From the Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS):
As we head into summer, both the Salt and Nitrate Control Programs have made notable advancements. Within the Nitrate Control Program, Priority 1 Management Zones (MZs) continue their free drinking water testing and delivery services, while developing longer-term nitrate contamination solutions. Concurrently, Priority 2 MZs are getting organized and beginning to work with new members and starting to work on their Early Action Plans.
On the Salt Control Program front, the recent approval and release of the Baseline Characterization Report (BCR) was a significant milestone, providing the most comprehensive snapshot of the Central Valley salt situation ever produced. With this document in place, the program intensifies its focus on evaluating potential long-term solutions to salt buildup in the Valley.
Nitrate control program
The Nitrate Control program is unfolding in stages. Initially, the Basin Plans designated basins as Priority 1, Priority 2, or Non-Prioritized, determined by their projected nitrate water quality impacts. Priority 1 basins, exhibiting the most elevated nitrate concentrations, took precedence for intervention, followed by Priority 2 basins. Non-prioritized basin activities will be determined later in the process.
You can use this online interactive map to view Priority 1 and Priority 2 areas, their associated Management Zones, and contact information.
Priority 1
The six active Priority 1 MZs continue to conduct community outreach – fostering new relationships, promoting the program, and offering free water testing and delivery to eligible households.
Click here to access the online dashboard the MZs have developed for detailed information on their activities.
In partnership with the State Water Board SAFER (Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience) Program, each of the MZs is working to offer well tests for contaminants other than nitrate. Valley Water Collaborative (Modesto and Turlock MZs) was the first to implement comprehensive testing, and Kaweah Water Foundation MZ has recently secured its funding for similar efforts.
Each Priority 1 MZ was required to submit a Management Zone Implementation Plan (MZIP) to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board). These plans outline how the MZs will collaborate with communities in their area to provide long-term drinking water solutions and to mitigate high groundwater nitrate levels. In April 2024, the Regional Board held a public information hearing to discuss the MZIPs and hear community feedback. A recording of the hearing can be found here.
Priority 2
In late 2023, the Regional Board sent Notices to Comply to over 900 permittees operating in Priority 2 basins. Permittees have 14 months to choose if they want to join a Priority 2 MZ or pursue the Individual Permitting Approach. There are significant benefits to most permittees choosing to join an MZ, especially if they make their selection early in the process and can contribute to the collaborative discussions on how their Priority 2 MZ will function. In early 2024, CV-SALTS held a webinar focused on the Priority 2 regulatory process. The presentation, video recording, and Q&A notes for the webinar can be downloaded here (scroll down to Webinars).
Additional information on the Nitrate Control Program can be found here on the CV-SALTS website.
The CV-SALTS Nitrate Challenge Story Map can be found here.
Salt control program
The CV-SALTS Salt Control Program recently released the Baseline Characterization Report (BCR), providing a fundamental overview of the existing salt conditions in the Central Valley. The report offers the first comprehensive analysis of major salt sources, along with a review of historical development and regulatory measures. The BCR marks an important initial step in addressing salinity issues. Its findings pave the way for future efforts and the report introduces new modeling tools for assessing and addressing salt accumulation in soils and groundwater.
The next steps for the program are:
- Identifying and categorizing distinct geographical areas (archetypes), which represent larger parts of the Central Valley, to evaluate salinity targets that would protect agricultural and municipal water uses.
- Extracting information from local Groundwater Sustainability Plans, ensuring that the Salt Control Program takes into account any existing groundwater supply and recharge projects and programs.
Additional information on the Salt Control Program is available on the CV-SALTS website.
