Salt and Nutrient Management Planning (SNMP)

To ensure a sustainable water future protective of beneficial uses for all areas of California, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) adopted Resolution No. 2009-0011. The Policy for Water Quality Control for Recycled Water (Recycled Water Policy). The Recycled Water Policy streamlined permitting for recycled water projects and also recognized that salt and nutrients from all sources should be managed on a basin-wide or watershed-wide basis through the development of Salt and Nutrient Management Plans (SNMP).

The Recycled Water Policy was amended in 2013 (Resolution No. 2013-0003) to specify monitoring requirements for constituents of emerging concern (CECs) and again in 2018 (Resolution No. 2018-0057). Through each revision the Recycled Water Policy continues to recognize that due to the varied sources of salts and nutrients the appropriate way to manage groundwater basins containing salts and nutrients in concentrations that exceed or threaten to exceed water quality objectives established in basin plans is through the development of regional or sub-regional SNMPs.

The Recycled Water Policy includes guidance on developing groundwater basin-wide or subbasin-wide SNMPs to ensure that water quality objectives are met and beneficial uses are protected. An important part of regional salt and nutrient management is the participation and collaboration of stakeholders to develop and implement SNMPs for their area, with guidance from State and Regional Water Boards.

Regional SNMP Information

There are three SNMPs in development in the Colorado River Basin Region. They are the Mojave SNMP, Twentynine Palms SNMP and the Coachella Valley SNMP. Additional information on each of the SNMPs is provided below.

Mojave Area SNMP

The Mojave area SNMP manages six groundwater basins in the northwestern corner of the Colorado River Basin Region and includes basins within the Southern Lahontan Region, which is the lead agency for the Mojave SNMP.

  • 7-11 Copper Mountain Valley
  • 7-12 Warren Valley
  • 7-16 Ames Valley
  • 7-17 Means Valley
  • 7-18 Johnson Valley
  • 7-18.01 Soggy Lake
  • 7-18.02 Upper Johnson Valley
  • 7-19 Lucerne Valley

Twentynine Palms Area SNMP

The Twentynine Palms area will manage three Colorado River Basin Region groundwater basins.

  • 7-09 Dale Valley
  • 7-10 Twentynine Palms Valley
  • 7-62 Joshua Tree

Twentynine Palms has a groundwater monitoring program in the above referenced groundwater basins.

Workplan to Develop the Coachella Valley SNMP

The Coachella Valley Salt and Nutrient Management Planning Agencies submitted a workplan to develop a SNMP to the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board on September 2, 2021. Upon completion, estimated to occur in 2026, the Coachella Valley SNMP will manage three subbasins of the Coachella Valley Groundwater Basin.

  • 7-21.01 Indio Subbasin
  • 7-21.02 Mission Creek Subbasin
  • 7-21.03 Desert Hot Springs Subbasin

Information and Resources

SWRCB Water Quality Control Policy for Recycled Water

SWRCB Salt and Nutrient Management Planning Information


  Contacts

For assistance or additional information contact the Regional Water Board staff listed below.

Regional Water Board Contact Information

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