Central Valley Region Salt and Nitrate Management Plan

Elevated salinity and nitrates in surface water and groundwater are increasing problems affecting much of California, other western states, and arid regions throughout the world. In California, as surface and groundwater supplies become scarcer, and as wastewater streams become more concentrated, salinity and nitrate impairments are occurring with greater frequency and magnitude.

In 2006, the Central Valley Water Board, the State Water Board, and stakeholders began a joint effort to address salinity and nitrate problems in California’s Central Valley and adopt long-term solutions that will lead to enhanced water quality and economic sustainability. Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) is a collaborative basin planning effort aimed at developing and implementing a comprehensive salinity and nitrate management program. The goal of CV-SALTS is to maintain a healthy environment and a good quality of life for all Californians by protecting our most essential and vulnerable resource: WATER.

In July 2008, the Central Valley Salinity Coalition (CVSC) was formed.  CVSC represents stakeholder groups working with the Board in the CV-SALTS effort.  Its purpose is to organize, facilitate and fund efforts needed to fulfill the goals of CV-SALTS.  CVSC coordinates the meetings of the CV-SALTS committees, maintains an independent web site, and manages the projects originating from this effort.  Information and materials regarding the stakeholder committees and other activity, including the meeting schedule, are posted on their website: www.cvsalinity.org.

The Final SNMP for Central Valley Water Board Consideration was completed in December 2016. The Central Valley Water Board staff plans to release this version of the SNMP and all of its supporting attachments in January 2017 for a comment period so that the public has the opportunity to review the SNMP documentation before a general information workshop is held with the Central Valley Water Board, currently planned for March 2017.