ILRP Background & History

On February 7th…

The State Water Board adopted an order in response to the petitions of General Order R5-2012-0116 for growers within the Eastern San Joaquin River Watershed (SWRCB/OCC Files A-2239(a)-(c)). The State Water Board Order changed the Eastern San Joaquin General Order, adding on-farm drinking water well monitoring for all growers, development of numeric targets to assess nitrogen loading to groundwater, anonymous field-level reporting of management practices to the Central Valley Water Board, changes to reporting requirements, and several other items. The Petition Order also required the Central Valley Water Board to convene an external public review process for the surface water monitoring framework.

In 2012…

The Central Valley Water Board expanded the ILRP to regulate all Central Valley growers, continuing to allow growers to form or join coalitions. They also extended the regulations to cover discharges to both surface and ground waters.

In 2003…

The Central Valley Water Board adopted its first ILRP permit to regulate only growers that discharge irrigation or storm waters to surface waters from fields irrigated to produce crops. This permit allowed growers to form third-party groups (coalitions) to assist them in complying with the Central Valley Water Board permit requirements.

In 1999…

The California Legislature passed Senate Bill 390, requiring the Water Boards to develop programs to regulate agricultural lands in accordance with the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act (California Water Code Division 7). In response to Senate Bill 390, the Central Valley Water Board created an agricultural program, referred to as the ILRP.