Salton Sea
2026 303(d) list Waterbody ID CAS7280000019990205133504 Saline Lake Region 7 · Colorado River
At a glance
- 2026 listing Evidence: State-published
- On the 2026 303(d) list · 17 Appendix A decisions
- Category 5: a TMDL is required
- What a listing means
- Pollutants and stressors
- 17 pollutants in 6 Appendix A categories
- Metals (1) · Nutrients (3) · Pathogens (1) · Pesticides (9) · SALINITY/TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS/CHLORIDES/SULFATES (2) · Total Toxics (1)
- Listing decisions
- TMDL information Evidence: State-published
- 17 decisions with a TMDL requirement status
- Status codes as published: 5A
- TMDL details
- Industrial stormwater facilities
- 0 report it as their receiving water Evidence: identification corroborated
- 2 within 1 km Evidence: geographic proximity
- Neither count establishes a discharge · Facilities
What a 303(d) listing means
The Clean Water Act section 303(d) list names waters that do not meet water quality standards for one or more pollutants or stressors. California publishes it in the Integrated Report; this page shows the 2026 decisions from Appendix A as published.
- A listing describes the condition of the waterbody. It does not identify which sources cause the impairment, and it does not by itself place a requirement on any particular facility.
- Listed waters do not all have the same status. The Integrated Report category says how an impairment is being addressed: 5, a TMDL is required; 4a, addressed by a USEPA-approved TMDL; 4b, addressed by other pollution control requirements; 4c, impairment not caused by a pollutant. This waterbody's decisions are in category 5.
- TMDL requirement status values (such as 5A or 5B) are shown exactly as published in Appendix A.
2026 listing status Evidence: State-published
- On the 2026 303(d) list
- Yes
- Appendix A decisions
- 17
- Integrated Report category
- 5 (a TMDL is required)
- Listing cycle
- 2026
- State Board adoption
- 2026-02-03 (Resolution 2026-0005)
- USEPA approval
- not confirmed — submittal letter to USEPA published; no approval found on the report page (checked 2026-10-22)
- Regional Water Board
- 7 — Colorado River
Published by the State Water Resources Control Board (2026 California Integrated Report, Appendix A). Listing status is taken from Appendix A only. A listing describes the condition of this waterbody, not of any facility.
Location
Loading the waterbody shape…
Open this area on the statewide map · Browse impaired waters
Listing decisions and pollutants Evidence: State-published
Grouped by the Pollutant Category published in Appendix A. Pollutant names, categories and decisions are exactly as published.
Metals (1 decision)
| Pollutant | Pollutant category | Category | Final listing decision | Decision status | Sources | Decision ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic | Metals | 5 | Do Not Delist from 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Revised | A Source Unknown | 156213 |
Nutrients (3 decisions)
| Pollutant | Pollutant category | Category | Final listing decision | Decision status | Sources | Decision ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammonia | Nutrients | 5 | Do Not Delist from 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Revised | A Source Unknown | 78466 |
| Low Dissolved Oxygen | Nutrients | 5 | Do Not Delist from 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Revised | A Source Unknown | 75163 |
| Nutrients | Nutrients | 5 | Do Not Delist from 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Original | A Source Unknown | 70708 |
Pathogens (1 decision)
| Pollutant | Pollutant category | Category | Final listing decision | Decision status | Sources | Decision ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enterococcus | Pathogens | 5 | Do Not Delist from 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Original | A Source Unknown | 72548 |
Pesticides (9 decisions)
| Pollutant | Pollutant category | Category | Final listing decision | Decision status | Sources | Decision ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorpyrifos | Pesticides | 5 | Do Not Delist from 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Revised | A Source Unknown | 156227 |
| Cyfluthrin | Pesticides | 5 | List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Revised | A Source Unknown | 170788 |
| Cyhalothrin, Lambda | Pesticides | 5 | List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Revised | A Source Unknown | 170789 |
| Cypermethrin | Pesticides | 5 | List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Revised | A Source Unknown | 169362 |
| DDE (Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) | Pesticides | 5 | Do Not Delist from 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Revised | A Source Unknown | 170165 |
| DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) | Pesticides | 5 | Do Not Delist from 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Revised | A Source Unknown | 170124 |
| Imidacloprid | Pesticides | 5 | List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Revised | A Source Unknown | 171987 |
| Malathion | Pesticides | 5 | List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Revised | A Source Unknown | 156262 |
| Pyrethroids | Pesticides | 5 | List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Revised | A Source Unknown | 169361 |
SALINITY/TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS/CHLORIDES/SULFATES (2 decisions)
| Pollutant | Pollutant category | Category | Final listing decision | Decision status | Sources | Decision ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chloride | SALINITY/TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS/CHLORIDES/SULFATES | 5 | Do Not Delist from 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Revised | A Source Unknown | 171980 |
| Salinity | SALINITY/TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS/CHLORIDES/SULFATES | 5 | Do Not Delist from 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Original | A Source Unknown | 77576 |
Total Toxics (1 decision)
| Pollutant | Pollutant category | Category | Final listing decision | Decision status | Sources | Decision ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toxicity | Total Toxics | 5 | Do Not Delist from 303(d) list (TMDL required list) | Revised | A Source Unknown | 78053 |
TMDL information Evidence: State-published
| Pollutant | TMDL requirement status | TMDL project | Priority | USEPA approval of TMDL | Expected attainment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammonia | 5A | — | Low | — | — |
| Arsenic | 5A | — | Low | — | — |
| Chloride | 5A | — | Low | — | — |
| Chlorpyrifos | 5A | — | Low | — | — |
| Cyfluthrin | 5A | — | Low | — | — |
| Cyhalothrin, Lambda | 5A | — | Low | — | — |
| Cypermethrin | 5A | — | Low | — | — |
| DDE (Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) | 5A | — | Low | — | — |
| DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) | 5A | — | Low | — | — |
| Enterococcus | 5A | — | Low | — | — |
| Imidacloprid | 5A | — | Low | — | — |
| Low Dissolved Oxygen | 5A | — | Medium | — | — |
| Malathion | 5A | — | Low | — | — |
| Nutrients | 5A | — | Medium | — | — |
| Pyrethroids | 5A | — | Low | — | — |
| Salinity | 5A | — | Low | — | — |
| Toxicity | 5A | — | Low | — | — |
This is TMDL information for the waterbody. It does not establish that a TMDL applies to any particular facility. Facility-specific TMDL requirements recorded in SMARTS appear on facility pages and are not linked to this waterbody until reviewed.
