Cooperative Agricultural Monitoring Cooperative Agricultural Monitoring on California’s Central Coast:on California’s Central Coast:

An Integrated, Innovative ApproachAn Integrated, Innovative Approach

Karen Worcester, Staff Environmental Scientist Karen Worcester, Staff Environmental ScientistAlison Jones, Environmental ScientistAlison Jones, Environmental Scientist

Dave Paradies, Software DesignerDave Paradies, Software Designer

Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control BoardCentral Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board

Central Coast Region

Agricultural areas of the Central Coast

In the Central In the Central Coast we have:Coast we have:

450,000 acres of irrigated agriculture A $3 billion industry 2500 growers Many operations under 50 acres 2 staff positions to run our “Ag

Waiver” program

Conditional Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs)

1999 - State law amended Existing waivers expired January 1,

2003 New waivers may not exceed five

years Conditions must be enforced Waivers must include monitoring

What are “Ag Waivers”?What are “Ag Waivers”?

MonitoringMonitoring

Implementation of Implementation of Management PracticesManagement Practices

EducationEducation

Both owner and operator must comply Both owner and operator must comply with the conditions of the waiverwith the conditions of the waiver

Farm PlanFarm PlanFarm PlanFarm Plan

All growers enroll All growers enroll individuallyindividually

Farm PlanFarm PlanFarm PlanFarm Plan

Education RequirementsEducation Requirements 15 hours most easily met through

UCCE Farm Water Quality Short Course

Over 2000 growers have attended 51 Short Courses held; 13 more

planned over next 8 months Course product is Farm Plan

With 1600 enrollees, we needed to With 1600 enrollees, we needed to leverage staffing with technology!leverage staffing with technology!

Enrollment DatabaseEnrollment Database

Notice of Intent includes: Ranch Info Crop type Irrigation type Discharge type Management Practices Hard copy maps and education

certificateswww.ccamp.org

Management practices, crop types, Management practices, crop types, irrigation practices are mapped byirrigation practices are mapped by

Township-Section-Range Township-Section-Range

Monitoring Monitoring

Elevated nitrate problems in intensively irrigated agricultural areas

Toxicity associated with organophosphates and pyrethroid pesticides in intensively irrigated agricultural areas

Central Coast Ambient Monitoring Program and SWAMP partners had shown:

Mean Surface Water Nitrate Concentrations(mg/L)

#S#S 1.5 - 5#S 5 - 10#S 10 - 25#S 25 - 100

Nitrate exceedances Nitrate exceedances in DHS Wellsin DHS Wells

nitrate for all wells vs time

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Aug-76 May-79 Feb-82 Nov-84 Aug-87 May-90 Jan-93 Oct-95 Jul-98 Apr-01

time

nit

rate all wells

single well

1970's5 samples

1980-1985790 samples

1985-19901300 samples

1990-19954120 samples 1995-2000

4420 samples

2000-20021370 samples

Drinking water MCL: 45 mg/l

Nitrate in Department of Health Services Well Data, 1980 - 2001

Waiver allows for Cooperative Waiver allows for Cooperative Monitoring ProgramMonitoring Program

Nonprofit formed (Central Coast Water Quality Preservation, Inc.)

Cost allocation subcommittee

Monitoring subcommittee

Most funding for first three years

Phase 1 monitoring complete (25 sites); Phase 2 is underway (50 sites)

Monitoring Program ElementsMonitoring Program Elements

50 sites in waterbodies with: Ag related TMDLs

Elevated groundwater nitrate levels

Follow-up in problem areas (@ 25% of monitoring budget)

Electronic reporting

Monitoring ComponentsMonitoring Components(compatible with CCAMP design)(compatible with CCAMP design)

Monthly conventional monitoring and flow

3-species water toxicity testing Twice during high flow Twice during low flow

Sediment toxicity testing Benthic invertebrate assessment

Integration with other Integration with other monitoring programsmonitoring programs

With CCAMP With City of Salinas stormwater

permit With SWAMP

Phase 1 (yellow) and Phase 2 (red) Monitoring Sites

Monterey Bay

Pt. Conception

Follow-up to Follow-up to detect source detect source areas; solve areas; solve problemsproblems

Long term siteLong term site

Basic MonitoringBasic Monitoring ConceptConcept

FollowupFollowup

May take a problem-specific rather than site-specific approach

Includes evaluation: Existing research Pesticide Applications evaluation Crop patterns Other land uses Appropriate management practices

Includes outreach

Electronic ReportingElectronic Reporting

Web-based data checkerFormat will port into SWAMPFormat will port into CCAMP

web site generator

www.ccamp.org

Initial Cooperative Monitoring Initial Cooperative Monitoring Program FindingsProgram Findings

Nitrate Nitrate (mg/L as N)(mg/L as N)Mean and range by waterbodyMean and range by waterbody

Average Nitrate Concentrations at Ag Sites

Nitrate as N (mg/L)

0 – 1.5 1.5 – 5.0 5.0 – 10 10 – 25 25 - 100

Mean Nitrate (mg/L) at Ag and CCAMP Sites

Nitrate as N (mg/L)

0 – 1.5 1.5 – 5.0 5.0 – 10 10 – 25 25 - 100

Ceriodaphnia SurvivalCeriodaphnia Survival (relative percent difference from control)(relative percent difference from control)

Ceriodaphnia Mortality (%)

0 – 20 20 - 40 40 – 60 60 - 80 80 - 100

Ceriodaphnia Mortality (%)

Hyalella Mortality (%)

0 – 20 20 - 40 40 – 60 60 - 80 80 - 100

Hyalella Mortality (%)

Fathead Minnow MortalityFathead Minnow Mortality

Pimephales Mortality (%)

0 – 20 20 - 40 40 – 60 60 - 80 80 - 100

Selenastrum GrowthSelenastrum Growth (relative percent difference from control)(relative percent difference from control)

-40%

-20%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

140%

309A

SB

309B

LA

312O

FC

312O

FC

312O

R1

306M

OR

312S

M1

312O

FN

312B

CC

309M

ER

309A

SB

309N

AD

309A

LG

309S

AC

309E

SP

309S

SP

312O

FN

312G

VS

309C

RR

309J

ON

309M

ER

312B

CC

312O

R1

312O

FC

312O

RC

What’s next?What’s next?

Linking land activities with monitoring sites

Water quality trends Practice implementation Pesticide use data Ranch mailings

Long term siteLong term site

What’s next, cont.What’s next, cont.

Follow-up projects Ceriodaphnia toxicity Hyalella toxicity

Assessment of first year’s data Ag program web site development Locating non-filers

For more information contact:For more information contact:Amanda Bern at Amanda Bern at abern@waterboards.ca.govabern@waterboards.ca.gov or Karen at or Karen at kworcester@waterboards.ca.kworcester@waterboards.ca.govgov