Chapters 1 - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Refuge Resources
California’s enclosed bays and estuaries. These objectives are presented in the “Water Quality
Control Plan (WQCP) for Enclosed Bays and Estuaries – Part 1 Sediment Quality” (SWRCB
2009), which became effective in August 2009. This first phase of the WQCP establishes the
following sediment quality objectives (SQOs) for enclosed bays and estuaries: 1) pollutants in
sediments shall not be present in quantities that, alone or in combination, are toxic to benthic
communities in bays and estuaries of California; and 2) pollutants shall not be present in sediments
at levels that will bioaccumulate in aquatic life to levels that are harmful to human health.
Part 1 of the WQCP integrates chemical and biological measures to determine if the sediment
dependent biota are protected or degraded as a result of exposure to toxic pollutants in sediment.
This information is then used in an effort to protect human health. Part 1 is not intended to
address low dissolved oxygen, pathogens, or nutrients including ammonia; instead it focuses
primarily on the protection of benthic communities. Part 2 of the WQCP will focus on the benthic
community protection indicators and the development of an improved approach to address
sediment quality related human health risk associated with consumption of fish tissue.
Implementation of Part 1 will involve specific indicators, tools, and implementation provisions to
determine if the sediment quality at a station or multiple stations meets the narrative objectives; a
description of appropriate monitoring programs; and a sequential series of actions that shall be
initiated when a sediment quality objective is not met.
As authorized by the Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES) Permit Program regulates the discharge of pollutants into waters of the United States.
Regulations initially focused on controlling point sources (i.e., discrete conveyances such as pipes
or man-made ditches) from sewage treatment facilities, industrial sites, and power plant outfalls.
With discharges from these sources improving, regulation has expanded to include nonpoint source
pollution and storm water discharge. Storm drains are now being treated as a point source of
pollution and are required to be covered under a NPDES permit. The County of Orange and all of
the cities in the County are under a General Municipal Stormwater Permit. The U.S. Navy,
including NWSSB, is covered under the statewide General Industrial NPDES Stormwater Permit.
The California State Water Board recently approved a NPDES General Permit for Storm Water
Discharges Associated with Construction and Land Disturbance Activities that will go into effect in
July 2010. This General Permit authorizes discharges of stormwater associated with construction
activity so long as the dischargers comply with all requirements, provisions, limitations and
prohibitions in the permit. Covered under this General Permit are all discharges of pollutants in
storm water associated with construction activity (storm water discharges) to waters of the United
States from construction sites that disturb one or more acres of land surface, or that are part of a
common plan of development or sale that disturbs more than one acre of land surface. Coverage
under this General Permit is obtained by filing a Notice of Intent, Storm Water Pollution
Prevention Plan, and other appropriate documents with the State Water Board. In some cases, a
General Permit may be determined by the Regional Water Board to be inappropriate for a specific
construction project, requiring the discharger to obtain an Individual Permit or apply for coverage
under a more specific General Permit. To make this finding, the Regional Water Board must
determine that this General Permit does not provide adequate assurance that water quality would
be protected, or that there is a site-specific reason for obtaining an individual permit.
4.2.5.3 Watershed Planning
The Refuge is included within the planning area for the North Orange County Integrated Regional
Watershed Management Plan (Orange County 2009). The plan, which is currently in draft form,
presents water management objectives, as well as strategies to achieve these objectives, that
Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan/Environmental Assessment 4-27