On 21 January 2014, CSPA submitted extensive comments to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board) regarding proposed waste discharge requirements (WDRs) for discharges of pollutants from farmers within the Sacramento River watershed. The WDRs will replace the present “agricultural waivers” for the Sacramento Valley Water Quality Coalition and regulate pollutants discharged from 12,000 farms covering 1,770,000 acres. The proposed WDRs are not protective of the environment and violate the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act and the state’s Nonpoint Source Control and Antidegradation policies.
Previous CSPA comments addressed proposed WDRs for irrigated lands on the Eastside of the San Joaquin River, the Westside of the San Joaquin River and the San Joaquin County and Delta area. CSPA appealed the Regional Board’s adoption of the Eastside San Joaquin WDRs to the State Water Resources Control Board and intends to appeal the Regional Board’s 9 January 2014 adoption of WDRs for the Westside San Joaquin River.