The California Water Boards' Annual Performance Report - Fiscal Year 2014-15

REGULATE: IRRIGATED LANDS

MEASUREMENTS  - Data Last Updated on: 11-18-2015 (1:31 pm)

WHAT THE MEASURE IS SHOWING

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2014-15, the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Programs (ILRP) enrolled 1,843 new irrigated agricultural operations, which comprise 6,372,586 acres of irrigated agricultural land, under a general conditional waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR). Including new enrollees, the ILRP regulates 60 percent of the State's estimated 64,803 irrigated agricultural operations. Regulated operations represent approximately 75 percent of the State's irrigated acreage. The Central Valley Region (Region 5), which covers approximately 40 percent of the State's geographical area, regulates 83 percent of all irrigated agricultural operations, or 89 percent of all irrigated acreage, enrolled in the ILRP.

WHY THIS MEASURE IS IMPORTANT

Many surface and groundwater bodies are impaired because of pollutants from agricultural sources. Discharges from irrigated agricultural lands, from both irrigation flows and stormwater runoff, can affect water quality by transporting pollutants such as pesticides, nutrients, sediment, salts, heavy metals, and pathogens from cultivated fields into waters of the State. Several Regional Water Boards have made significant progress in developing and implementing the ILRP. Initiated in 2004, the ILRP works with the agricultural community to control discharges from irrigated lands. Most Regional Water Boards have adopted a region-wide, general conditional waiver of WDR to regulate irrigated agricultural discharges. To comply with the conditions of the waiver, irrigated agricultural dischargers implement management measures, monitor water quality, and implement corrective actions as needed to protect water quality. Because each Regional Water Board's ILRP is in a different phase of development, the number of acres (and the corresponding number of agricultural operations) enrolled will increase as additional Regional Boards adopt a waiver for discharges from irrigated agricultural lands. Typically, the regulated operators join a coalition group which implements waiver's requirements. The table below lists the number of farm operators and acreage under each coalition by region.

TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Data Source: Water Boards ILRP database.
• Unit of Measure: Number of acres enrolled under general conditional waivers of WDRs at Regional Water Boards with ILRP.
• Data Definitions: Acres Enrolled: Agricultural acreage under the control of commercial irrigated agricultural operators enrolled under a general conditional waiver of WDRs issued by a Regional Water Board as part of their ILRP.
• References: Information on the Water Boards' ILRP
  ILRP Monthly Reports

GLOSSARY

Conditional Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements

Regional Water Board can formally waive Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs) for specific discharges to surface waters that are not subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System regulations provided that certain conditions are met, including that the discharge will not cause or contribute to violations in water quality. An individual conditional waiver of WDRs can be issued directly to an individual discharger. For discharges of a certain type, such as discharges from irrigated agricultural lands, individual or groups of dischargers may enroll under a general conditional waiver of WDRs.


Irrigated Agricultural Lands

Lands where water is applied to produce crops such as land planted to row, vineyard, pasture, field and tree crops, commercial nurseries, nursery stock production, managed wetlands, and rice production that do not currently discharge under waste discharge requirements, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permits, or other NPDES permits.



 

( Page last updated:  10/20/15 )