Why a Coalition...

Ventura County's agricultural crops are threatened by degradation of water quality from upstream sources like sewage treatment plants.  These treatment plants discharge to the Santa Clara River and are slowly but steadily adding salts to water that is used for irrigation.  Many crops, such as strawberries, avocados and citrus, in Ventura County are sensitive to salts and higher salt content means less productivity.

A group of growers have started this Coalition to ensure that the water quality of the Santa Clara River is protected.  Help protect water quality and Ventura County's agricultural economy which in 2003 represented $1.1 billion dollars in crop value.

Coalition Participants

The Ventura County Agricultural Water
Quality Coalition was founded by the initial
efforts of the organizations listed below.  
To see a complete list of organizations
that have joined the Coalition, please visit our "About Us" page.

• Ventura County Agricultural Association
  
• Ventura County Farm Bureau
  
• Western Growers
  
• California Avocado Commission
  
• Somis Pacific Agricultural Management
  
  

What's New and Important!

• U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly, Water Resources Authorization Act of 2010
• Farm Bureau's comment letter to State Water Board 9/1/09 (PDF file, 105K)
• Coalition's comment letter to State Water Board 9/1/09 (PDF file, 1.36 MB)
• An opinion piece from The Signal newspaper in Santa Clarita (June 2009)
  
• Recent articles on the water softener controversy (June 2009)
• CEQA Scoping Meeting Notice for Upper Santa Clara River TMDL Implementation Plan (California Regional Water Quality Control Board, July 8; PDF file, 69 K)
• January Meeting Summary (Word Document, 290 K)
• Coalition Comment Letter – Chloride Averaging Period, 1/22/2008 (PDF file, 1.42 MB)
• Table 1, Attachment to Chloride Averaging Period Letter (Excel file, 21 K)
• TWG Meeting #23 Summary – July 24, 2007 (Word Document)
• TWG Meeting #22 Summary – June 19, 2007 (Word Document)
  
• Technical Working Group Meeting Update – 1/8/2008 (PDF file, 46 K)
• USCR Chloride TMDL Regional Board Meeting Agenda - October 12, 2007 (Rich Text file, 15K)
• USCR Chloride TMDL Briefing Presentation - October 12, 2007 (PDF file, 528K)
• Santa Clara River Chloride TMDL Public Hearing - November 1, 2007 (PDF file, 108K)
  

Coalition Comment Letters
Press Releases

Our Newest Members...
Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce
Association of Water Agencies of Ventura County
Dullam Nursery

What we are doing...
Growers must stand together and act together to protect water
quality.  We have formed a Coalition to make our case before
the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board to
ensure that water quality is protected.

What is the problem...
The discharge of salts from upstream sewage treatment plants
is regulated by the Los Angeles Water Board which sets
standards for water quality in the Santa Clara River and also
issues permits to limit discharges.

A principal component of salts in sewage treatment plant
effluent is chloride.  Even though the LA Water Board has set a
limit of 100 mg/l of chloride in the Santa Clara River, the
discharge from the Saugus and Valencia sewage treatment
plants is approaching 200 mg/l.  This level of discharge is
simply too high and needs to be controlled.  Already, water
quality is being degraded posing the threat that water will not
be suitable to use for irrigation.

What needs to be done...
The Los Angeles Water Board must be convinced to take
action to protect water quality instead of allowing thousands of
pounds of chloride to be discharged into the Santa Clara River
every day.  The permit issued to the Saugus and Valencia
sewage treatment plants needs to be enforced, NOW...