CV-SALTS – Managing Salt and Nitrate in the California Central Valley
About Us
Our Story
In 2006, the Central Valley Water Board initiated the Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) as a cooperative effort among regulators, permittees, environmental interests, and other parties interested in Central Valley water quality.
The CV-SALTS mission is to work closely, in a collaborative manner, to create a comprehensive Central Valley Salinity Management Plan. The CV-SALTS vision is to successfully develop and implement a viable salinity and nitrate management plan for California’s Central Valley that will:
- Sustain the Valley’s lifestyle.
- Support regional economic growth.
- Retain a world-class agricultural economy.
- Maintain reliable, high-quality drinking water supplies.
- Protect & enhance our local environment.
CV-SALTS includes diverse representation from across the Central Valley, including:
- State and Federal Agencies include the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board), Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central Valley Water Board), and US Bureau of Reclamation.
- Permittees from agriculture, dairy, food processing, municipal wastewater treatment, oil and gas, and others.
- Environmental water quality and environmental justice organizations.
How We Work
CV-SALTS applies a collaborative approach to establish shared understanding of water quality challenges based on scientific studies and develop flexible, practical solutions that can be implemented collectively and cost-effectively.
CV-SALTS has two primary program areas: long-term salinity management and nitrate management, which focuses on providing safe drinking water and improve nitrate management in high priority areas of the San Joaquin Valley.
The CV-SALTS planning process utilizes elements of the Central Valley Water Board Basin Planning process to complete technical studies and make policy recommendations to the Central Valley Water Board and State Water Board. The agencies then consider the studies and recommendations for adoption into the two Basin Plans that govern water quality in the Central Valley, the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers Basin Plan and the Tulare Lake Basin Plan. More information on Basin Planning is available here.
Governance & Committees
CV-SALTS is a collaborative effort seeking solutions to the salt problem in the Central Valley. The State Water Board and the Central Valley Water Board are the state agencies overseeing the effort. CV-SALTS is organized in a committee structure to guide research and planning and to make recommendations to the two state agencies. CV-SALTS has two primary program areas: long-term salinity management and nitrate management, which focuses on providing safe drinking water and improving nitrate management in high priority areas of the San Joaquin Valley.
CV-SALTS Executive Committee
The CV-SALTS Executive Committee is a representative forum for CV-SALTS policy dialogue and stakeholder input on all CV-SALTS Program efforts. Permittee, discharger coalitions and associations, State and Federal agencies, environmental and environmental justice interests, and other interested parties participate along with Central Valley Water Board and State Water Board staff to make decisions about the technical studies and policy recommendations.
The Executive Committee meets ten times per year.
Chair: Debbie Mackey, Central Valley Clean Water Association.
Vice-Chair: Mike Wackman, San Joaquin County and Delta Water Quality Coalition
CV-SALTS Meetings
The CV-SALTS Executive Committee establishes working committees to address specific aspects of the CV-SALTS Program.
Public Education and Outreach Committee. Coordinates and develops information and education activities and meets ten times per year.
PEOC Chair: Nicole Bell, South San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition.
Technical Committee. Reviews and guide technical studies for the program and meets as needed.
Central Valley Salinity Coalition
The nonprofit Central Valley Salinity Coalition (CVSC) was formed in 2008 to supervise the study and business aspects of CV-SALTS. Its members are cities, counties, special districts, industry associations and other permittees that are concerned with regional salt impacts and regulation. Together CVSC and the Executive Committee make decisions about the program and recommend policy changes to the Central Valley Water Board and State Water Board.
Chair: David Cory, San Joaquin Valley Drainage Authority.
CV-SALTS Leadership
Debbie Mackey
Chair, CV-SALTS Executive Committee
Mike Wackman
Vice-Chair, CV-SALTS Executive Committee
Nicole Bell
Chair, Public Education and Outreach Committee
David Cory
Chair, Central Valley Salinity Coalition
Rachel Gray
Incoming Executive Director, Central Valley Salinity Coalition
Rachel Gray has over 18 years of experience in water resource management, environmental regulations, and engaging with multi-jurisdictional stakeholders. Rachel brings a deep expertise in integrated water resource management, policy development, and collaborative governance. She has worked with municipal, tribal, state, and federal agencies—as well as NGOs and private-sector partners—to promote adaptive strategies to address water quality compliance and implement sustainable use of water resources. In managing complex water quality challenges across California’s Central Valley, she intends to prioritize inclusive dialogue, stakeholder collaboration, and science-driven decision-making. By fostering trust among agricultural producers, disadvantaged communities, regulators, and environmental groups, Rachel believes that a collaborative effort informs sustainable, long-term solutions for managing salinity and nitrate in regional water supplies.
Daniel Cozad
Executive Director
Daniel Cozad is the Contract Executive Director of the Central Valley Salinity Coalition, which he incorporated in 2008. He has served as CEO and General Manager of public water agencies, for-profit and not-for-profit corporations related to California water and natural resources. He has been central to the CV-SALTS effort since the beginning of 2006.
Join Us
CV-SALTS continues to grow participation from people and organizations interested in and concerned about water quality in the Central Valley.
Join Us
CV-SALTS continues to grow participation from people and organizations interested in and concerned about water quality in the Central Valley.