71st SWCS International Annual Conference July 24-27, 2016 Louisville, KY

1. Water Quality Targeting
Success Stories
CALIFORNIA: Walker Creek
Larry Domenighini, President & Farmer
Kandi Manhart, Subwatershed Coordinator
71st International Annual Conference
Soil and Water Conservation Society
Louisville, KY - July 26, 2016

2. Central
Valley

3. Walker Creek
Bay-Delta
Initiative Area
187,000 acres
Monitoring
Location
3

4. Regulatory Drivers
--California – Porter Cologne Water Quality Control Act 1969
--Federal – Clean Water Act 1972
--Irrigated Agriculture Exempt from Waste Discharge
Requirements until 2003
 Mandated Regulation – Since 2003
Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program
Surface water monitoring & reporting
Membership & outreach reporting
--Farmer-led Coalition option allowed
State recognized difficulties in regulating
7 million irrigated acres, 20,000 farmers
4

5. Keys to Local Success
Local People for Local Solutions
Farmer-formed & Farmer-led
• County Farm Bureaus initiated working together
= Colusa Glenn Subwatershed Program
 “Work with us OR work with the State”
Partnerships
• County Agriculture Departments
• Northern California Water Association
• Glenn County Resource Conservation
District hired for Outreach & Education
• Technical Partners
5

6. “Pilot Program”
2005 - 2009
 Help implement the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program locally
 Parties included:
 Regional Water Quality Control Board
 CA Department of Pesticide Regulation
 County Ag Departments / Ag Commissioners
 County Ag Departments were identified as the organization most
farmers contacted and trusted
 Regional Board funding for local Ag Department $$$$$$
 Ag Department provided technical services for local support
6

7. Challenge is on… Walker Creek
Chlorpyrifos & Aquatic Toxicity
Two or more exceedances of the same parameter at the
same monitoring site within a 3-year period triggers
Management Plan.
Management Plan
Implementation
1. Review Pesticide Use Reports
2. Survey for management practices
3. Mandatory workshop attendance
4. Educate on Best Management
Practices
5. On-going outreach to farmers
7

8. Cost-Share Funding with NRCS
2010-2013 AWEP – $1.7 Million
Agricultural Water Enhancement Program
2012-2014 BDI – $1.5 Million
Bay Delta Initiative Program
8

9. 9
Water Quality
~ $22 - $231 / acre
Water Conservation
~ $15,300 - $45,000 / each
Conservation Covers, Cover Crops,
Field Boarders,
Nutrient Management, Integrated
Pest Management (IPM)
Irrigation Water Management
Sediment Basin,
Filter Strips,
Grassed Waterways, Precision Pest
Control Application
Micro-sprinklers, Sprinklers,
Tailwater Recovery

10. Management Plan
COMPLETED in 2014
How we evaluated effectiveness / success:
 Monitoring results (4-years NO exceedances)
 Implemented Best Management Practices
 Management practice surveys show improvement
 Continuous outreach & education
Regional Board deemed MP complete!
“This program demonstrates the effectiveness of intensive
outreach coupled with management practice implementation
to protect water quality in watersheds with irrigated
agriculture.”
–Pamela Creedon, Executive Officer, Regional Board

11. 11
Project Cost Distribution
2007 - 2015
Project
Management
5%
NRCS Tech
5%
NRCS
Share-
Practices
47%
Farmer
Share-
Practices
12%
Monitoring
4%
Other Local /
In-Kind
27%

12. 12
Partnerships
Farmer-formed
&
Farmer-led

13. Larry Domenighini – President
larrydom@sbcglobal.net
(530) 570-2084
Kandi Manhart – Subwatershed Coordinator
cgsubwatershed@sbcglobal.net
(530) 934-8036 (MAIN OFFICE)
www.glenncountyrcd.org
>> projects >> colusa-glenn-subwatershed-program