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…

This $2,202,000 Formula Grant awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 under the Water Quality Management Planning program (CFDA 66.454) will fund the State of California's efforts to improve impaired waters and protect unimpaired waters across the state. Key activities include:

Developing biostimulation, cyanotoxin, and biological condition provisions for water quality; amending the Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Ocean Plan; supporting statewide tribal beneficial use designations and standards; and implementing various water quality planning projects across the state, such as the Russian River Pathogen Reduction Planning, West Fork Carson River Prioritization, Post Mountain Road Sediment Reduction, and LA Sierra Watershed Sediment Reduction initiatives. The grant will provide funding for state personnel as well as sub-awards to regional planning agencies to carry out these water quality management planning activities.

The grant has an award date of October 1, 2023 and a performance period ending September 30, 2028.

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 is providing about 36% of this award to regional watershed management planning agencies. California submitted a waiver request on may 25, 2023 which was approved by EPA on july 5, 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 $2,202,000, which includes $75,000 for EPA in-kind services. See terms and conditions.activities:the activities to be performed include the following water quality management planning activities. State of california personnel activities include biostimulation, cyanotoxins, and biological condition provisions, ocean acidification and hypoxia ocean plan amendment, basin planning coordination with the regional boards, and grant program administration. Subaward activities include the statewide tribal beneficial use designation and standards support, the tribal water data initiative, and newport BAY shellfish fecal coliform and pathogen correlation substantiation study. Pass-through activities include the russian river pathogen reduction planning project, the west fork carson prioritization project, the post mountain road sediment reduction project, and the LA sierra watershed sediment reduction project.subrecipient:subaward activities include the statewide tribal beneficial use designation and standards support and the tribal water data initiative. Pass-through funds are also subawards that include the russian river pathogen reduction planning project, the west fork carson prioritization project, the post mountain road sediment reduction project, and the LA sierra watershed sediment reduction project.outcomes:the deliverables to be provided under this agreement are: 1) biostimulation, cyanotoxins, and biological condition provisions - white papers, regulatory advisory group series of workshops, public workshop. 2) ocean acidification and hypoxia ocean plan amendment - project charter, issue paper on modeling and research needs, stakeholder engagement plan. 3) statewide tribal beneficial use designation and standards support - draft scope of work, final scope of work. 4) tribal water data initiative - draft scope of work, final scope of work, subgrant application submission. 5) newport BAY shellfish fecal coliform pathogen correlation substantiation study - draft scope of work, final scope of work, contract application submission. 6) russian river pathogen reduction planning project - analyze and synthesize data on key sources of pathogens, education and outreach to stakeholders. 7) west fork carson river prioritization project - geomorphological assessment and sediment transport planning model and a project prioritization plan for the west fork carson river watershed. 8) post mountain road sediment reduction project - identify the sources of sediment generated by post mountain roads, propose road treatments to reduce sources of sediment, obtain the necessary permits to conduct treatments. 9) LA sierra watershed sediment reduction project - assess the needs of five sites impacted by wildfires and perform the engineering and permitting required as of march 2024. The expected outcomes resulting from these efforts include completion of activities that carry out a water quality management planning program with environmental outputs related to restoring the state of california's impaired waters and protecting healt