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Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP)
Sierra Water Workgroup SummitJune 11-13, 2013Kings Beach, CA
Presented ByDr. Karl Longley, PE
Member, Central Valley RWQCB
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What Are WE Trying to Accomplish?
WE = Water Board, Agriculture, Stakeholders
Protect water quality for current and future generations
Ensure any new requirements are consistent with sustaining agriculture in the Central Valley
Learn and adapt as we move forward
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Direction from Central Valley Water Board, June 2011
Tailor approach to specific geographic areas or commodities
Include requirements to protect surface and groundwater quality
Continue with Coalitions (third-parties) as lead to assist growers w/compliance
Use General Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs)
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Geographic Areas/Commodities Addressed by WDRs
Long-term Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program Scope
Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) Includes commercial operations, managed
wetlands, nurseries Surface water discharges surface return flows, storm runoff, tile
drainage Groundwater discharges Fertilizer/pesticides moving down soil profile,
well head, or backflow5
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Growers implement practices:Consistent with PlansMeet Performance Standards
Third-party management plans:Surface Water QualityGroundwater Quality
GrowersThird-partyRegional BoardAgencies/UniversityEJ/EnvironmentalCV-SALTSInterested parties
Grower plans:Nitrogen ManagementSediment and Erosion Control
Grower reports:Farm Evaluations /PracticesNitrogen Management
Summary ReportsEnroll with third-party
Third-party assessments:Groundwater Quality Sediment Discharge and Erosion
Co
mm
unica
tion
and
Join
t Le
arni
ng
Collect
Information
Implement Management
Practices
Water Quality MonitoringManagement Practices
Evaluation ProgramSpecial studies
Water Quality
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Estimated Groundwater Nitrate Loading
Fig. 1. Estimated groundwater nitrate loading from major sources within the Tulare Lake Basin and Salinas Valley, in Gg nitrogen per year (1 Gg = 1,100 t). http://groundwaternitrate.ucdavis.edu/files/139110.pdf ; Viers, J.H., et al (2012). Nitrogen Sources and Loading to Groundwater
Agenda Item 13 8Central Valley Water Board Meeting
June 2012
About 642,500 irrigated acres (62%) are in groundwater vulnerable areas
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Order Components – Information from Third Party
Management Practices Evaluation Program Relates practices on the land surface to effect on groundwater
quality
Irrigated ag practice(s)
Representative site conditions Evaluate
effects of discharge
Extrapolate to similar sites
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What’s Next?
Implementation began with the adoption of the Eastern San Joaquin River Watershed Order
Orders for the Tulare Lake Basin and Growers not in a Coalition coming up in next few months
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Questions ?