Introduction
Monterey Bay
National Marine Sanctuary and Central
Coast Agriculture The area was given sanctuary protection by
Congress and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) in 1992, in recognition of
its dramatic underwater topography, the diversity
of its unique plants and animals, the presence of
threatened/endangered species and abundant
commercial fisheries, and its standing as an
important research site. Within the Sanctuary and
its shores are more than 50 species on government
special status lists, perhaps the most prominent
being the southern sea otter. The Sanctuary boasts the greatest biodiversity
in temperate regions of the world. It is home to 28
species of marine mammals, 94 species of seabirds,
345 species of fish, four species of turtles, more
than 450 species of marine algae and 31 phyla of
invertebrates. Within a dozen steps on the rocky
shore, one may walk over 90 species of
invertebrates associated with intertidal red algae
and over 300 invertebrate species associated with a
mussel bed. This diversity encompasses a wide range
of environments, including estuaries, rocky
coastlines, sandy beaches, subtidal reefs and soft
bottoms, open ocean waters, and the deep waters of
the Monterey Bay canyon. The Sanctuary also includes the waters of
Elkhorn Slough, one of the largest remaining
wetlands in California and a key nursery ground for
fishes. Dramatic migrations of shorebirds visit the
Elkhorn Slough estuary, a key stop for feeding and
weight gain before the birds continue on the
"Pacific flyway." Congress designated the Sanctuary
as a marine environment of special national
significance, to be protected for the generations
to come. Agriculture California's Central Coast is also home to
another national treasure, the agricultural lands
in its rich coastal valleys. The region's unique
soils and year- round mild coastal climate sustain
a 3 billion dollar agricultural industry which
produces over 200 types of crops. These include the
nurseries and brussel sprouts which thrive along
the fog-shrouded San Mateo coast, the diverse row
crops, berries and apple orchards of the warm
Pajaro Valley, and the strawberry fields lining the
steep lands surrounding the Elkhorn and Watsonville
Sloughs. The rich soils of the broad flat lands
along the Salinas River are the "Salad Bowl of the
Nation", producing the majority of the country's
lettuce and a diverse mix of vegetables, including
broccoli, artichokes, celery, and cauliflower.
Monterey County alone produces more than 80% of the
nation's leaf lettuce, 70% of its artichokes, 55%
of its broccoli and cauliflower, and more than
one-third of its celery, strawberries and
mushrooms. Rolling grazing lands occupy the slopes of these
valleys and much of the watersheds of San Luis
Obispo, San Benito, Monterey and Santa Clara
Counties, sustaining a cattle industry, providing
habitat for wildlife, and improving recharge of
local water supplies. In recent years, a portion of
the grazing lands in Monterey County has been
converted to vineyards. Steeper forested lands
occupy much of the upper watersheds in Santa Cruz
and San Mateo County, sustaining a timber industry,
providing wildlife habitat and recreational
opportunities for local residents. Agricultural products from the region are
shipped all over the nation and the world, and
provide jobs for thousands of local residents. They
are a cornerstone of the region's economy, along
with the region's large tourist industry. The
agricultural production on these lands also
provides an aesthetically pleasing landscape which
benefits both tourists and local residents alike.
Agriculture is a multi-faceted asset to the
region. Agriculture and the Sanctuary's plants and
animals are linked by their mutual dependence on
the marine waters which generate the region's
unique coastal climate. They are also linked by the
drainage patterns of the local watersheds as water
flows from the mountains to the flood plains and
rivers, and out to sea. Additional links and
partnerships between the Sanctuary and agriculture
will be needed to protect and sustain our unique
natural resources, the area's vital agricultural
and tourist economies, and quality of life for
local residents. The Water Quality Protection
Program (WQPP) is a partnership effort to enhance
and protect the physical, chemical and biological
conditions in the Sanctuary and its adjacent
watersheds. The map on page 1 shows the WQPP's
broad geographic range, including 5000 square miles
of marine waters and 11 major watershed areas with
over 7000 square miles of land. Land use in this
diverse region includes urban and suburban
development, extensive areas of irrigated
croplands, managed timber lands, grazing lands and
other agricultural activities. Extensive public
lands with diverse multiple uses are also present,
including lands under the management of the
federal, state and local governments. As water
passes over any of the land uses in the watershed,
it can pick up a variety of potential pollutants
such as sediments, oils and grease, nutrients,
pesticides, and pathogens which can be transported
to the region's rivers, wetlands, harbors and
nearshore waters. In addition to diverse land
uses, the region also encompasses a large number of
county and municipal jurisdictions, various special
districts, portions of two Regional Water Quality
Control Boards (RWQCBs), and the overlapping
jurisdictions of at least ten state and federal
agencies which deal with water quality issues. This
mix of land uses and agency responsibilities
requires an approach that cuts across
jurisdictional and political boundaries and focuses
on watersheds. The WQPP implements a key
element of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed
by eight federal, state, and local agencies during
Sanctuary designation in 1992. Signatories to the
Agreement are: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration; the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Region IX; the California Environmental
Protection Agency; the California State Water
Resources Control Board; the San Francisco Regional
Water Quality Control Board; the Central Coast
Regional Water Quality Control Board; the
California Coastal Commission; and the Association
of Monterey Bay Area Governments. Twenty-seven federal, state
and local agencies, public and private groups are
now working together with cities, harbors,
businesses, and the agricultural community to
address a range of water quality and watershed
issues (Appendix A). These issues include regional
monitoring and data sharing, urban and agricultural
runoff, marinas and boating activities,
wetland/riparian issues and point sources of
pollution. A main focus of the program is to more
efficiently integrate the large number of existing
programs and projects related to these issues,
eliminate gaps and redundancies, and pool resources
to address problems. The WQPP provides a
cooperative process through which governmental
agencies, public and private interests can develop
and carry out feasible strategies to reduce
transport of pollutants to Sanctuary waters, while
sustaining economic productivity. The program uses a
stewardship approach to water quality issues,
rather than a "top down" regulatory approach. This
means working with a wide variety of stakeholders
in the community to identify issues and develop
practical solutions that meet environmental needs
and sustain the region's economic viability.
