Next Women in Ag Mixer

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Yolanda’s in Camarillo 5:00 – 7:00 pm

(805) 289-0155

Water Management Protects Our Environment

Effective management of agricultural irrigation runoff and stormwater discharge is important to protect local water quality.

Water Quality Management Plans

VCAILG’s Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP) serves as the roadmap to meet local water quality standards and goals. These plans are prepared and submitted to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board) to comply with the Agricultural Conditional Waiver.

Responsibility Areas

The first WQMP under the 2016 waiver requirements was submitted to the Regional Board in April 2017. Substantially different from previous plans, the WQMP divides Ventura County into “Responsibility Areas” according to subwatersheds, drainage areas, crop similarities, and additional total maximum daily load (TMDL) requirements. Each parcel is assigned to one of the 20 Responsibility Areas and each area is associated with one VCAILG water quality testing site – identified as the “Beacon Site” for that specific area. Members are accountable for implementing the correct agricultural BMPs to address any continuing water quality issues found during monitoring at your Responsibility Area’s Beacon Site.

Responsibility Area Compliance Summary

To help our members, VCAILG has created a compliance summary handout for each Responsibility Area that contains all the specific information members need to know to meet waiver requirements. Each compliance summary includes:

  • Responsibility Area identification
  • Beacon Site and continuing water quality issues identification
  • BMPs Survey participation notice
  • Required Documentation to be kept on site
  • Education requirement notice
  • Resources information for BMPs assistance if specific funding is available in your area
  • Required BMPs table (and online resource links)
  • Responsibility Area by Parcel List

 

To get started, identify your parcel’s watershed on the maps in the following sections or search the Responsibility Area listing below. (Any parcel located on a border has been assigned to only one Responsibility Area.) Please email us at vcailg@farmbureauvc.com if your parcel is not listed or does not indicate a Responsibility Area.

VCAILG Membership and RA Assignments

Print Your Compliance Summary

The next step is to download and print the compliance summary for your Responsibility Area (links below) or contact us and we can email it to you. Please note that each compliance summary includes online links to technical information about how to implement many of the BMPs and why these actions are important to protect water quality.

Calleguas Creek Watershed Responsibility Areas Compliance Summaries

Santa Clara River and Oxnard Coastal Watersheds Responsibility Areas Compliance Summaries

Ventura River Watershed Responsibility Areas Compliance Summaries

2020 Water Quality Management Plan

All VCAILG members should read (see link below) the most current Water Quality Management Plan. Each Responsibility Area has its own section in the 2020 Water Quality Management which details membership and crop data, BMPs survey results, water quality monitoring exceedances and required BMPs implementation.

2020 Water Quality Management Plan

You Can Support Ventura County’s Farms & Farmers​

Everyone is eligible to join. Whether you're a farmer, rancher, business owner or simply a resident who appreciates Ventura County's delicious, locally grown food, there is a Farm Bureau membership that fits your interests and budget.