CV-SALTS – Managing Salt and Nitrate in the California Central Valley

Basin Planning

Basin Plan Amendments

Sacramento River and San Joaquin River Basin and the Tulare Lake Basin

In May 2018, because of CV-SALTS program efforts, a new Salt and Nitrate Control Program (SNMP) was approved by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board as Amendments to the Basin Plans for the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River Basin and the Tulare Lake Basin. The State Water Resources Control Board then directed targeted revisions to the Amendments adopted by the Central Valley Water Board. The Proposed Revisions were approved with an effective date of November 10, 2021.

Sacramento River and San Joaquin River Basins

On June 9, 2017, the Central Valley Water Quality Control Board adopted Resolution R5-2017-0062 amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River Basins to add EC water quality objectives in the San Joaquin River between the mouth of the Merced River and the Airport Way Bridge near Vernalis. The amendment was approved by the State Water Board and Office of Administrative Law in early 2018. This stakeholder driven effort was led by the CV-SALTS Lower San Joaquin River Committee.

Final Salt and Nitrate Management Plan (SNMP) – 2017

The Final SNMP for Central Valley Water Board Consideration was formally submitted by the CV-SALTS Executive Committee to the Central Valley Water Board on 12 January 2017. The SNMP recommended that the Basin Plans be amended to incorporate new requirements for managing salt and nitrate in the Central Valley. On 9 March 2017, the Board accepted the SNMP developed under the CV-SALTS initiative and directed staff to initiate basin planning actions to develop and incorporate amendments to the Basin Plans that would allow for the implementation of the strategies, policies, guidance and revisions to existing policies recommended by the SNMP as appropriate to develop a Central Valley-wide Salt and Nitrate Control Program (Resolution No. R5-2017-0031) .

SNMP SECTIONS