By Christine Souza, Ag Alert
In a major regulatory shift years in the making, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board voted last month to amend a general order and exempt agricultural operations in Northern California’s Pit River subwatershed from a state program that regulates farm runoff.
The state’s Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program was established to prevent agricultural runoff from polluting surface and groundwater.
Surface water monitoring data collected since 2004 from growers in the Pit River subwatershed—located in portions of Lassen, Modoc, Shasta and Siskiyou counties—have consistently demonstrated low levels of nitrates, pesticides and other pollutants.
As such, the regional board voted unanimously to exempt growers in the Pit River subwatershed from having to enroll in the regulatory program.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Kari Fisher, senior counsel and director of legal advocacy for the California Farm Bureau.
In a June 27 comment letter to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, the California Farm Bureau expressed support for the exemption, citing the “low-threat nature of irrigated pasture, grass hay and alfalfa hay farms.”
With pasture and forage crops representing most of the irrigated land in the subwatershed, Fisher said, the rationale for the exemption is area growers rarely apply nitrogen fertilizers or pesticides and pose minimal risk of impairing the quality of surface waters and groundwater.
The exemption is the third of its kind and follows similar actions for Goose Lake watershed in Modoc County and the Upper Feather River watershed in Plumas and Sierra counties.
The decision affects 75,000 acres in Northern California and is expected to save 186 farmers $112,500 per year in California State Water Resources Control Board fees, according to Fisher.
University of California Cooperative Extension and UC Davis research findings related to the Pit River subwatershed show that irrigated pasture, grass hay and alfalfa hay operations have a minimal risk of impairing the quality of surface waters and groundwater, warranting the exemption from the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program, Farm Bureau added.
Laura Snell, UCCE livestock and natural resources adviser for Modoc County, said the exemption comes after nearly a decade of scientific data collection, including hours spent monitoring, surveying agricultural practices, participating at board meetings and hosting tours.
“This is a huge win for farmers up here,” she added.
Modoc County Supervisor Ned Coe, a rancher based in Alturas, said the partnership among farmers, local officials and UCCE was critical.
“The scientific-based work with producers and UCCE farm advisers was instrumental in getting all three of the different subunits exempted,” said Coe, who also works as a field representative for the California Farm Bureau.
The exemption, Coe said, frees up funds growers can use to invest in other water or irrigation improvements on their land. “This really opens up possibilities,” Coe said. “I will be able to spend the money that would have otherwise been spent on fees into improving irrigation infrastructure, whether that’s a headgate, a culvert or pipelines.”
While growers are exempt from the state fees, Coe said he expects the local fee will continue, potentially at a reduced rate, so the Sacramento Valley Water Quality Coalition can continue to monitor water quality and collect data for the region.
“We inherently knew that there were no issues here because the chemicals weren’t being used—it just wasn’t an issue,” said Modoc County Farm Bureau President Sean Curtis, who works as a planner for Modoc County. “We had to have baseline data, so we had a couple of years of monitoring to show that there were no issues. Then, that started the process for an exemption from the program.”
Fisher said the California Farm Bureau has remained involved in the regulatory process related to the state program that regulates farm runoff for years.
“For more than 20 years, and as the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program takes shape in regions across the state, the California Farm Bureau has maintained a continued presence, advocating on what is best for affected farmers,” Fisher said. “We continue to be involved and fight for our members.”
Christine Souza is senior editor of Ag Alert. She can be reached at csouza@cfbf.com.
