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Overview of Draft Eastern San Joaquin River Watershed Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs)
Joe KarkoskiProgram Manager
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What Are WE Trying to Accomplish?
WE = Water Board, Agriculture, Stakeholders
Protect water quality for current and future generations
Ensure any new requirements are consistent with sustaining agriculture in the Central Valley
Learn and adapt as we move forward
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Nine Regional Water Boards
Implement State and federal water quality laws based on region specific conditions
Regulate discharges of waste
Central Valley Region
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Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program
2003 Program Surface water protection program only Coalition groups provide lead role in interacting
with the Water Board 25,000 landowners currently enrolled Five million acres of irrigated land
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Direction from Central Valley Water Board, June 2011
Tailor approach specific geographic areas or commodities
Include requirements to protect surface and groundwater quality
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WDR Development Schedule
Board hearings for all Areas/Commodities Expected by end of 2013
Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act(The California Water Quality Law)
Applies to: “Waters of the state” – any surface water or
groundwater Discharges of waste to waters of the state
Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) Includes commercial operations, managed wetlands,
nurseries, and greenhouses Surface water discharges
surface return flows, storm runoff, tile drainage Groundwater discharges
Fertilizer/pesticides moving down soil profile, well head, or backflow
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Impacts of High Nitrates in Drinking Water
Nitrate maximum contaminant level (MCL) 10 mg/L NO3-N (nitrate-nitrogen)
Can impact infants and pregnant women Methemoglobinemia / pregnancy
complications*
* US Public Health Service; Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts204.pdf
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Known Nitrate Sources (Regional)
Figure 1. Estimated groundwater nitrate loading from major sources within the Tulare Lake Basin and Salinas Valley, in Gg nitrogen per year (1 Gg = 1,100 t). http://groundwaternitrate.ucdavis.edu/files/139110.pdf ; Viers, J.H., et al (2012). Nitrogen Sources and Loading to Groundwater
Nitrates and Groundwater
Pollution pathways for nitrates and pesticides are similar
Nitrates/water soluble pesticides leach through soil to groundwater
Pathway for nitrates/pesticides Surface runoff Unprotected / improperly sealed wells Over application of nitrogen fertilizer Other conduits to groundwater (e.g., backflow)
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Approach for new ILRP
Develop high/low vulnerability areas
Focus requirements and plans on High Vulnerability areas
Focus on management practice implementation and reporting
Limited monitoring (compared to other programs)
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Eastern San Joaquin River Watershed
- 1 million+ acres of irrigated lands
- Major crops: almondshaycorngrapestomatoespasturewheatcottonwalnuts
Agenda Item 13 13Central Valley Water Board Meeting
June 2012
1978-2011
5 mg/L
5–10 mg/L
Max. Nitrate-N Result per Section, mg/L
10 mg/L
Agenda Item 13 14Central Valley Water Board Meeting
June 2012
The Eastside SJR Watershed is approximately 1,035,600 acres of irrigated agriculture.
359,000 acres are classified as DPR – GWPA
236,000 acres are leaching 121,000 acres are surface runoff
Agenda Item 13 15Central Valley Water Board Meeting
June 2012
About 642,500 irrigated acres (62%) are in groundwater vulnerable areas
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Coalition MemberRequirements in WDR
Implement practices to protect water quality
Prepare nitrogen management plans
Other activities and reporting
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Nitrogen Management Plans
Key mechanism to minimize nitrogen discharge to surface and groundwater
High Vulnerability Areas CCA certifies nitrogen budgets for members
CDFA certification program in development
Member self-certification with training
Low Vulnerability Areas Member-certified nitrogen budgets
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Under Board Consideration: Operators of Irrigated Lands Have Performance Standards
Prevent pollution and nuisance
Achieve and maintain water quality objectives and beneficial uses
Minimize waste discharge to surface/ groundwater
Minimize or eliminate discharge of sediment above natural background
levels
Minimize excess nutrient application relative to crop need
Protect wellheads from surface water intrusion and prevent backflow
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Member Requirements
Management Practices
Implement management practices Practices found protective through
representative groundwater monitoring program
Respond to management plans
Meet discharge limitations
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Member Requirements
Activities and Reports
Why the Reporting Requirements?
The Water Board needs information to determine compliance - Is water quality being protected?
Traditional reliance primarily on monitoring is EXPENSIVE
Reporting on what you are doing to protect water quality will be much CHEAPER
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Representative Monitoring Objective
Evaluate whether specific practices are protective of groundwater quality under various site conditions
Required in high vulnerability areas Encourages coordinated approach w/all coalitions,
commodity groups, others
Irrigated ag practice(s)
Representative site conditions Evaluate
effects of discharge
Extrapolate to similar sites
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What Will Representative Monitoring Tell Us
For example…. Flood irrigation of Almonds on sandy soil
protective of groundwater, if nitrogen ratio < 1.X Micro irrigation of Almonds on sandy soil
protective of groundwater, if nitrogen ration < 1.Y
Will want to evaluate yield/quality
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Participate in annual outreach events
Complete farm evaluation, other reporting as needed Describe water quality protection practices in place Site specific information
Allow property access to Regional Board at reasonable hours - FOR COMPLIANCE INSPECTION PURPOSES ONLY! Focus on bad actors and complaints
Member Requirements
Activities and Reports
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Information reported to Coalition
Individual farm evaluations
Nitrogen Budget reports - certification
Member Requirements under Consideration
Highly Vulnerable Areas
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Information kept on farm:
Individual farm evaluations
Nitrogen budget reports
Must be produced for Water Board inspections
Member Requirements under Consideration
Low Vulnerability Areas
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Must prepare sediment and erosion control plans – plans kept on-farm
Must be produced for Water Board inspections
Member Requirements under Consideration
If Surface Water Runoff Potential …
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Existing members Current members confirm membership
Must notify owners if tenant
New members 120-day window to enroll with third-party (starts
~Nov. 15, 2012) After deadline, must apply to Regional Board, pay
fee, before joining coalition
Member Requirements
Coalition Enrollment
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Coalition/Third Party Requirements in WDR
Enroll members
Assess surface and groundwater in region
Compile nitrogen budgets from members in high vulnerability areas
Provide members information on management practices to protect surface/groundwater Consistent with regional management plans
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Assessment report
Trend monitoring
Representative monitoring
Coalition Requirements
Groundwater Monitoring
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Review existing information
Evaluate potential to use data from existing groundwater programs
Develop and refine vulnerable areas
Prioritization of high vulnerable areas
Coalition Requirements
Groundwater Assessment Report
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Assessment report to identify:
Groundwater Vulnerability Areas
High vulnerability areas Exceedances of objectives DPR groundwater protection areas State Water Board vulnerability areas
Low Vulnerability areas Not at risk Can be reclassified if exceedances
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Trend Monitoring
Third-party to propose well network and plan
Determine baseline quality and evaluate regional effects Allows use of shallow existing wells
Required minimum trend monitoring
Annual - EC, pH, DO, temp, alkalinity, nitrate, nitrite, TKN Every five years - TDS, anions and cations
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What Does “Draft Order” Mean?
Information presented today is what we know today
Some information could change if Water Board orders it so on October 4th
Please comment in public comment period
(July 1 – 30, 2012)
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What Does Everyone Want?
Clean Water!
Agricultural coalition approach can help meet that goal – Growers have been and MUST be actively engaged!
Water Board recognizes critical importance of agriculture in the Central Valley
Working together the progress made in surface water will occur in groundwater
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Questions?
Adam Laputz – Project Manager(best person to contact)
Joe Karkoski
ILRP information: 916-464-4611
