Press Releases & Announcements

2020

… a continuation of the announcements from the Central Valley Regional Water Boards home page.

COVID-19 – Compliance with Water Boards’ Requirements (3/20/20)

• Agenda Package for CV-SALTS Revisions to the Basin Plan Amendments; Agenda Item No. 8; Central Valley Board Hearing 10 December 2020 (11/25/20)
• Shasta County agrees to settlement for sewage spill and violations at Cottonwood Wastewater Treatment Plant (11/20/20)
• Butte County Property Owner Fined $193,088 for Water Quality Violations at Cannabis Grow Site (11/09/20)
• CV-SALTS Aviso de Oportunidad Para Comentar y de Audiencia Pública (Spanish CV-SALTS
  Public Hearing Notice) Respecto a Enmiendas a Planes de Control de Calidad del Agua para Incorporar Modificaciones al Programa de Control de Nitrato y Sal (10/23/20)
• Water Quality Coordinating Committee (WQCC) Meeting, October 27-28, 2020 (10/16/20)
• City of Mount Shasta agrees to settlement for sewage spills and violations at wastewater treatment plant - Penalties will go towards preventing future spills and effluent violations (10/15/20)
• CV-SALTS Public Comment Period and Public Hearing - For proposed Basin Plan Amendments revising the recently adopted Salt and Nitrate Control Program (9/4/20)
• ALERT to Fresno and Central Valley media - Individuals going door-to-door fraudulently impersonating State Water Board’s drinking water specialists in the Fresno area (8/26/20)
• Recreational advisory issued at Lake Isabella due to harmful algal bloom - Visitors should avoid water contact at many locations on lake (8/19/20)
• Foul odors from Tulare County pistachio processing plant trigger cease and desist order (8/14/20)
• City of Galt agrees to six-figure settlement in sewage spill case (8/11/20)
• Lewis Land Developers to Settle Stormwater Violations at Placer County Construction Project (6/15/20)
• Two Central Valley Dairy Operators Cited for Violating Waste Management Practices (6/10/20)
• Diamond B Dairy Violations Posed Threat to Groundwater Quality (5/21/20)
• New tools available to help Bovine Operations complete their annual reports due 1 July 2020 (5/5/20)
• Implementation of Executive Order N-42-20: Guidelines and Best Practices for Water and Wastewater Systems (4/30/20)
• Service of Process During the COVID-19 Emergency (4/20/20)
• Dairyman Agrees to $108,608 Settlement for Dumping Dairy Wastewater on Cropland (1/29/20)
• Roman Catholic Bishop of Sacramento to Settle in Stormwater Violations at Placer County Construction Project (1/6/20)

2019

• Launch of Kettleman City’s New Water Treatment Facility Makes Arsenic Struggle a Thing of the Past (12/18/19)
• Placerville Developer Agrees to Settlement for Illegal Diversions into Nearby Creek (12/11/19)
• Sutter County Developer Agrees to $160,000 Settlement over Environmental Threats to Grass Valley’s Wolf Creek (12/5/19)
• State Water Board Approves Central Valley Water Board Plan to Reduce Nitrate Contamination in Groundwater and Provide Replacement Drinking Water (10/16/19)
• Rocklin Developer Agrees to $153,000 Settlement in Environmental Threats to Nearby Ravine (9/19/19)
• Harmful Algal Bloom Confirmed in Black Butte Lake - Public Urged to Exercise Caution(6/13/19)
• Glenn County Gravel Mining Operation Receives $675,000 Penalty for Water Quality Violations (6/13/19)
• Cease and Desist Order Issued for Oil Field Wastewater Disposal Facility in Kern County to Ensure Greater Groundwater Protections (6/7/19)
• Start of Outdoor Water Recreation Season Means Being Aware of E. coli in Rivers and Lakes - Public Advised to Check Water Quality Website for Latest Results (5/23/19)
• Make it a Habit and Be Mindful of HABs - Harmful Algal Blooms - State Water Board Says Keep Pets, Children out of the Water if a Bloom is Spotted (5/23/19)
• State Water Board Grant and Loan Funds Arvin Project to Resolve Arsenic Contamination in Drinking Water (5/16/19)
• Concentrations of Some Pollutants Increasing in Streams Following Camp Fire - Public Warned Not to Drink or Cook with Untreated Surface Waters (4/24/19)
• Washoe Fuels of Quincy Fined After Long-term Neglect Harms Town’s Water Supply (3/7/19)
• Shasta County Property Owners Fined $150,000 for Water Quality Violations at Cannabis Grow Site (2/21/19)
• Former Shasta County Property Owner Fined $83,000 for Water Quality Violations at Cannabis Grow Site (2/21/19)
• Elevated Concentrations of Some Pollutants Persist in Streams Following Camp Fire (2/15/19)
• Fact Sheet: Mule Creek State Prison Proposed Designation as a Regulated Facility under State Storm Water Permits (2/7/19)
• Central Valley Agricultural Water Coalitions Agree To Provide Safe Drinking Water To Those Dependent on Contaminated Wells (1/29/19)
• Contaminants Found in Streams Following Camp Fire - Public Warned to Avoid Untreated Surface Waters for Drinking, Cooking (1/18/19)

