Organizations come together to ensure quality of resource
Marysville Appeal Democrat - 3/4/03
By Harold Kruger, staff writer

A broad group of Sacramento Valley water districts, farm organizations and waterfowl organizations has formed the Sacramento Valley Water Quality Coalition to address water quality in the Sacramento River and its tributaries.

The coalition wants to take "a regional approach to better understand and manage water quality in Northern California," David Guy, executive director of the Northern California Water Association, said Monday. "The coalition is committed to preserving and enhancing the high quality water resources that are the lifeblood of the Sacramento Valley."

The coalition plans to initially present a report to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board to meet the conditions of its new conditional waiver program for agricultural runoff.

Coalition members include the Northern California Water Association, the Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship, Ducks Unlimited, county Farm Bureaus, valley agricultural commissioners and the Western Growers Association.

NCWA represents about 70 agricultural water purveyors in the valley, said Guy.

Under the board's program, dischargers covered by a watershed program in the Sacramento Valley will not need an individual permit.

"If this watershed approach is not successful, every landowner or entity that discharges water in the Sacramento Valley may be required to pay annual permit fees estimated to range from $500 to $2,000," Guy said.

The Central Valley board has about 7 million acres of irrigated agricultural land in its jurisdiction and about 25,000 entities - individuals or businesses - that discharge.

"Regardless of the regulatory program in place, the goal remains the same - consistent implementation of management practices that result in compliance with water quality objectives," the board said in a November staff report.

The board is encouraging the establishment of watershed groups, which will be expected to monitor discharges, as well as develop and monitor management practices that reduce waste discharges.

"Our plan is to utilize state-of-the-art scientific methods to monitor and address water quality issues in the Sacramento Valley," Guy said. "Depending on the water quality issue, existing or new best management practices will then be identified to manage the problem on a local level."

Ryan Broddrick, director of Public Policy for Ducks Unlimited, said the Sacramento Valley is a critical part of the habitat for the Pacific Flyway annual migration of waterfowl.

"The inclusion of managed wetlands in the Regional Board program presents a challenge to private and public wetlands that can be best met through collaboration," he said.

"These partnerships as part of a regional approach illustrate that you can harmonize the diverse demands on the landscape to meet agricultural, fisheries, wetland and community interests."

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