State Standards in Effect for CWA Purposes
State Water Resources Control Board
The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) was created by the California State Legislature in 1967. The joint authority of water allocation and water quality protection enables the State Water Board to provide comprehensive protection for California's waters.
Regional Water Quality Control Boards
There are nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards (Regional Boards) with the mission to develop and enforce water quality objectives and implementation plans that will best protect the beneficial uses of the State’s waters, recognizing local differences in climate, topography, geology and hydrology. California’s water quality standards are embodied in Basin Plans administered by these Regional Water Quality Control Boards and in several statewide Plans and Policies administered by the State Water Resources Control Board. Amendments to a Basin Plan, prepared by the Regional Boards, are reviewed by the State Board and the State’s Office of Administrative Law (OAL). Once approved, the amendments are submitted to EPA for final approval.
On this page:
Statewide Plans
- [See Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (PDF)]
(Effective May 1995) The purpose of this plan is to establish water quality control measures which contribute to the protection of beneficial uses in the Bay-Delta Estuary. This plan consists of: (1) beneficial uses to be protected; (2) water quality objectives for the reasonable protection of beneficial uses; and (3) a program of implementation for achieving the water quality objectives. - [See Water Quality Control Plan for Enclosed Bays and Estuaries - Part 1 Sediment Quality (PDF)]
(Effective August 25, 2009) The plan provides narrative sediment quality objectives protecting benthic communities from direct exposure to pollutants in sediments and minimizing human health risk from consumption of fish and shellfish tissue that may pose a risk as a result of contaminants in sediment. The plan also includes a description of the applicable beneficial uses, a description of how the narrative objectives may be interpreted and the means by which these narrative objectives shall be applied to existing water quality protection plans. - [See Part 2 of the Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California – Tribal and Subsistence Fishing Beneficial Uses and Mercury Provisions ]
(Effective July 14, 2017) EPA approved water quality standards encompassing specific beneficial uses to account for tribal cultural use and subsistence fish consumption, mercury water quality objectives to safeguard human health and aquatic wildlife, and flexibility to achieve permit compliance.- The following document is associated with this water quality standard:
- [See Water Quality Control Plan for the Ocean Waters of California (California Ocean Plan) ]
(Effective April 7, 2016) This plan is applicable, in its entirety, to point source discharges into the ocean.- The following amendments are associated with this document:
Effective Date Description 01-12-16 [See Appendix D: Final Amendment to Water Quality Control Plan for Ocean Waters of California to Control Trash (PDF)] 03-22-19 [See Approved Bacterial Objectives for Ocean Waters ]
- The following amendments are associated with this document:
Statewide Policies
- [See Resolution 92-49, As amended on April 21, 1994 and October 2, 1996 ]
- [See Resolution 96-079, Amended October 2, 1996 and approved by OAL January 13, 1997 (PDF)]
- [See Memorandum from State Water Resources Control Board on Federal Antidegradation Policy (PDF)]
(Effective October 7, 1987) This memorandum is intended to provide guidance on the application of the federal antidegradation policy to actions by the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) and California Regional Water Quality Control Boards (Regional Boards). - [See Water Quality Standards for Salinity, Colorado River System, October 2005 Review (PDF)]
(Effective June 1, 2006) Prepared by the seven-state Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum, this document is a review of the water quality standards including the numeric criteria and plan of implementation previously developed and adopted by the Forum. - Policy for Implementation of Toxics Standards for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California (2005) (PDF) (64 pp, 2 MB) Exit
(Effective October 23, 2006) This document is commonly referred to as the "State Implementation Plan", or "SIP". On October 23, 2006, EPA disapproved portions of Section 2.1 of the Policy related specifically to the granting of compliance schedules up to 15 years from the effective date of the policy to take into account the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for Clean Water Act Section 303(d) impaired waters.- The following amendments are associated with this document:
Effective Date Description 01-12-16 [See Appendix E: Final Part 1 Trash Provisions of the Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California (PDF)]
- The following amendments are associated with this document:
- [See Statement of Policy with Respect to Maintaining High Quality Waters in California (Resolution 68-016) (PDF)]
