The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCalifornia Water Boards - Notice of Public Workshops & Scoping SEP y4y�,}� ��;,;. EDMUND G.BROWN JR. " � �.;j. GOVERNOR 000 AAh�� •{vi:J : CA LI I O R N t A ``�� yy�F q gg�` J�'v1/,F rrt!('� ��ryry 222 Boards ^ORs-VELE,CAT.,WORNIlA„ 6€CRG„a Rr ORORIQUE2 WaterFNv Fpw aTAI.PROTF.GTtON Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board Development of Central Valley Wide Salt and Nitrate Management Plan for Incorporation into the Sacramento-San Joaquin and Tulare Lake Basin Plans 'ERS sFP0f2013 Notice of Public Workshops and California Environmental Quality Act Public Scoping Meetings CAL/ nm, October 2013 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that staff of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central Valley Water Board or Board) have scheduled public meetings to discuss and solicit comments and suggestions from the public regarding the development of a Central Valley Salt and Nitrate Management Plan (SNMP) and the incorporation of components of the SNMP into Water Quality Control Plans for the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River Basins and the Tulare Lake Basin (collectively, Basin Plans). Background: A wide variety of human activities are resulting in salt and nitrate impacts to water and soil in the Central Valley Region. The slow and steady accumulation of salts including nitrates, threatens not only the long-term viability of agriculture and industry in the Central Valley, but also the water supplies for more than 25 million people. To address this issue, a broad group of agriculture, cities, industry, regulatory agencies (including the Central Valley Water Board) and public representatives formed the Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability initiative (CV-SALTS) and have been developing a comprehensive SNMP. The Central Valley Water Board is proposing to incorporate components of the CV- SALTS SNMP through amendments to the Basin Plans to address salinity and nitrate concerns in a comprehensive, consistent and sustainable manner.. The current planning efforts are also intended to satisfy State Water Board Resolution 2009- 0011 (Recycled Water Policy). The Recycled Water Policy requires the development of salt and nutrient management plans for all groundwater basins of the state, including those in the Central Valley. The Central Valley SNMP, when incorporated into the Basin Plans, is expected to be an iterative and adaptive process that will involve periodic review and reassessment. Components of the SNMP that may be developed and considered for incorporation into the Basin Plans include: • Changing the Basin Plan's Beneficial Use Classification System: The Board may define new beneficial uses or new beneficial use subcategories that could be applied to specified waterbodies or categories of water bodies. This includes defining subcategories of the municipal and domestic supply (MUN) beneficial use and/or the agricultural irrigation and stock watering supply (AGR) beneficial use. Such subcategories may include "limited" MUN or AGR beneficial uses. The Board may also consider de-designating existing beneficial uses in specific waterbodies or categories of waterbodies. KARL E. LONI3LEY SCD, P.E.,CHAIR I PAMELA C. CREEDON P.E., BCEE, EXECUTIVE OFFICER 1685 E Street,Fresno,GA 93706 I www.waterboards.ca.gavicentralvaiVey ��RECYCL EO PAPER • Specifically Delineating Waterbodies: The Board may specifically delineate waterbodies or classes of waterbodies that are currently only generally mentioned in the Basin Plans. • Incorporating Management Zone Concept: The Board could delineate "management zones" which would be portions of existing waterbodies wherealternate regulatory measures would apply. The Board may develop specific implementation plans to address salt and nitrate concerns within these zones • Changing Existing Salinity Water Quality Objectives (WQOs): The Board may establish new numeric and/or narrative WQOs, and may adopt guidance for interpreting and implementing new or existing narrative WQOs. • Adding Implementation Plans and/or Changing Existing Implementation Plans: The Basin Plans currently contain implementation plans that do not adequately address current and historic salt and nitrate impacts. The Board may adopt new implementation plans and/or change existing implementation plans, and this could include: • Altering existing compliance evaluation methodologies, which could include redefining the point of compliance (POC)where water quality objectives must be achieved, allowing for averaging periods to determine compliance with WQOs, and adding provisions related to data analysis procedures; • Incorporating new implementation provisions related to variances, compliance schedules, and alternative compliance strategies; • Adding new provisions to ensure adequate drinking water supplies in areas that rely on groundwater that has already been impacted by salt and/or nitrates; and • Addressing in-basin and out-of-basin salt containment and disposal options. • Adopting New Policies: The Board may adopt new policies to address concerns such as water recycling, climate change, extreme weather conditions (including drought), and the recharge of stormwater runoff. The purpose of this early consultation is to provide participants with background on salinity and