Agriculture
Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program - Second Statewide Agricultural Expert Panel
Announcements
July 17, 2025: The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) will hold the first meeting of the Second Statewide Agricultural Expert Panel on Friday, August 8 and Thursday, August 14 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm to evaluate the data currently collected as part of the State’s Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) and consider the approaches adopted in the 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 (East San Joaquin Petition Order) and State Water Board Order WQ 2023-0081, In the Matter of Review of General Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharges from Irrigated Lands Order No. R3-2021-0040 (Central Coast Ag Petition Order).
The expert panelists are:
- Ngodoo Atume
- Dr. Michael Cahn
- Dr. Ruth Dalquist-Willard
- Dr. Daniel Geisseler
- Dr. Thomas Harter
- Dr. Ali Montazar
- Richard Smith
- Dr. Hannah Waterhouse
For more information, including meeting topics and how to participate, please refer to the Notice. If you have additional questions, please email DWQ-ILRP@Waterboards.ca.gov.
Para obtener más información, incluyendo los temas de reunión y cómo participar, consulte el Aviso adjunto. Si tiene preguntas adicionales, envíe un correo electrónico a DWQ-ILRP@Waterboards.ca.gov.
November 8, 2024: The analysis of available INMP data was updated to include a description of reported zero A values and updated Figures 15 through 17 to reflect corrected data.
October 24, 2024: In 2021, the Central Coast Regional Water Board adopted R3-2021-0040, General Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharges from Irrigated Lands (2021 Central Coast Ag Order). The new Central Coast Ag Order went beyond the precedential requirements set forth in 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 Water Quality Order), setting regulatory limits on nitrogen discharge, limits on nitrogen application, and allowing growers to factor in discounts to nitrogen applied (A) and additions to nitrogen removed (R). Following petitions seeking State Water Board review the 2021 Central Coast Ag Order, the State Water Board adopted Order WQ 2023-0081, In the Matter of Review of General Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharges from Irrigated Lands Order No. R3-2021-0040 (Central Coast Ag Water Quality Order). The State Water Board remanded a number of provisions to the Central Coast Regional Board to bring them into compliance with the statewide precedential requirements of the Eastern San Joaquin Water Quality Order, including the 2021 Central Coast Ag Order’s enforceable nitrogen discharge and fertilizer application limits, discounts to A, and additions to R.
Following adoption of Order WQ 2023-0081, staff conducted an analysis of available INMP data to identify any potential trends in A/R outliers as a measure of program effectiveness.
In both the Eastern San Joaquin Water Quality Order and in the Central Coast Ag Water Quality Order, the State Water Board committed to consider convening a second Agricultural Expert Panel. Although the data analysis noted some limitations, convening a second Agricultural Expert Panel now is critical for program development. Staff is proposing to move forward with convening the second expert panel to get recommendations as early as feasible while there is still room for flexibility.
Staff issued a public notice with draft questions, a request for areas of expertise, and a call for materials for the proposed expert panel to consider on May 13, 2024. The public comment period ended on June 28, 2024. The finalized questions for the second Agricultural Expert Panel and a general response to comments received on the draft questions are now available. The second Agricultural Expert Panel will evaluate the A and R data collected thus far, consider the approaches adopted in the 2021 Central Coast Ag Order, and provide recommendations for the program.