Priority strategies have already been identified
and refined for three general issues, working with
a variety of local groups to evaluate the
feasibility of recommendations, their environmental
benefits, and economic impacts. These strategies
are part of three detailed action plans published
during 1996 addressing urban runoff, regional
monitoring and data sharing, and marinas and
boating activities. Implementation of these
completed plans has begun, using staff from a
variety of agencies, cities and harbors, nonprofit
groups, volunteers, and supplementary grant
funding. During the past several years the program
has been working with the agricultural community on
the development of a plan to address agricultural
water quality issues. Participation in the initial development of this
document was obtained during a series of three
workshops held in Salinas, Watsonville and Half
Moon Bay in 1996/1997. Participants were invited by
phone, mail, and Farm Bureau newsletter inserts
from a broad range of interest groups, including
growers and ranchers, agricultural interest groups,
resource management agencies, and environmental
groups. Outreach presentations were also made to a
variety of agricultural groups to invite their
participation in the program and solicit
comments. The water quality issues and strategies
presented in this document build on the wide range
of suggestions made by various individual
participants at these first workshops. Recognizing
that much research has been conducted by various
organizations and implemented by industry on
effective agricultural management practices, the
strategies are intended to build on many of the
positive actions which are already underway to
address water quality issues, and develop effective
partnerships for watershed protection. The long list of comments and suggestions from
the initial three workshops were combined into a
single outline and organized by issue. Drafts of
these comments and suggestions were mailed to all
parties invited to the workshop for their review,
and additional comments on the drafts were
incorporated. The outline of workshop results was then used to
develop draft descriptions of potential strategies,
using a basic "What, Why, How, Who" format. The
descriptions indicate what the strategy is intended
to do, why it is needed, how it would be carried
out, and who should be involved. In addition, a
short section describing "performance measures" has
been added to each strategy to determine success in
implementation. The strategy drafts building on
workshop comments were written by the WQPP staff
and various members of the WQPP committee, with
overall review by committee members as well as by
some of the original workshop participants. Note
that references to institutions and their roles in
implementing this plan are proposals put forth by
the planning team. Ultimate authority to proceed on
and implement any of these proposed strategies
remains with the institutions themselves. The draft strategies were reviewed and revised
during 1998 and early 1999 in a series of meetings
which included representatives from the Farm
Bureaus of six counties (San Mateo, Santa Cruz,
Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara and San
Benito), the California Farm Bureau Federation, the
Sanctuary, Regional Water Quality Control Boards 2
and 3, Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS), and the University of California
Cooperative Extension (UCCE). A key outcome of
these meetings was the addition of several
strategies in Section 1 focused on implementation
of nonpoint management practices via industry
organizational networks composed of Farm Bureau
members and other agricultural groups. The WQPP
committee also reviewed and commented on the
document. Revisions included modification of
strategies and omission of recommendations which
were deemed inappropriate. The resulting draft was then distributed to
interested parties, and three public workshops were
held (in Watsonville, Salinas, and Half Moon Bay)
during the summer of 1999 for final public
comments. The Sanctuary greatly appreciates the
time and expertise, ideas, and criticisms toward
improving this plan, contributed by over 200
individuals at the various workshops and
meetings. This document is not intended to alter existing
legal authority, or to serve as the basis for
greater regulation, but rather for greater
cooperation among public agencies which share
management responsibilities affecting water
quality, farmers, ranchers and other interested
parties in accomplishing their shared goal of
protecting and enhancing the resources of the
region. These new strategies are designed to strengthen
and complement existing programs in the region
which promote voluntary adoption of conservation
measures. Implementation will require major
commitments of effort and funding from the variety
of agencies, public and private organizations
identified in the individual strategies. The WQPP
committee will work to facilitate overall
implementation of the plan, including identifying
and beginning projects which can be undertaken with
existing resources or modification of existing
practices, and working together to identify and
recruit resources for strategies which will require
supplementary staff or funding. They will also work
closely with the Central Coast Farm Bureau
Coalition to facilitate industry's involvement in
carrying out the plan. Implementation will be funded through a mix of
in-kind services from participating agencies and
organizations such as the Farm Bureaus, existing
resources, and external grant funds. The general
priority for implementation has been set in terms
of "high" and "medium" priority strategies based on
several factors, including: greatest benefit to
water quality; general ease or difficulty in actual
implementation; efforts currently underway onto
which some strategies can naturally "piggyback";
and in many cases, the necessary linkages between
key strategies which should be implemented together
for maximum effectiveness. Early implementation of some of the strategies
has already begun, such as the agricultural
industry network and pilot projects in Section 1,
and the development of regulatory
coordination/permit streamlining in Strategy 4-2.
