Informational Meeting: Napa River and Sonoma Creek Vineyard Program
The California Water Board is a state agency that regulates water quality in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In July 2017, the Water Board adopted a water quality control permit (General Permit) for vineyard properties in the Napa River and Sonoma Creek watersheds. The General Permit regulates pollutant discharges from vineyard properties located in these two watersheds. Under the General Permit a vineyard property is defined by a parcel or contiguous parcels under the same ownership, each of which is developed to include a 5-acre-or-larger vineyard (watershed area subject to the General Permit).
The General Permit was adopted because the Water Board identified vineyard properties as significant sources of sand and finer sediment discharge to the Napa River, Sonoma Creek, and their tributaries, and these waterbodies are listed under the Clean Water Act as impaired by too much sand in their streambeds. The General Permit requires implementation of best management practices to control sediment discharge and storm runoff increases generated from farms and unpaved roads, and actions to control discharge of pesticides and nutrients. The Fact Sheet explains more about the General Permit history and its requirements.
This informational meeting to provide more info about these requirements and resources available to facilitate compliance, and will allow for answering questions on these permits and regulations.
There will be two informational meetings held on December 18th:
December 18 from 9:30 to 11:00 am
Napa County Main Library
580 Coombs Street, Napa, CA
December 18 from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
Sonoma Veterans Memorial Building
126 First Street West, Sonoma, CA\
We strongly recommend that farmers with properties enrolled in the permit attend one of the meetings to learn more about these requirements and resources available to facilitate compliance.