Geographic Setting

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San Jacinto River Watershed       Lake Elsinore and Canyon Lake are located in the southwestern portion of the 780 square-mile San Jacinto watershed approximately 60 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Most of the San Jacinto River watershed falls within Riverside County; however, a small western section is located in Orange County.        Flow to the San Jacinto River begins in the San Jacinto Mountains, then travels northwest along the San Jacinto fault zone. The river then flows through Canyon Lake and exits the Perris Block into the lower Elsinore Basin created by the Elsinore fault zone.  Canyon Lake is located near the watershed outlet and was formed by the damming of the San Jacinto River. Runoff from as far as Moreno Valley, San Jacinto, Hemet, and Perris contribute to surface flows that reach Canyon Lake during rainfall events. Over 90 percent of the San Jacinto watershed drains to Canyon Lake. During normal dry periods, the San Jacinto River is essentially dry, contributing little or no flow to Canyon Lake. Lake Elsinore is located approximately 3miles downstream of Canyon Lake, at the bottom of the San Jacinto watershed. The local tributary area to Lake Elsinore is 47 square-miles. Surface flow from the watershed reaches Lake Elsinore through release, overflow, or seepage from the Canyon Lake dam.  Lake Elsinore acts much like a sink, with almost nonexistent outflow.          In rare situations, including torrential rains and extended rain periods, the lake overflows into Temescal Creek, and ultimately to the Santa Ana River.

For further information, please contact Rick Whetsel at SAWPA

Background

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Regulatory Links Region 8 TMDL Page Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) doc

Lake Elsinore and Canyon Lake Nutrient TMDL     Under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, the Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board) is required to identify surface waters that do not or are not expected to meet water quality standards (beneficial uses, water quality objectives) with the implementation of technology–based controls.  Once a waterbody has been added to the 303(d) list of impaired waterbodies, a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) must be developed for that waterbody and the pollutant causing impairment.  A TMDL is established to address the pollutant causing impairment and thereby ensure that a waterbody will attain and maintain water quality standards, taking the existing pollutant loads and reasonably foreseeable increases in pollutant loads into consideration.     In 1994, the Regional Board placed Lake Elsinore on the Clean Water Act Section 303(d) list of impaired waterbodies. This was due to the lake’s ongoing problem with hypereutrophication, or an excessive amount of nutrients, namely phosphorous and nitrogen, in the water. This in turn caused high algal productivity and fish kills. In 1998 and 2002, Lake Elsinore was listed for unknown toxicity, nutrients, organic enrichment/low dissolved oxygen and sedimentation/siltation.     Similar to Lake Elsinore, eutrophication has also caused water quality problems in Canyon Lake. The Regional Board placed Canyon Lake on the 303(d) list of impaired waters in 1998 and 2002 due to excessive nutrient levels (phosphorous and nitrogen) that has resulted in high algal productivity. The high amount of algae causes high turbidity in the lake, making Canyon Lake an uninviting murky green color at times. Canyon Lake serves as a domestic water supply to EMWD customers. The eutrophic conditions in Canyon Lake impact the MUN beneficial use.     An amendment to the Basin Plan to incorporate Lake Elsinore and Canyon Lake Nutrient Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) were approved by the Regional Board on December 20, 2004, by the State Water Resources Control Board on May 19, 2005, by the Office of Administrative Law on July 26, 2005 and by the US Environmental Protection Agency on September 30, 2005. The adopted TMDLs specified a set of implementation tasks, responsible parties, and compliance dates.

