Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for Los Angeles

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Related Links TMDLs Los Angeles River History LA River Trash TMDL LA River Metals TMDL LA River Nutrients TMDL Future LA River Bacteria TMDL The City’s Los Angeles River Metals Implementation Plan is a DRAFT plan only and will be subject to Mayor’s Office and City Council approval. Documents are posted for your comments. Please email Seth.Carr@lacity.org or call (213) 485-3961. Draft Los Angeles River Metals Implementation Plan (19.1 MB) Appendices for the Draft Los Angeles River Metals TMDL Implementation Plan (24.5 MB)	TMDL for Metals in the Los Angeles River and Tributaries (Metals (TMDL) TMDL Effective Date: October 29, 2008 Final Compliance Date: January 11, 2028 City of Los Angeles is mandated by the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) to address the water quality impairments due to metals in the Los Angeles River and its 303(d) listed tributaries and must meet water quality standards as stated in the TMDL (view in a new page: here). RWQCB adopted the Metals TMDL as an amendment to California Water Quality Control Plan/Basin Plan and submitted it to the State Board and EPA Region 9. The Bacteria TMDL was approved and became effective on October 29, 2008. The Metals TMDL divided the Los Angeles River into six jurisdictions (also known as “reaches”) with 42 responsible agencies The Metals TMDL requires responsible jurisdictions to submit a Coordinated Monitoring Plan (CMP) to the RWQCB by April 11, 2007, a draft Implementation Plan by January 11, 2010, and a final Implementation Plan by July 11, 2010. The Metals TMDL defines milestones for achieving compliance with dry- and wet-weather metals limits as follows:
		By January 11, 2011, the RWQCB will reconsider this TMDL to re-evaluate the waste load allocations and the implementation schedule.
		By January 11, 2012, each jurisdictional group shall demonstrate that 50% of the group’s total drainage area served by the storm drain system is effectively meeting the dry-weather waste load allocations and 25% is effectively meeting the wet-weather waste load allocations.
		By January 11, 2020, each jurisdictional group shall demonstrate that 75% of the group’s total drainage area served by the storm drain system is effectively meeting the dry-weather waste load allocations.
		By January 11, 2024, each jurisdictional group shall demonstrate that 100% of the group’s total drainage area served by the storm drain system is effectively meeting the dry-weather waste load allocations and 50% is effectively meeting the wet-weather waste load allocations.
		By January 11, 2028, each jurisdictional group shall demonstrate that 100% of the group’s total drainage area served by the storm drain system is effectively meeting the wet-weather waste load allocations.
	The Watershed Protection Division (WPD) of Bureau of Sanitation is the lead office in charge of developing the CMP and Implementation Plans for the TMDL. While the Los Angeles River watershed group collectively collaborated with the City of Los Angeles on the preparation of the CMP, the City of Los Angeles’ implementation effort for the Metals TMDL focuses solely on the City’s jurisdictional area within the Los Angeles River watershed. The City of Los Angeles, along with the Los Angeles River watershed group, submitted the Metals TMDL CMP to the RWQCB on April 11, 2007; the RWQCB approved the CMP in April 2008 and TMDL monitoring began in October 2008. Recently, WPD conducted community stakeholder workshops and several one-on-one meetings and field visits to consult with community stakeholders in the Los Angeles River watershed on implementation plan opportunities. Three stakeholder workshops were held at the Los Angeles River Center on the following dates:
		Workshop 1: Watershed Characterization (download the PDF here), March 25, 2009
		Workshop 2: Identification of Opportunities for Best Management Practices (download the PDF here), July 1, 2009.
		Workshop 3: Selection of Priority Best Management Practices (download the PDF here), September 30, 2009.
	The workshops were all well attended and included representatives from non-governmental organizations, neighborhood councils, private residents, universities, and state and local governments. The City’s Implementation Plan builds upon the expertise and knowledge of stakeholders and improves upon existing plans. The plan focuses on several multi-benefit best management practices, including institutional solutions, large-scale regional projects like infiltration basins and wetlands, and smaller-scale distributed projects such as "green streets."