Agricultural Discharge Waiver from Irrigated Lands
The California rice industry is taking a proactive role in the Conditional Waiver Program that specifically covers rice growers in the Sacramento River Basin. Irrigated agriculture has operated under an agricultural discharge waiver from 1982 until December 31, 2002, which means agriculture has been exempt from discharge permits. The agricultural community has been working with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (CVRWQCB) on specifics of a new conditional agricultural discharge waiver from irrigated lands. According to regulations imposed by Legislature and the CVRWQCB, property owners of irrigated agricultural lands must decide whether to participate as a group, as an individual or operate under an individual waste discharge permit. The waiver requires monitoring of all pesticides and constituents of concern including examples such as nutrients, sediment, turbidity, total organic carbons, toxicity, dissolved oxygen and total dissolved solids.
Frequently Asked Questions:
The following lists the three most asked questions about agricultural discharge waivers.
Q: What is the CRC doing about the agricultural discharge waivers?
A: The CRC is using the structure of the Basin Plan's Rice Pesticides Program to build the basis for a conditional agricultural discharge waiver from irrigated lands. specific to rice, in the Sacramento River Basin. Our waiver will utilize twenty year of experience monitoring, analysis and reporting for five rice pesticides, and expand to include all rice pesticides and constituents of concern.
Q: What if I grow crops other than rice? Will the rice waiver cover those crops?
A: The rice specific waiver will only cover rice in the Sacramento River Basin. You need to join a coalition for crops other than rice. Some perceive that this is double billing. You will only be double billed if you farm rice in the Sacramento Valley and you place your rice acres in a coalition. Think in respect to total acres.
Q: Where do I go for additional information?
A: For information about rice acres contact Roberta Firoved at 916/387-2264. For crops other than rice call your local county agricultural commissioner for information on a coalition group in your area.