nitrate issues within the Central Valley, an overview of the Recycled Water Policy, an overview of the potential structure of a Central Valley SNMP. The meetings will also provide the public with an opportunity to provide input regarding the range of project actions, alternatives, reasonably foreseeable methods of compliance, significant and cumulative impacts, and potential mitigation measures that the Board will need to analyze in the course of developing the SNMP and associated Basin Plan amendments. The public meetings will be held at the following dates and locations: MODESTO RANCHO CORDOVA Thursday October 10,2013, 9:00 a.m. Wednesday October 16, 2013, 1:00 p.m. Stanislaus County Ag Center(Rooms DIE) Central Valley Regional Water Board 3800 Cornucopia Way 11020 Sun Center Drive, St. 200, Board Room Modesto, CA 95358-9492 Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 COLUSA FRESNO Monday October 21, 2013, 9:00 a.m. Monday October 28, 2013, 1:00 p.m. Colusa County Fair Ground (Atwood Hall) Central Valley Regional Water Board 1303— 10th Street(HWY 20) 1685 E Street Colusa, CA 95932 Fresno CA 93706 Although a quorum of Central Valley Water Board members may be present, the Board will not take any action at these meetings. Written comments should be submitted to Jeanne Chilcott no later than 31 December 2013 (contact information provided below). All comments will be included in the final administrative record. AVAILABLE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS Supporting documents, including a staff report describing the project, will be available on the Central Valley Water Board website at: www.waterboards.ca.govlcentralvalleylwater issueslsalinityfindex.shtml by 4 September 2013. Copies of these documents can also be obtained by contacting or visiting the Central Valley Water Board's office at: 11020 Sun Center Drive, #200, Rancho Cordova, California 95670-6114 weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Additional information regarding the proposed amendment is available at the CV-SALTS website: www.cvsalinity.org CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT AND SUBMISSION OF COMMENTS The Board's water quality planning program is a certified regulatory program under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which means that the Board prepares and circulates a substitute environmental document or SED, rather than an environmental impact report, before adopting amendments to the Basin Plan. In the SED, the Board must analyze any potential adverse environmental effects associated with the proposed amendment. These public meetings will help guide the Board's environmental analysis. Oral comments received at the public meetings will be considered when the Board prepares the SED. ACCESSIBILITY The facilities will be accessible to persons with disabilities. Individuals requiring special accommodations are requested to contact Jeanne Chilcott at (916) 464-4788at least 5 working days prior to the meeting. TTY users may contact the California Relay Service at 1-800-735- 2929 or voice line at 1-800-735-2922. CONTACT INFORMATION Questions and comments should be directed to Jeanne Chilcott at (916) 464-4788 or jchilcott@waterboards.ca.gov. To continue receiving notifications regarding this basin plan amendment, you must subscribe to the "Salinity (CV-SALTS)" mailing list through our webpage at: http:lfwww.waterboards.ca.govlresourcesfemail subscriptionsfreg5 subscribe.shtml or complete the attached form and return it to: Jeanne Chilcott California Regional Water Quality Control Board Central Valley Region 11020 Sun Center Drive, #200 Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 Please bring the above information to the attention of anyone you know who would interested in the matter. Original Signed by Kenneth Landau, Assistant Executive Officer 28 August 2013 CONTINUED NOTIFICATIONS To continue receiving notifications regarding the issues in the attached notices, you must sign up for the electronic mailing list or complete the form below and return it to: Jeanne Chilcott California Regional Water Quality Control Board Central Valley Region 11020 Sun Center Drive, #200 Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 Persons wishing to subscribe to the electronic mailing list can do so through our website by clicking on the "Subscribe" button on the right side of our webpage at: htt•:Ilwww.waterboards.ca.•ov/resources/email subscri.tionslreI5 subscribe.shtml. This Continued Notifications only applies to the issues described in the enclosed notice. If you are not interested in these issues, do nothing and you will remain on the basin plan mailing list for future amendments. Name Affiliation Address Phone Numbers E-mail ❑ Salinity (CV-SALTS) Please send notifications items checked above to my postal address. Please send notifications items checked above to my e-mail address. I have received multiple paper notifications; please remove duplicates from your database. No, I am not interested in these issues but would like to remain on the mailing list. You can send notifications to my e-mail address. Continue sending notifications to my postal address. No, I am not interested in Basin Plan Amendments; please remove me from this mailing list. Jeanne Chilcott Regional Water Quality Control Board 11020 Sun Center Drive, #200 Rancho Cordova, CA 95670