SAN JOAQUIN RIVER
Dissolved Oxygen
Total Maximum Daily Load
Stakeholder Process
SJR Dissolved Oxygen TMDL Steering Committee
DRAFT Meeting Notes - Draft 1 - September 15, 1999
 By: Kevin Wolf, kjwolf@dcn.davis.ca.us

Note: Send comments and suggested changes to me by September 30th and I will incorporate them in the notes we deliver to the Executive Committee on the October 6th. Kevin

Attending: Morris Allen (Stockton), Roger Bennett (Lathrop), Doug Brewer (JSA), Russ Brown (JSA), Chris Foe (CVRWQCB), Mary Hildebrand (SJFB), Jay Jahangiri (Port of Stockton), Brant Jorgenson (JSA), Vance Kennedy (Farm Bureau), Tom King (CVRWQCB), G. Fred Lee (Delta Keeper), Peggy Lehman (DWR), Gary Litton (UOP), Dan Madden (City of Turlock), Paul Marshall (CalFed), Paul Martin (Western United Dairymen), Bob Murdoch (Stockton), Mike Schafer (Lodi), Jeanette Thomas (SEWD ), Tony Tovar (Modesto), Walter Ward (Modesto ID), Kevin Wolf (facilitation and notes)
  1. Next Meetings:
    1. Executive Committee:
      October 6, 1999 1:30 - 3:30 pm, 2500 Navy Drive, Stockton
    2. Steering Committee:
      October 20, 1999, 9 am - 12:30 pm, 2500 Navy Drive, Stockton
    3. Technical Committee:
      October 4 , 9 am - 4 pm. Jones and Stokes, 2600 V Street, Sacramento (lunch provided)
  2. Decisions by the Steering Committee
    1. Consensus was reached to develop an Implementation Plan to meet the Regional Board's December 2002 timeline. This decision will be presented to the Regional Board at its December 1999 meeting.
    2. Consensus was reached to start developing the research program for the Implementation Plan after the Steering Committee reviews the rough-cut TMDL that the Technical Committee plans on having completed by January 2000. Developing a rough-cut TMDL is a critical step that will allow the stakeholders to better direct future TMDL and Implementation Plan research.
    3. The Steering Committee directed the Technical Committee to review and finalize the technical master plan that is being developed by Jones and Stokes in October. It would like to have the opportunity to hear the Technical Committee's recommendation and adopt the master plan by its November meeting.
    4. The Steering Committee wants to have the rough-cut TMDL be presented to agricultural technical experts as soon as it is ready, hopefully in January. Experts and representatives from UC Coop Extension, CDFA, USDA, the dairy industry and different crop associations should be invited.
    5. A presentation or workshop for the environmental community should also be scheduled to give them a chance to review the rough-cut TMDL and the technical strategic plan. The Steering Committee wants to ensure that the different interest groups have a clear opportunity to help shape the technical plan and the science that will be used to develop the TMDL and Implementation Plan.
    6. The Steering Committee would like Paul Marshall to ask CalFed if it would allocate funds to the agricultural and environmental community to send their selected experts to attend the Technical Committee meetings, especially in this early stage when decisions on research, methodology and monitoring are being determined.
    7. The Steering Committee accepted Roger Bennett's resignation as vice-chair of the Steering Committee and thanked him for his efforts. Roger's work with the city of Lathrop has become too demanding for him to be able to make the time commitment. The Executive Committee will put on its October agenda the issue of finding a replacement. Anyone interested in this position should notify the Executive Committee.
  3. Jones and Stokes presentation on its June 1998 report for the City of Stockton entitled "Potential Solutions for Achieving the San Joaquin River Dissolved Oxygen Objectives"
    IIA3. At some point in the meeting Doug Brewer raised the question of whether or not the establishment of riverine forests would have a significant effect on water temperature by providing shade.
    1. Russ Brown reviewed the conceptual model and some of the key data that went into the above report that was presented to the Regional Board last year. Stakeholders asked him to provide more information both in the conceptual "cartoon" model in the report and in general on the following questions:
      1. How do tides, ship wake, and dredging affect Sediment Oxygen Demand? Is there a correlation between shipping activities and the sag?
      2. How does the volume of river flow affect the dissolved oxygen levels? What is the relationship between flows and the dissolved oxygen sag over a season and in different water years? How do delta water exports affect flows?
      3. How do water temperatures affect algal growth and dissolved oxygen capacity in the water column? A plot of Temperature to DO is needed. How much affect on water temperature would the cooling benefits of riparian forest provide? (The new Stanislaus River water temperature model might help.)
      4. How are non-point urban and Ag loading sources thought to be factors in the equation?
      5. Where does the algae go between Mossdale and Stockton?
      6. Does elevated pH levels in the channel affect the dissolved oxygen problem as a result of the increased algal respiration that occurs there?
    2. During the presentation, concern was raised on how current and past methodologies to determine Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS) have been conducted. There is concern that some methodologies might burn off the magnesium carbonate in the sample and distort the results. Peggy will send DWR's methodology for TSS to Fred Lee and Vance Kennedy to review.
    3. A key issue for the TMDL and Implementation Plan is what can be controlled (the bio-available nutrients in question are nitrate, ammonia, and soluble ortho-phosphates) to a level that will retard algal growth levels so that dissolved oxygen is improved in the lower reach of the San Joaquin. It may be difficult or impossible to lower any factor to a level that stops algae from growing to an amount that results in improvements in dissolved oxygen levels.
