Clear Lake Nutrient TMDL - Additional Comments Requested by Clear Lake Stakeholders

The Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) addresses discharge of wastes from commercial irrigated agriculture, to protect surface water and groundwater quality. The Central Valley Water Board has adopted Waste Discharge Requirements (aka ILRP General Orders) to address irrigated agricultural discharges in the Clear Lake watershed and throughout the Central Valley.

Information about the ILRP is available at the following Central Valley Water Board website:

• https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/water_issues/irrigated_lands/

The Clean Water Team (CWT) is the citizen monitoring program of the State Water Resources Control Board. The CWT is a part of the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP). The CWT Citizen Monitoring Coordinator works statewide to provide technical assistance, guidance documents, training, QA/QC support, and temporary loans of equipment to citizen monitoring groups and watershed stewardship organizations.

Information about the Clean Water Team is available at the following State Water Board website:

• https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/swamp/cwt_volunteer.html

The TMDL includes allocations for point sources and nonpoint sources of phosphorus. Point sources in the Clear Lake watershed include permitted stormwater discharges. The allocations for permitted stormwater sources are 2,000 kg/year for Lake County stormwater permittees and 100 kg/year for Caltrans. The allocation for nonpoint sources includes a combined allocation of 85,000 kg/year for the US Bureau of Land Management, the US Forest Service, Lake County and irrigated agriculture.

These allocations are implemented by several adopted Water Board permits, and will be further implemented by additional permits currently under development.

Adopted Permits:

• Statewide Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Policy (Septic Policy)
  • https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/owts/board_adopted_policy.html
• Statewide General Permit for Small Municipal Storm Water System Discharges
  • https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/stormwater/phase_ii_municipal.html
• ILRP General Orders for Growers in the Sacramento River Watershed (includes the Clear Lake Watershed)
  • https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/water_issues/irrigated_lands/regulatory_information/sacramento_river_watershed_wdrs/
• Central Valley Permit for Discharges from Medicinal Cannabis Cultivation Activities
  • https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/water_issues/cannabis/

Permits under Development as of August 2017:

• Draft State Water Board Cannabis Cultivation Policy and Draft Permit
  • https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/cannabis/
• Development of Central Valley and Lahontan Water Boards Permits for Nonpoint Source Activities on Federal Lands Managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management
  • https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/lahontan/water_issues/programs/nps/federal_lands/