A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
Kings County Farm Bureau sues state for placing the region on probation because of groundwater woes
“The Kings County Farm Bureau and two of its farmer members have filed suit against the state Water Resources Control Board, claiming the board exceeded its jurisdiction when it placed the Tulare Lake groundwater subbasin on probation April 16. A writ of mandate was filed May 15 in Kings County Superior Court. A writ is an order asking a governmental body, in this case the Water Board, to cease an action. The farm bureau is asking the board to vacate the resolution, which was passed unanimously. “The board’s decision to place the (Tulare Lake Subbasin) on probation violated the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and expanded the board’s authority beyond its jurisdiction,” a Kings County Farm Bureau press release states. The filing asks for declaratory and injunctive relief, and cites eight causes of action under the writ that the “probationary designation is arbitrary, capricious, and lacking in evidentiary support.” … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Kings County Farm Bureau blames one local water board for state intervention; demands heads roll
“The fallout and recriminations in Kings County continue over the state Water Resources Control Board’s historic decision to place the Tulare Lake subbasin on probation for failing to come up with a cohesive plan to protect the region’s groundwater. The Kings County Farm Bureau, which has already sued the Water Board over the probationary designation, is now demanding the resignations of the manager and entire board of directors of one local water board, saying they are at fault for putting the region in jeopardy with the Water Board. The Farm Bureau is seeking to oust Kings County Water District General Manager Dennis Mills and all of the district’s board members. Mills and three of those board members also sit on the Mid-Kings River Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA). “Your failures have violated the law and the trust of your constituents, friends and neighbors,” a Farm Bureau letter states in regards to the board members and Mills. The Farm Bureau released the letter Monday and is asking all water users in Kings County to sign on to the letter and force a change in leadership of those two entities. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Report shows inflation has boosted the Delta tunnel cost to $20 billion – or more
“The controversial Delta Conveyance Project will cost $20.1 billion according to a new cost-benefit analysis released by the state on Thursday. That’s up from the previous cost projection of $16 billion. Almost all of that increase is because of inflation, said David Sunding, emeritus professor at UC Berkeley, who led the benefit-cost analysis, in a media briefing. The benefits will likely far outweigh the costs, said Sunding. For every $1 spent, $2.20 will be generated by the project, according to the analysis. The Delta Tunnel would take Sacramento River water beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to thirsty towns and farms further south and relies on the end users footing the bill. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is the agency overseeing the project. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
PRESS RELEASE: Delta Counties say Delta Conveyance cost benefit analysis is insufficient and biased
“In response to Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) cost estimate and benefit-cost analysis released today for a proposed $20.1 billion Delta Conveyance Project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Patrick Hume, Chair of the Delta Counties Coalition (DCC), made the following statement on behalf of the five jurisdictions that would be most negatively impacted: “Upon initial review, this analysis presents accurately neither the costs, nor the benefits of this last-century proposal. These reports are the latest attempt by the State to justify the Delta Conveyance Project and were conducted with the same preoccupation that the tunnel is the most desirable proposal, lacking acknowledgement of the more cost-effective and environmentally benign alternatives. … ” Read more from the Delta Counties Coalition.
Harder slams new Delta tunnel report after Sacramento admits the project would irreparably harm Delta communities
“Today, Rep. Harder called out Sacramento politicians and the California Department of Water Resources for trying to ship the Central Valley’s water south while causing “significant and unavoidable” impacts on Delta communities. In a benefit-cost analysis released yesterday, the state admits the cost of the project has grown to over $20 billion and would devastate Delta communities with $167 million in damages. The project would be a disaster for Delta communities by destroying farmland and worsening air quality. “This new analysis acknowledges what we’ve known all along: the Delta Tunnel is meant to benefit Beverly Hills and leave Delta communities out to dry,” said Rep. Harder. “This $20 billion boondoggle project wouldn’t create a single new gallon of water for anyone. I’m sick and tired of politicians in Sacramento ignoring our Valley voices and I will do everything in my power to stop them from stealing our water.” … ” Read more from Congressman Josh Harder.
