Regarding the Cooperative Monitoring Program
What is the Regional Water Board’s Conditional Waiver?
In July 2004, the Central Coast Regional Water Board adopted a precedent setting order known
as the “Conditional Waiver of Waste Discharge requirements for Discharges from Irrigated
Lands.” This order obligates anyone within the Regional Board’s jurisdiction who applies water
to irrigate commercial crops to comply with the requirements of that order.
What does the Regional Water Board’s order require for water quality monitoring?
The Regional Board’s order requires growers to conduct water quality monitoring several times
a year. Significantly, the Regional Board provided growers with a choice, either conduct the
monitoring individually or participate in a cooperative monitoring program with other growers.
Most growers covered by this order will be participating in the cooperative monitoring program
which allows the cost for monitoring to be shared, resulting in much lower costs per grower for
the performance of this obligation.
What is Central Coast Water Quality Preservation, Inc?
The Regional Water Board’s order establishing the cooperative monitoring program mandated
that the agricultural community establish an organization to conduct the required cooperative
monitoring program. Central Coast Water Quality Preservation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit
organization formed by members of the agricultural community to serve this important role.
Who is on the Board of Directors for CCWQP?
There will ultimately be 13 members of the Board of Directors overseeing the cooperative
monitoring program conducted on behalf of all growers covered by the Central Coast Regional
Water Board’s Conditional Waiver. Currently, there are eleven members and the current board
membership is shown on the "About Us" page. The founding four board members of CCWQP
were Bob Antle of Tanimura & Antle Inc.; Craig Reade of Betteravia Farms , John Baillie of
Baillie Family Farms, and Bob Martin of Rio Farms. Kevin Merrill of Mesa Vineyards,
representing the Central Coast Wine Growers Association, later replaced Bob Martin as one of
the four founding members. With the expansion of the Board of Directors to nearly its full level,
Bob Martin returned as a member in February 2005.
Why is a cooperative monitoring program necessary?
The Regional Water Board has determined that irrigated lands must be regulated to improve
water quality in rivers and stream and has mandated that growers monitor water quality
associated with “discharges” from their property. The cooperative monitoring program is an
option that growers have to lower overall monitoring costs but growers are obligated to conduct
water quality monitoring either individually or as a member of the cooperative monitoring
program. There is no exemption from this requirement if you are covered by the Regional Water
Board’s order.
Why is cooperative monitoring preferable to doing my own monitoring?
Cooperative monitoring is an option that growers have. The alternative is for each grower to
conduct monitoring for the “discharge” from their own property. Water quality monitoring is a
requirement of the Regional Water Board’s order and must meet certain technical standards.
Each monitoring location will impose a substantial cost, perhaps as much as $8,000 per year.
By conducting a cooperative monitoring program the number of monitoring locations are far
fewer (as opposed to each and every location where irrigation is conducted). The result is a
much more cost effective program.
When does the cooperative monitoring program start?
The Regional Water Board’s requirement for cooperative monitoring set two phases for water
quality monitoring. The first phase imposes the obligation to begin monitoring on January 1,
2005 for the Salinas and Santa Maria areas. Monitoring in all other areas is covered by Phase 2
which begins January 1, 2006.
How often will water quality monitoring occur?
Sampling will take place at each monitoring location on a monthly basis although sampling
may not occur on the same day each month.
What will happen to the data collected through the monitoring program?
All data collected must be reported to the Regional Water Board as a requirement of the Board’
s order. Once data is reported to the Regional Water Board it becomes public information.
How will the data be used by the Regional Water Board?
The Regional Water Board has made it clear in its order that the purpose of the cooperative
monitoring program is to assess the health of inland waters generally and not to conduct
individual discharge monitoring. Data collected will determine long-term trends in water quality,
assess areas where water quality standards and beneficial uses are not being supported, and
to conduct follow-up monitoring to better identify problem areas where water quality standards
are not being met.
How does the cooperative monitoring program relate to the Farm Plan or the Notice of
intent that was field with the Regional Water Board?
The Regional Water Board’s order has several provisions that apply to each grower and these
are separate and distinct from the cooperative monitoring program. For example, each grower
must file a Notice of Intent with the Regional Water Board. This must be done by each grower
and is not related to the water quality monitoring program. Other requirements such as the
filing of a Farm Plan or obtaining educational requirements must be done by each grower and
are independent of any cooperative water quality monitoring activities. But note, any grower who
filed their Notice of Intent with the Regional Water Board and did not indicate they wanted to be
covered under the cooperative monitoring program is responsible for conducting their own
monitoring and is NOT covered under the cooperative monitoring program.
