAFT EIR CITY OF ANAHEIM 5. Environmental Analysis 5.7 HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY This section of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) evaluates the potential impacts to hydrology and water quality conditions from implementation of the Beach Boulevard Specific Plan (Proposed Project). Hydrology deals with the distribution and circulation of water, both on land and underground. Water quality deals with the quality of surface and groundwater. Surface water is on the surface of the land and includes lakes, rivers, streams, and creeks. Groundwater is below the surface of the earth. The analysis in this section is based partly upon the Infrastructure Technical Report for Hydrology, Sewer, Water, & Water Quality for the Proposed Project completed by Fuscoe Engineering in September 2017. A complete copy of this report is included as Appendix G to this DEIR. Some additional information on groundwater was obtained from the Orange County Water District (OCWD) Groundwater Management Plan 2015 Update. 5.7.1 Environmental Setting 5.7.1.1 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK Clean Water Act Under the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1977, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeks to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. The statute employs a variety of regulatory and non-regulatory tools to reduce direct pollutant discharges into waterways, finance municipal wastewater treatment facilities, and manage polluted runoff. The CWA authorizes the EPA to implement water quality regulations. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program under Section 402(p) of the CWA controls water pollution by regulating storm water discharges into the waters of the United States. California has an approved state NPDES program. The EPA has delegated authority for water permitting to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), which has nine regional boards. The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB - Region 8) regulates water quality in the Project Area. Sections 401 and 404 of the CWA are administered through the Regulatory Program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) and regulate the water quality of all discharges of fill or dredged material into waters of the United States, including wetlands and intermittent stream channels. Section 401, Title 33, Section 1341 of the CWA sets water-quality certification requirements for “any applicant applying for a federal license or permit to conduct any activity including, but not limited to, the construction or operation of facilities, which may result in any discharge into the navigable waters.” If there are ephemeral drainages and wetlands identified in the Project Area, construction and other activities may require the acquisition of a permit from the ACOE under Section 404 of the CWA and water quality certification from the Santa Ana RWQCB under Section 401 of the CWA. Section 401 certification is required from the Santa Ana RWQCB prior to final issuance of Section 404 permits by the ACOE. August 2018 Page 5.7-1 BEACH BOULEVARD SPECIFIC PLAN DRAFT EIR CITY OF ANAHEIM 5. Environmental Analysis HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY Section 303(d) of the CWA requires that each state identify water bodies or segments of water bodies that are “impaired” (i.e., not meeting one or more of the water quality standards established by the state). These waters are identified in the Section 303(d) list as waters that are polluted and need further attention to support their beneficial uses. Once the water body or segment is listed, the state is required to establish a total maximum daily load (TMDL) for the pollutant causing the conditions of impairment. TMDL is the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards. Typically, TMDL is the sum of the allowable loads of a single pollutant from all contributing point and non- point sources. The intent of the 303(d) list is to identify water bodies that require future development of a TMDL to maintain water quality. In accordance with Section 303(d), the RWQCB has identified impaired water bodies in its jurisdiction, and the pollutant or stressor responsible for impairing the water quality. The receiving waters for the Project Area are Carbon Creek, which passes through the Project Area; and Moody Creek, which originates about two miles west of the Project Area. Carbon Creek and Moody Creek both flow into Coyote Creek, which is tributary to the San Gabriel River Estuary. Those water bodies are listed on the Clean Water Act Section 303(d) List of Water Quality Limited Segments for the following pollutants: . Carbon Creek chloride sulfates . Moody Creek: none . Coyote Creek ammonia diazinon bacteria pH toxicity copper lead . San Gabriel River Estuary dioxin nickel dissolved oxygen copper Porter-Cologne Water Quality Act The Porter-Cologne Water Quality Act (Water Code sections 13000 et seq.) is the basic water quality control law for California. Under this Act, the SWRCB has ultimate control over state water rights and water quality policy. In California, the EPA has delegated