Calag.Ucanr.Edu • JANUARY–MARCH 2019 41 Tool to Delineate Compliance with Water Quality Regula- Management Involved with Dairy Operations
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RESEARCH ARTICLE UC-industry-agency partnerships influence and help implement dairy water quality policy More than 94% of dairy producers were in compliance with new regulations to protect water quality after a carefully staged, collaborative plan to support the transition to new practices. by Deanne M. Meyer, Betsy M. Karle, Jennifer M. Heguy, David J. Lewis, Jeffery W. Stackhouse and D. Denise Mullinax assage of the Porter-Cologne Act, California’s Abstract water quality regulation, in 1969 and the addi- Ption of point source regulations to the federal For 50 years, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) has Clean Water Act in 1972 created a path to reduce the contributed to dairy water quality policy in California and helped, impacts of livestock operations on water quality. Water with partner organizations, to implement it in the dairy industry. is an important resource for Californians. In the dairy When conditional waivers for waste discharge requirements expired industry, water is used directly for animal consump- in 2003, UC ANR shared research and best professional practices as tion, milk harvesting hygiene and sanitation, milk regional water quality control boards developed new orders. UC ANR cooling, animal cooling and also for on-site forage academics then worked with water quality control boards' staff and dairy production. Two important ways in which dairies con- industry representatives to develop feasible, staged implementation serve water are the use of manure-based fertilizers for plans. Collaboratively, more than 50 hours of workshop curriculum on-site forage production, and the use of feeds that are were developed and disseminated, helping dairy producers to accept byproducts of human food production (almond hulls, scientifically sound management practices that are more protective of distillers grains, cottonseed, etc.). The human edible groundwater. Research by UC ANR to better understand system dynamics, outputs from the industry are milk and meat. The in- nitrogen management and practices to minimize the impact of manure dustry also produces solid manure and process waste- application on groundwater quality continues, as does a program in water (very dilute manure), which require management environmental stewardship. to minimize the potential impact to surface water and groundwater sources. Online: https://doi.org/10.3733/ca.2018a0042 Manure management practices based on UC ANR research and delivered through educational workshops have helped hundreds of California dairy farmers comply with regulations designed to protect water quality. CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE • VOLUME , NUMBER 73 1 Steve QuirtSteve 40 In the 1970s, the State Water Resources Control Technical questions arose prior to and during the Board (SWRCB) worked to incorporate the 1972 Clean policy development process. Research findings and Water Act requirements for concentrated animal best professional understandings provided by UC ANR feeding operations into the Porter-Cologne Act. The academics informed policymakers during the 2-year SWRCB requested information from UC Agriculture process of drafting the Central Valley (RB5) Dairy and Natural Resources (UC ANR) on manure gen- General Order (CVRWQCB 2007; CVRWQCB 2013). eration on dairies and best practices for manure UC ANR also provided scientific input during develop- management. Since that time, UC ANR has worked ment of dairy regulatory processes by the North Coast collaboratively with the SWRCB, regional water qual- (RB1) (NCRWQCB 2012) and San Francisco Bay (RB2) ity control boards, industry organizations and dairy (SFBRWQCB 2015) regional water quality control owners, providing research and educational pro- boards. grams to generate science-based policy and guide its implementation. Building partnerships UC ANR has worked Contributing science to regulatory The California Dairy Quality Assurance Program collaboratively framework (CDQAP) Environmental Stewardship module was founded in 1997, a partnership between dairy industry with the SWRCB, UC ANR’s earliest work with the SWRCB, on identify- groups; federal, state and regional government agen- ing better practices for manure management, was used cies; dairy science researchers and UC ANR. Its first regional water during the decade leading up to development of state- project was to collaboratively establish a mechanism quality control wide regulations adopted in 1984 (previously Chapter to certify dairies in environmental stewardship. It was 15: §2560-2565, now located in Chapter 7, subchapter proactive in addressing environmental concerns, set- boards, industry 2, Article 1 §22560-22565) (California Code of Regu- ting up