(Effective October 24, 1968) The purpose of this policy is to state that whenever the existing quality of water is better than the quality established in policies that such existing high quality will be maintained. - [See Water Quality Control Policy for the Enclosed Bays and Estuaries of California (PDF)]
(Effective April 1979) The purpose of this policy is to provide water quality principles and guidelines to prevent water quality degradation and to protect the beneficial uses of waters of enclosed bays and estuaries. - [See Water Quality Control Policy on the Use and Disposal of Inland Waters Used for Powerplant Cooling (Resolution 75-58) (PDF)]
(Effective June 19, 1975) The purpose of this policy is to provide consistent statewide water quality principles and guidance for adoption of discharge requirements, and implementation actions for powerplants which depend upon inland waters for cooling. In addition, this policy should be particularly useful in guiding planning of new power generating facilities so as to protect beneficial uses of the State’s water resources and to keep the consumptive use of freshwater for powerplant cooling to that minimally essential for the welfare of the citizens of the State. - [See Policy with Respect to Water Reclamation in California (Resolution 77-001) (PDF)]
(Effective January 6, 1977) The purpose of this policy is to set forth principles that foster the coordination of the development of reclamation potential in California including data collection, research, planning, and implementation programs for water reclamation and reclaimed water uses. - [See Adoption of Policy Entitled "Sources of Drinking Water " (Resolution 88-63) (PDF)]
(Effective May 19, 1988) This policy gives exceptions to the statement that all surface and ground waters of the State are considered to be suitable, or potentially suitable, for municipal or domestic water supply and should be so designated by the Regional Boards. - [See Policies and Procedures for Investigation and Cleanup and Abatement of Discharges Under Water Code Section 13304 (Resolution 92-49 as amended by Resolution 96-79) (PDF)]
(Effective October 2, 1996) These policies and procedures apply to all investigations, and cleanup and abatement activities, for all types of discharges subject to Section 13304 of the WC-
The following amendments are associated with this document:
Effective Date Description 10-02-1996 [See Amendment to the Policies and Procedures for Investigation and Cleanup and Abatement of Discharges Under Water Code Section 13304, Resolution 96-079 (PDF)]
-
- [See Policy for Regulation of Discharges of Municipal Solid Waste (PDF)]
(Effective June 17, 1993) This policy identifies policies, implementation, implementation schedule, and containment parameters and standards with regards to the regulation of discharges of municipal solid waste. - Adoption of the Water Quality Control Policy for Guidance on Development of Regional Toxic Hot Spot Cleanup Plans (Resolution 98-90) (PDF)Exit
(Effective September 2, 1998) The Water Quality Control Policy for Guidance on Development of Regional Toxic Hot Spot Cleanup Plans is intended to provide guidance on the development of the Regional cleanup plans. The Policy contains a specific definition of a toxic hot spot, general ranking criteria, the mandatory contents of the cleanup plans, and issues to be considered by the SWRCB in the development of the consolidated toxic hot spot cleanup plan. The principles contained in this Policy apply to all enclosed bays, estuaries and coastal waters.
Basin Plans with listed water quality standards amendments for the nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards are included under the other tabs on this webpage. Please note that the Basin Plans also include provisions outside the scope of water quality standards. The dates provided generally reflect the most recent effective date for the water quality standards portions of the plans.
Regional Water Quality Control Board 1 (North Coast)
- [See Water Quality Control Plan for the North Coast Region (PDF)]
(Effective April 9, 2012)
-
Amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan for the North Coast Region Effective Date Description 04-09-12 [See Low Threat Discharges Action Plan and Revision of Action Plan for Storm Water Discharges (PDF)] 04-24-17 [See Strikeout/Underline Version of the Proposed Revisions to the Section 3 of the Water Quality Control Plan for the North Coast Region, Resolution No. R1-2015-0018 ]
Regional Water Quality Control Board 2 (San Francisco Bay Region)
- [See Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay Region (PDF)]
(Effective May 4, 2017)
Effective Date | Description |
---|---|
07-02-19 | [See Approved revisions to site-specific water quality objectives for dissolved oxygen (DO) in Suisun Marsh and non-substantive changes to the Water Quality Control Plan ] |
Regional Water Quality Control Board 3 (Central Coast)
- [See Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coast Region (PDF)]
(Effective September 27, 2017)
Regional Water Quality Control Board 4 (Los Angeles)
Regional Water Quality Control Board 5 (Central Valley)
- [See Water Quality Control Plan for the Tulare Lake Basin, Second Edition - 1995 (PDF)]
(Effective July 20, 1995) - [See Water Quality Control Plan, Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins (PDF)]
(Effective April 21, 2016) This is the Fourth Edition, which includes amendments from 1995.
