Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
June 20, 2007
4. Water Quality -
Water board sued over ag runoff program
Oroville Mercury Register – 6/20/07
By HEATHER HACKING/MediaNews Group
A sport-fishing group and an environmental organization filed a suit Monday alleging that not enough is being done to keep agricultural runoff from harming fish.
The suit alleges that ag pesticides are a main cause of loss of delta smelt, which have had a steep decrease lately. Some scientists predict if something isn't done, they will soon be extinct.
The suit comes after pumps in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that deliver water to cities and farms were stopped for a time due to concerns about the smelt.
The lawsuit, filed by the California Sport Fishing Alliance and Baykeeper, states that the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board should not have agreed to water quality monitoring programs that allow coalitions of farmers to monitor as a group.
For decades, growers were allowed a waiver from rules that require a permit when wastewater is discharged. But those rules were changed by the regional board.
Agricultural leaders pitched a compromise where coalitions would be formed and test as a group. If certain water quality problems are detected, the plan is to try to track down where the problem originated.
Overall the program is working well, said Bill Croyle, program manager for the regional water board.
"We have some of the same frustrations (as environmental groups in the suit). But agriculture started from ground zero. They have come a long way to form their groups to support their monitoring efforts," Croyle said.
However, the suit filed Monday states more should be done to meet requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act, state and federal endangered species acts and the Porter-Cologne law.
Michael Jackson, executive director of California Sport Fishing Alliance, said his group believes each farm should be responsible for individual water quality monitoring.
"Here is yet another example of the water board's pandering to special interests and ignoring the law. Given the degraded state of California's waterways and collapsing fisheries, the Regional Board cannot legally continue to shield agriculture from reasonable rules applicable to everyone else," a press release by the group stated.
Parry Klassen is the executive director of CURES, the Coalition of Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship. He's been working with growers in the
He said it would be a monumental task for the regional water board to process all of the paperwork if every farm was required to do individual monitoring.
He said his coalition has found problems with toxicity and is working to educate growers about how to better manage pesticide use. But the approach has been to first isolate the toxicant. For example, if a certain chemical is known to be used on almonds, growers along that part off a waterway would be contacted. But to ask for water monitoring six miles from the river is extreme, Klassen said.
While solving problems of ag runoff is important, Klassen said there are multiple factors that are affecting water quality in the delta, such as invasive species, water flow, salt and water management.
He said there should be studies done on wastewater treatment plants to see if they could be managed better. There's also evidence that things such as E-coli in the water could be due to people living along the water's edge.
Croyle said the first report from the two and a half years of monitoring has been written. It will be presented to his board June 27 and will be posted on the Web site www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb5/. #
http://www.orovillemr.com/news/ci_6181358
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