2018

• State Water Board Funds To Be Used For Vital Erosion Control After Record-setting Mendocino Complex Fire (11/2/18)
• Addressing Vital Erosion Control after Carr Fire Focus of $9 million in State Water Board Funding (10/18/18)
• High E. coli Levels at Lower American River - Public Advised to Check Water Quality Website for Latest Results (7/2/18)
• Harmful Algal Bloom Season Beginning in California's Lakes, Rivers and Streams (5/24/18)
• Central Valley Water Board Settles with Shasta County Growers for failing to Acquire Water Quality Permit (5/1/18)
• Central Valley Water Board Issues Penalty to Kern County Grower for Failing to Acquire Water Quality Permit (4/20/18)
• High E. coli Levels at Lower American River - The Focus of Central Valley Water Board Testing Additional Monitoring to be Conducted in High Risk Areas (4/17/18)
• Press Release: Public Comment Sought on Proposed Salt and Nitrate Control Program for Central Valley Surface and Groundwater Resources (4/06/18)
• Public Meeting Notice: 9 April 2018 Meeting to Discuss Water Quality Issues and Concerns with the American River Parkway (4/04/18)
• Press Release: Central Valley Water Board Issues Penalty to Modoc County Grower for failing to Acquire Water Quality Permit (2/13/18)
• Press Release: Central Valley Water Board Names Patrick Pulupa as New Executive Officer (2/8/18)

2017

• Press Release:  Kirkwood Mountain Resort Agrees to Settlement for Allegations of Clean Water Act Violations (12/28/17)
• Poultry General Order Decision Tree and Outreach Trifold Now Available(11/30/17)
• Notice of 6 Public Meetings for the Development of Nonpoint Source Permits on Federal Lands (9/19/17)
• Harmful Algal Bloom Season Beginning in California's Waterways (5/26/17)
  State Water Board Says Keep Pets, Children out of the Water if a Bloom is Spotted
  
  • Fact Sheet: Cyanobacteria Reference Guide for Veterinarians
• RELP Metro LLC Agrees to Settlement for Stormwater Violations at its 68-acre Metro Air Park (5/10/17
• Visalia Dairy Issued $75,600 Penalty, and Cease and Desist Order for failing to comply with Dairy General Order (4/24/17)
• City of Jackson Agrees to Settlement Over Sewage System Violation Allegations (4/7/17)
• Sutter Creek Bridge Construction Site Settles Enforcement Action for Stormwater Violations (4/6/17)
• Tuolumne County Agrees to Settlement for Stormwater Violations at Jail Access Road Project (4/6/17)
• Sacramento Area Sewer District Settles Sewage Spill Violations (4/5/17)

• Central Valley Climate Change Work Plan Meeting in Rancho Cordova, CA - 28 March 2017 (3/22/17)
• Growers Assessed Penalties for Failure to Obtain Water Quality Permits, Submit Reports Required to Prevent Water Pollution (3/8/17)
• Dollar General Construction Site in Amador County Settles Enforcement Action for Stormwater Violations (2/27/17)

