California's TMDL Guidance and Use of Adaptive Implementation

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California's TMDL Guidance and Use of Adaptive
Implementation

• Tom Mumley
• CA Regional Water Quality Control Board, San
  Francisco Bay Region

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Presentation Overview

• CA uses adaptive implementation
• Driving issues / challenges
• Overview of CA guidance
• (Adaptive) implementation planning
• Lessons learned

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California Uses Adaptive Implementation

• TMDLs must have implementation plans
• Adaptive implementation is implicit part of TMDL
  development
• Adaptive implementation is explicit part of TMDL
  implementation

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TMDL Process Elements
Problem
Numeric Target
Linkage
Sources
TMDL or equivalent
Allocations
Actions
Regulatory Actions
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TMDL Issues / Challenges

• Technical
• TMDLs are inherently difficult
• Limited data / monitoring
• Complex water body and watershed systems
• Unknown or legacy sources
• Water Quality Standards
• Resource Limitations

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TMDL Issues / Challenges

• Regulatory
• Unknown or legacy sources
• Unregulated sources
• Regulatory constraints / conflicts
• Water Quality Standards
• Resource Limitations

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TMDL Issues / Challenges

• Political
• Interagency cooperation
• Stakeholder cooperation
• Water Quality Standards
• Resource Limitations

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TMDL Impaired Waters Guidance

• Basic project planning principles
• Base guidance with add-ons
• Issue papers
• Categorical pollutant modules
• Phased trackable process
• Seek best response to repair waters

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TMDL Project Phases
1 Project Definition
2 Project Planning
3 Data Collection
4 Project Analyses
5 Regulatory Action Selection
6 Regulatory Process
7 Approval
8 Implementation
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303(d) List
1
Project Definition
2
3
Project Planning
Data Collection
4
Project Analyses
5-7
Regulatory Action/Process
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Implementation
WQS Support
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Key Challenge

• Make decisions or recommendations despite
  numerous uncertainties!

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Key Solution

• Apply scientific method to decision making
• Consider physical and biological science AND
  social science challenges

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Key Opportunities

• Adaptive Implementation
• Project Definition and Plan
• Conceptual Models (technical)
• Implementation Planning (regulatory)
• Manage stakeholder participation (political)

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Project Definition

• One or more water body pollutant combinations
• Direction/focus of project
• What is the problem?
• What are the sources?
• What can we do about it?
• Initial repair estimate

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Is the listed water meeting WQS?
Delist
YES
NO
Are WQS appropriate?
Evaluate Cause of Impairment
NO
Pollutants
Anti-deg finding
UAA
SSO
Pollution
Develop TMDL
Regulatory Actions Implementation
Re-evaluate adapt if necessary
Meet WQS
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Project Plan

• Detailed trackable road map
• Detailed repair estimate
• Identify and fill key data/information gaps
• Identify and conduct appropriate
  analyses/modeling
• Use conceptual model(s)
• Include implementation planning
• Include stakeholder participation

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Conceptual Models

• Define the system
• Describe inputs / outputs
• Describe system conditions
• Describe relevant fate, transport, and effects
  processes

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Conceptual Models

• Illustrate key assumptions
• Illustrate hypotheses
• Identify information gaps
• Identify analyses and modeling needs
• Scientific basis of TMDL

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Implementation Planning
 

• Identify issues early
• Consider opportunities and constraints
• technical, economic, political
• Adaptive implementation
• Think backwards
• How do I get there from here?

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Adaptive Implementation

• Hypotheses answers to implementation
  questions
• What sources must be controlled?
• What are applicable control measures?
• What are applicable regulatory mechanisms?

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Adaptive Implementation
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Adaptive Implementation

• Collect data perform analyses make decision
  recommendations
• As part of initial TMDL and implementation plan
  development
• As part of implementation and refinement of
  actions
• As part of implementation resulting in refinement
  of TMDL and implementation plan

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Stakeholder Participation

• Getting buy-in investing time
• Conceptual Model
• Project Plan
• Seek collaboration
• Data collection (before and/or after TMDL)
• Implementation commitment
• Constructive comments

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Lessons Learned

• Need better project planning
• Begin implementation planning earlier
• Avoid adaptive implementation study versus
  action

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Lessons Learned

• Adaptive implementation requires long-term
  commitment
• Need more trust and buy-in
• Current regulatory framework inhibits adaptive
  implementation
• Too much NPDES
• Not enough nonpoint

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(No Transcript)
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Conceptual Model of PCBs in SF Bay
(USEPA)
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Bioturbation, Scouring, Deposition
Resuspension, Transport, Dredging
Atmospheric Deposition
Golden Gate Outflow
PointSources
Surface Waters
UrbanRunoff
Fish eatingWildlife
Fish
Spills On-LandContaminated Sites
Biologically Active Sediment Layer
Benthic Plant eating Wildlife
Benthic Invertebrates Plants
Non-UrbanRunoff Non-Point Sources
Buried Sediment Layer
Humans
Degradation, Sorption Desorption, Diffusion
DeltaInflow
PCBs Conceptual Model
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Bioturbation, Scouring, Deposition
Resuspension, Transport, Dredging
Atmospheric Deposition
Golden Gate Outflow
PointSources
Surface Waters
UrbanRunoff
Fish eatingWildlife
Fish
Spills On-LandContaminated Sites
Biologically Active Sediment Layer
Benthic Plant eating Wildlife
Benthic Invertebrates Plants
Non-UrbanRunoff Non-Point Sources
Buried Sediment Layer
Humans
Degradation, Sorption Desorption, Diffusion
DeltaInflow
PCBs Conceptual Model
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Mass Budget of PCBs in SF Bay
(SFEI, 2002)
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Bioturbation, Scouring, Deposition
Resuspension, Transport, Dredging
Atmospheric Deposition
Golden Gate Outflow
PointSources
Surface Waters
UrbanRunoff
Fish eatingWildlife
Fish
Spills On-LandContaminated Sites
Biologically Active Sediment Layer
Benthic Plant eating Wildlife
Benthic Invertebrates Plants
Non-UrbanRunoff Non-Point Sources
Buried Sediment Layer
Humans
Degradation, Sorption Desorption, Diffusion
DeltaInflow
PCBs Conceptual Model
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Conceptual Food Web Model
(Draft SFEI/EVS, 2002)
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Lessons Learned

• Difficult to fast-track nonpoint source TMDLs
• Dischargers not used to being regulated
• Dischargers not used to monitoring
• Difficult to make responsible for studies
• New drivers WDR waiver and nonpoint source
  policies

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Lessons Learned

• Charting new territory doing things never been
  done before
• Pesticides in SF Bay Urban Creeks
• Solution / implementation beyond municipalities
• Prevent future impairment

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Adaptive Implementation
 

• Take actions of limited scope based on
  available information
• Improve understanding of problem and solutions
• Make progress towards attaining water quality
  standards
• Take action ? prevent, manage, control ? observe
  systems response
• Lather, rinse, repeat if necessary