Delta pumps likely killed over half a million fish in two decades. This year was extra deadly
“Just east of the San Francisco Bay, a steel bucket holding 90 gallons of water is strained to rescue precious cargo. The metal roars as it spins, dispelling more and more water, to reveal, finally, a wriggling pair of juvenile Chinook salmon. These young, 2-inch long fish were drawn into danger by giant pumps that push water south to millions of Californians and farms. Saving them from likely peril has been the core purpose since 1968 of the John E. Skinner Delta Fish Protective Facility. But the facility been the subject of considerable attention recently for a spike in fish deaths, drawing the ire of environmentalists and anglers. That’s not to say farmers are happy either, as pumps deliver less water despite a second year of drought-busting storms. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee. | Read via AOL News.
State Water Project advances efforts to prepare for future droughts amid a changing climate
“The California Department of Water Resources has finalized its first comprehensive, public-facing Long-term Drought Plan for the State Water Project as part of an expanded effort to prepare for future droughts and extreme dry conditions. Specifically, the Long-term Drought Plan includes an assessment of the potential impacts of drought on the State Water Project, including the possibility that California’s shift to a hotter, drier future may result in more severe droughts and reduced water availability. This is an important step for the State Water Project which supplies water to 27 million Californians, two-thirds of the State’s population. “While California is coming off of two straight years of above average precipitation and adequate reservoir levels across the state, we need to plan for the next drought because it is right around the corner,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “The State Water Project’s Long-term Drought Plan keeps us on a path to ensuring continued access to a clean, reliable water supply in the future.” … ” Read more from DWR News.
REPORT SUMMARY: The State Water Project Delivery Capability Report
“The Department of Water Resources has released the draft State Water Project Delivery Capability Report for 2023, which provides information about the key factors affecting the operation of the State Water Project and its long-term capability to continue delivering water. … The report found that under existing conditions, the State Water Project’s average annual deliveries are estimated to be 2,238,000 acre-feet, 83 acre-feet less than the estimate for the 2021 DCR Report. The likelihood of Article 21 deliveries has increased by 11% relative to what was presented in the 2021 DCR report. Under hot-dry climate change scenarios with no adaptation actions taken, the estimated State Water Project deliveries are 11%-21% lower than under existing conditions. Hydrological patterns are expected to intensify, with periods of high flows exceeding the capacity of existing infrastructure to capture it, and prolonged and more intense dry spells that will challenge operations.” Read the full summary here.
1950s-era ocean linker sinking into Delta, leaking oil and fuel
“A sinking ship in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta waterway in San Joaquin County was leaking fuel and oil into the body of water Wednesday, sheriff’s officials said. Aurora, a 293-foot ocean liner made in 1955, suffered a hole and began taking on water, causing it to leak diesel fuel and oil into the Delta at Empire Tract and Eight Mile roads in an area known as Little Potato Slough. The sheriff’s boating safety unit and ground units were at the scene attempting to contain the spill Wednesday afternoon. … ” Read more from the Mercury News.
California water officials mostly cleared in drought-related water rights saga
“Three California companies pushing back against state emergency regulations and water curtailment orders saw most of their claims dismissed by a federal judge Tuesday. Los Molinos Mutual Water Company, Stanford Vina Ranch Irrigation Company and Peyton Pacific Properties LLC challenged the restrictions, which were in response to 2021 and 2022 drought conditions. They named State Water Resources Control Board members and board staff as defendants. Additionally, Stanford Vina brought claims against Charlton Bonham, executive director of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, over abandoned fish ladders, and against board members for violating the Endangered Species Act. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Ninth Circuit rejects ESA challenges to 2005 renewal of Sacramento River Settlement contracts and Delta-Mendota Canal contracts
“On May 23, 2024, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 68-page decision in NRDC, et al. v. Haaland, et al. (Case No. 21-15163), which affirmed the district court’s rulings rejecting claims brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council and other environmental interest groups (collectively, “NRDC”) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In 2008, NRDC challenged the execution of the 2005 renewals of certain long-term water supply contracts between the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors (“SRS Contractors” or “Settlement Contractors”), the Delta-Mendota Canal Contractors, and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). Specifically, NRDC challenged the adequacy of the required ESA Section 7 consultation by and between Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) regarding alleged effects to delta smelt resulting from the renewal of such contracts (including further consultations after remand in 2015), and the Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court’s ruling that these consultations were adequate. … ” Continue reading at Somach Simmons & Dunn.
