California Ag Network

Tag: State Water Resources Control Board

  • Comment Period for Draft Water Quality Certification for Relicensing of the Balch Hydroelectric Project

    Today, State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) staff released for public review and comment a draft water quality certification for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing of the Balch Hydroelectric Project (Project; FERC Project No. 175). The comment period for the draft water quality certification closes at noon, June 19. Please see the notice for details on how to submit comments. The notice and draft water quality certification for the project are available here.

    The draft water quality certification and additional information on the Project are available on the State Water Board’s Project webpage(https://waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/water_quality_cert/balch.html)

    Instructions on how to sign up for the State Water Board’s email notification service are outlined below:

    1. Visit the Email Subscription webpage(https://waterboards.ca.gov/resources/email_subscriptions/).
    2. Provide your email in the required field, then click the “Submit” button.
    3. In the next page, select, “State Water Resources Control Board”, select “Water Rights”, then “Water Rights Water Quality Certification.”
    4. Click the “Submit” button.
    5. An email will be sent to you. You must respond to the email message to confirm your membership on the selected Topic(s).

    By enrolling in this email notification service, you will receive notices for other current projects overseen by the Division of Water Rights’ Water Quality Certification Program, including the project. You can enroll or un-enroll from the email subscription service at any time.

    The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) and the nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards (Regional Water Boards) – collectively known as the California Water Boards – are dedicated to a single vision: abundant clean water for human uses and environmental protection to sustain California’s future.

    Under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and the state’s pioneering Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, the State and Regional Water Boards have regulatory responsibility for protecting the water quality of nearly 1.6 million acres of lakes, 1.3 million acres of bays and estuaries, 211,000 miles of rivers and streams, and about 1,100 miles of exquisite California coastline. — Story Contributed by the State Water Resources Control Board

  • CDFA Release Final Recommendations on Food Safety, Water Quality Report

    The Newsom administration released the final recommendations from a study that intends to improve food safety and water quality reporting for California’s agricultural community. This interagency collaboration between the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), and the State Water Resources Control Board was developed with input from farmers, ranchers, and local leaders, and demonstrates California’s continued efforts to build a roadmap for the future.

    “I want to thank the many farmers, ranchers, local leaders and advocates, and agency colleagues who contributed to this work,” CDFA Secretary Karen Ross said. “You have helped us build a roadmap for smarter regulation – one that keeps pace with the complexity of today while preparing for the challenges of tomorrow. We look forward to aligning this report’s recommendations with future opportunities of parallel efforts underway.”

    “Innovative regulatory programs at the intersection of agriculture and water quality are critical to the state’s future,” said State Water Board Chair Joaquin Esquivel. “The State Water Board is proud to work alongside Secretary Ross and Secretary Garcia as we consider key recommendations from the agricultural community and other industry experts for these programs. One thing is clear: we must strengthen our data systems to maximize their value to decision makers and the public while minimizing the cost of compliance for growers. I look forward to working together to advance these programs for the benefit of all Californians.”

    The study evaluated California’s food safety and water quality regulatory requirements for agriculture as part of an effort to streamline administrative processes and optimize information collected by the state. The study was supported by funding in the 2021-22 budget.

    The report identifies 18 recommendations to streamline agency coordination, expand technical assistance, modernize data and reporting systems, and enhance regulatory efficiency while supporting food safety and environmental protection goals.

    View the study and its recommendations on the CDFA Regulatory Alignment Study website. — Story Contributed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture

  • Opportunity for Public Comments on McCloud-Pit Hydroelectric Project

    State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) staff released a “Revised Notice of Opportunity for Public Comments and Board Consideration of Adoption” (Revised Notice) extending the deadline to submit written comments on the “Draft Order Granting In Part and Denying In Part Petitions for Reconsideration and Certifying a Final Subsequent Environmental Impact Report”(Draft Order).

    The State Water Board is now accepting written comments on the Draft Order through noon, May 19.

    The Revised Notice is available on the State Water Board’s webpage: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/board_info/calendar/docs/2026/jun/revnotice-mccloudorder.pdf

    The Draft Order is available on the State Water Board’s McCloud-Pit Hydroelectric Project webpage: https://waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/water_quality_cert/mccloudpit_ferc2106.html

    If you have questions regarding the Project, please contact Savannah Downey at Savannah.Downey@waterboards.ca.gov.