2016

• Southern California Edison to Pay $3 Million for Clean Water Act, Fish and Game Violations at Shaver Lake Dam Project (10/7/16)
• Harmful Cyanobacteria Detected around Fabian Tract; Caution Urged with Contact (9/29/16)
• Updated Information for Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom at Lake Shasta - Caution Urged for Some Water Contact Activities (9/2/16)
• Harmful Cyanobacteria Detected in Parts of Lake Shasta; Caution Urged with Contact through Labor Day Weekend (8/26/16)
• Visalia Dairy to Pay $59,850 for Failing to Report the Impacts of Dairy Operations on Water Quality (8/25/16)
• Central Valley Water Board Issues Notices of Violation to East San Joaquin Valley Growers (8/19/16)
• Blue-Green Algae Bloom in Mountain Meadows Reservoir; Caution Urged in Water Contact (8/12/16)
• Blue-Green Algae Bloom in San Luis Reservoir and O'Neill Forebay; Caution Urged in Water Contact (8/4/16)
• Health Officials and Regional Water Board Warn Discovery Bay Residents and Visitors of Possible Blue-Green Algae in the Water (7/25/16)
• Blue-green algae bloom in Lake Britton & Pit River Arm of Shasta Lake; Caution Urged in Water Contact (7/25/16)
• Blue-green algae bloom in Lake Britton; Caution Urged in Water Contact (7/19/16)
• Blue-green algae blooming in Pit River Arm of Shasta Lake; Caution Urged in Water Contact (7/14/16)
• Contra Costa County Marina to Pay $26,963 For Waste Discharge Requirement Violations (7/1/16)
• Central Valley Water Board and City of Vacaville Settle Wastewater Violations in Solano County (6/13/16)
• Central Valley Water Board and Stamas Corporation Settle Stormwater Permit Violations in Nevada County (6/13/16)
• Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board in Rancho Cordova adds Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (5/24/16)
• Malaga County Water District Fined $1 Million for Failure to Implement Wastewater Pretreatment Program (5/4/16)
• Public Notice - Public Meeting of the Food Safety / Oil Fields Produced Water Expert Panel - 11 April 2016 (3/29/16)
• Shasta County Property Owner to pay $100,000 Over Water Quality Violations Related to Marijuana Grow (3/18/16)
  • Aerial Photo (taken by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife)
  • Ground Photo (taken by the Central Valley Water Board)
• City of Taft to pay $250,000 for Overflow of 1.5-million Gallons of Raw Sewage - Compliance Programs to Detect and Respond Early to System Failures to be Enacted as Part of Settlement Agreement (3/18/16)
• Morning Star Packing Company Issued $1.5 Million Penalty, Cease and Desist Order for Wastewater Violations (2/22/16)

2015

• The State of the Central Valley Region (12/29/16)
  The Executive Officer's State of the Central Valley Region Presentation, 10/11 December 2015.
• Notice of Public Meeting for Food Safety / Oil Field Wastewater Reuse Expert Panel - 12 January 2016 (12/30/15)
• Central Valley Water Board Settles With 2 Southern San Joaquin Valley Growers For Failure to Acquire Water Quality Permits (12/3/15)
• Central Valley Water Board Adopts Order Regulating Cannabis Cultivation to Protect Water Quality (10/2/15)
• Public Comment Period Starts for Draft General Order Requiring Environmental Rules for Marijuana Cultivation (8/10/15)
• Notice of Three Public Workshops for Proposed Medicinal Cannabis Cultivation Activities General Order (8/5/15)
• Central Valley Water Board Imposes $297,400 Penalty for Water Quality Violations Associated with Marijuana Cultivation (06/12/15)
• Visalia Dairy Fined $34,650 for Failing to Provide Annual Report to Assess the Impacts of Dairy Operations on Water Quality (06/12/15)
• A Greener Globe Corporation Receives $677,531 Penalty for Failure to Provide Monitoring Reports on Roseville Landfill (06/09/15)
• Central Valley Water Board Issues Pair of Penalties to Madera County Growers for failing to Acquire Water Quality Permits (05/12/15)
• Turlock Dairy Fined $73,710 for Failing to Provide Annual Reports to Assess the Impacts of Dairy Operations on Water Quality (04/27/15)
• Emergency Water Conservation Regulations Portal (04/03/15)
• Eastern San Joaquin Watershed Landowners Face Proposed Fines for Discharging Irrigated Land Waste Without a Permit (03/30/15)
• Notice of Opportunity to Comment - State Water Board Consideration of Central Valley Region Diazinon And Chlorpyrifos Basin Plan Amendment (03/27/15)
• 12 March 2015 Climate Change Workshop Video (03/13/15)
• Notice of Public Workshop on Climate Change (02/18/15)
• Turlock Dairy Faces Proposed Fine of $73,710 for Failing to Provide Annual Reports (02/03/15)
• Madera County Landowners Face Proposed Fines for Discharging Irrigated Land Waste Without a Permit (01/30/15)
• Central Valley Water Board Proposes $440,440 Penalty for Water Quality Issues at Yuba-Sutter Landfill (01/29/15)
• Central Valley Water Board Proposes $677,531 Penalty for Water Quality Issues at Roseville Landfill Site (01/28/15)
• Notice of Public Solicitation: Central Valley Pyrethroid Pesticides Total Maximum Daily Load and Basin Plan Amendment (01/16/15)

