Title
Beneficial Uses in California

Author Information
Papantzin Cid
American River College, Geography 350: Data Acquisition in GIS; Fall 2010


Abstract
The State Water Resources Control Board is directed toward achieving the highest water quality consistent with a maximum benefit to the people of the state. To acheive this goal the SWRCB has adopted a new Construction General Permit which documents beneficial uses pertaining to cold fresh water habitat, fish spawning and fish migration. This report will identify what watersheds in California contain all three beneficial uses.

Introduction
Construction in California is rapidly growing and with its expansion our waterways and wildlife slowly dwindle. It is the mission of the State Water Recourses Control Board (SWRCB) is to protect the quality of the water we currently use. Sediment from construction sites flow into waterways and damage fish ecosystems. Using information from the UC Davis University of California Information Center for the Environment (ICE) and specified beneficial uses from the SWRCB, this report identifies the three beneficial uses relating to cold fresh water habitat (COLD) , fish spawning (SPWN) as well as fish migration (MIGR) that appear in California's Planning Watershed. Areas in California with all three beneficial uses are considered higher risk, when it comes to construction activity, for damaging California’s natural aquatic life. This report will identify the watersheds that have all three beneficial uses, construction sites in these areas are at a higer risk for degreation of habitat and should be subject to stronger regulations and enforecment.

Background
On September 2nd 2009 the (SWRCB) adopted a new Construction General Permit (CGP) . The CGP uses beneficial uses of COLD, SPWN and MIGR to determine what risk level a particular construction site has based on the calculations of Projected Sediment Risk and Receiving Water Risk. A list of waterbodies used to narrow down the beneficial uses is located on the (UCD ICE) website. The SWRCB incorporated the ICE information into the CGP to enforce stricter guidelines for construction activity. The ICE provides information regarding the beneficial uses of cold fresh water habitat, fish spawning, and fish migration. With the help of California Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Forestry, and the SWRCB, the ICE was able to compile a list of beneficial uses and then specify each waterbody affected by those beneficial uses as of February 2007.


A list of California beneficial uses and thier definitions can be viewed at The San Francisco Bay Regioinal Water Quality Board which is available from the CalEPA web.

Methods and Results
The ICE site lists several beneficial uses, since the factors needed pertain to COLD, SPWN and MIGR, three tables were created for each beneficial use. Using tabular information provided by the (ICE), data was taken and hydrologic names were exported into an Excel document. The worksheets were formatted and exported into Microsoft Access. Access was queried to produce a final list, without duplicates, compiled of hydrological area names appearing with all three beneficial uses. The Access list was then imported into ArcGIS 9.2 and joined to the SWRCB California watershed shapefile (CalWater) that was retrieved from the (Cal-Atlas) website.

CalWater is divided into several categories that were used to compare which hydrological areas contained all three risk factors. The categories that were used and related to the final beneficial use table are (1) Hydrological Unit (HUName) (2) Hydrological Area (HAName) (3) Hydrologic Sub-Area (HSAName) (4) Cal Dept of Forestry and Fire Protection Super Planning Watershed Name (CDFSPWName) (5) Cal Dept of Forestry & Fire Protection Planning Watershed (CDFPWSName). The “relate” tool was used because each field had several water body names that were used to match the names of the final table. The CalWater shapefile already lists what hydrological areas appear in each watershed. That information was used to determine what areas contain all three beneficial uses. The final beneficial use table was related to the CalWater attribute table to define which waterbodies matched.

A “relate” relationship was created for each individual category in the CalWater shapefile. For example: To use the “relate” option in ArcGIS, all of the data in the final beneficial use attribute table must be selected. Then select the CalWater layer and go to “relate”. The first “relate” is based on HUName. When the “relate” is created, open the final beneficial use table and the CalWater attribute table. In the beneficial use table go to “options”, go up to related tables and select the “relate” you just created. Simultaneously the CalWater table will select the records in the HUName field that match the hydrology names in the beneficial use table. When that is done, go to the CalWater table choose the “select” option and the hydrological names that match the final beneficial use table water body names are represented. Lastly, the selected attributes can be represented in a new shapefile by exporting it back into the Arc Data Frame. The HUName layer showing the beneficial use hydrological names that coincide with the HUName shapefile will appear in a seperate new shapfile. This process is repeated with each field listed in the above CalWater shapefile.

Once all of the layers based on significant fields have been created, the CalWater Planning Watershed layer is added to ArcGIS and an intersection is created. The intersection tool isolates which watersheds have all three beneficial use factors within a planning watershed. The files that were created using the relate tool are intersected with the CalWater Planning Watershed file so that the map highlights which watersheds have all three beneficial uses, as seen below. A county map layer from (Cal-Atlas) is downloaded and used as a background image.

