JUNE 21, 1995 CALIFORNIA REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD SAN FRANCISCO BAY REGION 2101 Webster Street, Suite 500 Oakland, CA 94612 (510) 286-1255 Approved by California State Water Resources Control Board on July 20, 1995. California State Office of Administrative Law on November 13, 1995. WATER QU A L I T Y CONTROL PL A N STATE OF CALIFORNIA PETE WILSON JAMES M. STROCK Governor Secretary, Environmental Protection Agency State Water Resources Control Board John P. Caffrey Mary Jane Forster Chair Member Marc Del Piero James M. Stubchaer Vice Chair Member John W. Brown Walt Pettit Member Executive Director California Regional Water Quality Control Board San Francisco Bay Region Peter W. Snyder Pamela W. Lloyd County Government Water Quality Chair Member Craig S.J. Johns Richard L. Maher Recreation, Fish and Wildlife Industrial Water Use Vice-Chair Member Josephine T. De Luca Denny A. McLeod Public Municipal Government Member Member E. Jackson Going Jr. Loretta K. Barsamian Water Quality Executive Officer Member This Water Quality Control Plan was prepared under the direction of Michael P. Carlin Chief, Basin Planning by Randy Y. Lee Kim A. Taylor Associate Water Resources Control Engineer Ph.D., Environmental Specialist III with assistance from the following Regional Board staff Thomas R. Gandesbery Peggy R. Olofson Environmental Specialist III Water Resources Control Engineer Jessica Lacy Steven R. Ritchie Assoc. Water Resources Control Engineer, 1990-1995 Executive Officer, 1988-1995 Steven M. Moore Linda L. Spencer Sanitary Engineering Associate Associate Engineering Geologist Stephen I. Morse A. Lynn Suer Chief, Toxics Cleanup Division Ph.D., Environmental Specialist IV Thomas E. Mumley Dyan C. Whyte Ph.D., Associate Water Resources Control Engineer Associate Engineering Geologist and assistance from the following State Board staff Joanne Cox Sheila Vassey Environmental Specialist III Staff Counsel III John Ladd Chief, Basin Planning Unit Production Kathryn Ankrum Carrie Salazar Technical Editor GIS Specialist Darren Campeau Cover Graphic Designer Satellite Image: “The San Francisco Bay from Space” (Copyright; Spaceshots, Inc. 1-800-272-2779) SAN FRANCISCO BAY REGION 0-3 TTABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION The San Francisco Bay Region..................................................................................................................1-1 The Bay System’s Surface and Ground Waters.......................................................................................1-1 The Regional Board.....................................................................................................................................1-2 Water Quality Control Plan........................................................................................................................1-2 Watershed Management Planning.............................................................................................................1-3 The San Francisco Estuary Project...........................................................................................................1-3 CHAPTER 2: BENEFICIAL USES Definitions of Beneficial Uses ..................................................................................................................2-1 Agricultural Supply .............................................................................................................................2-1 Areas of Special Biological Significance..........................................................................................2-1 Cold Freshwater Habitat ...................................................................................................................2-2 Ocean, Commercial, and Sport Fishing ...........................................................................................2-2 Estuarine Habitat ................................................................................................................................2-2 Freshwater Replenishment ...............................................................................................................2-2 Groundwater Recharge ......................................................................................................................2-2 Industrial Service Supply ...................................................................................................................2-2 Marine Habitat ....................................................................................................................................2-2 Municipal and Domestic Supply........................................................................................................2-3 Navigation ............................................................................................................................................2-3 Industrial Process Supply ..................................................................................................................2-3 Preservation of Rare and Endangered Species...............................................................................2-3 Water Contact Recreation .................................................................................................................2-3 Noncontact Water Recreation ..........................................................................................................2-4 Shellfish Harvesting ...........................................................................................................................2-4 Fish Spawning .....................................................................................................................................2-4 Warm Freshwater Habitat .................................................................................................................2-4 Wildlife Habitat ...................................................................................................................................2-4 Present and Potential Beneficial Uses .....................................................................................................2-5 Surface Waters.....................................................................................................................................2-5 Groundwaters.......................................................................................................................................2-5 Wetlands...............................................................................................................................................2-6 CHAPTER 3: WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES Water Quality Objectives............................................................................................................................3-1 Objectives for Ocean Waters ....................................................................................................................3-2 Objectives for Surface Waters ..................................................................................................................3-2 Bacteria.................................................................................................................................................3-2 Bioaccumulation..................................................................................................................................3-2 Biostimulatory Substances.................................................................................................................3-2 Color......................................................................................................................................................3-3 Dissolved Oxygen................................................................................................................................3-3 Floating Material..................................................................................................................................3-3 Oil and Grease......................................................................................................................................3-3 Population and Community Ecology................................................................................................3-3 pH...........................................................................................................................................................3-3 Salinity...................................................................................................................................................3-3 Sediment...............................................................................................................................................3-3 Settleable Material...............................................................................................................................3-3 Suspended Material.............................................................................................................................3-3 Sulfide...................................................................................................................................................3-3 Tastes and Odors.................................................................................................................................3-4 Temperature.........................................................................................................................................3-4 Toxicity.................................................................................................................................................3-4