Effective Date | Description |
---|---|
07-08-16 | [See Variances from Surface Water Quality Standards for Point Source Dischargers, Variance Program for Salinity, and Exception from Implementation of Water Quality Objective for Salinity, Resolution R5-2014-0074 ] |
Effective Date | Description |
---|---|
01-06-04 | [See Modification of Language, Resolution No. R5-2014-0038 (PDF)] |
09-23-15 | [See Modification of language addressing antidegradation policies, Resolution R5-2002-0177 (PDF)] |
Regional Water Quality Control Board 6 (Lahontan)
- [See Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region, North and South Basins (PDF)]
(Effective March 2, 2016)
-
Amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region, North and South Basins Effective Date Description 04-29-02 [See Table 2-1: Removes the potential Municipal and Domestic Supply (MUN) use designation (PDF)] 01-12-04 [See Editorial revisions that pertain to restatements of existing water quality standards for the purpose of clarity and corrections of formatting or typographic errors in the Basin Plan (PDF)] 09-10-15 [See Replacement of a Pesticide Water Quality Objective with a Waste Discharge Prohibition on Pesticides with Exemption Criteria (PDF)]
Regional Water Quality Control Board 7 (Colorado River Basin)
- [See Water Quality Control Plan for the Colorado River Basin (PDF)]
(Effective January 28, 2013)
Regional Water Quality Control Board 8 (Santa Ana)
- [See Water Quality Control Plan for the Santa Ana River Basin (PDF)]
(Effective July 17, 1997)
-
Amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Santa Ana River Basin Effective Date Description 07-15-02 [See Incorporates language to authorize the inclusion of compliance schedules in NPDES permits under specified circumstances (PDF)] 04-08-15 [See Revises recreational standards for inland fresh surface waters in the Santa Ana region (PDF)]
Note that not all changes are effective for Clean Water Act purposes; please refer to cover page for additional information.02-06-18 [See Revises beneficial uses, definitions, antidegradation targets, and other editorial changes related to Newport Bay ] 06-20-19 [See Establishes authorized compliance schedule for waste load allocations in Newport Bay watershed Selenium TMDL ]
Regional Water Quality Control Board 9 (San Diego)
- [See Water Quality Control Plan for the San Diego Basin (PDF)]
(Effective May 17, 2016) This is the 1994 Edition, which includes water quality standards amendments effective on or before May 17, 2016. Basin Plan on the State of California website Exit.
Federally Proposed or Promulgated Standards
- Proposed Rule: Establishment of Revised Numeric Criteria for Selenium for the San Francisco Bay and Delta, State of California (July 15, 2016)
- Proposed Rule: Establishment of a Numeric Criterion for Selenium for the State of California (December 13, 2018)
- 40 CFR §131.36 Toxics criteria for those states not complying with Clean Water Act section 303(c)(2)(B)
- 40 CFR §131.37 California
- 40 CFR §131.38 Establishment of numeric criteria for priority toxic pollutants for the State of California (California Toxics Rule)
- 40 CFR §131.41 Bacteriological criteria for those states not complying with Clean Water Act section 303(i)(1)(A)
- Memorandum from State Water Resources Control Board on Federal Antidegradation Policy (PDF)(19 pp, 1 MB)
- Water Quality Standards for Salinity, Colorado River System, October 2005 Review (PDF)(81 pp, 1 MB)
- Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (PDF)(52 pp, 2 MB)
- Statement of Policy with Respect to Maintaining High Quality Waters in California (Resolution 68-016) (PDF)(3 pp, 255 K)
- Water Quality Control Policy for the Enclosed Bays and Estuaries of California (PDF)(15 pp, 528 K)
- Water Quality Control Plan for Enclosed Bays and Estuaries - Part 1 Sediment Quality (PDF)(39 pp, 807 K)
- Water Quality Control Policy on the Use and Disposal of Inland Waters Used for Powerplant Cooling (Resolution 75-58) (PDF)(10 pp, 72 K)
- Policy with Respect to Water Reclamation in California (Resolution 77-001) (PDF)(4 pp, 180 K)
- Adoption of Policy Entitled "Sources of Drinking Water " (Resolution 88-63) (PDF)(4 pp, 80 K)
- Policies and Procedures for Investigation and Cleanup and Abatement of Discharges Under Water Code Section 13304 (Resolution 92-49 as amended by Resolution 96-79) (PDF)(27 pp, 1 MB)
