On August 14, the Central Valley Water Board mailed a postcard to water quality permit holders in so-called “Priority 2” areas as part of their Nitrate Control Program. The mailing to about 1,000 water quality permit holders included 412 dairies and 130 non-dairy cattle operations. The mailing covered an area that includes the groundwater sub-basins (not to be confused with cities or counties) known as Merced, Madera, Kern (Poso and Westside South subbasins), Tulare Lake, Eastern San Joaquin, and Delta Mendota. See Priority 2 areas on the map, which are highlighted in orange.
The card notifies recipients that they “will be asked to choose between more stringent nitrate requirements or an option where neighboring dischargers will collaborate to reduce nitrates while providing replacement drinking water to local residents whose wells are impacted by nitrates” and adds that the Central Valley Water Board “will be mailing out Priority 2 Notices to Comply with the new regulations starting in December 2023.”
Dairies and bovine operations who received the postcard may have questions – here are a few key items:
1. The postcard requires no immediate action on their part and is only an informal notice that a formal “Notice to Comply” letter will be mailed in December.
3. There will be costs associated with participating in the Nitrate Management Zones (costs already being paid by dairies in Priority 1 areas). These costs have typically ranged from just over $100 annually for very small operations, to a few thousand dollars annually for the largest operations. CVDRMP will be contacting its member dairies and bovine operations with information as soon as it becomes available (likely not before early 2024).
Dairy operators with questions can contact MPC or CVDRMP (cvdrmp@gmail.com or 916-594-9450).
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