Rangelands and Grazing

Overview

Grazing activities can adversely impact water quality if not implemented properly and impair beneficial uses by contributing sediment, nutrients, and pathogens to surface waters. Unlike point sources of pollution that come from a discrete location (discharge pipe), nonpoint source (NPS) pollution comes from many diffuse sources, including runoff from grazing and rangelands. However, some ranch owners/operators are working the lands with a long-term conservation-minded vision and manage livestock in such ways that aim for more benefits than impacts. Some grazing benefits that might occur when rangelands are managed properly are weed control, food production, wildlife habitat preservation/creation, fire fuel reduction, and open space conservation.

Grazing lands comprise approximately 75% of the agricultural acres in the Lahontan Region. Due to the vast and varied areas covered by grazing throughout the region, there is not one management strategy that fits all.

The Water Board can regulate NPS pollution by issuing Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs), Waivers of Waste Discharge Requirements (Waivers), and water quality prohibitions. WDRs and Waivers may contain special requirements that include preparing and submitting an Allotment Management Plan or an Individual Rangeland Water Quality Management Plan. Additionally, long-term vision plans that rely on a voluntary approach to water quality improvement are also being utilized within the Lahontan Region to address watersheds impacted by pollutants associated with grazing.

Regional Grazing Efforts

Bridgeport Valley

To protect water quality from adverse impacts from grazing, the Water Board adopted its first conditional Waiver for grazing operations in the East Walker River Watershed, focusing on the Bridgeport Valley and tributaries, in 2007 with subsequent renewals approximately every five years. The Dischargers have implemented many management practices such as fencing, off-stream drinking water systems, vegetated buffer strips, hardened water crossings, and irrigation structure improvements totaling approximately four million dollars since the Waiver's inception. Though significant progress has been made, the water quality objectives have not consistently been met at the downstream sampling and compliance points.

Bishop Creek and West Fork Carson River Vision Plans

In 2013, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced a new collaborative framework for implementing the CWA Section 303(d) program called the Long-Term Vision for Assessment, Restoration, and Protection under the Clean Water Act Section 303(d) Program (The Vision). The Vision describes a watershed-wide plan focused on improving water quality and provides a flexible framework with which to attain water quality restoration and protection. In 2015, the Water Board identified Bishop Creek and the West Fork Carson River as the two "Vision Watersheds" to be addressed. Both surface waters are impacted by discharges associated with grazing operations occurring within each watershed.

At its September 2022 Water Board Meeting, the Water Board adopted Resolution No. R6T-2022-0047 supporting the Bishop Vision Plan. The Bishop Creek Vision Plan includes an implementation timeline and outline for adaptive management. Resolution No. R6T-2023-0036 pertains to the West Fork Carson River Vision Plan and was adopted at the October 2023 Water Board hearing. For both Vision Plans, the Water Board will evaluate progress after five years. If progress appears to not be on track to attain the respective water quality objectives by year 10, which is the Vision Plan attainment timeline, then more robust efforts will be pursued.

Eagle Lake

Since May 2019, Eagle Lake shorefront property managers and owners who maintain livestock are required to submit annual grazing plans to the Water Board before the start of grazing operations each year. The Water Board has received adequate plans every year to date. Federal land managers submit Annual Operation Instructions for each allotment, while private property owners submit Rangeland Water Quality Management Plans each season. The grazing management plans should demonstrate an overall reduction of animal waste to the shore of Eagle Lake through the application of management techniques.

Since 2019, Water Board staff have developed a newsletter to communicate our efforts to protect water quality in the Eagle Lake watershed. For more information, please see each year's issue here: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023. And, if interested, please subscribe to receive the annual Eagle Lake newsletter.

Regional Grazing Strategy

In 2015, State Board directed Water Board staff to work with stakeholders on a regional level for best approaches of addressing water quality impacts from grazing. Since then, staff have worked periodically to develop a more holistic approach for the region. The Regional Grazing Strategy efforts are anticipated to increase in coming years with the development of a plan to map private and federal grazing operations within the region and make recommended approaches to address grazing-related impacts based on threat to water quality. Staff are exploring different options, including a tiered decision-making process, to determine the appropriate level of regulation to address grazing-related impacts.