CSPA and a coalition of fishing and environmental organizations have sent the United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) a letter asking the agency to overrule the State Water Resource Control Board’s refusal to list the San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced Rivers as impaired waterbodies because of excessive temperatures. The Central Valley Regional Water Board approved the listings on the 303(d) Impaired Waterbodies List. State Waterboard staff also recommended that the rivers be listed.
In a behind-the-scenes deal cut with upstream water agencies, the State Board declined to list the rivers as temperature impaired. CSPA supported the temperature listings before both the Regional and State Boards. The failure to list the rivers as impaired is also included as a cause of action in the CSPA, CWIN, AquAlliance public trust lawsuit against the State Board and the California Department of Water Resources. USEPA has the authority to overrule the state and list the rivers as impaired.