Surfrider Foundation

Huntington Beach/Seal Beach Chapter

Blue Water Task Force Newsletter

May 2008

CWMOC Members participate in California Snapshot Day Water Quality Test.

The Citizen Watershed Monitors of Orange County (CWMOC) sponsored by Southern California's
Regional Water Control boards, was formed to grow the citizen water quality monitoring effort of
watersheds in Orange County, with a networking approach and with participation from the involved
agencies, non-profits, and community based organizations.

Our chapter has been a member of this organization since it’s inception over 5 years ago.

On May 3, 2008 several of the CWMOC chapter members participated in a one-day exercise
conducted to monitor the water quality of our local watershed. Samples were collected at over 20
sites between the San Gabriel River and San Mateo Creek and were analyzed for chemical, physical
and microbiological contaminants. Sites included samples from ocean shoreline, estuary, and fresh
water locations. Primary contaminants of concern are pathogens (fecal indicator bacteria) and
nutrients (nitrates and phosphates).

These State-wide “Snapshot Day” water quality events have been conducted yearly since first
initiated by the State Water Resources Control Board in 2003. The results of the examination for this
year are currently being evaluated.

Space for the location of activities for the event was provided by the Bolsa Chica Conservancy at the
Interpretive Center at Warner and PCH. Laboratory services were provided by Orange County
Coastkeeper.

Other environmental organizations participating in this event include DIVERS, Orange County
Coastkeeper, Citizen Water Monitors of Orange County, Bolsa Chica Conservancy, and Trout
Unlimited as well as the general public.

We are grateful to our event sponsor PROJECT POLLUTION PREVENTION for making this
event possible. See www.ocwatersheds.com

A more complete description of this event as well as the data results can be found at;
www.coastkeeper.org and www.cwmoc.org
Chapter Recommends Bolsa Chica Inlet be listed as an Impaired Water Body.

According to a report and data recently released by the Bolsa Chica Conservancy, the inlet to the
Bolsa Chica wetlands is contaminated by enterococcus bacteria to levels that frequently exceed
AB411 Calif. State standards. Enterococcus bacteria is the fecal indicator that the EPA has
recommended to be the primary indicator of choice for the detection of pathogens in ocean
waters.

The data also indicates that the number of measured bacterial exceedances is greater then that
required to place a water segment on the State section 303(d) list of impaired water bodies.

The data samples were collected by the Conservancy’s volunteer scientists at ebb and flood tides
over a 21 month period following the date of opening of the newly constructed Bolsa Chica inlet.
The data shows that state thresholds for enterococcus bacteria were exceeded on nine out of 56
samples over a period of 21 months, or greater than 16% of the time. Comparable bacterial
exceedance rates for enterococcus at the county health care agency monitored sites north (at
33N), and south (at 27N) of the new tidal inlet are 1.9% and 4.5% respectfully out of 215 days
sampled over the same first twelve month period of time.

A 16% sample data bacterial exceedance rate would make the Bolsa Chica inlet the most
frequently contaminated REC 1 site currently being regularly monitored in Orange County.
Unfortunately this site, unlike other problematic sites at the Santa Ana and San Gabriel River
mouths, and the Talbert Marsh, is neither regularly monitored nor posted with warning signs by
the County Health Care Agency.

A letter and supporting data and FACT SHEET have been forwarded to the Santa Ana Regional
Water Quality Control Board (SARWQCB) by our Chapter requesting that this site be
considered for listing on the State 303(d) list of impaired water bodies.
(See ATTACHMENTS)

The members of the Bolsa Chica Conservancy volunteer scientists who spent many dedicated
hours collecting the samples and publishing the data are to be commended for bringing this issue
to our attention,

Orange County League of Conservation Voters Honors Sara Wan.

At the recent Orange County League of Conservation Voters (OC-LCV) held May 1, 2008 held
at the University Club at U.C.I. Sara Wan received Special Recognition for Environmental
Excellence for the critical role that she has played as Coastal Commissioner in many important
issues, particularly public access, wetland and habitat protection, protection of marine mammals,
and protection of water quality and lower cost recreation.

