Amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin to Establish TMDLS for Organophosphate Pesticides and Toxicity in the Salinas
Summary
SCH Number
2026031164
Lead Agency
California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Coast Region 3
(RWQCB)
Document Title
Amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin to Establish TMDLS for Organophosphate Pesticides and Toxicity in the Salinas
Document Type
NDE - Notice of Decision
Received
Posted
3/25/2026
Document Description
The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central Coast Water Board) adopted this amendment to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Central Coastal Basin (Basin Plan amendment). The Basin Plan amendment incorporates Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) with an associated implementation strategy for reducing organophosphate pesticide loading to surface waters in the lower Salinas River watershed in Monterey County, California for the following: three organophosphate pesticides (chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion), additive toxicity of those pesticides, and individual toxicity. TMDLs are a requirement of the federal Clean Water Act, and waterbodies assigned TMDLs in this Basin Plan amendment include segments of the lower Salinas River, the Salinas Reclamation Canal, and their respective tributaries including Chualar Creek, Esperanza Creek, Quail Creek, Toro Creek, Blanco Drain, Tembladero Slough, Merritt Ditch, Alisal Slough, Espinosa Slough, and Santa Rita Creek. The Central Coast Water Board is relying on existing regulatory measures (i.e., the Agricultural Order and stormwater NPDES permits), voluntary actions, and grant funding to ensure implementation actions to reduce organophosphate pesticides to the watershed are carried out and maintained by the responsible parties.
Contact Information
Name
Keara Tuso
Agency Name
California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Coast Region
Job Title
Environmental Scientist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant
Phone
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Castroville, Boronda, Chualar, Gonzales, Salinas
Counties
Monterey
Regions
Countywide
Other Location Info
Lower Salinas River Watershed; the northwest corner of the greater Salinas River watershed and within the Central Coast Region of California
Notice of Determination
Approving Agency
Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
Approving Agency Role
Lead Agency
Approved On
County Clerk
Monterey
Final Environmental Document Available at
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralcoast/water_issues/programs/tmdl/docs/salinas/oppesticides/
Determinations
(1) The project will have a significant impact on the environment
No
(2a) An Environmental Impact Report was prepared for this project pursuant to the provisions of CEQA
No
(2b) A Mitigated or a Negative Declaration was prepared for this project pursuant to the provisions of CEQA
No
(2c) An other document type was prepared for this project pursuant to the provisions of CEQA
Yes (Substitute Environmental Documentation)
(3) Mitigated measures were made a condition of the approval of the project
Yes
(4) A mitigation reporting or monitoring plan was adopted for this project
Yes
(5) A Statement of Overriding Considerations was adopted for this project
No
(6) Findings were made pursuant to the provisions of CEQA
Yes
Attachments
Final Document(s) [Approved_Certified draft environmental documents]
Notice of Determination
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