EPA Comments on the SF Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan

EPA is reviewing and commenting on periodic reviews and proposed modifications to water quality standards, including flow criteria, in the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary Water Quality Control Plan (Bay-Delta WQCP). The State Water Resources Control Board is updating standards in the Bay-Delta WQCP two phases. Phase 1 addresses freshwater flows for the protection of aquatic life in the lower San Joaquin River and three tributaries, the Stanislaus, Merced, and Tuolumne Rivers as well as salinity limits for the protection of agriculture in the southern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Phase 2 also called the "comprehensive update," addresses freshwater flow conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, its tributaries, and Suisun Bay to reverse population declines of commercial, recreational, and forage fisheries and broadly improve conditions for aquatic resources.

EPA Comment Letters

• EPA Comments on October 2024 Draft Bay-Delta Plan Updates (pdf) (279.75 KB, January 10, 2025)
  EPA Comments on the State Water Resources Control Board's Draft Sacramento/Delta Updates to the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed.
• EPA Comments on the Phase 2 Draft Staff Report (pdf) (407.55 KB, January 19, 2024)
  EPA Comments on the State Water Resources Control Board's Draft Staff Report/Substitute Environmental Document in Support of Potential Updates to the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary for the Sacramento River and its Tributaries, Delta Eastside Tributaries, and Delta (Draft Staff Report), released September 2023.
• EPA Comment Letter to SWRCB: Consideration of Addition of Tribal Beneficial Uses to the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (pdf) (225.92 KB, June 1, 2023)
  EPA comments on the State Water Resources Control Board’s consideration of the addition of tribal beneficial uses to the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Water Quality Control Plan, discussed during the Board’s June 7, 2023 Board Meeting.
• EPA Comments on the Phase 2 Draft Scientific Basis Report Supplement (pdf) (312.66 KB, February 8, 2023)
  EPA Comments on the State Water Resources Control Board's Draft Scientific Basis Report Supplement in Support of Proposed Voluntary Agreements for the Sacramento River, Delta, and Tributaries Update to the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Water Quality Control Plan (Draft Scientific Basis Report Supplement), released January 2023.
• EPA Comments on the Phase 2 Scientific Basis Report (pdf) (383.53 KB, February 23, 2017)
  EPA Comments on the State Water Resources Control Board's Working Draft Scientific Basis Report for New and Revised Flow Requirements on the Sacramento River and Tributaries, Eastside Tributaries to the Delta, Delta Outflow, and Interior Delta Operations (Scientific Basis Report).
• EPA Comments on Phase 1 Recirculated Substitute Environmental Document (pdf) (2.62 MB, December 29, 2016)
  EPA comments on the State Water Resources Control Board's Public Draft Revised Substitute Environmental Document (SED) released September 15, 2016.
• EPA Comments on the Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan; Phase 1; Substitute Environmental Document (pdf) (6.78 MB, March 28, 2013)
  EPA comments on the State Water Resources Control Board's Public Draft Substitute Environmental Document (SED) released on December 31, 2012.
• EPA Comments on the Comprehensive Review of the Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan (pdf) (6.67 MB, December 11, 2012)
  EPA comments on the ongoing comprehensive review of the 2006 Water Quality Control Plan (Bay-Delta WQCP).
• EPA Comments on Bay-Delta Workshop 1 – Ecosystem Changes and the Low Salinity Zone (pdf) (134.79 KB, August 17, 2012)
  EPA comments in response to the State Water Resources Control Board’s notice dated June 22, 2012, in which the Board presented the schedule for a series of workshops on particular topics associated with the 2006 Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Bay-Delta Plan).
• EPA Scoping comments for the review of the 2006 Water Quality Control Plan (pdf) (161.82 KB, April 25, 2012)
  EPA comments responding to the Supplemental Notice of Preparation and Notice of Scoping Meeting regarding the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) review of the 2006 Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Bay-Delta) (WQCP).
• EPA Comments on 2009 Periodic Review Staff Report (pdf) (58.79 KB, June 12, 2009)
  EPA comments on the draft Staff Report for the Periodic Review of the 2006 Water Quality Control Plan (WQCP) for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Staff Report).
• EPA Comments on South Delta Salinity and San Joaquin River Flow Notice of Preparation (pdf) (32.66 KB, March 19, 2009)
  EPA comments on the the State Water Resources Control Board’s February 13, 2009, scoping notice and notice of a March 30 Workshop examining the issues of South Delta Salinity and San Joaquin River Flows.
• EPA Participation in State Water Board Process (pdf) (342.14 KB, June 22, 1998)
  EPA comments on it's role in the State Board's hearing process and in the larger CALFED process.
• EPA Approval of the 1995 Bay-Delta WQCP (pdf) (3.1 MB, September 26, 1995)
  EPA approval of the State Water Resources Control Board's 1995 Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan (WQCP).
• Technical Memo Supporting EPA Approval of Bay-Delta WQCP (pdf) (7.82 MB, September 21, 1995)
  This memorandum provides a technical analysis of the provisions of the State of California's Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (1995 WQCP).
• Partial Approval-Disapproval of Bay-Delta WQCP (pdf) (7.37 MB, September 3, 1991)
  EPA's partial approval/disapproval of the Water Quality Control Plan for Salinity for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Bay-Delta Plan).