Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program

About the Program

Discharges from agricultural lands, including leaching or runoff of irrigation water and/or stormwater, may carry wastes, including but not limited to salts, nutrients, pathogens, sediments, and pesticides that can affect the quality of waters of the state.

To protect the beneficial uses of the state’s waters, the Colorado River Basin Water Board regulates discharges from agricultural lands. Since 2012, the Colorado River Basin Water Board has adopted either Conditional Waivers of Waste Discharge Requirements (Conditional Waivers) or General Waste Discharge Requirements (General WDRs) to control the discharges from agricultural lands in four areas of the Region: (1) Palo Verde Valley and Mesa, (2) Bard Valley, (3) Coachella Valley, and (4) Imperial Valley.

The Colorado River Basin Water Board is in the process of converting all of its Conditional Waivers to General WDRs and incorporating the precedential requirements of State Water Board Order WQ 2018-0002, In the Matter of Review of Waste Discharge Requirements General Order No. R5-2012-0116 for Growers Within the Eastern San Joaquin River Watershed that are Members of the Third-Party Group (Eastern San Joaquin Order).

Palo Verde Valley and Mesa

General Waste Discharge Requirements for Agricultural Dischargers in the Palo Verde Valley and Palo Verde Mesa

On May 15, 2019, the Colorado River Basin Water Board adopted General WDRs for Discharges of Waste from Irrigated Agricultural Lands for Dischargers that are Members of a Coalition Group in Palo Verde Valley and Palo Verde Mesa (Order R7-2019-0030). This Order supersedes a Conditional Waiver for agricultural dischargers in the area that had expired. This order has been amended since adoption. All changes made to the order are outlined in the table below. The most current electronic copy of the full order, including all attachments is linked in the top row of the table below:

Date Change Effective Section Modified Revisions Mechanism Order Number
12/12/2023 Order Page 23,
Section E.6

Attachment C Page 16, Section VI.F

Revised section to clarify exceedance report requirements and “Water Quality Triggering Event” for Water Quality Restoration Plans Board Order R7-2023-0049 R7-2019-0030-04
07/19/2023 Order Page 19, Provision
D.3.g.

Attachment C Page 11, Section VI.D

 Clarification of due dates regarding Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Plan Information Letter sent from Executive Officer R7-2019-0030-03
11/21/2022 Order Page 19, Provision
D.3.g.

Attachment C Page 11, Section VI.D

 Extension to the submission dates for the INMP and INMP Summary Report Letter sent from Executive Officer R7-2019-0030-02
06/24/2020 Order Page 14, Provision A.3.b

Order Page 17, Provision D.2.d.

Attachment C Page 10, Section VI.C

 Inclusion of updated deadline dates for the submission of Electronic Notice of Intent, reporting of individual Farm Plans by Dischargers to the Coalition, and submittal of the Farm Plan Summary by the Coalition to the Colorado River Basin Water Board. Board Order R7-2020-0022 R7-2019-0030-01

Bard Valley

General Waste Discharge Requirements for Agricultural Dischargers in Bard Valley

On July 11, 2019, the Colorado River Basin Water Board adopted General WDRs for Discharges of Waste from Irrigated Agricultural Lands for Dischargers that are Members of a Coalition Group in Bard Valley (Order R7-2019-0053). This Order specifically applies to a subset of Bard Valley known as the Bard Unit of the Reservation Division of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Yuma Project; it does not regulate tribal land in the Indian Unit of the Reservation Division. This Order supersedes a Conditional Waiver for agricultural dischargers in the area that had expired. This order has been amended since adoption. All changes made to the order are outlined in the table below. The most current electronic copy of the full order, including all attachments is linked in the top row of the table below:

Date Change Effective Section Modified Revisions Mechanism Order Number

12/12/2023

Order Page 21, Section E.6

Attachment B Page 13, Section VI.F

Revised section to clarify exceedance report requirements and “Water Quality Triggering Event” for Water Quality Restoration Plans

Board Order R7-2023-0049

R7-2019-0053-03

01/24/2023

Attachment B Page 8, Section VI.C

Attachment B Page 9, Section VI.D

Attachment B Page 11, Section VI.E

Extension of Submission Dates for Annual Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Plan Summary Data, Annual Management Practice Data, and Annual Monitoring Plan for Bard Unit Coalition Group

Letter from Executive Officer

R7-2019-0053-02

06/24/2020

Order Page 15, Provision D.2.d

Attachment B Page 8, Section VI.C

Inclusion of updated deadline dates for the reporting of individual Farm Plans by Dischargers to the Bard Coalition, and submittal of the Farm Plan Summary by the Bard Coalition to the Colorado River Basin Water Board.

Board Order R7-2020-0021

R7-2019-0053-01

Coachella Valley

General Waste Discharge Requirements for Agricultural Dischargers in the Coachella Valley

On November 12, 2020, the Colorado River Basin Water Board adopted General WDRs for Discharges of Waste from Irrigated Agricultural Lands for Dischargers that are Members of a Coalition Group in the Coachella Valley (Order R7-2020-0026). This Order supersedes a Conditional Waiver for agricultural dischargers in the area that had expired. This order has been amended since adoption. All changes made to the order are outlined in the table below. The most current electronic copy of the full order, including all attachments is linked in the top row of the table below:

Date Change Effective Section Modified Revisions Mechanism Order Number
5/2/2024 Attachment B Page B-13, Section D Dates for INMP submissions revised Letter sent from Executive Officer R7-2020-0026-06
4/30/2024 Attachment B Page B-6, Table B-3 Removed PCBs monitoring requirement Letter sent from Executive Officer R7-2020-0026-05
02/07/2024 Attachment B Page B-12, Section VI.C Dates for Farm Plan submission revised Letter sent from Executive Officer R7-2020-0026-04
12/12/2023 Order Page 33, Section E.6

Attachment B Page B-19, Section VI.F

 Revised section to include exceedance report requirements Revision order R7-2023-0049 R7-2020-0026-03
11/21/2022 Attachment B Page B-6, Section III.B Dates for fish tissue submittal start date revised Letter sent from Executive Officer R7-2020-0026-02
01/17/2022 Attachment B Page B-12, Section VI.C Dates for INMP submittal revised Letter sent from Executive Officer R7-2020-0026-01

Imperial Valley

General Waste Discharge Requirements for Agricultural Dischargers in the Imperial Valley

On December 14, 2021, the Colorado River Basin Water Board adopted General WDRs for Discharges of Waste from Irrigated Agricultural Lands for Dischargers that are Members of a Coalition Group in Imperial Valley (Order R7-2021-0050). This Order supersedes a Conditional Waiver for agricultural dischargers in the area that had expired. This order has been amended since adoption. All changes made to the order are outlined in the table below. The most current electronic copy of the full order, including all attachments is linked in the top row of the table below:

Date Change Effective Section Modified Revisions Mechanism Order Number
5/2/2024

Attachment B Page B-17, Section D

 Dates for INMP submissions revised Letter sent from Executive Officer R7-2021-0050-03
02/07/2024 Attachment B Page B-6, Table B-3 Revised MRP to remove PCB requirements Letter sent from Executive Officer R7-2021-0050-02
12/12/2023 Order Page 36, Section E.6

Attachment B Page B-23, Section VI.F

 Revised section to include exceedance report requirements Revision order R7-2023-0049 R7-2021-0050-01

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