Central Coast Water Quality Preservation, Inc. (CCWQP)
The Conditional Waiver for Irrigated Lands allows growers to satisfy their legal requirement for water quality monitoring through a cooperative monitoring program Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program, which is conducted by the Central Coast Water Quality Preservation, Inc (CCWQP). CCWQP is charged with water quality monitoring, education and outreach to growers, and is a non-profit corporation founded by farmers to operate the CMP on behalf of irrigated agriculture on the Central Coast of California. CCWQP is recognized by an Internal Revenue Code (IRC) §501(c)(3) non-profit by the Internal Revenue Service. The Central Coast Water Quality Preservation Inc is an important stakeholder and key player that conducts the Cooperative Monitoring Program (CMP) for the CCRWQCB Ag Waiver. Monitoring started in 2005 and has continued on a monthly basis ever since. The CMP was implemented to monitor ambient water quality in agricultural areas and to measure improvements resulting from the implementation of on farm management practices. The CCWQP has consistently delivered electronically water quality monitoring results quarterly to the CCAMP database from January, 2005, all the way through to the present day.
Contents
Summary
As mandated by the Ag Waiver growers must monitor water quality near their farms. Farmers are given the option to either monitor water quality themselves or through a cooperative management program. The Central Coast Water Quality Preservation Inc.(CCWQP) was established by the regional board to perform water quality analyses as the cooperative management program. CCWQP monitors surface water between Santa Cruz county and Santa Barbara county. Sampling locations are shown in the image to the right.
Water quality samples are taken at the same location by CCWQP, water quality data can be obtained by contacting the organization. Though the information if 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 report that assessed water quality progress that is being monitored through the cooperative management program.
Why use an Ag Waiver?
Farmers have been working under an Ag Waiver so each ranch is not required to have an individual discharge permit to allow rain water to flow from it into waterways where the subsequent required individual monitoring for each site would otherwise cost farmers $20,000 annually per site.
Requirements of the Ag Waiver
1. Enroll in the Order by filing an electronic-Notice of Intent (eNOI)
2. Develop and Implement a Farm Plan
3. Implement management practices to protect water quality
4. Conduct Surface Water Receiving Monitoring and Reporting (Cooperatively or Individually)
5. Conduct Groundwater Monitoring and Reporting (Cooperatively or Individually)
6. Install Backflow Prevention devices
7. Submit Annual Compliance Form (Tier 2 and Tier 3 ONLY)
8. Conduct Individual Discharge Monitoring and Reporting (Tier 3 ONLY)
9. Develop and Implement Certified Irrigation and Nutrient Management Plan (Tier 3 ONLY)
10. Develop and Implement Water Quality Buffer Plan (Tier 3 ONLY)
Board Members
There are 11 members of the board of directors.
- Executive Director: Kirk F. Schmidt
- Technical Program Manager: Sarah Greene
- Bookkeeper: Leila Salas
Cases of Civil Liability
- On December 11, 2007, the Franscioni Brother's Inc. who own 2,353 acres of croplands within Monterey County were accused of violations of discharging agricultural wastewaters through an Administrative Civil Liability Complaint No. R3-2007-0098. The accused wastewater dischargers were ordered to pay a civil liability of $2,500 for Water Board staff costs, and were also ordered to pay an additional $2,000 for a Supplemental Environmental Project to provide additional support for agricultural water quality monitoring and an additional $7,961.25 in Cooperative Monitoring Program and enrollment fees required by the Conditional Waiver on February 28th, 2008.
- On December 11, 2007, Strawberry Services, Inc./Ruby Farms was accused of violations of discharging agricultural wastewaters through an Administrative Civil Liability Complaint No. R3-2007-0102. The accused wastewater dischargers were ordered to pay a civil liability of $2,500 for Water Board staff costs, and were also ordered to pay an additional $500 for a Supplemental Environmental Project to provide additional support for agricultural water quality monitoring.
- On December 4, 2008, Agro-Jal Farms was accused of violations of discharging agricultural wastewaters through an Administrative Civil LIability Complaint No. R3-2007-0099. The accused wastewater dischargers were ordered to pay a civil liability of $7,000 and were also ordered to pay an additional $7,000 for a Supplemental Environmental Project to provide additional support for agricultural water quality monitoring.
Parameters and Tests under the Monitoring and Reporting Program
- The CCWQP samples stormwaters on a monthly basis including two additional samples of stormwater events.
- The CCWQP samples for pathogens on a quaterly basis including two additional stormwater tests (6 times per year) at CMP sites each year for fecal coliform and E. coli.
- Since metals are not used in commercial agricultural operations, they are not be included in the monitoring program.
- Since there are no findings supported by reviewed research that phenol is causing an impairment to water quality in the region nor are there findings that phenols are present in the water as a result of irrigated
agriculture, phenol's are not included in the list of parameters and tests.
- Under Tier 3
- The CCWQP does not endorse individual reported on farm monitoring and does not take a position on the merits of this concept in the proposed Ag Waiver.
- There is a bit of confusion/opposing statements within the staff report from Tier 3 however, it does state that the primary source of surface water toxicity in agricultural waterbodies is resulting from Chlorpyrifos and/or Diazinon and that individual monitoring be conducted to test for both Organophosphorous Pesticidess (OP) and two additional toxicity tests (Chlorpyrifos' and Diazinon's).
Water Quality Fact Sheet
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.
References
Links
Return to Central Coast Region Agricultural Waiver
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.