What is the Regional Water Board’s Conditional Waiver?
In July 2004, the Central Coast Regional Water Board adopted a precedent setting order known
as the “Conditional Waiver of Waste Discharge requirements for Discharges from Irrigated
Lands.” This order obligates anyone within the Regional Board’s jurisdiction who applies water
to irrigate commercial crops to comply with the requirements of that order.
What does the Regional Water Board’s order require for water quality monitoring?
The Regional Board’s order requires growers to conduct water quality monitoring several times
a year. Significantly, the Regional Board provided growers with a choice, either conduct the
monitoring individually or participate in a cooperative monitoring program with other growers.
Most growers covered by this order will be participating in the cooperative monitoring program
which allows the cost for monitoring to be shared, resulting in much lower costs per grower for
the performance of this obligation.
What is Central Coast Water Quality Preservation, Inc?
The Regional Water Board’s order establishing the cooperative monitoring program mandated
that the agricultural community establish an organization to conduct the required cooperative
monitoring program. Central Coast Water Quality Preservation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit
organization formed by members of the agricultural community to serve this important role.
Who is on the Board of Directors for CCWQP?
There will ultimately be 13 members of the Board of Directors overseeing the cooperative
monitoring program conducted on behalf of all growers covered by the Central Coast Regional
Water Board’s Conditional Waiver. Currently, there are eleven members and the current board
membership is shown on the "About Us" page. The founding four board members of CCWQP
were Bob Antle of Tanimura & Antle Inc.; Craig Reade of Betteravia Farms , John Baillie of
Baillie Family Farms, and Bob Martin of Rio Farms. Kevin Merrill of Mesa Vineyards,
representing the Central Coast Wine Growers Association, later replaced Bob Martin as one of
the four founding members. With the expansion of the Board of Directors to nearly its full level,
Bob Martin returned as a member in February 2005.
Why is a cooperative monitoring program necessary?
The Regional Water Board has determined that irrigated lands must be regulated to improve
water quality in rivers and stream and has mandated that growers monitor water quality
associated with “discharges” from their property. The cooperative monitoring program is an
option that growers have to lower overall monitoring costs but growers are obligated to conduct
water quality monitoring either individually or as a member of the cooperative monitoring
program. There is no exemption from this requirement if you are covered by the Regional Water
Board’s order.
Why is cooperative monitoring preferable to doing my own monitoring?
Cooperative monitoring is an option that growers have. The alternative is for each grower to
conduct monitoring for the “discharge” from their own property. Water quality monitoring is a
requirement of the Regional Water Board’s order and must meet certain technical standards.
Each monitoring location will impose a substantial cost, perhaps as much as $8,000 per year.
By conducting a cooperative monitoring program the number of monitoring locations are far
fewer (as opposed to each and every location where irrigation is conducted). The result is a
much more cost effective program.
When does the cooperative monitoring program start?
The Regional Water Board’s requirement for cooperative monitoring set two phases for water
quality monitoring. The first phase imposes the obligation to begin monitoring on January 1,
2005 for the Salinas and Santa Maria areas. Monitoring in all other areas is covered by Phase 2
which begins January 1, 2006.
How often will water quality monitoring occur?
Sampling will take place at each monitoring location on a monthly basis although sampling
may not occur on the same day each month.
What will happen to the data collected through the monitoring program?
All data collected must be reported to the Regional Water Board as a requirement of the Board’
s order. Once data is reported to the Regional Water Board it becomes public information.
How will the data be used by the Regional Water Board?
The Regional Water Board has made it clear in its order that the purpose of the cooperative
monitoring program is to assess the health of inland waters generally and not to conduct
individual discharge monitoring. Data collected will determine long-term trends in water quality,
assess areas where water quality standards and beneficial uses are not being supported, and
to conduct follow-up monitoring to better identify problem areas where water quality standards
are not being met.
How does the cooperative monitoring program relate to the Farm Plan or the Notice of
intent that was field with the Regional Water Board?
The Regional Water Board’s order has several provisions that apply to each grower and these
are separate and distinct from the cooperative monitoring program. For example, each grower
must file a Notice of Intent with the Regional Water Board. This must be done by each grower
and is not related to the water quality monitoring program. Other requirements such as the
filing of a Farm Plan or obtaining educational requirements must be done by each grower and
are independent of any cooperative water quality monitoring activities. But note, any grower who
filed their Notice of Intent with the Regional Water Board and did not indicate they wanted to be
covered under the cooperative monitoring program is responsible for conducting their own
monitoring and is NOT covered under the cooperative monitoring program.
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About the Monitoring
Program
Program