Background

In August 2001, the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) initiated a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) (What is a TMDL? ) development effort to address the excess levels of pollutants in these waterbodies.  This effort included the formation of the Middle Santa Ana River TMDL Workgroup, a local stakeholder group interested in water quality issues impacting the watershed.  This workgroup, which includes representatives from local cities, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, agriculture and dairy, environmental groups is working in cooperation with Regional Board staff to assess pathogen sources and impacts on impaired waterbodies.  The objectives of the workgroup efforts described in this report include the development and implementation of a water quality monitoring program to evaluate in-stream “pathogen indicator” concentrations.  In addition, a field survey to evaluate the extent, frequency, and degree to which these waterbodies are used by the public for recreational activities (REC1 and REC2).

Beginning in February 2002, the Workgroup developed and implemented an extensive pathogen water quality monitoring program.  Samples were collected by Regional Board staff and stakeholder agencies at 10-13 locations on weekly basis during nine 30-day sampling periods.  These sampling periods occurred during February, March, July and September of 2002, January and March of 2003, and from January through mid-April 2004.  Agencies participating in the monitoring program included San Bernardino County Flood Control District (SBCFCD), City of Riverside, Orange County Water District (OCWD), Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) and Chino Basin Watermaster (CBWM)(add link to above agencies).  Results of this program verified significant impairments to the identified water bodies and established the basis of the Regional Board TMDL report.

The TMDL Workgroup also conducted a beneficial use survey of the watershed as part of the data collection effort to support the development of TMDLs for the Middle Santa Ana River Watershed.  The primary objective of this effort was to collect data to evaluate the extent, frequency, and degree to which the Santa Ana River channel and its Chino Basin tributaries are used by the public for recreational activities (REC1 and REC2). 

Copyright: Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, 2002
Last modified 11/21/2005