    To receive emails related to the McCloud-Pit Hydroelectric Project and other projects pursuing certifications managed by the State Water Board’s Division of Water Rights, interested persons should enroll in the “Water Rights Water Quality Certification” e-mail notification service. Instructions on how to sign up for the State Water Board’s e-mail notification service are outlined below:

    1. Visit: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/resources/email_subscriptions/swrcb_subscribe.shtml#rights
    2. Provide your email in the required field, then click the “Submit” button.
    3. In the next page, below Subscription Topics, select “Water Rights”, then “Water Rights Water Quality Certification.”
    4. Click the “Submit” button.
    5. An email will be sent to you. You must respond to the email message to confirm your membership on the selected Subscription Topic(s).

    By enrolling in this email list, commenters will receive notices for other current projects overseen by the Division of Water Rights’ Water Quality Certification Program, including the Proposed Project.

  • Notice of Public Comment Period for Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Kerckhoff Hydroelectric Project Relicensing

    The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) has released a Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Kerckhoff Hydroelectric Project Relicensing(Draft EIR) and associated Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Kerckhoff Hydroelectric Project Relicensing (Notice of Availability).

    The State Water Board is accepting written comments on the Draft EIR from the date of this notice through 5 p.m., May 26.

    The Draft EIR, along with the Notice of Availability, are available on the State Water Board’s Kerckhoff Hydroelectric Project webpage:

    https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/water_quality_cert/kerckhoff_hydroelectric_ferc96.html.

    If you have questions regarding the Draft EIR for the Kerckhoff Hydroelectric Project, contact Chase McCormick by email at Chase.McCormick@waterboards.ca.gov.

    To receive emails related to the Kerckhoff Hydroelectric Project and other projects pursuing certifications managed by the State Water Board’s Division of Water Rights, interested persons should enroll in the “Water Rights Water Quality Certification” e-mail notification service.  Instructions on how to sign up for the State Water Board’s e-mail notification service are outlined below:

    1. Visit: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/resources/email_subscriptions/swrcb_subscribe.shtml#rights
    2. Provide your email in the required field, then click the “Submit” button.
    3. In the next page, below Subscription Topics, select “Water Rights”, then “Water Rights Water Quality Certification.”
    4. Click the “Submit” button.
    5. An email will be sent to you. You must respond to the email message to confirm your membership on the selected Subscription Topic(s).

    — Story Contributed by the State Water Resources Board

  • In-Person Office Hours for SGMA Reporting in Tulare Lake and Tule Subbasins: New Event Added

    Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) groundwater extraction reports for pumping in the Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins are due to the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board or Board) by May 1, 2026. Pumpers should submit their reports using the Groundwater Extraction Annual Reporting System (GEARS) unless they were granted an exclusion.

    In-Person GEARS Office Hours

    Groundwater pumpers in the Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins can get personal help with GEARS at in-person office hours:

    •April 16, 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Lemoore

    ◦Veterans Hall: 411 West D St., Lemoore, CA, 93245

    •April 17, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Porterville

    ◦Porterville Veterans Memorial: 1900 W Olive Ave, Porterville, CA 93257

    •April 29, 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Corcoran

    ◦Veteran’s Memorial Building: 1000 Van Dorsten Ave, Corcoran, CA 93212

    • New: April 30, 10 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Lemoore

    ◦Veterans Hall: 411 West D St., Lemoore, CA, 93245

    •April 30, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Allensworth

    ◦Allensworth Elementary: 3320 Young Road, Earlimart, CA 93219

    Office hours are casual, drop-in spaces to get support with GEARS, including setting up accounts and filing extraction reports.

    Registration is encouraged but not required.  Register here.

    Language Services: Support will be offered in English and Spanish. To request translation of a written document, interpretation services, or sign language services please use one of the following options at least ten (10) business days before the meeting, if possible:

    •Submit an online request: bit.ly/LanguageAccessForm

    •Call (916) 341-5254

    •Email languageservices@waterboards.ca.gov

    Contact the State Water Board to request information in your language.

    Reporting Support and Resources

    Visit the GEARS Resources webpage for tutorial videos, a user guide, and other resources to support with reporting.

    Questions? Contact sgma@waterboards.ca.gov or 916-322-6508.

  • Minimal Impact Exclusions adopted for Some Tulare Lake and Tule Pumpers

    The State Water Resources Control Board approved two resolutions at its April 7 meeting, excluding certain groundwater extractors from SGMA reporting and fee requirements with the Board. This is on the basis that these pumpers have minimal impact on extractions.

    According to a notice sent out by the Board, Resolution 2026-0011 excludes well owners who extract no more than 20 acre-feet of groundwater per year in the Tule Subbasin and do not pump groundwater within two miles of the Friant-Kern Canal. Resolution 2026-0012 exempts well owners who extract no more than the 20 acre-feet of groundwater per year in the Tulare Lake Subbasin, and do not export ground water outside the basin.

