The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) and the California Water Impact Network (CWIN) appealed the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board’s (Regional Board) approval of general waste discharge requirements (WDRs) for growers within the Eastern San Joaquin River Watershed that are members of a Third Party Group to the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board). The WDRs are the first of a series of specific general WDRs to replace the agricultural waivers. These WDRs simply transpose existing waiver requirements into WDRs, which don’t have to be renewed every five years.
In comments to the Regional Board, CSPA maintained that the WDRs fail to comply with California’s Nonpoint Source Policy and Antidegradation Policy. The WDRs were approved on 7 December 2012. CSPA asks the State Board to vacate the approval and remand to the Regional Board with instructions prepare and circulate a new tentative order that comports with regulatory requirements or alternatively, prepare, circulate and issue a new order that is protective of identified beneficial uses and comports with regulatory requirements.