2014

• Board Approves Fines for Discharging Irrigated Land Waste without a Permit (12/22/14)
• The State of the Central Valley Region (12/09/14)
  The Executive Officer's State of the Central Valley Region Presentation, 4/5 December 2014.
• Central Valley Water Board Assistant Executive Officer Issues $18,000 Penalty for Violation of Clean Water Act (11/13/14)
• Enforcement News! Settlement Agreement Reached with Two Kern County Oil Firms for Illegal Discharge of Oilfield Fluids (10/07/14)
• Fact Sheet: Northstar Inactive Mine Discharges - Grass Valley area (06/23/14)
• Enforcement News! Landowners Face Fines for Failure to get Waste Discharge Permits (05/19/14)
• Media Release! Central Valley Water Board Adopts Program to Benefit Disadvantaged Communities (04/10/14)
• Enforcement News! Central Valley Water Board Issues Cleanup and Abatement Order to Atlantic Richfield Company for the Walker Mine (04/10/14)
• Tracy Heifer Ranch Fined $310,775 For Water Quality Violations Water Code Violations (02/24/14)

2013

• San Francisco Public Utilities District Fined $1 million for Water Quality Violations (12/20/13)
• Equilon Enterprises Ordered to Pay $500,000 for Water Code Violations in Kern County (12/10/13)
• Settlement Agreement Reached with Kern County Oil Firm for Discharging Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid (11/15/13)
• Central Valley Water Board Issues $375,000 Penalty to Groveland Community Services District for Sewage Spills (10/18/13)
• Central Valley Water Board Issues $190,038 Penalty to Donahue Schriber Asset Management Corp. for Water Code Violations (10/18/13)
• Central Valley Water Board Adopts Waste Discharge Requirements for Irrigated Lands in the Tulare Lake Basin (09/24/13)
• Fourteen Central Valley Facilities Face Penalties for Wastewater Violations (09/12/13)
• Tracy Dairy Fined $685,000 for Water Quality Violations (08/14/13)
• Notice of Postponement and Tentative Board Hearing Date – Diazinon and Chlorpyrifos Basin Plan Amendment (07/10/13)
• Central Valley Water Board Implementing Enforcement Actions for Alleged Unpermitted Discharge of Hydraulic Fracking Waste (04/09/13)
• Central Valley Water Boards Adopts Waste Discharge Requirements for Irrigated Lands (01/07/13)

2012

• Meeting Notice: - 16th Meeting of the Groundwater Monitoring Advisory Workgroup, 11 December 2012 (12/06/12)
• State Water Board Directs Sacramento County Sanitation District to Upgrade Sewage Treatment to Protect Human Health and Aquatic Life (12/05/12)
  District must Comply with Regional Water Board Permit
• Central Valley Water Board Adopts Waste Discharge Requirements for Irrigated Lands (12/13/12)

• Meeting Notice: Delta Regional Monitoring Program Steering Committee Meeting (10/05/12)
• City of Ione Faces $143,552 Penalty for Failure to Comply with Cease and Desist Order (09/13/12)
• $50,600 Penalty Imposed on Farming Operation for Waste Discharge Violations in Stanislaus County (08/08/12)

• Central Valley Water Board Issues Complaint to Merced County Dairy (07/24/12)
  Executive Officer Proposes $272,928 Penalty to Dairy for Illegal Disposal of Cow Carcasses and Illegal Discharges of Wastewater
  

• Central Valley Water Board Issues Cleanup and Abatement Orders (06/15/12)
  Overflowing Manure Storage Area and Illegally Buried Dead Cows Threaten Shallow Groundwater
  
  • Cleanup and Abatement Order No. R5-2012-0708 Issued to Henry J. Tosta (dba Henry Tosta Dairy) and Henry J. Tosta Trust, San Joaquin County
    • Attachment - 1 May 2012 Inspection Report for Henry Tosta Dairy - (photographs included)
  • Cleanup and Abatement Order No. R5-2012-0709 Issued to Henry J. Tosta dba Reeve Road Heifer Ranch and Echeverria Brothers Dairy General Partnership, San Joaquin County
    • Attachment - 1 May 2012 Inspection Report for Reeve Road Heifer Ranch - (photographs included)
• $123,191 Complaint Issued to Del Mar Farms for Waste Discharge Violations in Stanislaus County (05/16/12)
• 14th Meeting of the Groundwater Monitoring Advisory Workgroup, 15 May 2012 (05/03/12)

• Central Valley Water Board issues Cleanup and Abatement Order (03/15/12)
  More than 50 Dead & Decomposing Cows Found at Merced County Dairy
  
  • Cleanup and Abatement Order No. R5-2012-0703 Issued to Rego Dairy #2, Merced County
  • Rego Dairy #2 Inspection Photographs
  • Rego Dairy #2 1 February 2012 Inspection Report (03/16/12)

• Update of Compliance & Enforcement Activities to the Board (02/06/12)
  • Enforcement Report Update - 2010/2011
  • Enforcement Page - For more information about Enforcement activities.

