Regional approaches to agricultural runoff in California

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In California, Regional Water Quality Control Boards have the ability to issue conditional waivers to regulate discharge from agricultural irrigation, known as "Ag Waivers". The intent of this program is to prevent agricultural contributions to the impairment water quality as defined in Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. These require the monitoring of water sources in the region potentially impacted by agricultural operations. The Ag Waiver is “conditional” as the Water Quality Control Board has the authority to revoke it at any time. This conditional waiver is reviewed, revised, replaced, or reissued every five years. Growers are required to comply with several conditions, including: discharge prevention and management, water quality monitoring, and corrective actions for identified sources of impairment.

The Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) has a long history in the state of California. The Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act of 1969 is the primary law regulating the quality of both surface and ground waters. This Act empowers the State Water Resources Control Board as the agency responsible for water quality planning statewide and grants the RWQCBs authority. The RWQCBs are responsible for the enforcement of Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs), this includes the enforcement of all conditional waivers of WDRs. California contains nine Water Quality Control Regions, each regulated by its own RWQCB. Therefore each region regulates discharge from agricultural irrigation independently with different conditions and variations of the Ag waiver [1] .


Region 1 -- North Coast

Summary

The North Coast RWQCB monitors and regulates water quality for the following counties: Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Modoc, Siskiyou, Sonoma, and Trinity counties [2]. Types of irrigated lands in the region include row crops, vineyards, orchards, pasture and marijuana cultivation. Major concerns include polluted runoff (sediments, manure, fertilizers, pesticides), groundwater pollution, erosion, flooding and threats to riparian vegetation and wildlife [3].The North Coast RWQCB currently uses “conditional prohibition” to regulate specific types of discharges to waters of the state. Conditional prohibitions are permissible by the region’s Basin Plan and are implemented through existing TMDL programs in order to regulate and evaluate discharges from irrigated agricultural lands [4]. A new regulatory program called the Water Quality Compliance Program for Discharges from Irrigated Lands (Program) is being developed to supplement existing TMDL programs. The Program will likely involve a combination of conditional prohibitions, WDRs and conditional waivers of WDRs. The Program will also include non-regulatory aspects such as education, outreach, coordination and assistance. Overall the program intends to investigate water quality concerns and meet requirements of the California Water Code, the State Nonpoint Source Policy, and the Klamath River Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)[5].

Framework

The aspects listed below have been identified as a starting point for the Program while stakeholder involvement will be used to adjust this framework.

  • Best management practice implementation: Local expertise will identify discharges and appropriate management practices while landowners will implement chosen practices. Implementation will take place on a schedule with relative flexibility depending on specific circumstances and other factors involved such as local priorities and availability of funds [5].Potential management practices include management of:
    • Polluted Runoff
    • Tailwater
    • Riparian Zone
    • Erosion of Fields and Roads
    • Livestock Access to Streams
    • Manure and Fertilizer Application Rates
  • Monitoring: Tracking management measure implementation and effectiveness and/or participation in a group monitoring program where several representative locations are sampled and assessed for trends in water quality. The type of monitoring will be specific to the type of discharge and degree of impairment of the receiving waterbody and should be developed with existing programs.
  • Reporting: Reporting to the RWQCB by individuals or by means of a third party will aid in assessing program effectiveness and demonstrating results to the RWQCB. Annual reporting may be required and used for overall program assessment and adaptive management purposes [3].
  • Enforcement: Enforcement will be dependent on the State Water Resources Control Board Water Quality Enforcement Policy.

Stakeholders and Organizations Involved

The stakeholder involvement process supports extensive participation to identify concerns, potential opportunities and to inform decisions during the formation of regulations. This Advisory Group has been established to develop the Program and provide input on the Program framework described above and other important Program elements. Stakeholder meetings will involve the full Advisory Group in addition to smaller sub-regional group meetings that will focus on local concerns and provide recommendations to the Advisory Group. The Advisory Group meetings will work to confirm consistency between regions and to provide recommendations to the RWQCB [5]. The Stakeholder Advisory Group consists of the following representatives of stakeholder interests:

  • North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board RWQCB
  • Environmental groups
  • Farmers
  • Industry
  • Others

The Advisory Group Charter provides further information about the role of the Advisory Group and regional sub-groups.