In addition, several grants have either been
submitted, already obtained or are under
development with various partners which can begin
to carry out other parts of the plan in limited
geographic areas, especially for those strategies
related to technical assistance. Other strategies
(or parts thereof) can be readily implemented, with
minimal additional resources, by including new
materials into existing programs or by redirecting
staff time/focus to include watershed or nonpoint
source information. Additional grants or other
external funding sources will need to be secured in
order to carry out many of the other strategies. A
long-term stable funding source will be needed to
ensure comprehensive implementation of the plan
throughout the Sanctuary region. Each of the recommended strategies includes
specific short-term "performance measures" by which
to evaluate successful implementation of that
strategy. Long-term success of the program as a
whole&emdash;that is, demonstrable improvements in
regional water quality&emdash;will be measured over
time by data collected through the coordinated
regional monitoring program currently under
development (see below), including both government
and high-quality citizen monitoring data. In
addition, records from implementation tracking of
management practices and voluntary self-monitoring
conducted by growers and ranchers (see strategy
1-3) will be collected by the county Farm Bureau
Coordinating Committees, summarized on a
subwatershed level, and forwarded to the RWQCBs.
The RWQCBs will then share that information with
the WQPP committee and the committee members'
constituencies. The Sanctuary and the WQPP committee will play
an active role in facilitating and coordinating
implementation of the plan as a whole with the many
partners in this effort, although the Sanctuary is
not the lead agency for implementing most of the
individual strategies. This will include working
with various groups to identify and initiate
projects which can be accomplished with existing
resources, attracting additional resources where
needed, tracking progress of the plan as a whole
over time, and facilitating the development of
modifications as needed based on the success or
problems encountered with the plan. It will also
provide a liaison with the Central Coast Farm
Bureau Coalition to facilitate implementation of
the plan, and between these agricultural efforts
and the other WQPP efforts underway addressing
urban runoff, marinas and boating, and regional
monitoring. The WQPP prefers a voluntary stewardship
approach to addressing agricultural sources, and
that approach is reflected in the new strategies
recommended later in this document. However, it is
important to recognize that there are a number of
existing and upcoming state and federal regulatory
mandates focused on nonpoint sources. Each of the State's nine Regional Water Quality
Control Boards (RWQCBs) are responsible for
administering regulations established by the
Federal Clean Water Act and the California Water
Code (Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act).
Their administration of the Code is overseen by the
State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). Basin Plans The RWQCBs implement the Basin Plans by issuing
and enforcing state Waste Discharge Requirements
and federal NPDES permits (National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System, pursuant to the Clean
Water Act) for waste discharged to land or surface
waters which can potentially affect water
quality. TMDLs A TMDL is a process of assessing pollution
problems, identifying responsible parties,
proposing implementation measures and timelines
(including the installation of management
measures), and developing a monitoring
strategy. TMDLs for various categories of nonpoint
pollution such as sediments, nitrates and/or
pesticides are scheduled for development in several
Central Coast watersheds over the coming years,
including Salinas, Pajaro, San Lorenzo and
Pescadero (Appendix B). If voluntary efforts over
the next few years can demonstrate increasing
implementation of management measures and
ultimately improvements in water quality, then
there may be no need to move to higher levels of
regulatory involvement. It is also possible that
waterbodies may eventually be removed from the
303(d) list if voluntary efforts demonstrate that
water quality standards are being attained.
