Napa River and Sonoma Creek Vineyard Program
Welcome to the Water Board’s vineyard permit webpage. We are a state agency that regulates water quality in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In July 2017, the Water Board adopted a water quality control permit (General Permit) for vineyard properties in the Napa River and Sonoma Creek watersheds. The General Permit regulates pollutant discharges from vineyard properties located in these two watersheds. Under the General Permit a vineyard property is defined by a parcel or contiguous parcels under the same ownership, each of which is developed to include a 5-acre-or-larger vineyard (watershed area subject to the General Permit).
The General Permit was adopted because the Water Board identified vineyard properties as significant sources of sand and finer sediment discharge to the Napa River, Sonoma Creek, and their tributaries, and these waterbodies are listed under the Clean Water Act as impaired by too much sand in their streambeds. The General Permit requires implementation of best management practices to control sediment discharge and storm runoff increases generated from farms and unpaved roads, and actions to control discharge of pesticides and nutrients. The Fact Sheet explains more about the General Permit history and its requirements.
Annual Reporting
Annual Report forms are due by September 15 each year. You can complete the required Annual Report after July 15 by logging into your GeoTracker account and filling out an online Annual Report form. More information can be found in the Annual Report Instructions.You can find out more information about this change in the Updated Monitoring and Reporting Requirements (2021). Although verified Tier 1 properties aren’t required to complete the Annual Report, managers of these properties are reminded to keep their enrollment information current, because the contact information and planted acreage listed in the enrollment are used to prepare the invoice. If you need assistance, please contact Graham Brown (see contact information provided below).
Approval of Group Water Quality Monitoring Plan
Under the authority specified in Attachment E of the General Permit, in November 2020, the Executive Officer approved a Group Water Quality Monitoring Plan (Group Plan) submitted by the Napa and Sonoma County Farm Bureaus on behalf of about 1400 property owners who have joined their compliance assistance groups. The approval letter and Group Plan can be reviewed at the links provided immediately below:
- Group Plan
- Approval Letter
- Attachment E of General Permit (showing modifications related to approval of the Group Plan)
- Approval Letter
- Attachment E of General Permit (Showing modifications related to January 2024 modification)
Enrollment
The deadline to enroll for most vineyard properties was July 31, 2018. However, for vineyard properties affected by the North Bay wildfires, the Water Board extended the deadline for enrollment by one-year to July 31, 2019. For new vineyard properties - those planted subsequent to July 2017 - the deadline for enrollment is one-year prior to vineyard planting.
To enroll, follow these instructions and go to the GeoTracker enrollment page.
Summary of Requirements
|
Existing vineyard property* (not affected by wildfire) |
Existing vineyard property* (affected by wildfire)
|
New vineyard property*
|
General Permit requirement | Compliance deadline | Compliance deadline | Compliance deadline |
Enrollment |
July 2018 |
July 2019 |
Within one-year of vineyard construction |
Verified farm plan |
July 2020 |
July 2021 |
By completion of vineyard construction or by July 2020, whichever date is later. |
Performance standards for soil erosion in the farm area, nutrients, and pesticides |
July 2020 |
July 2021 |
By completion of vineyard construction |
Performance standard for storm runoff/bed and bank erosion |
July 2023 |
July 2024 |
Within six years of completion of vineyard construction |
Performance standard for storm runoff/no change in peak |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
By completion of vineyard construction |
Performance standards for existing unpaved roads |
July 2027 |
July 2028 |
Within ten years of completion of vineyard construction |
Performance standards for all new roads |
By completion of road construction |
By completion of road construction |
By completion of road construction |
*Existing vineyards are those planted prior to adoption of the General Permit, which occurred in July 2017. New vineyards are those planted subsequently.
**These performance standards are applicable to parcels where the average slope of the planted area of the vineyard is greater than 5 percent.
Third-Party Programs
Third-Party Programs are available to assist in Farm Plan development and to verify Farm Plans. A Farm Plan must be verified through an approved Third-Party Program or it must be submitted one year prior to the deadline indicated in the table above.
The Water Board has approved four Third-Party Programs (as listed below in alphabetical order):
- California Land Stewardship Institute (Fish Friendly Farming Program)
- Website: http://www.fishfriendlyfarming.org
- Contact: Laurel Marcus: laurelm@fishfriendlyfarming.org or at 707-253-1226 ext.1
- Website: http://www.fishfriendlyfarming.org
- California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance
- Website: https://www.sustainablewinegrowing.org/region-2-vineyard.php
- Contact: Lisa Francioni-Hai: lfrancioni@wineinstitute.org or at 415-356-7545
- Website: https://www.sustainablewinegrowing.org/region-2-vineyard.php
- Napa County RCD (LandSmart Program)
- Website: http://landsmart.org/vineyard/
- Contact: Frances Knapczyk, Napa County RCD: frances@naparcd.org or at 707-690-3124
- Website: http://landsmart.org/vineyard/
- Sonoma RCD (LandSmart Program)
- Website: http://landsmart.org/vineyard/
- Contact: Anya Starovoytov, Sonoma County RCD: astarovoytov@sonomarcd.org or at 707-569-1448
- Website: http://landsmart.org/vineyard/
Water Board Contacts
Graham Brown
Engineering Geologist
graham.brown@waterboards.ca.gov
510-622-2426
Laurie Taul
Senior Environmental Scientist
laurie.taul@waterboards.ca.gov
510-622-2508
Subscribe directly to the SF Bay Regional Water Board’s Vineyard Program email list to receive notifications and the latest updates. After subscribing, you will need to check for a confirmation email to complete the subscription.
Subscribe to other Regional Water Board email lists or to State Water Board email lists.Quick Links
Resources
File an Environmental Complaint
- File an Environmental Complaint
Complaints can be related to vineyard property operations, or to any environmental issues regarding air, water, toxic substances, pesticides, or solid waste.
(Page last updated 2/16/24)
Water is a precious resource in California, and maintaining its quality is of utmost importance to safeguard the health of the public and the environment.