This agreement is to fund the state of california's water quality management planning program to improve impaired water and protect unimpaired waters across the state by conducting planning that…

The Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 awarded the State of California Water Resources Control Board a $2.2 million Formula Grant under the Water Quality Management Planning program (CFDA 66.454) for the period of October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2027.

Under this award, the State Water Resources Board and identified sub-awardees will deliver several products and services to support water quality planning and management in California. This includes developing provisions for biostimulation, cyanotoxins, and biological conditions; amending aquatic toxicity assessment methods; supporting the development of an Ocean Plan amendment for ocean acidification and hypoxia; scoping and piloting microplastics monitoring; and conducting assessments on equity, environmental justice, and climate impacts. Sub-awardees will perform related technical studies and provide stakeholder engagement support for several of these initiatives. The funding will also support the State Water Board's basin planning coordination and grant administration activities over the five-year period.

This agreement is to fund the state of california's water quality management planning program to improve impaired water and protect unimpaired waters across the state by conducting planning that informs and supports implementation of clean water act programs. In accordance with clean water act section 205(j)(3), unless a waiver request is approved by EPA, the recipient will jointly develop workplans with and provide at least 40% of this award to regional or interstate watershed management planning agencies. California submitted a waiver request on april 29, 2022 and a supplemental waiver request on july 20, 2022. This agreement is supported by funding provided under the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) (PL 117-58). This agreement provides full federal funding in the amount of $2,208,805, which includes $50,000 for EPA in-kind services. See terms and conditions.activities:the activities to be performed by state of california personnel include biostimulation, cyanotoxins, and biological condition provisions, aquatic toxicity alpha values amendment, ocean acidification and hypoxia ocean plan amendment, microplastic objective scoping/sampling and assessment, urban pesticides provisions, equity and environmental justice assessment and climate assessment, basin planning coordination with the regional boards, and grant program administration. The activities to be performed through subawards include ceriodaphnia toxicity laboratory method improvement study, ocean acidification and hypoxia objectives technical and stakeholder support, biostimulation, cyanotoxin, and biological condition technical and stakeholder support, constituents of emerging concern statewide pilot monitoring, salton sea constructed habitats water quality characterization, and sea grant fellows water quality work in 2024-2025.subrecipient:the following activities will be implemented through subawards: ceriodaphnia toxicity laboratory method improvement study, ocean acidification and hypoxia objectives technical and stakeholder support, biostimulation, cyanotoxin, and biological condition technical and stakeholder support, constituents of emerging concern statewide pilot monitoring, salton sea constructed habitats water quality characterization.outcomes:the deliverables to be provided under this agreement are: (PO insert specifics from the workplan). Biostimulation, cyanotoxins, and biological condition provisions - host 1-3 meetings. Host 1-3 workshops. Outline of provisions. Aquatic toxicity alpha values amendment - compile test data. Calculate alpha values. Submit results for peer review. Ocean acidification and hypoxia ocean plan amendment - finalize project charter. Host at least one stakeholder meeting. Microplastic objective scoping/sampling and assessment - participate in inter-agency plastic pollution steering committee. Draft 2024 integrated report with microplastics assessment method. Urban pesticides provisions - draft pre-public staff report. Equity and environmental justice assessment and climate assessment - write draft assessment and final assessment. Ceriodaphnia toxicity laboratory method improvement study - oral report and technical memo of lab results. Oral report and technical memo of optimization of test conditions. Oral report and technical memo of confirmation testing. Draft recommendations report. Final recommendations report. Release dataset with metadata. Ocean acidification and hypoxia objectives technical and stakeholder support - execute subgrant agreement. Provide technical support on model results and stakeholder coordination. Biostimulation, cyanotoxin, and biological condition technical and stakeholder support - execute subgrant agreement. The deliverables will likely include further data synthesis, technical writing to improve understanding and communication, and stakeholder coordination. Constituents of emerging concern (CEC) statewide pilot monitoring - execute subgrant AGR