Unique coalition proposes to cut Sacramento River pollution

By DON THOMPSON
Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO (AP) A massive agriculture coalition thought to be unique in the nation has formed to monitor and reduce farm pollution across much of Northern California, on a perhaps unprecedented scale.

For the first time, the agriculture coalition and state water regulators want to address the problem across an entire regional watershed in this case, the Sacramento River Basin that drains 27,000 square miles from San Francisco to the Oregon and Nevada borders.

The effort could improve the drinking water of 20 million Californians, the wildlife habitat of half the state's threatened and endangered species, and the Pacific Flyway that brings to California's Central Valley the nation's highest concentration of migrating waterfowl.

But coalition members are upset with requirements from a regional water board, and appealed to the State Water Resources Control Board.

Environmental groups filed their own appeal, arguing the sheer size of the proposed project makes it too unwieldy. While the groups support watershed-wide monitoring, ``it has to be in smaller bite-size chunks of the valley. The notion that you can cover such a huge area ... is ridiculous,'' said Earthjustice attorney Michael Lozeau, who is appealing on behalf of at least six environmental organizations.

The state board is expected to issue a tentative decision by early October.

Organizers say they're determined to hold the coalition together, because the alternative is requiring farmers and ranchers to monitor agricultural runoff individually, boosting the overall cost astronomically.

The Sacramento basin nourishes nearly a quarter of California's farmland, irrigating 2 million acres of rice, tomatoes, fruit, nuts and grain.

But in turn it absorbs uncounted tons of agricultural runoff, erosion, pesticides and herbicides that flow down its tributaries into the 370-mile-long river and ultimately into the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

The Sacramento Valley Water Quality Coalition proposed to install water quality monitors across the basin, track pollution to its upriver source, and work to end problem runoff on behalf of more than 90 percent of the basin's roughly 25,000 farmers.

``It's very unusual. Usually we just deal with individual (pollution) dischargers,'' said Bill Marshall, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board supervising engineer who oversees such programs.

For 20 years, farmers enjoyed a waiver from the state's water pollution standards. But a state law that took effect Jan. 1 ended the old waivers.

Now, coalition members are upset the Central Valley board's new conditional waiver would exclude any farmer or rancher who does not specifically sign up for the program.

Bill Thomas, an attorney representing the six sub-watershed groups in the coalition, accused the regional board of inserting ``poison pills'' into the waiver conditions.

Thomas' appeal will seek more flexibility in pollution monitoring requirements, while environmental groups will argue those requirements aren't strict enough.

Meanwhile, there's an ongoing debate over how to pay for the program, with the board expected to revisit in January the possibility of fees on water users.

Though coalition members are upset at the board's requirements, organizers and regulators say the alternative is worse.

``Each individual farmer would save a lot of money by working through the coalition,'' said Marshall. Despite their objections, ``we're hoping the farmers say, 'You've got to work with the regional board, otherwise it's going to cost us a lot of money.'''

But there's an incentive, too, for state regulators to cooperate with the coalition, said David Guy, executive director of the Northern California Water Association.

``If you went out and tried to deal with this on an individual basis, it'd be 10 years before you'd even begin to get your arms around the problem,'' Guy said. ``I think there are incredible efficiencies if this is done effectively.'' Earthjustice's Lozeau doubts the efficiencies, but isn't surprised farmers and ranchers want monitoring spread over as large a land mass as possible: ``The bigger it is, the more it creates a shield for them.''

Watershed attorney Thomas expects some coalition members to jump ship if the state board upholds the regional board's requirements, but said most members may have no choice but to go along.

Thomas said the plan only works if the coalition remains together. ``There's frankly a lot to lose if the wheels come off the wagon.''

On the Net:

Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb5

State Water Resources Control Board, www.swrcb.ca.gov

Northern California Water Association, www.norcalwater.org

WaterKeeper Alliance, www.waterkeeper.org

San Francisco BayKeeper and DeltaKeeper, http://sfbaykeeper.org

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)