For further information, please contact Rick Whetsel at SAWPA

Stakeholder Effort

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Since December of 2004, SAWPA/LESJWA staff has been working closely with Stakeholders under the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board’s San Jacinto Nutrient TMDL Basin Plan Amendment for the implementation/development of stormwater and lake water quality monitoring program, updates to nutrient source assessment models, and additional studies to further understand the impairment processes affecting Lake Elsinore and Canyon Lake.     In June 2005, LESJWA hired Tetra Tech Inc. using Proposition 13 funding to conduct a study to evaluate the existing TMDL monitoring program and make a recommendation to the most cost efficient and effective monitoring program to address the Lake Elsinore & Canyon Lake nutrient TMDLs.  It was recommended that a reduced monitoring program that focused on lake analysis for the first three years, then transitioned into an expanded upper watershed monitoring program. The LESJWA Board requested SAWPA provide staff to support the TMDL Task Force administration. The purpose of the TMDL is to improve water quality and attain water quality standards at both Lake Elsinore and Canyon Lake.		Stakeholders     Riverside County CALTRANS   City of Beaumont CA DF&G   City of Canyon Lake RCFC&WCD   City of Hemet EVMWD   City of Lake Elsinore March Joint Powers Authority   City of Moreno Valley US Air Force   City of Murrieta US Forest Service   City of Riverside Eastern Municipal Water District   City of Menifee San Jacinto Agricultural Operators   City of Wildomar SJ Dairy & CAFO Operators   City of San Jacinto     Task Force Documents   Task Force Agreement   Task Force Budget Task Force Agenda, Meeting Notes & Handouts     2011     July 12 May 31 April 19 February 22 Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts           2010     August 23 June 28 April 12 February 22 January 25 Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts   TAC Agenda, Meeting Notes, & Handouts     2011     December 14 November 15 October 19 September 13 August 15 June 14 May 18 April 6 March 22 Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts   2010   December 15 November 18 October 25 Agenda / Meeting Notes Agenda / Meeting Notes Agenda / Meeting Notes / Handouts September 27 Agenda / Meeting Notes

For further information, please contact Rick Whetsel at SAWPA

Monitoring Program

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Lake Elsinore & Canyon Lake Nutrient TMDL Task Force      Since 2000, stakeholders, in cooperation with the Regional Board, have been working to identify the source of nutrients impairing each lake, and evaluate the impacts to water quality and beneficial uses incurred from nutrient sources.  Stakeholders have also participated in watershed-wide annual stormwater quality and flow monitoring supported by RCFC&WCD, EVMWD, and the San Jacinto River Watershed Council.  Additionally, LESJWA has performed numerous studies of each lake, and has begun to implement projects expected to result in improvements to in-lake water quality.     In 2004, the Regional Board prepared the Lake Elsinore & Canyon Lake Nutrient TMDL Report.  This report framed the stakeholders’ monitoring/modeling efforts to characterize in-lake water quality, while providing the basis for recommendations to the Regional Board.       In July 2006, local stakeholders formed the Lake Elsinore & Canyon Lake Nutrient TMDL Task Force.

TMDL Monitoring Plan Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) US Forest Service TMDL Monitoring Lake Elsinore Canyon Lake Watershed Annual WQ Reports

For further information, please contact Rick Whetsel at SAWPA

Request for Proposals (RFPs)

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Canyon Lake Aeration Project

 

The Lake Elsinore and San Jacinto Watershed Authority (LESJWA), a lake authority administered by the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA), wishes to retain an engineering firm experienced in aeration and hypolimnetic oxygenation systems for lakes, specifically, design of oxygen injection systems including automated controls. 

LESJWA is requesting proposals for conducting design services for an Aeration/Oxygenation Project for the main body of Canyon Lake.  The budget available to conduct this work is $100,000. 

Canyon Lake Aeration Project RFP

 

All proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m. on June 25, 2010. 

Please direct any questions regarding this request for proposals to Rick Whetsel (951) 354-4222.

 

Reference Documents

 

1. Lake Elsinore and San Jacinto Watersheds Authority, Restoration of Canyon Lake and Benefits to Lake Elsinore Downstream, Prepared by Alex J. Horne Ph.D., January 2002. 

 

• Sediment Nutrient Flux and Oxygen Demand Study for Canyon Lake with Assessment of In-Lake Alternatives, Prepared by Dr. Michael A. Anderson, Catrina Paez and Sotheary Men, Department of Environmental Sciences University of California Riverside, June 2007. 

 

• Predicted Effects of External Load Reductions and In-Lake Treatment on Water Quality in Canyon Lake – a Supplemental Simulation Study, Prepared by Dr. Michael Anderson, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, December 2008.  

 

• Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, Lake Elsinore and Canyon Lake Nutrient Source Assessment, Final Report, Prepared by Tetra Tech, Inc., January 2003. 

 

• Lake Elsinore and San Jacinto Watersheds Authority, Canyon Lake Improvement Project, Final Environmental Impact Report, Prepared by HDR, February 2004. 

 

• Internal loading and Nutrient Cycling in Canyon Lake, Prepared by Michael A. Anderson and Heemadri Oza Department of Environmental Sciences University of California, Riverside, January 2003.  

 

• Lake Elsinore & San Jacinto Watersheds Authority, Lake Elsinore and Canyon Lake Preliminary Aeration System Report, Prepared by PACE, August 2004.