However, detailed watershed assessments on the
sources of pollution and their improvement over
time would be necessary for the RWQCBs to recommend
removals from the 303d list. California's Nonpoint Source
Plan The Regional Board's preferred approach is
voluntary action by private landowners and
individuals to identify specific nonpoint sources
on their lands and to implement appropriate
management measures for their control. However, the
Regional Boards have both the authority and the
responsibility to require the implementation of
management measures, if the voluntary actions of
landowners are insufficient to meet water quality
standards and to protect beneficial uses. CZARA Section 6217 The updated plan includes the WQPP as an
implementation of CZARA on the Central Coast.
Although the plan will not require implementation
of specific practices, it will include
identification of general management measures and a
menu of practices addressing erosion and sediment
control, the application of nutrients and
pesticides, confined animal facilities, grazing
management and irrigation water management. CZARA requires that the State provide
enforceable policies and mechanisms to implement
appropriate management measures. Voluntary actions
by individual landowners are the strongly preferred
approach under CZARA; however if voluntary actions
are not sufficient to protect water quality, then
CZARA requires that other actions be pursued by the
state, using the authorities identified in the
CZARA implementation plan, such as the RWQCB. Regional Boards and the WQPP The MOA outlines the existing authorities and
roles of the eight signatory agencies, and
describes the WQPP's role in recommending priority
actions to address point and nonpoint pollution. An
appeal process to the State Water Resources Control
Board (SWRCB) is included should potential
disagreements arise between the RWQCBs and the
Sanctuary on water quality permit issues and the
adequacy of protection of Sanctuary resources.
However, as outlined in the MOA, primary regulatory
authority on water quality issues still resides
with the Regional Boards and the State Board, not
the WQPP. As indicated above, both the Regional
Boards and the WQPP prefer to encourage a voluntary
approach to addressing agricultural nonpoint
issues. WQPP and TMDLs/CZARA Other Programs Ongoing communication among these various
programs and pooling of resources to address issues
is an important function of the WQPP. This document
is not intended to alter existing legal authority,
or to serve as the basis for greater regulation,
but rather for greater cooperation among public
agencies which share management responsibilities
affecting water quality, farmers, ranchers and
other interested parties in accomplishing their
shared goal of protecting and enhancing the
resources of the region. The WQPP respects the
concern of the region's farm and ranch families for
the privacy and productive use of their farms and
ranches.
The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
(hereafter, "Sanctuary") is the largest marine
protected area in the United States, and includes
over 5000 square miles of water off California's
Central Coast. It spans over 400 miles of coastline
from Cambria in San Luis Obispo County to the Marin
Headlands, extending as much as 53 miles
offshore.
The Porter-Cologne Act directs each of the RWQCBs
to develop a regional water quality control plan,
or "Basin Plan." Basin Plans describe the
beneficial uses of each of the region's water
bodies, including warm and cold water habitat, fish
spawning, recreation, drinking water supply and
several others. The Basin Plans describe the water
quality which must be maintained in order to allow
those uses, and the actions which are necessary to
achieve those water quality objectives.
Many of the waterbodies in the Central Coast do not
meet water quality objectives or support beneficial
uses. Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act
requires states to develop a list of water bodies
that do not meet water quality standards without
application of additional pollutant controls.
States are then required to develop a strategy for
bringing those water bodies back into compliance
through a process called a Total Maximum Daily Load
(TMDL).
California's Nonpoint Source Plan requires that the
State ensure implementation of appropriate
management measures for nonpoint source pollution.
The RWQCBs implement California's Nonpoint Source
Management Plan using a three-tiered approach:
Polluted runoff is also addressed under Section
6217(a) of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization
Amendments of 1990 (CZARA). The State Water
Resources Control Board and the California Coastal
Commission are in the process of updating the
Nonpoint Source Plan to address the requirements of
CZARA. This includes both a detailed 5-year
implementation plan describing when, where and how
program implementation will occur, and a more
general 15-year implementation strategy for
achieving full implementation of the 6217(g)
management measures.
The WQPP is a collaborative effort of many agencies
and organizations within the watersheds of the
Sanctuary. The Regional Boards are active
participating members of the WQPP and signatories
to the MOA which created the program.
WQPP efforts will be closely coordinated with the
development of TMDLs and CZARA to conserve limited
water quality planning and implementation funding,
and to ensure that participants will not be
subjected to conflicting approaches. Participation
in the WQPP can provide a "window of opportunity"
to enhance and protect water quality, and may offer
landowners a chance to influence the TMDL process
by helping to determine effective management
practices, which in turn could help shape potential
regulatory requirements.
A variety of other federal, state and local
agencies, public and private organizations have
regulatory and non-regulatory programs addressing
agricultural practices and water quality issues.
Many of these programs can assist in facilitating
voluntary implementation of management measures. A
brief description of these agencies and programs is
provided in Appendix C.
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Last modified on: August 6,
1999