• The State of the Central Valley Region (01/24/12)
  Executive Officer Pamela Creedon's presentation at the 1/2 December 2011 Board Meeting.

2011

• Regional Board Meeting Dates for 2012 (10/14/11)
• The 2011 Draft Phase II Small MS4 General Permit Comment Deadline has been Extended - Written Comments are due at Noon on Thursday September 8, 2011 (07/26/11)
  
  • Please see: Response to Extension Letters

2010

• Turning Waste to Renewable Resources - Joint State Agency Effort Furthers State's Green Energy Agenda (12/14/10)
• 9th Meeting of the Groundwater Monitoring Advisory Workgroup, 26 October 2010 (10/19/10)
• Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. - History and Status of Enforcement and Permitting (09/30/10)
  
• Central Valley Water Board Expands Irrigated Lands Program to Protect Ground Water (07/29/10)
  
  • Groundwater Quality Program
  • Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program

• Central Valley Regional Board Brochure is now available for download (07/27/10)

• Groundwater Quality Protection Strategy for the Central Valley Region "Roadmap" is now available for public review and comments (06/23/10)
  
  • Groundwater Quality Program
• State and Local Agencies Turn Focus to Promoting Renewable Energy from Dairy Waste Throughout the Central Valley (02/08/10)
• 23 February 2010 San Joaquin River DO TMDL Stakeholder Meeting (01/29/10)

2009

• Joint Public Workshop Concerning Water Quality and Regulatory Issues Associated with Inactive Mines and Timber Harvest (Silviculture) and Rural Roads Regulatory Program Administered by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (10/14/09)

• The State of the Central Valley Region (10/08/09)
  Executive Officer Pamela Creedon's presentation at the 8 October 2009 Board Meeting.

• 24 September 2009 Central Valley Salinity Leadership Group Meeting (09/01/2009)
  The Central Valley Salinity Leadership Group will hold their next annual meeting on 24 September 2009 from 1:30 – 3:30 at the Sacramento City Council Chambers, 915 I Street, Sacramento (across the street from CALEPA). This meeting is open to the public. For more information, see www.cvsalinity.org.
• Developing a Groundwater Strategy to Protect the Beneficial Uses of Groundwater in the Central Valley (08/05/2009)
• Ammonia Summit - Assessing the Role of Ammonia in the Delta and Suisun Bay Ecosystem, 18-19 August 2009 (07/28/2009)
• CV-SALT News: Draft Compliance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan Available (05/22/2009)
• Proposed Revisions to the 303(d) List of Impaired Water Bodies and Consideration of an Integrated Assessment Report for the Central Valley Region (04/14/2009)
  • Revised Notice of Public Hearing
  • Integrated Water Quality Assessment Report
• CALFED Science Program Workshop (03/03/2009)
  The CALFED Science Program is sponsoring a workshop to develop a research framework to assess the role of ammonia/ammonium on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Bay ecosystem.

2008

• Central Valley Water Board's Irrigated Land Regulatory Program Issues Orders to Kern River Sub-Watershed Growers (12/30/2008)
  • Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program
• Governor Approves Early Transfer of Property at the Davis Global Communications Site to Yolo County (10/20/2008)
• Central Valley Water Board Identifies Land Owners Who Are Not Participating in Regulatory Program (09/02/2008)
  
  • Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program
• California Uniform Site Assessment Tools (08/13/2008)
  A tool for assessing if a site investigation is complete with respect to all potential exposure pathways.
• New Spill Reporting Requirements - Effective Immediately (08/07/2008)
• State Water Board Approves Funding to Help Central Valley Farmers Protect Water Quality (07/01/2008)
  • Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program
• Water Board Revises Rule to Seek Additional Fees from Farmers to Join Irrigated Lands Coalitions (06/25/2008)
  • Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program
• Conditional Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements for Disaster-Related Wastes During a State of Emergency (06/16/2008)
• Draft Strategic Work Plan for Activities in the Bay-Delta (06/16/2008)

2007

• California Water Plan Update - Get Involved! (10/25/2007)
• The State of the Central Valley Region (08/17/2007)
  Executive Officer Pamela Creedon's presentation at the 2 August 2007 Board Meeting.