2024 LANDOWNER REQUIREMENTS

The General Order requires any irrigated lands having the potential to discharge to surface water or groundwater to comply with the requirements.  The Water Board defines irrigated land as “land irrigated to produce crops or pasture used for commercial purposes including nurseries, and privately and publicly managed wetlands.”  Parcels that would be exempt from the General Order are those that operate under a different waste discharge requirement order, such as land associated with dairies, food processors, and potentially feedlots.  As a landowner or operator within the boundaries of the WWQC, you may join and enroll irrigated parcels for coverage with the WWQC or request an individual permit with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.

While WWQC completes several collective regulatory requirements and advocacy activities on behalf of our landowner members, the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) also contains mandatory requirements for individual Coalition members. Your completion of these requirements is crucial to maintaining compliance with your regulatory ILRP permit requirements.

  1. Due by January 4, 2024: Membership Renewal through Invoice Payment

On December 4th, WWQC issued invoices for 2024 compliance fees for your membership(s) via email to the email address on file for your membership. Payment of this invoice is crucial as it automatically renews your membership for the upcoming year and allows you to formally make changes to your membership including contact information and enrolled irrigated acreage. 

2. On January 11 or January 16, 2024: Attend a Mandatory Coalition Educational Event on Nutrient Management

The ILRP General Order requires that all members attend at least one outreach event per year. A representative from your membership (a consultant qualifies) must attend and sign in at only one of these events to fulfill this requirement. The event will provide a tutorial on how to complete your Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Plan and Summary Report requirements (see below) in addition to other regulatory topics.

There are three opportunities to complete this requirement:

  • Attend in-person on January 11th at 3 PM at the Kern Ag Pavilion, 3300 East Belle Terrace, Bakersfield. 
  • Attend online via a Zoom webinar on January 16 at 3 PM. If you pan to attend online you must pre-register using this form.
  • While it is recommended you attend either in-person or Zoom webinar, if circumstances do not allow for you to attend on those dates, a recording of the Zoom webinar and follow-up quiz/registration form will be made available that must be completed no later than March 1, 2024.

  1. By March 1, 2024: 2024 Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Plan and Irrigation and 2023 Crop Harvest Year Nitrogen Management Plan Summary Report
  • 2024 Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Plan: Members must prepare an Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Plan (INMP) annually using this template and maintain this a copy of your INMP on-farm or at your corporate office. The INMP is not submitted directly to WWQC.
  • 2023 Crop Harvest Year Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Plan Summary Report: Using WWQC’s online ILRP Farm database, complete your INMP SR for all enrolled irrigated acres.

  1. If applicable, by December 31, 2024: Testing of Drinking Water Wells

Although uncommon within WWQC, if you have any active on-farm drinking water wells (only on APNs actively enrolled in the ILRP), it is mandatory to test these wells for Nitrate.  Results are submitted directly to the Regional Board. For detailed guidance on compliance, please visit Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board’s website. If your enrolled APNs do not have drinking water wells, you may disregard this requirement.