Who Is ESJWQC? Who Is ESJWQC?

Parry KlassenParry KlassenExecutive DirectorExecutive Director

Merced River

Central Valley CoalitionsCentral Valley CoalitionsSacramento Valley Water Quality CoalitionSacramento Valley Water Quality Coalition

•• Bruce Houdesheldt Bruce Houdesheldt

California Rice CommissionCalifornia Rice Commission•• Tim JohnsonTim Johnson

Goose Lake Water Quality Coalition Goose Lake Water Quality Coalition

San Joaquin County & Delta Water Quality CoalitionSan Joaquin County & Delta Water Quality Coalition•• Michael WackmanMichael Wackman

Westside San Joaquin River Watershed CoalitionWestside San Joaquin River Watershed Coalition•• Joseph C. McGahanJoseph C. McGahan•• David CoryDavid Cory

East San Joaquin Water Quality CoalitionEast San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition•• Parry KlassenParry Klassen•• Wayne ZipserWayne Zipser

Southern San Joaquin Valley Water Quality Southern San Joaquin Valley Water Quality CoalitionCoalition

•• David OrthDavid Orth

Westlands Coalition Westlands Coalition •• Sue RamosSue Ramos

In operation since 20032,604 Landowner / operators572,438 irrigated acres• Madera, Merced, Stanislaus,

Tuolumne, Mariposa counties

We manage group permit for our members

Coalition Overview

9 member Board of Directors9 member Board of Directors

Parry Klassen, Board Chairman Parry Klassen, Board Chairman Coalition for Urban Rural Coalition for Urban Rural Environmental StewardshipEnvironmental Stewardship

Wayne Zipser, ViceWayne Zipser, Vice--ChairmanChairman Stanislaus Co. Farm BureauStanislaus Co. Farm BureauAnja RaudabaughAnja Raudabaugh Madera Co. Farm BureauMadera Co. Farm BureauAmanda CarvajalAmanda Carvajal Merced Co. Farm BureauMerced Co. Farm BureauGary CaseriGary Caseri Stanislaus Co Ag Commiss. (retired)Stanislaus Co Ag Commiss. (retired)Bill Brush Bill Brush B&B Ag ConsultingB&B Ag ConsultingBill McKinneyBill McKinney Almond growerAlmond growerAlan Reynolds Alan Reynolds Gallo Vineyards, Inc.Gallo Vineyards, Inc.Jim Wagner Jim Wagner Wilbur Ellis Co.Wilbur Ellis Co.Michael NiemiMichael Niemi Turlock Irrigation DistrictTurlock Irrigation District

NonNon--votingvoting

David RobinsonDavid Robinson Merced County Agricultural CommissionerMerced County Agricultural CommissionerStevie McNeillStevie McNeill Madera County Agricultural CommissionerMadera County Agricultural CommissionerMilton OMilton O’’Hare Hare Stanislaus County Ag CommissionerStanislaus County Ag CommissionerDiana WallerDiana Waller Natural Resources Conservation ServiceNatural Resources Conservation ServiceDennis WescotDennis Wescot San Joaquin River Group AuthoritySan Joaquin River Group Authority

What We Are

A group formed by agricultural interests that operates similar to an agricultural cooperative.

Member dues collectively pay for administering a “group permit” on behalf of members to be in compliance with the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program.

What We Are Not

A commodity groupA lobbying entityA trade organizationA special interest group

2013 Membership Dues Cover:

56 cents per acre fee paid to State Water Board

Operation of surface water monitoring program

Development of Groundwater Assessment

Report for region

Membership management and administration

Executive Director

Technical Program Management

Coalition ObjectivesDevelop and implement an economical and scientifically valid water monitoring program for area rivers, agricultural drains and groundwater basins.

File required reports with the Water Board to maintain member’s compliance with the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program.

Coalition ObjectivesSpread costs equitably among farm land owners/operators who are coalition members.

Communicate to landowners where water monitoring indicates problems and work to solve those problems.

Terry BechtelTerry BechtelCentral Valley Regional Water Quality Control BoardCentral Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board

Water Monitoring Program Objectives

Characterize discharge from irrigated agriculture in the Coalition region Identify locations where water quality objectives are violated Identify potential source(s) of the exceedances Promote to landowners the implementation of management practices to address water quality problems when needed.

ESJWQC Management Plan ESJWQC Management Plan ProcessProcess

Started surface water monitoring 2004Started surface water monitoring 2004Over 25 waterways with Management Plans Over 25 waterways with Management Plans in the ESJ region (2+ exceedances)in the ESJ region (2+ exceedances)““PrioritizedPrioritized”” SubwatershedsSubwatersheds•• 2 year focused approach2 year focused approach•• Outreach and monitoringOutreach and monitoring

200 grower visits by ESJWQC staff 200 grower visits by ESJWQC staff

Exceedances in 1Exceedances in 1stst, 2, 2ndnd and 3and 3rdrd

Priority SubwatershedsPriority Subwatersheds

Management Practices in 1Management Practices in 1stst, 2, 2ndnd

and 3and 3rdrd Priority SubwatershedsPriority Subwatersheds

Success to dateSuccess to date

Continued reduction in the number of Continued reduction in the number of exceedances of high priority constituentsexceedances of high priority constituentsReduced monitoring requirementsReduced monitoring requirementsResult is reduction in costs Result is reduction in costs

1717

Coalition Responsibilities Coalition Responsibilities

Conduct monitoring and submit reportsConduct monitoring and submit reports

•• Continue current surface water monitoringContinue current surface water monitoring

•• Trend Monitoring Program (use existing wells)Trend Monitoring Program (use existing wells)

