The 2012 ASHS Annual Conference

Impairment of watersheds by nutrients and pesticides from urban and agricultural entities is a major problem worldwide.  In California, all surface and groundwater sources are monitored, regulated, and distributed by one agency, the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The SWRCB has divided the state into nine regions; each Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) is responsible for the watersheds within their assigned area. During the past three years, monitoring and mitigating nutrient and pesticide runoff into the Calleguas Creek and Santa Clara Watersheds located in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties, overseen by Region 4 – Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, has been under a program to educate all of agriculture on the Best Management Practices (BMPs) that are needed to mitigate nutrient and pesticide runoff from production sites.  There are four agencies involved with this grant: 1) University of California; 2) University of California Agriculture and Natural resources; 3) Ventura Country Resource Conservation District (VCRCD); and 4) the Ventura County Agricultural Irrigated Lands Group (VCAILG). The specific nutrients and pesticides targeted in the educational programs are based on monitoring done by VCAILG.  Based on runoff data, educational programs are developed by the Specialists and Farm Advisors from the University of California to teach growers what BMPs to implement that target the water quality issues in their part of the watershed.  In addition, surveys are conducted with farmers within the watershed to see what BMPs they are or will be implementing within the three-year period.  These surveys are being conducted by the VCRCD and VCAILG.  Each year, water quality monitoring is conducted to see if BMP programs that are implemented are effective at reducing the nutrients and pesticides that are impairing water quality. The success of this program and the issues associated with it will be discussed.