    4. Even if nitrates, phosphate, nitrogen and other factors can be reduced to effectively control algae, will lowering algal growth rates harm other important ecological functions such as the food chain for other species?
  4. Peggy's Presentation on Tracers Methodologies that could help the TMDL Process
    1. The Western United Dairymen and the California Farm Bureau each contributed $500 to pay for Peggy Lehman's (DWR's technical lead on the TMDL) travel to Colorado for four days of meetings with tracer and dissolved oxygen experts from around the country. The Steering Committee thanked the sponsors for their financial help in making this trip possible.
    2. Tracers are tools that allow researchers to sort out the sources of organic and inorganic materials. Under certain conditions, tracers can help in the quantification of how much material is coming from a specific source. Tracer studies could also help in verifying the computer modeling results.
    3. USEPA grant money is now becoming available for tracer research in the pursuit of TMDLs. It is possible that this agency could fund tracer research for the San Joaquin dissolved oxygen TMDL.
    4. The USGS recommended and offered to assist in setting up a recconaissance study to determine which tracers might best meet the goals and objectives of the SJR dissolved oxygen TMDL. The local office of the USGS will facilitate this process for no charge with the understanding that they would be considered for any research that comes out of the recconaissance study. Early in this process, the USGS experts should meet with the agricultural community experts and representatives to explain the approach and what conclusions could be drawn from this type of research.
  5. CalFed Funding and Dissolved Oxygen Workgroup
    1. CalFed has started a SJR Dissolved Oxygen Workgroup as part of its South Delta Bundle. A number of the stakeholders attended the first meeting. CalFed needs the Workgroup to help them determine how to best allocate funds to help resolve the river's low DO problem. They want the workgroup to work closely with the stakeholders to create a fairly seamless level of communication and coordination between the two efforts. CalFed is not interested in duplicating the work of the stakeholders.
    2. The CalFed Dissolved Oxygen Workgroup includes in its mission the development of "tools" that will resolve the DO problem. These "tools" equate to the different actions the stakeholders might include in an implementation plan (e.g. urban and Ag BMPs, aeration, temperature improvement). With the stakeholders' commitment to develop an Implementation Plan as part of their TMDL process, CalFed can include the "tools" development into the stakeholder process.
    3. There is a good chance that more CalFed funds will be available to the stakeholder efforts. To gain access to much of this money, the stakeholders will need to pursue the development of an implementation plan. CalFed funds can help develop the "tools" needed in the implementation plan. Paul Marshall will keep the Steering Committee informed of opportunities.
    4. The $870,000 in CalFed funds that have been granted to the Stakeholder research needs will not be available until April because of technical difficulties in transferring the money in a manner that meets different organizational accounting needs. (The funds eventually will go to the Dept. of Water Resources through the US Bureau of Reclamation. Carl Werder is the USBR lead on this.) CalFed does allow for a reimbursement of 10% of the funds so that some money can be used now. The City of Stockton has offered to assist in this by providing this 10% to the research needs with the understanding that it will be reimbursed when CalFed funds finally come through. Peggy Lehman and the Technical Committee will help determine how this 10% opportunity can best or most effectively be met.
  6. The Regional Board's December meeting
    1. Chris Foe recommended that the stakeholders attend the December meeting and do the following:
      1. Ask the board any questions they have of them.
      2. Tell the board how far they have progressed.
      3. Explain to the Regional Board how they will pursue developing an implementation plan.
    2. In response to a stakeholder's question, Chris Foe said he would report positively on the progress of the stakeholders to the Regional Board. With the Steering Committee's decision to pursue an Implementation Plan on a parallel track with the TMDL, and the progress made on research and the rough-cut TMDL, Chris believes that significant progress has been made and that the stakeholders will have met the Regional Board's requirements for December 1999.
  7. Agricultural and Environmental Stakeholder Involvement in developing the TMDL
    1. Ag should find a consultant or other expert who could participate in the Technical Committee process and then allow the Steering Committee to help find the funding to pay for the consultant. Funds could come from industry (e.g. Gallo Farms), grants, 319 money (talk to Sue McConnell), or other sources.
    2. Environmental advisor G. Fred Lee has been a great addition to the Technical Team. He is not a representative of the environmental stakeholders but has been paid to advise them through the City of Turlock settlement. What will occur when his funding ends? Will the environmental community have an advisor or representative to assist in the technical decision making process?
    3. Environmental Outreach.
      1. There are only two environmental organizations on the TMDL mailing list (i.e. DeltaKeeper and the Natural Heritage Institute). Kevin will provide a more complete list of organizations and contact persons who should be receiving this information. The City of Stockton will add these organizations to the mailing list and make sure they receive whatever is sent out.
      2. The stakeholders will ask the Environmental Water Caucus to help host a workshop on the results of the rough-cut TMDL after it is completed this winter. In the meantime, the EWC and its member organizations will be invited to the October 4 Technical Committee meeting which will determine the methodology to pursue in developing the rough-cut TMDL.

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