- Resolution 92-49, As amended on April 21, 1994 and October 2, 1996 (PDF)(27 pp, 1 MB)
- Resolution 96-079, Amended October 2, 1996 and approved by OAL January 13, 1997 (PDF)(27 pp, 1 MB)
- Amendment to the Policies and Procedures for Investigation and Cleanup and Abatement of Discharges Under Water Code Section 13304, Resolution 96-079 (PDF)(27 pp, 1 MB)
- Policy for Regulation of Discharges of Municipal Solid Waste (PDF)(5 pp, 388 K)
- Water Quality Control Plan for the North Coast Region (PDF)(275 pp, 4 MB)
- Low Threat Discharges Action Plan and Revision of Action Plan for Storm Water Discharges (PDF)(6 pp, 83 K)
- Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay Region as of May 4, 2017 (PDF)(411 pp, 19 MB)
- Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coast Region (PDF)(576 pp, 96 MB)
- Water Quality Control Plan for the Los Angeles Region (PDF)(744 pp, 24 MB)
- Amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Los Angeles Region (PDF)(45 pp, 4 MB)
- Update to bacteria objectives for waterbodies designated for Water Contact Recreation (PDF)(2 pp, 56 K)
- Update to ammonia water quality objectives and implementation procedures for inland surface waters, enclosed bays, and estuaries which are characteristic of freshwater and support aquatic life (PDF)(17 pp, 118 K)
- Incorporates (1) implementation provisions for the bacteria objectives; (2) the Santa Monica Bay Beaches wet-weather TMDL; and (3) the Santa Monica Bay Beaches dry-weather TMDL, Resolution 2002-022 (PDF)(25 pp, 409 K)
- Amendment for the coastal watersheds of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties that incorporates language authorizing the inclusion of compliance schedules in NPDES permits, Resolution 2003-001 (PDF)(5 pp, 68 K)
- Update to Beneficial Uses (PDF)(3 pp, 64 K)
- Amended Beneficial Use Table 2.1 (PDF)(11 pp, 90 K)
- Amendment for revised early life stage implementation provision for inland surface water ammonia objectives for freshwaters, Resolution 2005-014 (PDF)(10 pp, 579 K)
- Amendment incorporating site-specific objectives for ammonia, Resolution 2007-005 (PDF)(4 pp, 206 K)
- Amendment subdividing Santa Clara River reach 4 into two Reaches, 4A and 4B, Resolution R4-2007-018 (PDF)(3 pp, 665 K)
- Attachment B to: Revision of the TMDL for Chloride in the Upper Santa Clara River, Resolution No. R4-2014-010 (PDF)(11 pp, 133 K)
- Water Quality Control Plan for the Tulare Lake Basin, Second Edition - 1995 (PDF)(66 pp, 8 MB)
- Modification of language addressing antidegradation policies, Resolution R5-2002-0177 (PDF)(8 pp, 76 K)
- Water Quality Control Plan, Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins (PDF)(162 pp, 890 K)
- Establish a program for the control of mercury in Clear Lake, Resolution R5-2002-0207 (PDF)(13 pp, 118 K)
- Establish site-specific objectives for pH and turbidity for Deer Creek in Sacramento and El Dorado counties, Resolution R5-2002-0127 (PDF)(5 pp, 65 K)
- Modifies language addressing antidegradation policies, Resolution R5-2002-0151 (PDF)(8 pp, 81 K)
- Diazinon objectives for Sacramento and Feather Rivers, Resolution R5-2003-0148 (PDF)(12 pp, 92 K)
- Deer Creek temperature site-specific objectives, Resolution R5-2003-0006 (PDF)(6 pp, 75 K)
- Correction to Deer Creek temperature site-specific objectives, Resolution R5-2005-0119 (PDF)(5 pp, 68 K)
- Redesignation of Old Alamo Creek, Resolution R5-2005-0053 (PDF)(5 pp, 82 K)
- Diazinon and chlorpyrifos objectives for Lower San Joaquin River, Resolution R5-2005-0138 (PDF)(35 pp, 197 K)
- Designate commercial and sport fishing (COMM) use and establishing site-specific methylmercury in fish tissue criteria, Resolution R5-2005-0146 (PDF)(20 pp, 377 K)
- Diazinon and chlorpyrifos objectives for the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta, Resolution R5-2006-0061 (PDF)(16 pp, 354 K)
- Establish compliance schedules for salt and boron wasteload allocations for a TMDL in the Lower San Joaquin River, Resolution R5-2004-0108 (PDF)(32 pp, 466 K)
- Diazinon and chlopyrifos objectives for Sacramento and Feather Rivers, Resolution R5-2007-0034 (PDF)(16 pp, 115 K)
- Revise pH and Turbidity Water Quality Objectives for All Waters in the Basin Plan, Resolution R5-2007-0136 (PDF)(7 pp, 103 K)
