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After a marathon hearing, the State Water Resources Control Board adopted an order revising agricultural requirements for the East San Joaquin River watershed on February 7. This order adds additional reporting requirements, many of which set precedents for other irrigated lands programs throughout the state.
The order affects growers who are members of the East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition. However, it also sets precedents for other regions and directs the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board and other regional boards to update their irrigated lands regulatory programs to be consistent with the order. Revisions will need to be made regarding the contents and frequency of reporting requirements, as well as new reporting on potential groundwater loading from nitrogen fertilizer use and targets for groundwater quality.
State board staff had released numerous drafts of the order before its final adoption. Each draft included improvements based primarily on oral and written comments by many growers, agricultural groups and Western Growers staff.
The East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition Order mandates the following:
Many of the precedential requirements would have been extremely difficult for Central Coast farmers to implement. However, after several meetings between water board members, Central Coast growers and representatives and Western Growers staff, some language in the order was changed to reflect the differences between farming practices in the Central Coast and the Central Valley.
Due to the fact that each area of the state has unique differences, the need for “flexibility” for other regional boards was stressed. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board intends to reopen and revise the other Central Valley agricultural programs by the end of this year.
Click here to read the full East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition Order
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