CDFA wants to streamline reporting regs
“California’s agriculture agency has released a concept paper proposing ways to streamline ag-related food safety and water quality reporting requirements. The paper is part of a regulatory alignment study led by the state Department of Food and Agriculture in coordination with the California Environmental Protection Agency and the State Water Resources Control Board. Officials said the objective is to reduce paperwork for farmers and ranchers. Informed by a broad range of interviews and feedback, the proposals presented in the concept paper serve as a foundation and are not final recommendations. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
- NOTE: For links to webinars and workshops, go here: NOTICE: CDFA’s Regulatory Alignment Study looks to streamline streamline ag-related food safety and water quality reporting requirements
New bills aim to protect water rates, charges from Prop. 218 litigation
“Adopted in 1996, Proposition 218 (and later Proposition 26 in 2010) amended the California Constitution to create limits, including voter approval requirements, around local and regional government revenue powers (taxes, assessments and fees). While the intent of these laws is clear, ensuring proper compliance is far more convoluted. The California State Legislature introduced three bills this session in an apparent effort to reduce the vulnerability of public agencies’ revenue streams to legal attack. Why now? One major factor is the significant pending costs of infrastructure and service improvements that agencies are planning to implement to meet future water supply and reliability needs in the face of climate change and implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). … ” Read more from Brownstein.
NOTICE of changes to the proposed ‘Making Conservation a California Way of Life’ Regulation; Comments due by June 4
“Today, the State Water Resources Control Board formally begins a third public comment period for the proposed Making Conservation a Way of Life regulation. The third public comment period is open from May 20 until June 4, 2024. … ” More information here.
Updated draft urban conservation regulation retains feasibility and flexibility provisions
“On Monday, the State Water Board released the third version of draft water efficiency regulations as part of a 15-day comment period. The update maintains changes Cal Cities previously advocated for, including five more years to implement water savings programs and alternative compliance pathways for under-resourced communities and urban water suppliers with significant water reductions. Cities would have two years to demonstrate compliance once the agency adopts the final regulations. The proposed regulations aim to reduce water usage in urban areas over the long term to lessen the need for mandatory water reductions during the next drought. Cities represent about half of the nearly 400 affected urban suppliers. … ” Read more from the League of California Cities.
The FDA’s new pre-harvest agricultural water rule: Impacts on PFAS-contaminated groundwater?
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a final rule that amends its 2015 rule on produce safety. The rule requires pre-harvest assessments of agricultural water for hazard identification and risk management decision-making purposes. Though per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are not mentioned specifically, given recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency attention on maximum contaminant levels and goals for six PFAS compounds in drinking water, among other factors, it is only a matter of time before assessments of agricultural water encounter PFAS. … ” Read the full post at Holland & Knight.