•• Management Practices EvaluationsManagement Practices Evaluations

•• Provide summary reports on nitrogen use efficiency and Provide summary reports on nitrogen use efficiency and

management practices implementedmanagement practices implemented

•• Annual Reports to Water BoardAnnual Reports to Water Board

Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR)Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR)Adopted December 7, 2012Adopted December 7, 2012

Waste Discharge RequirementsIrrigated Lands Regulatory Program

Groundwater Assessment Report• Rank land vulnerability based on Assessment Report

• High VulnerabilityAreas ID’d using DPR pesticide groundwater protection areas, State Water Board vulnerable areas

• Low Vulnerability•Keep farm assessment / nitrogen budgets on farm

Agenda Item 13 Agenda Item 13 1919

Central Valley Water Central Valley Water Board Meeting June Board Meeting June

20122012

1984-2004

2005-2010

2323

Grower Responsibilities Grower Responsibilities

Complete Farm Evaluation Complete Farm Evaluation (everyone)(everyone)

Complete Nitrogen Management Plan Complete Nitrogen Management Plan (In high vulnerability groundwater area)(In high vulnerability groundwater area)••Certified by 3Certified by 3rdrd party or grower trainedparty or grower trained••Low vulnerability keep on site; no certification requiredLow vulnerability keep on site; no certification required

Sediment and Erosion Control PlanSediment and Erosion Control Plan(In areas identified as high vulnerability for erosion and sedim(In areas identified as high vulnerability for erosion and sediment ent discharge)discharge)

More time provided for farming operations < 60 More time provided for farming operations < 60 acres totalacres total

What Will Be RequiredWhat Will Be Required

2424

Grower Responsibilities Grower Responsibilities

Install Backflow Prevention (pressurized systems)Install Backflow Prevention (pressurized systems)

Implement Wellhead ProtectionImplement Wellhead Protection

Participate in Coalition Outreach MeetingsParticipate in Coalition Outreach MeetingsAllow property access to Regional Board at Allow property access to Regional Board at reasonable hours reasonable hours –– For Compliance Inspection For Compliance Inspection Purposes Only!Purposes Only!

What Will Be RequiredWhat Will Be Required

Farm Management Plans

Template to be developed by coalitions, reviewed by Water Board

Report practices “protective of surface and groundwater quality”

Periodic UpdatesMore frequently in high vulnerability areas

Deadline for reports• High vulnerability: 2014• Low Vulnerability: 2017 (keep on farm)

Farm Evaluation ComponentWellhead Protection BMPs

Wellhead house keeping• Prevent ponding for extended periods

• Waste can enter if wellhead/casing is cracked or improperly sealed

• Grade away from wellhead to prevent storm runoff ponding

Open discharge well• Air gap between well discharge and

receiving device

Pressurized systems: Back flow preventers• In case of power failures and/or pump

malfunction • Back siphoning can directly

contaminate groundwater

Abandoned wells• Develop plan to manage

2727

Nitrogen Management PlansNitrogen Management Plans

Key mechanism to minimize nitrogen discharge Key mechanism to minimize nitrogen discharge to surface and groundwaterto surface and groundwater

High Vulnerability AreasHigh Vulnerability Areas•• CCA certifies nitrogen budgets for members CCA certifies nitrogen budgets for members

•• CDFA certification program in developmentCDFA certification program in development

•• Member selfMember self--certification with trainingcertification with training•• Plans kept on site, summary info reported to Plans kept on site, summary info reported to

CoalitionCoalition

Low Vulnerability AreasLow Vulnerability Areas•• Required but kept on farmRequired but kept on farm

Nitrogen Management Plan Components

Apply N at crop removal rates• Dairies regulated to 140% of crop use (N applications)

Test well water for nitrogen levels (then adjust N applications accordingly)Leaf / tissue testingSoil testing

Deadline for reports• High vulnerability: 2015 for crop year 2014• Low Vulnerability: 2017 (keep on farm)

Proposed reporting of nitrogen management plan information:

Member submits summary form to Coalition

Coalition compiles ratios

Separates ratios into “Township,” crops

What the area report should show:

Where most growers are with nitrogen ratios

The “Outliers:” those who apply too much

Outliers focus of outreach with commodity specific information/references

Nitrogen Management Plans Nitrogen Management Plans & Summaries& Summaries

Goal is working toward improvements in Goal is working toward improvements in NitrogenNitrogen management (when/if needed)management (when/if needed)•• Focuses on crop needs Focuses on crop needs –– not total appliednot total applied•• Helps growers understand their use in context Helps growers understand their use in context

with like cropswith like crops•• Helps to identifies Helps to identifies ““outliersoutliers””•• Will evolve into better management of Will evolve into better management of

nitrogen as information is developednitrogen as information is developed

Potentially applying too much N (outliers)

1.0

2.3

3.7

5.0

Almonds Corn Tomatoes

Reported Nitrogen Ratios

Crop

Rat

io

Most growers (UC recommended rates)

Waste Discharge RequirementsIrrigated Lands Regulatory Program

Management Practice Effectiveness Studies

Confirm that management practices implemented to improve groundwater quality are working

Are agricultural management practices protective of groundwater?

Modify practices if needed

Coordinated effort by coalitions/commodity groups to complete

Share expense across Central ValleyCoalition to present Water Board with phased approach CURES USDA project to be starting point for approach

• Literature search• Interview experts in field

Coalition ContactsCoalition Contacts

Wayne Zipser Wayne Zipser 209209--522522--72787278

Parry Klassen Parry Klassen 559559--288288--8125 8125

www.esjcoalition.orgwww.esjcoalition.org