authority to issue NPDES permits to the SWRCB. The state is Page 5.7-2 PlaceWorks BEACH BOULEVARD SPECIFIC PLAN DRAFT EIR CITY OF ANAHEIM 5. Environmental Analysis HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY divided into nine regions related to water quality and quantity characteristics. The SWRCB, through its nine RWQCBs, carries out the regulation, protection, and administration of water quality in each region. Each regional board is required to adopt a Water Quality Control Plan or Basin Plan that designates beneficial uses and water quality objectives for the region’s surface water and groundwater basins. The Santa Ana RWQCB’s Basin Plan covers the Project Area, which is primarily within the Santa Ana River Watershed. The Santa Ana Region Basin Plan was adopted in 1995 and subsequently revised in 2008 and 2011. This Basin Plan gives direction on the beneficial uses of the state waters in Region 8, describes the water quality that must be maintained to support such uses, and provides programs, projects, and other actions necessary to achieve the standards established in the Basin Plan. The Basin Plan also provides all relevant information necessary to carry out the state’s antidegradation policy for surface waters and groundwater, 303(d) listing of impaired waters, and related TMDLs. 5.7.1.2 APPLICABLE PLANS AND PROGRAMS National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System The NPDES permit program was established by the CWA to regulate municipal and industrial discharges to surface waters of the US from their municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s). Under the NPDES program, all facilities which discharge pollutants into waters of the US are required to obtain an NPDES permit. Requirements for storm water discharges are also regulated under this program. Municipal Stormwater (MS4) Permit The Project Area lies within the jurisdiction of Santa Ana RWQCB (Region 8) and is subject to the waste discharge requirements of the North Orange County MS4 Permit (Order No. R8-2009-0030) and NPDES Permit No. CAS618030, as amended by Order No. R8-2010-0062. The County of Orange, incorporated cities of Orange County, and the Orange County Flood Control District are co-permittees under the MS4 Permit. Pursuant to the MS4 Permit, the co-permittees were required to develop and implement a drainage area management plan (DAMP) as well as local implementation plans (LIPs), which describe urban runoff management programs for the local jurisdictions. The City of Anaheim, as a Permittee under the General MS4 permit, has legal authority for enforcing the terms of the permit in its jurisdiction. The General MS4 Permit requires that new development or significant redevelopment projects use best management practices (BMPs), including site design planning, source control, and treatment techniques, to ensure that the water quality of receiving waters is protected. These requirements are detailed in the Orange County Model Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP) and supplemental Technical Guidance Document, updated December 2013, which the City of Anaheim has incorporated into its project approval processes. In the Project Area, any new development project or significant redevelopment project (i.e., adding 5,000 or more square feet of impervious surface) is required to prepare a WQMP that specifies the BMPs and low- impact development (LID) measures that would be implemented to minimize the effects of the project on regional hydrology, runoff flow rates and/or velocities, and pollutant loads. LID is a stormwater management strategy that emphasizes conservation and use of existing site features integrated with distributed stormwater controls that are designed to more closely mimic natural hydrologic patterns of undeveloped sites than traditional stormwater management controls, and to minimize runoff by reducing the elements of August 2018 Page 5.7-3 BEACH BOULEVARD SPECIFIC PLAN DRAFT EIR CITY OF ANAHEIM 5. Environmental Analysis HYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY development that produce runoff. An Operations and Maintenance Plan must also be included as part of the WQMP and must designate terms, conditions, and requirements for maintaining the BMPs in perpetuity. County of Orange The County of Orange also regulates storm runoff and water quality as the Principal Permittee under the General MS4 Permit and the DAMP. The City of Anaheim is a co-permittee under the General MS4 Permit and has legal authority for enforcing the terms of the permit in its jurisdiction. The DAMP includes a New Development and Significant Redevelopment Program. This program incorporates watershed protection and storm water quality management principles into the General Plan process, environmental review process, and development permit approval process. The New Development and Significant Redevelopment Program includes a Model WQMP that defines requirements for project- specific planning, selection, and incorporation of BMPs into new development or redevelopment projects. City of Anaheim The City of Anaheim has adopted a LIP based upon the County’s DAMP, which includes the Model WQMP.