Nearly all staff suddenly resign at Bay Area environmental group
“Almost the entire staff of a 43-year-old Bay Area environmental group has resigned over a dispute about the publication of a book and management of the nonprofit that runs it. Six out of seven members of the staff of the Bay Institute, which does research and advocacy work to protect the San Francisco Bay and Delta, announced their resignation last week to the board of Bay.org, the umbrella organization that runs the Bay Institute and also runs the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco and several other entities. According to a May 16, statement by the group that resigned, which included four senior staff and two junior staff members, the action was prompted in part by the decision by Bay.org CEO and president George Jacob to publish a book authored by the staff before they had a chance to finalize their own revisions and before it received a peer review. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
Nestle/BlueTriton Brands: Petition filed to protect Strawberry Creek from bottled water withdrawal
“On May 13th, a petition was filed with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to protect the public trust resources of Strawberry Creek in the San Bernardino National Forest. The petition, backed by Save Our Forest Association, Sierra Club, Story of Stuff, Center for Biological Diversity, and local residents, urges CDFW to intervene where the US Forest Service has failed. The goal is to uphold the Public Trust Doctrine, which mandates California to protect the state’s water, wildlife, and other trust resources. The San Bernardino National Forest (SBNF), established in 1893 to safeguard the watershed, has faced significant environmental degradation since the 1930s. … “The streambed in Strawberry Canyon was once a thriving riparian habitat with wildlife, including trout that were caught by hardy anglers; the CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has responsibilities requiring Nestle/BlueTriton Brands to comply with state regulations and apply for a permit,” confirmed by President of Save of Forest Association (SOFA) Dr. Hugh Bialecki. “This has not yet happened. Arrowhead Mountain Spring water is found only in bottles since their water diversions have dried up Strawberry Creek. We are asking CDFW to become engaged protecting our few mountain streams and the life they support.” … ” Read more from the Mountain News.
SEE ALSO: Retired Forest Service Employees Raise Alarm Over Nestlé’s Water Exploitation Amid Historic Drought, from the Mountain News
Study reveals 70% of CA blanketed in smoke during record wildfire seasons: Impacts on state’s lakes examined
“As much as 70% of California was covered by wildfire smoke during parts of 2020 and 2021, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. The study, published today in the journal Communications: Earth & Environment, combined lake-based sensors with satellite imagery to find that maximum smoke cover has increased by about 116,000 square miles since 2006. The study measured lake responses to wildfire smoke in 2018, 2020 and 2021 — the three largest fire seasons on record in California. It found the lakes were exposed on average to 33 days of high-density smoke between July and October, with August and September having the highest number of smoky days. The extent of wildfire in California has quintupled since the 1970s, the study notes. Yet little is known about the impact of smoke on lake ecosystems. … ” Read more from UC Davis.
Is hard water bad for you? Two water quality engineers explain the potential benefits and pitfalls that come with having hard water
“When you turn on your faucet to get a glass of water or wash your face, you’re probably not thinking about what’s in your water – besides water. Depending on where you live and whether you have a water-softening system, your water might contain dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium. And these minerals can play a role in whether certain pollutants such as lead stay out of your water. The more dissolved minerals, the “harder” your water. But is hard water actually good or bad for you? As engineering researchers who study water quality, we have seen the effects – both good and bad – that soft and hard water can have on everything from plumbing systems to the human body. … ” Read more from The Conversation.
In commentary this week …
DAN WALTERS: Decadeslong Delta tunnel water project may finally be nearing a historic decision
“It’s been almost a half-century since I first heard the term “peripheral canal” uttered by William Gianelli, who was then-Gov. Ronald Reagan’s top water official. The project, in one form or another, had already been kicking around for decades. The California Water Project became operative in the 1960s and was the most prominent legacy project of Pat Brown, whom Reagan had defeated in 1966. The project dams the Feather River near Oroville and releases impounded water to flow down the Feather into the Sacramento River and eventually into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Pumps at the southern edge of the Delta suck the water into the California Aqueduct, which carries it down the San Joaquin Valley to more pumps over the Tehachapi Mountains into Southern California. … ” Read more from Dan Walters at Cal Matters.