Figures and Maps
Figure One: CalWater Watershed
Beneficial Uses


Figure Two: CalWater Planning Watershed
this is my big green map

* Used as the intersect, slight difference from the CalWater Watershed shapefile


Figure Three: Partial Beneficial Use
this is my big green map


Figure Four: Completed Beneficial Use Map
this is my big green map



Analysis
The final map shows which watersheds contain all three beneficial uses. Northern California is more consentrated than Southern California. This is logical because Northern California has more water bodies while Southern California is desert. It was challenging finding and deleting duplicate hydrological names in Excel, using Access was much eaiser. Importing the table into ArcGIS and relating the final table to the CalWater shapefile was also difficult in the matter of keeping files organized. Five different columns needed to be related, naming and keeping track of each field was more challenging then anticipated. The defult layer name, "relate1" was originally used, this was troublesome because it was hard to keep track of which field was already used. The solution was to re-do the “relates” and name them appropriately depending on the field heading. Using the intersect tool was the easiest part aside from just downloading data. Intersecting the related shapefiles with the CalWater Planning Watershed shapefile was easily done because of proper experience. The challenge again being organization of created files.

Conclusion
The map created only shows a fraction of the 20 defined beneficial uses stated by the SWRCB. Focusing on the COLD, MIGR and SPWN could be a start on identifying which areas in California are at a higher risk for habitat destruction. The map could be used to help guide enforcement action on future construction sites. If the site falls within one of the identified planning watersheds it should have more restrictions than a site that does not. The CGP has construction sites divided into three risk categories, one being a lower risk factor than three. This map could be used to identify which construction sites fall in a higher risk three category. In the future adding other uses such as estuary habitats and shellfish harvesting will create a comprehensive view on areas that should have stronger regulations and enforcement when it comes to construction activity.

References
1. "Chapter 2: Beneficial Uses." California Environmental Protection Agency San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Board. 2007. State Water Resources Control Board, Web. 10 Nov 2009. http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sanfranciscobay/water_issues/programs/planningtmdls/basinplan/web/bp_ch2.shtml

2. "California Spatial Information Library Categories." Cal-Atlas Geospatial Clearing House. 07/05/2008. Cal-Atlas, Web. 10 Nov 2009. http://www.atlas.ca.gov/download.html

3. "Geo Waterbody System Query." Geospatial Waterbody System. University California Davis, Web. 10 Nov 2009. http://endeavor.des.ucdavis.edu/geowbs/

4. "Geo Waterbody System Beneficial Uses." Information Center for the Environment. University California Davis, Web. 10 Nov 2009. http://endeavor.des.ucdavis.edu/geowbs/asp/wbquse.asp

5. "Storm Water Program." California Environmental Protection Agency State Water Resources Control Board. 09/25/2009. State Water Resources Control Board, Web. 10 Nov 2009. http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/stormwater/constpermits.shtml

Glossary
Beneficial Use: Beneficial uses of the waters of the state that may be protected against quality degradation included, but are not limited to, 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.

Cold Fresh Water Habitat: Uses of water that support cold water ecosystems, including, but not limited to, preservation or enhancement of aquatic habitats, vegetation, fish, or wildlife, including invertebrates. Cold freshwater habitats generally support trout and may support the anadromous salmon and steelhead fisheries as well. Cold water habitats are commonly well-oxygenated. Life within these waters is relatively intolerant to environmental stresses. Often, soft waters feed cold water habitats. These waters render fish more susceptible to toxic metals, such as copper, because of their lower buffering capacity.

Fish Migration: Uses of water that support habitats necessary for migration, acclimatization between fresh water and salt water, and protection of aquatic organisms that are temporary inhabitants of waters within the region. The water quality provisions acceptable to cold water fish generally protect anadromous fish as well. However, particular attention must be paid to maintaining zones of passage. Any barrier to migration or free movement of migratory fish is harmful. Natural tidal movement in estuaries and unimpeded river flows are necessary to sustain migratory fish and their offspring. A water quality barrier, whether thermal, physical, or chemical, can destroy the integrity of the migration route and lead to the rapid decline of dependent fisheries. Water quality may vary through a zone of passage as a result of natural or human- induced activities. Fresh water entering estuaries may float on the surface of the denser salt water or hug one shore as a result of density differences related to water temperature, salinity, or suspended matter.

Fish Spawning: Uses of water that support high quality aquatic habitats suitable for reproduction and early development of fish. Dissolved oxygen levels in spawning areas should ideally approach saturation levels. Free movement of water is essential to maintain well-oxygenated conditions around eggs deposited in sediments. Water temperature, size distribution and organic content of sediments, water depth, and current velocity are also important determinants of spawning area adequacy.

Hydrological Unit: Major Rivers.

Hydrological Area: Major Tributaries.

Hydrologic Sub-Area: Major segments of an hydrological areas having significant geographical characteristics.

Receiving Water Risk: Receiving water risk is based on whether a project drains to a sediment-sensitive waterbody.

Sediment: Solid particulate matter, both mineral and organic, that is in suspension, is being transported, or has been moved from its site of origin by air, water, gravity, or ice and has come to rest on the earth's surface either above or below sea level.