the voluntary certification project before the organizations lations). Technical information was provided on soil adoption of water quality regulations that targeted qualities important for dairy pond structure (§ 22562) nitrogen management (CVRWQCB 2007; CVRWQCB and dairy and the importance of having manure storage struc- 2013; NCRWQCB 2012; SFBRWQCB 2015). In ad- owners, tures contain at least 10% clay and not more than 10% dition to joint work between UC ANR and CDQAP, gravel or other impermeable material. Also, technical active participation from U.S. Department of Agricul- providing information was provided on manure nutrient use in ture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA research and crop production systems (§ 22563): “The application of NRCS), resource conservation districts and regional manure to crop lands shall be at rates reasonable for the boards' staff members remains important to the success educational crop, soil, climate, special local situations, management of the programs. programs system, and type of manure.” The project received a grant in 1999 from the U.S. In response to the statewide regulations ad- Environmental Protection Agency in support of its goal to generate opted in 1984, regional water quality control boards to encourage dairy operators to adopt more environ- science- were tasked with developing Conditional Waiver of mentally sustainable management practices to manage Waste Discharge Requirements (CWWDR) or Waste manure and protect water quality. Practices needing based policy Discharge Requirements (WDR). WDR were developed attention included managing production areas prior to and guide its with or without the federal Clean Water Act National winter rains to maximize collection of rain runoff from Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits, de- solid manure containing areas, conditioning corrals to implementation. pending on local needs. Beginning in the late 1970s, minimize erosion during rain events, evaluating liquid UC ANR advisors convened local groups of dairy own- manure storage capacity, using water more efficiently ers and operators to discuss the implications of the new and carefully timing application of nutrients to soil regulations, identify alternative manure management during growth of winter and summer crops to more practices and engage in local monitoring to benchmark closely match crop nitrogen needs. Enhanced man- and document progress. agement helps to prevent erosion and retain nitrogen The state’s regulatory process for issuing water qual- nearer to crop root zone for use. ity permits changed in 2003 with the passage of Senate The requirements for becoming certified in envi- Bill 293, which mandated a sunset to the existing ronmental stewardship include attending a 6-hour UC CWWDR. In practice, this required that each regional ANR dairy environmental stewardship course (dairy water quality control board reissue its conditional water quality and dairy manure management). Also, waivers on a 5-year cycle or issue WDR. Both processes the dairy operator or owner needs to document compli- required intensive public input. ance with local, state and federal regulations pertaining As change agents, UC ANR (UC Cooperative to environmental stewardship and successfully com- Extension) advisors and specialists were actively plete an on-farm evaluation by an independent third engaged with stakeholders to provide science-based party with no previous ties to the facility or affiliation information to staff at regional water quality control with facility management. UC ANR academics were boards as they developed and adopted WDR for dairies. deeply involved in developing the on-farm evaluation http://calag.ucanr.edu • JANUARY–MARCH 2019 41 tool to delineate compliance with water quality regula- management involved with dairy operations. Together, tions and to evaluate probability of compliance based the group worked with stakeholders and CVRWQCB on infrastructure available for manure management staff to identify logical, methodical ways that producers and management capabilities. The evaluation checklist could effectively implement changes to their operations was finalized through a series of ten 3- to 5-hour meet- to be more protective of groundwater quality and meet ings by staff from the SWRCB, regional water quality compliance needs. control boards, US EPA, California Department of In 2003, after the mandatory sunset of conditional Food and Agriculture, dairy industry representatives waivers, the CVRWQCB began to develop dairy-spe- and UC ANR. cific GWDR for existing milk cow dairies through a se- ries of stakeholder meetings. Included were concerned Central Valley Dairy GWDR citizen groups, USDA NRCS state experts, UC ANR academics, dairy industry representatives and county In 2000, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality regulatory agency staff. Control