It’s time to rethink Calif.’s poor water supplies
William Bourdeau, executive vice president of Harris Farms, owner of Bourdeau Farms, and director of the Westlands Water District, writes, “California’s agricultural sector is at a crossroads, facing significant challenges but also unprecedented opportunities. As a state that provides a substantial portion of the nation’s food supply, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Water mismanagement and resulting scarcity remains the most pressing issue. Despite improved hydrology and reservoir levels, water allocations are insufficient and irresponsible. California needs robust infrastructure investments to capture and store water during wet years and adaptive management, ensuring availability during droughts. Collaborative efforts between farmers, policymakers, and environmentalists are essential to develop water management strategies that balance ecological demands with agricultural needs. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
In regional water news this week …
Cal Am wants references to desal struck from CPUC hearing
“In the ongoing battle over estimates of how much water the Monterey Peninsula will have and will need, for the next few decades, California American Water Co. is asking a state regulator to strike language in a motion by Marina Coast Water District and the city of Marina relating to the company’s hoped-for desalination project. The motions are part of a hearing before the California Public Utilities Commission, or CPUC, that could decide the fate of Cal Am’s long-sought plan to build a sizable desalination plant in Marina. Cal Am, Marina Coast, the city of Marina, Monterey One Water, Public Water Now and the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District filed briefs with the CPUC late last month declaring what the estimated supply of water from all sources would be by 2050, and what the peninsula’s demand will be by that time. The outcome of the current CPUC hearing is key to whether the desal plant will be needed, and consequently will be permitted. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
Historic MOU signed recently between the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint and Metropolitan
“A historic memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed recently between the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley (Blueprint) and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan). The purpose of the MOU is to establish collaboration to identify, develop, and implement projects in the San Joaquin Valley (Valley) for managing water supplies, including storage and recovery. The MOU was signed by Blueprint Executive Director Austin Ewell and Metropolitan General Manager Adel Hagekhalil at the Association of California Water Agencies Conference on May 8 in Sacramento. Many areas in the Valley suffer from water shortages and lack funds for infrastructure. Metropolitan, however, has been successfully banking water in Kern County for decades and is interested in pursuing opportunities to improve water supply reliability during California’s increasingly volatile wet and dry cycles. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint
Sinking land, dry wells and accusations are plentiful in Kings County – but no solutions in sight
“Relations among Kings County groundwater entities have gone from bad to worse after the state put the region on probation for its inability to come up with a cohesive plan to curb furious overpumping that has sunk huge swaths of land, dried up wells and caused other problems. After a burst of collaboration to try and create a last-ditch new plan before the April 16 state Water Resources Control Board hearing that ended with a unanimous vote to place the Tulare Lake subbasin on probation, all sides are now securely in their respective bunkers. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
MEETING NOTES: More Kern water districts approve new groundwater plan in hopes of avoiding state intervention
“Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District, Arvin-Edison Water Storage District, and Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District all met this week to pass five motions in relation to a new Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) that water managers in the Kern subbasin hope to submit to the state Water Resources Control Board staff by May 28. Their goal is to provide a plan that meets the state requirements under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act to bring the subbasin’s overdrafted aquifer into balance by 2040. Kern’s previous two GSPs were rejected by the state, which has set a probationary hearing for the subbasin for January 2025. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
MEETING NOTES: North Kern concerned the subbasin’s revamped groundwater plan – now seven plans – won’t pass muster with the state
“Two previous groundwater plans for the Kern subbasin were rejected by the state as inadequate to protect the region’s water table. One of the main criticisms of those previous plans was the region’s groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) were fragmented in how they defined, monitored and responded to groundwater issues. The subbasin must be coordinated, according to earlier state feedback. The Water Board has scheduled a probationary hearing for the region in January 2025. Probation is the first step toward a possible state takeover of local pumping. Kern groundwater managers have recrafted the region’s plan in hopes of staving off a probationary hearing. The goal is to have the plan approved by all 20 groundwater sustainability agencies in Kern and submit it by the end of this month. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Will LA take more Mono Lake water?