Status

The scope of the irrigated lands program has yet to be confirmed but is expected to include at least discharges from vineyards, orchards and irrigated row crops and pastures, while diaries and grazing will be addressed in separate programs [5]. The Stakeholder Advisory Group met in December 2011 for the first time while the four regional sub groups met in February 2012. Advisory Group meetings are scheduled to continue through April 2013 when draft orders and permits should be completed and circulated for public review. The official public comment period is planned for Summer 2013 followed by the RWQCB adoption hearing in the Fall of 2013 [6].

Region 2 -- San Francisco

Summary

The San Francisco RWQCB monitors and regulates water quality for the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Santa Clara (north of Morgan Hill), San Mateo, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Solano counties.

Framework

Stakeholders and Organizations Involved

  • San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board RWQCB

Status

Region 3 -- Central Coast

See Conditional waiver of waste discharge requirements for irrigated lands

Region 4 -- Los Angeles

Summary

The Los Angeles RWQCB monitors and regulates water quality for Los Angeles and Ventura counties in addition to small portions of Kern and Santa Barbara counties.

Framework

Stakeholders and Organizations Involved

  • Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board RWQCB

Status

Region 5 -- Central Valley

Summary

The Central Valley RWQCB monitors and regulates water quality for the following counties: Modoc, Shasta, Lassen, Plumas, Butte, Glen, Colusa, Lake, Sutter, Yuba, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, Yolo, Napa, (N. East), Solano (West), Sacramento, El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Contra Costa (East), Stanislaus, Toulumne, Merced, Mariposa, Madera, Kings, Fresno, Tulare, Kern. (Very small portions of San Benito, San Luis Obispo) counties.

Framework

Stakeholders and Organizations Involved

  • Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board valley/ RWQCB

Status

Region 6 -- Lahontan

Summary

The Lahontan RWQCB monitors and regulates water quality for the following counties:Modoc (East), Lassen (East side and Eagle Lake), Sierra, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado,Alpine, Mono, Inyo, Kern (East), San Bernardino, Los Angeles (N/E corner) counties.

Framework

Stakeholders and Organizations Involved

  • Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board RWQCB

Status

Region 7 -- Colorado River Region

Summary

The Colorado River RWQCB monitors and regulates water quality for Imperial, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties.

Framework

Stakeholders and Organizations Involved

  • Colorado River Regional Water Quality Control Board RWQCB

Status

Region 8 -- Santa Ana

Summary

The Santa Ana RWQCB monitors and regulates water quality for Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Framework

Stakeholders and Organizations Involved

  • Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board RWQCB

Status

Region 9 -- San Diego

Summary

The San Diego RWQCB monitors and regulates water quality for San Diego, Imperial and Riverside counties.

Framework

Stakeholders and Organizations Involved

  • San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board RWQCB

Status

References

  1. Referenced text was copied from the following page http://ecoviz.csumb.edu/wiki/index.php/Conditional_waiver_of_waste_discharge_requirements_for_irrigated_lands
  2. Regional Water Quality Control Board Fact Sheet http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/publications_forms/publications/factsheets/docs/region_brds.pdf
  3. 3.0 3.1 Water Quality Compliance Program Initial Program Framework http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/northcoast/water_issues/programs/irrigated_lands/pdf/120227/dec_14_ad_grp/4_Powerpoint_Initial_Staff-Developed_Framework.pdf
  4. About the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/agriculture/docs/about_agwaivers.pdf
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Water Quality Compliance Program for Discharges from Irrigated Lands http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/northcoast/water_issues/programs/irrigated_lands/
  6. Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program Monthly Report: February 2012 http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/agriculture/docs/monthlyreports/2012/feb12.pdf

Links

Disclaimer

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