Central Coast Water Quality Preservation, Inc. (CCWQP)

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The Conditional Waiver for Irrigated Lands, known as the Central Coast Region Agricultural Waiver, allows growers to satisfy their legal requirement for water quality monitoring through a Cooperative Monitoring Program (CMP), which is conducted by Central Coast Water Quality Preservation, Inc (CCWQP). CCWQP is a non-profit corporation founded by farmers to operate the CMP for the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (CCRWQCB) Ag Waiver on behalf of irrigated agriculture on the Central Coast of California. It is charged with water quality monitoring, education, and outreach to growers.

Summary

Sampling locations. [1]

As mandated by the Central Coast Region Agricultural Waiver, growers on the Central Coast must monitor water quality near their farms. The Cooperative Monitoring Program (CMP) was implemented to monitor ambient water quality in agricultural areas and to measure improvements resulting from the implementation of on-farm management practices. Farmers are given the option to either monitor water quality themselves or through a CMP. CCWQP was established by the regional board to perform water quality analyses as the CMP. CCWQP monitors surface water between Santa Cruz County and Santa Barbara County. Sampling locations are shown in the image to the right. CCWQP has consistently delivered quarterly water quality monitoring results to the CCAMP database from January, 2005 through the present. Water quality samples are taken at the same locations for each sampling event.

Founding Four Members

  • Bob Antle of Tanimura & Antle Inc.
  • Craig Reade of Betteravia Farms
  • John Baillie of Baillie Family Farms
  • Bob Martin of Rio Farms

Current Staff and Board Members[2]

Staff:

  • Executive Director: Kirk F. Schmidt
  • Technical Program Manager: Sarah Greene
  • Bookkeeper: Leila Salas


Board Members:

  • Kevin Merrill (President), Mesa Vineyard Management, Santa Barbara County
  • John Tobias, John Tobias Farming, San Benito County
  • Craig Reade (Secretary), Betteravia Farms, Santa Barbara County
  • Robert Martin (Treasurer), Rio Farms, Monterey County
  • Don Hordness, Del Fresh Produce, Santa Clara County
  • Tom AmRhein, Naturipe, Santa Cruz County
  • Sig Christierson, Major Farms, Monterey County
  • Dennis Sites, Agricultural Business Management, Monterey County
  • Richard Smith, Valley Farm Management, Monterey County
  • Alan Teixeira, Teixeira Farms, San Luis Obispo County

Parameters and Tests under the Monitoring and Reporting Program

  • CCWQP collects water quality samples according to the following schedule:
    • Monthly - Basic parameters, Nutrients
    • Quarterly (Two wet season / Two dry season) - Water column toxicity, Pathogens (fecal coliform and E. coli; this includes two additional stormwater tests for a total of 6 times per year
    • Annually - Sediment toxicity
  • Additional sampling has included pesticides.
  • Since metals are not used in commercial agricultural operations, they are not included in the monitoring program.

Outcomes of Monitoring

The Regional Water Board has ordered that the Cooperative Monitoring Program (CMP) is to assess the health of inland waters and that the CMP is not to conduct individual discharge monitoring. Data collected for the CMP will be used to determine long-term trends in water quality, assess areas where water quality standards and beneficial uses are not being supported, and conduct follow-up monitoring to better identify problem areas where water quality standards are not being met.

The water quality data can be obtained by contacting CCWQP. Though the information is publicly available, limited data is currently available on the web. The available reports do indicate high amounts of polluted water within the Central Coast Region. In 2009, CCWQP released a trend analysis report that assessed water quality progress being monitored through the CMP.

Water Quality Reports

Water quality monitoring fact sheets were prepared by the Irrigated Agriculture Program of the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board as part of the monitoring and reporting requirements for all dischargers enrolled under Conditional Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharge from Irrigated Lands, Order No. R3-2004-0117.

Additionally, a report that analyzed long-term water quality trends in the CMP dataset was completed in 2009 for the 2005-2008 monitoring years. This report will be updated as the CMP dataset continues to grow.

References

  1. Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board water quality monitoring sites
  2. CCWQP Staff and Board of Directors

Links

Disclaimer

This page may contain student work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessary reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.