She co-founded Vote the Coast, a Political Action Committee dedicated to electing coastal
friendly candidates, and serves as its Executive Director. She also serves as its
Executive Director. She also founded ORCA (Organization of Regional Coastal Activists) which
is designed to educate coastal activists about the Coastal Act and the Commission and to create a
statewide network of activists.
Much of Sara’s acceptance speech was devoted towards opposition of AB1991 (Mullen).
This bill would remove 2 properties with 48 acres of undeveloped land with wetlands in the
Coastal Zone from all environmental review to facilitate a 129 unit development. It bails out the
City of Half Moon Bay which made a "settlement" with the developer that implements an
appealable Federal Trial Court decision that ignores a State Court of Appeals ruling and sets out
a path for future avoidance of all environmental laws.

Also receiving an award from the OC-LCV were the Orange County Water District (OCWD)
and the Orange County Water District (OCWD) for special recognition for Environmental
Achievement for the Ground Water Replenishment System. It is the largest water purification
project of its kind in the world and will help increase Orange County’s water independence by
providing a locally controlled, drought-proof supply of safe, high-quality water. Acknowledged
by the water agency speakers for their early support for this sometimes controversial “toilet-to-
tap” project were the following environmental organizations; Surfrider Foundation,
Huntington/Seal Beach chapter, Sierra Club and Coastkeeper in that order.
State Water Board Holds Desalination Policy Scoping Meeting.

Because the EPA has been slow to adopt a new set of rules and regulations that correctly
implements Clean Water Act Section 316(b), and the regulation has substantially changed, the
State Water Board is now releasing a revised document entitled, “Scoping Document: “Water
Quality Control Policy on the Use of Coastal and Estuarine Waters for Power Plant Cooling.”

The revised document is being released to allow the public to review and comment on the State
Water Board staff’s preliminary proposal for a statewide policy to implement Section 316(b) of
the Clean Water Act regarding the use of once-through cooling water at power plants.

The State Water Board held a CEQA scoping meeting and public workshop on May 8, 2008 in
San Pedro CA.

Attending this meeting and making comments in opposition to Once Through Cooling (OTC)
power generating plants were members of the environmental stakeholder community, including
Surfrider Foundation, Heal the Bay, Orange County Coastkeeper, Residents for Responsible
Desalination (R4RD), environmental atty. Conner Everett, and others.
Arguing against the proposed policy were members of the power generating industry, CASIO,
NRG, AES and Edison.

The proponents for retiring or converting OTC power generating plants to newer air cooling
technology point out the loss of marine life caused by the impingement and entrainment
associated with the ocean water intake mechanism of these plants.

Power Industry opponents point out the loss of grid reliability that would result if the CASIO
peak energy provider power industry is forced into early retirement.

SWRCB board members were correct to point out that power grid reliability was not a Water
Board responsibility, but that issue should be more properly addressed by the California Energy
Commission.

For more information and a list of comments;

www.waterboards.ca.gov/ water_issues/programs/npdes/cwa316.shtml
ATTACHMENTS:

Surfrider Foundation
Huntington Beach/Seal Beach Chapter

Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board May 12, 2008

3737 Main Street, Suite 500

Riverside CA. 92501-3339

Basin Planning, Inland Waters.

ATTN: Ms. Pavlova Vitale

RE: Bolsa Chica inlet bacterial contamination.

Dear Ms. Vitale;

Thank you for the information regarding 303(d) listing requirements for impaired water bodies.
We believe that there is sufficient data recently taken at the mouth of the Bolsa Chica Inlet by
the Coastkeeper, Orange County bacterial laboratory to include this site as a candidate for
listing as an impaired water body.

Additional supporting data and information will be forwarded to you via E-mail as required by
SWRCB 303(d) listing requirements.

Copies of correspondence with State Lands Commission are included with this letter for your
information, although the site in question is not within, but adjacent to the Bolsa Chica Fish
and Game Refuge. The source of this contamination is not presently known.

Any additional assistance that you may wish to provide to us regarding this issue would be
greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Don Schulz
Director, Blue Water Task Force.
Surfrider Foundation
Huntington/Seal Beach Chapter

CC. Orange County Coastkeeper.

State Lands Commission.