“Last year was notably wet, raising Mono Lake five feet—and creating a conundrum. Under rules written three decades ago, the lake’s rise over the 6,380-foot elevation threshold means that on April 1, 2024, the maximum limit on water diversions from Mono Lake increased nearly fourfold. Yet decades of evidence show that increasing water diversions will erode the wet year gains, stopping the lake from reaching the mandated healthy 6,392-foot elevation.This flaw in the water diversion rules, now obvious after 30 years of implementation, has real-world results: Mono Lake is a decade late and eight feet short of achieving the healthy lake requirement. The California State Water Resources Control Board plans to examine this problem in a future hearing. But with that critical action many months away—and still unscheduled—the question for 2024 is: Will the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) choose to maintain the same export level as recent years—and help achieve required lake recovery? Or will DWP choose to quadruple its water diversions—and push Mono Lake’s level downward? … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
Court issues opinion striking down approval of gold drilling in the Eastern Sierra Nevada
“A federal appeals court today issued an opinion reversing the decision of a lower court that would have allowed exploratory drilling east of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. The court found that the Forest Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act when it relied on two categorical exclusions for a single project to avoid the required environmental reviews. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the district court’s decision and overturned the U.S. Forest Service’s 2021 approval that allowed gold-mining exploration in sensitive habitat in Inyo National Forest’s Long Valley area. The 9th Circuit had issued an earlier ruling in September 2023, just one day after oral arguments, because the company had planned to begin drilling at that time. In their 2021 lawsuit, conservation groups said the Forest Service’s use of two categorical exclusions, rather than more detailed environmental review, effectively ignored the mining project’s effects on bi-state sage grouse in the area, as well as the potential harm to nearby Hot Creek, where endangered Owens tui chub live. … ” Read more from the Center for Biological Diversity.
Ridgecrest: Supreme Court finds in favor of IWVGA in fee challenge brought by desert pistachio grower
“Pending any further court action, the Indian Wells Valley Ground Water Authority (IWVGA) will ask for a “stop pumping order” for Mojave Pistachios. This falls on the heels of the California Supreme Court denying a request for rehearing the case challenging a fee required to preserve groundwater resources brought by Mojave Pistachios. This decision bars any claims for damages associated with the imposition of the fee and paves the way for an order to prevent further pumping. The ruling supports the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority in its efforts to manage the critical overdraft of the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Basin, according to a news release dated May 15. The dispute centered on a replenishment fee adopted by IWVGA, formed by Kern County, Inyo County, San Bernardino County, the Indian Wells Valley Water District, and the City of Ridgecrest. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent.
MEETING NOTES: Accusations of secrecy, slander and horse “pucky,” pervade high desert groundwater discussions
“The Indian Wells Valley is a critically overdrafted basin in eastern Kern County. Its residents and businesses require 28,000 acre feet a year while the basin only receives 7,650 acre feet a year in natural recharge. The groundwater authority intends to buy water from the Palmdale area and build a pipeline to bring it north to the valley. The authority agreed, however, to reassess bringing water south from another desert region called Little Lake, which is in Inyo County. Michael McKinney of Capitol Core, a government relations firm that specializes in water and land use issues, concluded the Little Lake plan, which had first been assessed in 2019, was “not feasible” for a number of reasons. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Coastkeeper says no more extensions for addressing water quality issues at South County riding park
“All equestrian operations have been suspended at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park after its operators did complete a project to address water quality issues by a settlement’s deadline. In 2017, the nonprofit Orange County Coastkeeper sued San Juan Capistrano and the Ridland Group, which operates the riding park, alleging Clean Water Act violations from horse-washing water discharge that contained feces, soap and urine. As part of a settlement agreement, the city took on nearly $8 million in necessary improvements to prevent contaminated water from running off into nearby San Juan Creek. But the Ridland Group, which runs equestrian events and operations at the riding park, did not put in a storm drain before the settlement’s April 15 deadline, according to San Juan Capistrano officials. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
Proposed rules on water quality may overwhelm San Diego farmers
“Farmers in San Diego County say proposed water quality regulations that establish updated general waste discharge requirements for commercial agricultural operations are burdensome, costly and duplicate work by growers participating in other regulatory programs. Tasked with protecting water quality, the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board on March 29 released a proposed draft that creates new monitoring and reporting requirements for nitrogen applications and removals. It also identifies paths to compliance for individuals or use of third-party programs to help farmers achieve the order’s objectives. Kari Fisher, senior counsel for the California Farm Bureau, said the draft order for the region stems from the state’s 2018 adoption of a precedential order that revised agricultural requirements for the Eastern San Joaquin River watershed and required all regional boards to update their irrigated lands programs. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
