1 overview of draft eastern san joaquin river watershed waste discharge requirements (wdrs) joe...

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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)

awlaputz@waterboards.ca.gov

Joe Karkoski

jkarkoski@waterboards.ca.gov

ILRP information: 916-464-4611