P.O. Box 4216, Seal Beach, Ca. 90740

FACT SHEET:
A. Region: SARWQCB (Region 8)
B. Type of water body: REC 1 Coastal Shoreline.
C. Name of water body segment: Bolsa Chica State Beach. Calwater watershed No.
80111000.
D. Pollutant type: Indicator bacteria, enterococcus.
E. Medium: Seawater.
F. Water quality standards: “Final Functional Equivalent Document, Appendix A Water
Quality Control Policy.” Pg. A-5 Sect. 3.3. and Pg. A-10 Table 3.2.
www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/tmdl/docs/ffed_appxa093004.pdf
1. Beneficial use affected: Human health risk; swimming and surfing.
2. Numeric water quality objective: enterococcus 104/100ml. per water quality
standards stated in the above reference FED appendix A.
3. Antidegredation considerations; None. Not Applicable.
4. Other provisions of the standard used: FED Pg. A-5 Sect. 3.3 Par. 2-3.
G. Brief Watershed Description: Bolsa Chica State Beach; adjacent to a tidal input to a
California. Fish and Game Preserve enclosed bay.
H. Summary of data and/or information;
1. Spatial representation; N 33.683 deg. W 118.036 deg. See photo. in attachment.
2. Temporal representation: See attached Data Sheet.
3. Age of data and/or information. 8/24/2006 to 5/2/2008. See attached Data Sheet.
4. Effect of seasonality and events/conditions that that might influence data and/or
information evaluation: Tidal inlet was first opened Aug. 24, 2006.
5. Number of samples or observations: 56.
6. Number of samples or observations exceeding guidelines or standards: 9.
7. Source of or reference for data and/or information: Bolsa Chica Conservancy
Data. Attached.
I. For numeric data include:
1. Quality assurance assessment: See QAPP;
http://coastkeeper.org/content/documents/prop13QAPP100505.pdf
J. For non-numeric data include: N/A.
K. Potential source of pollutant: Not presently known. Could be outflow from the newly
opened inlet, or sewage from adjacent state park rest room, or other, as yet another
unidentified source.
L. Programs addressing the problem: None known.
M. Data evaluation as required by Sect. 3 or 4 of this policy: Number of bacterial
exceedences from April 1 to Oct. 31 2006; 2 of 10 is 20%. And from April 1 2007 to
Oct. 31 2007 is 3 of 14 or 21.4%. The bacterial standard limit for this pollutant is not
greater than 4%. The total exceedance rate for the period 8/24/2006 to 5/2/2008 is 9 out
of 56 (16%) or greater than 15%. REF: Sect.3.3 and Pg.A-10 Table 3,2 of the above
referenced FED Appendix A.
N. Recommendation: Place the described water body on the 303(d) list of impaired water
bodies.
O. TMDL schedule: TBD by the SARWQCB.
 Bolsa Chica New Inlet Overlook Site Bacterial Data (mpn/100ml)
Tide Flood Tide Ebb Tide
E.Coli- Entero-
Date Ht (ft) TC-Flood E.Coli-Flood Entero-Flood TC-Ebb Ebb Ebb
8/24/2006 4 10 10 65.3 74 10 84.2
9/7/2006 5.4 63 20 116.3 20 10 399.8
9/21/2006 5 10 10 13.5 31 10 25.9
10/5/2006 5.7 20 10 59.1 41 20 87.1
10/19/2006 5.3 74 10 35.9 20 10 30.1
11/2/2006 5.7 31 31 37.3 85 41 33.2
11/16/2006 5.2 10 10 24.6 52 31 27.2
12/4/2006 7 20 10 151 10 10 11.9
12/18/2006 6 309 10 112.6 31 10 69.5
1/4/2007 6.4 10 10 41.9 52 20 30.1
1/18/2007 6.5 10 10 32.8 10 10 28.7
2/1/2007 8.1 10 10 10 31 10 10.9
2/15/2007 6.2 31 10 40 10 10 49
3/1/2007 5.7 345 10 163.8 86 10 42.2
4/16/2007 5 10 10 45 10 10 38
5/14/2007 4.2 10 10 30.7 10 10 36.8
6/19/2007 4 10 10 66.3 10 10 117.4
7/18/2007 4.4 82.9 30.6
8/28/2007 4.3 10 10 69.6 10 10 51.2
9/27/2007 6.1 374 10 21.3 408 41 21.3
10/22/2007 4 310 10 189.2 20 10 121.1
11/26/2007 5.6 10 10 18.7 10 10 23.8
12/10/2007 5.5 10 10 90.8 52 31 70.3
1/8/2008 5.2 336 10 547.5 171 10 190.4
2/7/2008 5.1 10 10 84 96 62 46.7
3/18/2008 4.8 10 10 88.9 53.7
4/8/2008 4.9 10 10 68.9 63 10 30.9
5/2/2008 3.7 10 10 39.3 10 10 20.3

NOTES:
Bolsa Chica
data source; Conservancy
test method; IDEXX Quantitray