HUC12 watersheds
Published with the listing Evidence: publisher-reported
- Harpers Well-San Felipe Creek 181002030803
- Pinto Wash 181002040905
- South Fork Coyote Wash 181002041002
- Jojoba Wash 181002041003
- Upper New River 181002041101
- West Mesa 181002041102
- Hidden Springs Canyon-Frontal Salton Sea 181002041202
- Bat Cave Buttes-Frontal Salton Sea 181002041203
- 181002040707 (huc12 not loaded)
- 181002041109 (huc12 not loaded)
The published list is truncated in Appendix A; it is not a complete list of watersheds.
Overlapping the waterbody's shape Evidence: spatial
- Harpers Well-San Felipe Creek 181002030803 also published
- Town of Calipatria-Alamo River 181002040807
- Lower New River 181002041104
- Hidden Springs Canyon-Frontal Salton Sea 181002041202 also published
- Bat Cave Buttes-Frontal Salton Sea 181002041203 also published
- Town of Pope-Frontal Salton Sea 181002041301
- Town of Frink-Frontal Salton Sea 181002041302
- Town of Niland-Frontal Salton Sea 181002041309
- Obsidian Butte-Frontal Salton Sea 181002041402
- 181002041403-Frontal Salton Sea 181002041403
- Kane Spring-Frontal Salton Sea 181002041404
- Arroyo Salada 181002041501
- Sea View Beach-Frontal Salton Sea 181002041503
- Tule Wash-Frontal Salton Sea 181002041504
- Palm Wash-Frontal Salton Sea 181002041505
- Wonderstone Wash-Frontal Salton Sea 181002041506
- Salton Sea 181002041600
Industrial stormwater facilities
Evidence: identification corroborated
Shows: the facility named this waterbody as its receiving water in SMARTS, and the name and the facility's location are consistent with it. Does not establish: a discharge pathway, a discharge of any pollutant, or a cause of the listing.
Evidence: geographic proximity
Shows: the facility's reported location is within 1 km of the waterbody's mapped shape. Does not establish: that the facility discharges to this waterbody, or any other relationship.
Report this waterbody as their receiving water Evidence: identification corroborated
No facility's reported receiving water is identified as this waterbody.
Within 1 km of a facility's reported location Evidence: geographic proximity
Spatial proximity only; discharge pathway not established. Being near this waterbody does not mean a facility discharges to it.
| Facility | WDID | Status | Distance | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cal Energy Oper Co Salton Sea | 7 13I010833 | Terminated | 557 m | map |
| Cal Energy Oper Co Jj Elmore P | 7 13I005194 | Terminated | 825 m | map |
2 facilities, nearest first.
Sources and provenance
| Information | Source | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|
| Watershed Boundary Dataset HU2 GeoPackages 15, 16, 18 (WBDHU12) | USGS | 2026-10-22 |
| 2026 California Integrated Report, Appendix A: 2026 303(d) List (final) | SWRCB | 2026-10-22 |
| Final_2026_Rivers_and_Streams + Final_2026_Lakes_and_Reservoirs (FeatureServer 0) | SWRCB GIS | 2026-10-22 |
| SMARTS TMDL requirements | SMARTS | 2026-10-21 |
Relationships computed 2026-10-22 (facility_huc12/1, proximity/1, receiving_water/2, tmdl_reference/1, waterbody_huc12_ovl/1, waterbody_huc12_pub/1).
Integrated Report categories: 5, a TMDL is required; 4a, addressed by a USEPA-approved TMDL; 4b, addressed by other pollution control requirements; 4c, impairment not caused by a pollutant.