State of CaliforniaLahontan Water Quality Control Board

Update on Salt & Nutrient Management Plans

Overview • Brief Background of CA Recycled

Water Policy• Salt-Nutrient (S-N) Plan

requirements• How we are working with the IRWM

groups in our Region for S-N planning

• Status of S-N Plans

Recycled Water Policy

• Goal is to increase the use of recycled water while protecting water quality

• Four Main Parts of Policy:

1. Mandates Increase in Recycled Water Use/Provides Incentives

2. Streamlines Permits/Clarifies Regulation

3. Addresses Constituents of Emerging Concern (CECs)

4. Requires Regional Salt/Nutrient Management Plans for all CA basins by 2014

Recycled Water Policy

Mandates Increase in Recycled

Water Use & Provides Incentives

• Promote sustainable local water supply

• Increase use by one million acre-feet per year by 2020 & at least two million acre-feet per year by 2030.

• Priority funding for recycled water projects and storm water use projects

Recycled Water Policy

Streamlines Permit Process & Clarifies Regulatory Roles

• Provides shorter review and processing for permits

• Provides uniform interpretation of statutes, regulations, and policies

• Clarifies the roles of State Agencies

Recycled Water Policy

Establishes a program to evaluate the risks of Constituents of Emerging Concern

(CECs)

• CECs – what and why?

• Advisory Panel, Report and Public Meetings Completed in 2010

• CECs amendment to Recycled Water Policy in 2012

• CECs in S-N Plans

Recycled Water Policy

Regional Salt-Nutrient

Management Plans • Salts and Nutrients – what and why?• Regional impacts, thus regional evaluation

of groundwater and regional management plan• Locally driven, controlled and funded by

water & wastewater entities, together with local salt/nutrient contributing stakeholders

• Plans for all basin in the state by May 14, 2014 + 2 year extension

Each S-N Plan Dependent on Site-Specific Factors

• Size and Complexity of basin• Source water quality• Storm water recharge• Hydrogeology• Aquifer water quality• Watershed scale activities and stressors• May include other constituents

Contents of S-N Plan

• Basin-wide monitoring plan for salts, nutrients and other constituents

• Annual monitoring of CECs

• Goals and objectives for water recycling and stormwater recharge/use

• Source identification, assimilative capacity, loading estimates, fate and transport

• Implementation measures to manage loading on a sustainable basis

• Antidegradation analysis

Other Requirements

• Participation by Regional Board staff

• Basin Plan amendment

• Staff participation

• Regional Board members agree on S-N plan scope/concept prior to its completion (e.g. presentation of workplan outline at Regional Board meeting)

• Focus future Regional Board review on plan content & not on scope of effort

Initial Regional Board Process

Lahontan Region

About 24% of CA

< 2% of population

345 groundwater

basins/sub-basins

Prioritization of GW Basins

• Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) to ID Priority Basins

• 12 in Lahontan Basin• North Lahontan (5) – Tahoe

North/South/West; Martis/Truckee; Honey Lake

• South Lahontan (7) – Owens, Indian Wells, Tehachapi, Antelope, Lower/Middle/Upper Mojave

Overall Regional S-N Strategy/Approach

• Priority Groundwater Basins - Work with Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) groups

• Other Basins - Will address in groups as appropriate

IRWM Regions & Priority GW Basins

• Lahontan BasinsHoney Lake

• Tahoe Sierra Tahoe North/South/West

Martis/Truckee

• Inyo MonoOwens, Indian Wells

• Fremont ValleyTehachapi

• Antelope ValleyAntelope

• Mojave BasinLower/Middle/Upper Mojave

Status for Priority Basins

Lahontan Basins

(Honey Lake)

DWR grant

Tahoe Sierra

(Tahoe N/S/W ;Martis/Truckee) DWR grant

Inyo Mono

(Owens, Indian Wells)

New Indian Wells Group

Fremont Valley

(Tehachapi)

possible draft plan for Fremont

Antelope Valley

(Antelope)

concept/scope to Board, DWR grant, draft plan

Mojave Basin

(L/M/U Mojave)

concept/scope to Board; SEP

Our “Other” 333 Basins

• Will address in groups as appropriate

• Reduce the burden on rural communities in the more remote parts of our Region while encouraging water recycling & protecting groundwater quality

Challenges

•No dedicated staff funding•How to implement plans•Few future funding sources•300+ “non-priority” basins•Many DACs