    The exclusions apply to extraction reports due Due May 1, continuing to apply to future reports unless they rescinded or modified by the Board. Qualifying pumpers should notify the Board that they are within the parameters of the exclusion, which can be done at the home page of the Groundwater Extraction Reporting System . Pumpers will not be invoiced or have to pay associated fees if they have already reported and qualify.

    More information:

    Contact the SGMA Program at sgma@waterboards.ca.gov or 916-322-6508 for additional information.

  • Water Right Petitions for Temporary Urgency Changes in Mendocino and Sonoma Counties

    Sonoma County Water Agency has filed petitions for temporary urgency changes for water right Permits 12947A, 12949, 12950, and 16596 (Applications 12919A, 15736, 15737, and 19351). Pursuant to the existing water rights, water is diverted from the Russian River watershed in Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. To view the Notice and project information, please visit the Division of Water Rights website at:

    https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/petitions/temporary_urgency.html

    Objections filed in response to this notice should be submitted by 4:30 p.m. on April 27, 2026.

    If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact Ken Emanuel by email at kenneth.emanuel@waterboards.ca.gov.

  • 2025 California Grape Crush Report Reveals Further Drop

    Grape Crush Report Overview

    Information contained in this Report was supplied by processors to fulfill the reporting requirements of Section 55601.5 of the Food and Agricultural Code.

    The Grape Crush Report includes all grape tonnage crushed during the 2025 season. It also includes purchased tonnage and pricing information for grapes with final prices prior to January 31, 2026.

    Details of the crushed tonnage, degrees Brix, and weighted average prices were reported by grape type and variety, as well as by grape pricing districts. The 17 districts refer to the area in which the grapes were grown as defined in the Administrative Code. A district map is located on the inside of the front cover.

    Summary of Grape Tonnages and Prices

    The 2025 crush totaled 2,759,202 tons, down 6.2% from the 2024 crush of 2,942,673 tons. White wine varieties accounted for the largest share of all grapes crushed, at 1,316,716 tons, down 6.0% from 2024. Red wine varieties crushed totaled 1,306,727 tons, down 10.8% from 2024. Tons crushed of raisin type varieties totaled 11,541, down 51.2% from 2024, and tons crushed of table type varieties totaled 124,218, up 132.3% from 2024.

    The Grape Crush Report includes the total number of tons crushed for concentrate production. In determining grape tonnage crushed for concentrate production, each processor was required to report the estimated equivalent tons of grapes crushed for grape concentrate. For the 2025 season, this total was 337,705 tons, 12.2% of the 2025 grape crush total. This report provides only the aggregate figure for grapes crushed for concentrate production and does not include information by district, type, or variety.

    The 2025 average price of all varieties was $978.60, down 3.8% from 2024. Average prices for the 2025 crop by type were as follows: red wine grapes, $1,280.63, down 4.4% from 2024; white wine grapes, $707.12, down 0.9% from 2024; raisin grapes, $312.75, up 5.5% from 2024; and table grapes, $201.00, up 33.4% from 2024.

    Leading Grape Varieties and Districts

    In 2025, Chardonnay continued to account for the largest percentage of the total tonnage crushed at 17.8%. Cabernet Sauvignon accounted for the second largest percentage of the total crush at 15.7%. Raisin grape varieties crushed for wine accounted for 0.4% of the total crush and table varieties crushed for wine were 4.5% of the total crush.

    District 13 (Madera, Fresno, Alpine, Mono, Inyo Counties; and Kings and Tulare Counties north of Nevada Avenue (Avenue 192)), had the largest share of the State’s crush at 792,899 tons. The average price per ton in District 13 was $336.08.

    Grapes produced in District 4 (Napa County) received the highest average price at $6,767.53 per ton, down 2.6% from 2024. District 3 (Sonoma and Marin counties) received the second highest average price at $2,761.37 per ton, down 5.7% from 2024.

    The 2025 Chardonnay average price of $1,012.01 was down 4.2% from 2024 and the Cabernet Sauvignon average price of $2,127.33 was down 2.7% from 2024. The 2025 average price for French Colombard was $289.14, down 6.8% from 2024, while the Pinot Gris average price was down 0.3% from 2024, at $554.98 per ton.

    Read the full report from the California Department of Food and Agriculture here.

  • SGMA Reporting Open in the Tulare Lake and Tule Subbasins

    The Groundwater Extraction Annual Reporting System (GEARS) is now open for reporting under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA.) Pumpers in the Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins will need to file their first groundwater extraction reports to the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board or Board) by May 1, 2026, except for pumpers who were granted an exclusion from reporting and fees.

    The State Water Board designated both the Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins as probationary in 2024. Consequently, most groundwater pumpers in the Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins are required to track groundwater use, submit annual groundwater extraction reports, and pay extraction fees to the Board.

