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HomeWater CodeDiv. 7Ch. 4Art. 3§ 13246 Water Quality Plan Deadlines

§ 13246 Water Quality Plan Deadlines

Water Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 13246 Water Quality Plan Deadlines

Key Takeaways

  • •The state board has 60 days to approve or reject a water quality plan from the regional board.
  • •If the plan is resubmitted, the state board has 90 days to act on it.
  • •If the plan is only about updating pollution limits (total maximum daily load), the state board must decide within 60 days, unless the plan is very complicated or incomplete.
  • •If the plan is too complex or missing information, the state board can take longer but must explain why in writing.

Example

A regional board sends a plan to the state board to reduce pollution in a river.

The state board must review and approve or reject the plan within 60 days. If the plan is only about updating how much pollution is allowed in the river, the state board still has 60 days unless the plan is very complicated or missing important details.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 13246 Water Quality Plan Deadlines

(a) The state board shall act upon any water quality control plan not later than 60 days from the date the regional board submitted the plan to the state board, or 90 days from the date of resubmission of the plan. (b) When the state board is acting upon a water quality control plan that is being amended solely for an action related to a regional board’s total maximum daily load submittal, not including submittals related to listing, the state board shall not exceed the 60-day timeline, inclusive of the time spent sending the submittal back to the regional board, unless one of the following circumstances exists: (1) The proposed amendment is for an exceedingly complex total maximum daily load. In order to determine if a total maximum daily load is exceedingly complex, the state board may consider a number of factors including, but not limited to, the volume of the record, the number of pollutants included, the number of dischargers and land uses involved, and the size of the watershed. The reason or reasons that any total maximum daily load is determined to be exceedingly complex shall be provided by the state board to the regional board in writing. (2) The submittal by the regional board is clearly incomplete. (Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 20, Sec. 2. Effective April 8, 2002.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

water quality control plantotal maximum daily loadexceedingly complexclearly incomplete

Related Statutes

  • § 13243 Waste Discharge Restrictions
  • § 13244 Public Hearing For Water Plans
  • § 13245 Regional Water Plan Approval
  • § 1126 Water Rights Judicial Review
  • § 12860 Floodwater Control And Conservation

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Water Code. Section 13246.
View Official Source