The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board has approved an order that recently went into effect to limit the amount of waste discharged by commercial vineyards in both Mendocino and Sonoma counties.
The order, called the General Waste Discharge Requirements for Commercial Vineyards, is a policy designed to protect local rivers and streams, groundwater supplies and aquatic species by regulating runoff from an estimated 65,000 acres of commercial vineyards.
The North Coast Water Board is an autonomous agency representing the North Coast with its main office located in Santa Rosa. Its goal is to protect surface and groundwater sources to ensure water quality meets environmental and public health standards.
The board currently consists of five members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate, as well as a large group of staff members consisting of geologists, environmental scientists, and other experts who work on monitoring water sources, enforcing compliance and preventing water pollution.
Brenna Sullivan, an engineering geologist with the water board and a member of the group that drafted the waste discharge order, said in an interview that the creation of a vineyard regulatory order has been a long time in the making.
For more than a decade, the water board has been brainstorming ways to fairly regulate different sectors of agriculture, such as cannabis farms, cattle ranches and commercial vineyards.
Finally, in 2021, North Coast Water Board staff created a technical advisory group to develop the preliminary language needed to draft a regulatory order. The group included vineyard operators, environmental advocates and community organizations. The first draft of the order was released in June 2023, along with a draft environmental impact report.
This June, the water board voted to approve the waste discharge order. According to Sullivan, there is a 30-day petition period for affected parties to challenge the order, so the policy did not formally go into effect until last month.
The waste discharge order will largely protect the Navarro, Russian River, and Gualala watersheds. According to the water board, most of the North Coast’s commercial vineyards are near these water sources.
Sullivan explained that commercial vineyards are a huge source of pollution in the North Coast. One of the main pollutants released from vineyards into local waterways is sediment. Sediment can harm aquatic habitats, block sunlight that aquatic plants need to grow, and carry pesticides and heavy metals that degrade water quality.
“In the Russian River Watershed and the Navarro Watershed they are impaired for sediment, and so the main concern around vineyards is the erosion and sediment loss from storms,” Sullivan said. “This is related to the soil of vineyards. This is sort of what the order targets in relation to sediment in watersheds, which is harmful to sensitive species like coho salmon.”
However, commercial vineyards sometimes push back against new regulations in an already difficult economic climate. Over the past several years, the California wine industry has faced rising costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty over supply chain issues and the impact of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
“I think the vineyard industry has been facing tough economic times, so any regulatory action is going to add costs for vineyard owners and businesses throughout the region,” Sullivan said. “I also want to note that the vineyard industry, particularly over the last couple of decades since our region started scoping these agricultural orders, has made a lot of voluntary improvements.”
According to Sullivan, vineyard operators will need to register with the North Coast Water Board to comply with the order. Information on how to enroll and other materials will be available on the board’s website once the enrollment period begins. Vineyard operators will not have to begin enrolling until July 1, 2028. Operators that have vineyards of 5 acres or less are not required to register.
Commercial vineyard operators will need to manage erosion and maintain road systems to prevent sediment discharge.
Overall, while the new order won’t require major changes from growers, it will require some additional labor to stay in compliance.
“For a number of vineyard owners in our region, implementing this order won’t require major changes, particularly for those who have already taken voluntary steps. For some, it could mean additional work and expenses to shore up their sites,” Sullivan said.
This story originally appeared in The Mendocino Voice.