    Reporting Support

    Visit the GEARS Resources webpage to access a user guide, videos, and information about events to help with reporting.

    The State Water Board mailed letters to known groundwater pumpers with unique Correspondence IDs. If you are subject to reporting requirements and do not receive a letter by March 18, please contact Board staff at sgma@waterboards.ca.gov.

    Reporting Exclusions

    The following pumpers are not required to submit extraction reports to the State Water Board:

    • Pumpers who extract two acre-feet or less per year for domestic purposes only (de minimis pumpers), or
    • Pumpers who extract groundwater only within the boundaries of Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) or Kern-Tulare Water District GSA in the Tule Subbasin, provided they comply with the corresponding GSA’s groundwater management requirements.

    Before May 1, 2026, pumpers who fall within one of these two categories and receive letters about reporting should use the GEARS system to notify the Board that they are exempt from reporting to avoid receiving further communications regarding reporting requirements.

    Potential Exclusions

    • On April 7, the State Water Board will consider adopting resolutions to exclude groundwater pumpers in the Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins who extract no more than 20 acre-feet of groundwater per year from the reporting and fee requirements on the basis that these groundwater pumpers have a minimal impact on overall subbasin groundwater extractions. View the Tulare Lake Subbasin Notice and Tule Subbasin Notice for more information.
    • The Board may adopt, modify, or reject these proposed exclusions. If the Board rejects the potential exclusions, pumpers who are not otherwise exempt from the reporting requirement will be required to report. Board staff will send an update regarding any decisions on potential exclusions to the SGMA Groundwater Management email list.

    Fee Waivers

    Low-income residents, water systems serving disadvantaged communities, and public schools may be eligible to have their fees waived. To be eligible for a fee waiver, pumpers must report their extractions by the May 1, 2026, deadline. For more information on eligibility and how to request a fee waiver, visit the SGMA Reporting and Fees webpage.   

    More information:

    Contact the SGMA Program at sgma@waterboards.ca.gov or: 916-322-6508.

    — By the California Water Boards

  • Dairy Farmers Continue Collaborative Efforts To Address Community Drinking Water

    The California dairy community has long been dedicated to improving groundwater protection, and this commitment will only grow in the new year. By participating in the Central Valley Salinity Coalition, and working closely with regional and state officials, dairy farmers have been part of an incredible 13-year stakeholder effort, which recently resulted in the adoption of a new long-term plan. Dairy farmers remain engaged as implementation begins, starting with the most important goal, ensuring safe drinking water for all.

     

    In October, the State Water Resources Control Board approved the ambitious Central Valley-wide Salt and Nitrate Management Plan. The plan allows for water permit holders—including dairy farmers, other farmers, food processors, and other industries—to form nitrate management zones. Each zone will be required to develop plans for providing safe drinking water to residents in need, and ultimately, implement measures to reduce nitrate impacts to groundwater.

     

     

     

    “Dairy Cares has been participating in a stakeholder process known as CV-SALTS for a number of years, with the goal of reforming the regulatory system to better address water quality challenges while providing drinking water to those who need and protecting the ability of agriculture, including dairies, to survive and thrive in the valley,” said J.P. Cativiela, Regulatory Affairs Director for Dairy Cares.

    “That effort recently achieved a significant milestone with the adoption of Salt and Nitrate Management Plan. The year 2020 will be very important as we lay the foundation for management zones. Dairy farmers must remain at the table as local management zones are formed and begin to adopt local drinking water solutions.”

     

     

    Dairy farmers and dairy industry representatives have already been participating in two pilot management zones, which have been exploring a number of unique avenues for delivering temporary safe drinking water supplies to local residents in need. The goal for each zone is to decide upon a solution, or set of solutions, and raise funds to cover the cost of implementing those solutions. Since early 2019, organizers in the pilot zones have been working on creating blueprints for other zones to follow.

     

     

     

    “I think it’s very important for us as dairy farmers to continue to participate in this effort. We care about our community. It’s where we live and raise our own families, we want to make sure we’re finding solutions that serve everyone well into the future.” said Ray Prock Jr. a dairy farmer, who has been participating in the pilot taking place in the Turlock area.

    “It’s been a challenging task, but we need to be at the table, to be part of the solution, and ensure a fair and well-managed process to benefit our communities.”

     

     

    Ray says he hopes the lessons they’ve learned in his area will be helpful to others. The progress made at pilot management zones will soon be replicated across the Central Valley. Water users in the four other Priority 1 areas will need to organize their own management zones and create a drinking water plan. Dairy farmers will continue to participate in local efforts, ensuring safe drinking water for all and working toward greater groundwater protection.

     

     

     

    Dairy farmers are committed to being a part of the solution and ensuring safe drinking water.