San Francisco Bay Delta Action Plan: Strengthen Estuarine Water Quality Standards

• Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan
• Review of Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan (WQCP) Update
• Previous Reviews of the Bay-Delta WQCP

Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan (WQCP)

One of EPA's highest priorities in the Bay Delta Estuary Watershed is ensuring water quality standards protect aquatic life beneficial uses. Water quality standards for the Delta are found in the 2006 San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary Water Quality Control Plan (Bay-Delta WQCP).Standards in the Bay-Delta WQCP include flow objectives that require specific amounts of freshwater flow through the Delta and out to the Pacific Ocean to support aquatic life in the Bay Delta Estuary. The Bay-Delta WQCP was last updated in 2006 and the State Board is in the process of reviewing and potentially revising standards in the Bay-Delta WQCP. New and revised water quality standards require EPA approval.

EPA is supporting the State's work to update water quality standards by participating in the State Water Board's update process and providing technical support.

Review of the Bay-Delta WQCP Update

Phase 1

• March 19 2009: EPA Comments on South Delta Salinity and San Joaquin River Flow Notice of Preparation
• March 28 2013: EPA Comments on the Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan; Phase 1; Substitute Environmental Document

Phase 2

• April 25 2012: EPA Scoping comments for the review of the 2006 Water Quality Control Plan
• August 17 2012: EPA Comments on Bay-Delta Workshop 1 – Ecosystem Changes and the Low Salinity Zone
• December 11 2012: EPA Comments on Comprehensive Review of the Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan

Previous Reviews of the Bay-Delta WQCP

• June 12 2009: EPA Comments on 2009 Periodic Review Staff Report

• September 26 1995: EPA Approval of the Bay-Delta WQCP
• January 24 1995: Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, and San Francisco Bay and Delta, California; Final Rule

• September 3, 1991: EPA Approval and Partial Disapproval of the 1991 Bay-Delta WQCP

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