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establish for each of the nine regions in California the beneficial uses of the waters,water quality objectives,and implementation programs to protect the specified beneficial uses and meet the objectives.State law defines beneficial uses as"domestic;municipal; agricultural and industrial supply;power generation;recreation; aesthetic enjoyment;navigation;and preservation and enhancement of fish,wildlife,and other aquatic resources or preserves" (Water Code Section 13050[fj).The Porter—Cologne Act sets forth the obligations of the SWRCB and RWQCBs to s adopt and periodically update the plans. The Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins(Basin Plan),updated by the Central Valley RWQCB most recently in 1998,identifies the beneficial uses of water bodies and provides water quality objectives and standards for surface water and groundwater resources in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins.The Basin Plan contains specific narrative and numeric water quality objectives for a number of physical properties (e.g.,temperature,turbidity,and suspended solids);biological constituents(e.g.,coliform bacteria); and chemical constituents of concern,including inorganic parameters,trace metals, and organic compounds.Water quality objectives for toxic priority pollutants(i.e., select trace metals and synthetic organic compounds)are included in the Basin Plan. 1995 Bay—Delta Water Quality Control Plan The CVP and SWP are responsible for maintaining water quality in the Delta to standards established by the SWRCB in the 1995 Bay—Delta Water Quality Control Plan(Bay—Delta Plan).The Bay—Delta Plan includes numeric objectives for water quality constituents(salinity and dissolved oxygen), numeric operational constraints for the CVP and SWP,a narrative objective to protect salmon,and a narrative objective to protect brackish tidal marshes in Suisun Marsh. Compliance with the standards is maintained, in part,by regulating the releases from CVP and SWP reservoirs upstream of the Delta. California Toxics Rule r The California Toxics Rule(CTR)was adopted in May 2000 and provides an additional set of applicable water quality criteria applicable to aquatic life and human health protection.The CTR contains numeric water quality criteria for approximately 130 priority pollutant trace metals and organic compounds that represent the current standards that the RWQCBs use to assess existing water quality conditions and compliance associated with point- source discharges such as industrial and domestic wastewater treatment plant facilities. NPDES Permit System and Waste Discharge Requirements The Central Valley RWQCB has adopted specific NPDES stormwater and non-stormwater permits for a variety of activities that have potential to discharge wastes to waters of the state.Phase 2 of the NPDES stormwater permit regulations,which became effective in March 2003,require that NPDES permits be issued for construction activity for projects that disturb greater than 1 acre of land(the regulations previously applied only to disturbances greater than 5 acres).The SWRCB's statewide stormwater permit for general construction activity(Order 99-08-DWQ,as amended)is applicable to all land-disturbing construction activities,including clearing,grading,stockpiling,and excavation.Those proposing discharges that are subject to this NPDES permit must develop and implement a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan(SWPPP).The SWPPP includes a site map and description of construction activities and identifies the best management practices(BMPs)that will be employed to prevent soil erosion and discharge of other construction-related pollutants(e.g.,petroleum products,solvents,paints,cement)that could contaminate nearby water resources.Implementation of BMPs identified in the SWPPP is the principal means of compliance with the NPDES regulations and include such measures as source controls,treatment controls,and site planning measures.Dischargers are required to eliminate or reduce non-stormwater discharges to storm sewer systems and other waters.The permit also requires dischargers to consider the use of permanent post-construction BMPs to protect water quality throughout the life of a project. Phase 2 of the municipal pennit system(known as the NPDES General Permit for Small MS4s)requires small municipal areas with populations from 10,000 to 100,000 to develop stonnwater management programs(SWMPs)to College Park at Mountain House Specffic Plan III Draft EIR EDAW San Joaquin County 4.8-5 Water Quality