State of California
Lahontan 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
Streamlines
Permits/Clarifies
Regulation
Addresses Constituents of
Emerging Concern (CECs)
Requires Regional
Salt/Nutrient Management
Plans for all CA basins by
2014
2.
3.
4.
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
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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
Initial Regional Board Process
• 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
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 Basins
Honey Lake
• Tahoe Sierra
Tahoe North/South/West
Martis/Truckee
• Inyo Mono
Owens, Indian Wells
• Fremont Valley
Tehachapi
• Antelope Valley
Antelope
• Mojave Basin
Lower/Middle/Upper Mojave
Status for Priority Basins
Lahontan Basins
(Honey Lake)
DWR grant
Fremont Valley
(Tehachapi)
possible draft plan for Fremont
Tahoe Sierra
(Tahoe N/S/W ;Martis/Truckee)
DWR grant
Antelope Valley
(Antelope)
concept/scope to Board, DWR
grant, draft plan
Inyo Mono
(Owens, Indian Wells)
New Indian Wells Group
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
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No dedicated staff funding
How to implement plans
Few future funding sources
300+ “non-priority” basins
Many DACs