- Remove Beneficial Uses and Establish Water Quality Objectives in Sulphur Creek, Colusa County, Resolution R5-2007-0021 (PDF)(8 pp, 89 K)
- Control of Methylmercury and Total Mercury in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary, Resolution R5-2010-0043 (PDF)(44 pp, 1 MB)
- Water Quality Objectives for Chloroform, Chlorodibromomethane, and Dichlorobromomethane for New Alamo and Ulatis Creeks, Solano County, and Permit Implementation Provisions, Resolution R5-2010-0047 (PDF)(11 pp, 128 K)
- Establishment of a Drinking Water Policy for Surface Waters of the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins Delta and Upstream Tributaries (PDF)(4 pp, 135 K)
- Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region, North and South Basins (PDF)(457 pp, 11 MB)
- Table 2-1: Removes the potential Municipal and Domestic Supply (MUN) use designation (PDF)(2 pp, 62 K)
- Editorial revisions that pertain to restatements of existing water quality standards for the purpose of clarity and corrections of formatting or typographic errors in the Basin Plan (PDF)(9 pp, 82 K)
- Water Quality Control Plan for the Colorado River Basin (PDF)(138 pp, 2 MB)
- Water Quality Control Plan for the Santa Ana River Basin (PDF)(204 pp, 15 MB)
- Incorporates language to authorize the inclusion of compliance schedules in NPDES permits under specified circumstances (PDF)(3 pp, 59 K)
- Revises recreational standards for inland fresh surface waters in the Santa Ana region (PDF)(82 pp, 938 K)
- Water Quality Control Plan for the San Diego Basin (PDF)(515 pp, 7 MB)
- Modification of Language, Resolution No. R5-2014-0038 (PDF)(18 pp, 171 K)
- Modification of Language, Resolution No. R5-2014-0037 (PDF)(14 pp, 144 K)
- Replacement of a Pesticide Water Quality Objective with a Waste Discharge Prohibition on Pesticides with Exemption Criteria (PDF)(6 pp, 247 K)
- Appendix D: Final Amendment to Water Quality Control Plan for Ocean Waters of California to Control Trash (PDF)(14 pp, 115 K)
- Appendix E: Final Part 1 Trash Provisions of the Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California (PDF)(14 pp, 142 K)
- Variances from Surface Water Quality Standards for Point Source Dischargers, Variance Program for Salinity, and Exception from Implementation of Water Quality Objective for Salinity, Resolution R5-2014-0074 (PDF)(22 pp, 148 K)
- Removal of the Municipal and Domestic Supply (MUN) Beneficial Use in Twelve Constructed and/or Modified Water Bodies in the Sacramento River Basin Resolution R5-2015-0055 (PDF)(3 pp, 136 K)
- Water Quality Control Plan for the Ocean Waters of California (California Ocean Plan) (PDF)(107 pp, 5 MB)
- Attachment A to: Revision of Lead Water Quality Objectives for Los Angeles River and Tributaries, Resolution No. R15-004 (PDF)(2 pp, 481 K)
- EPA Approval Letter: Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California - Tribal and Subsistence Fishing Beneficial Uses and Mercury Provisions (PDF)(33 pp, 587 K, July 14, 2017)
- Part 2 of the Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California – Tribal and Subsistence Fishing Beneficial Uses and Mercury Provisions (PDF)(24 pp, 1 MB)
- Attachment A to: Implementation Plan for the Total Maximum Daily Loads for Metals and Selenium in the San Gabriel River and Impaired Tributaries, Resolution No. R13-004 (PDF)(21 pp, 1 MB)
- Control of Diazinon and Chlorpyrifos Discharges, Resolution R5-2014-0041 (PDF)(5 pp, 183 K)
- Strikeout/Underline Version of the Proposed Revisions to the Section 3 of the Water Quality Control Plan for the North Coast Region, Resolution No. R1-2015-0018 (PDF)(25 pp, 332 K)
- Revises beneficial uses, definitions, antidegradation targets, and other editorial changes related to Newport Bay (PDF)(39 pp, 577 K)
- Electrical Conductivity in the Lower San Joaquin River Water Quality Standards Amendments (PDF)(17 pp, 301 K)
- Establishes authorized compliance schedule for waste load allocations in Newport Bay watershed Selenium TMDL (PDF)(6 pp, 292 K)
- Approved Bacterial Objectives for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries (PDF)(4 pp, 195 K)
- Approved Bacterial Objectives for Ocean Waters (PDF)(3 pp, 196 K)
- Approved revisions to site-specific water quality objectives for dissolved oxygen (DO) in Suisun Marsh and non-substantive changes to the Water Quality Control Plan (PDF)(5 pp, 411 K)