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7/15/2009 - TMDL Deadlines are Approaching: Have you Attended a Drainshed Meeting and Updated Your Farm Plan?

For those farmers and landowners who have yet to attend a TMDL Drainshed meeting during 2009, the clock is ticking. Participants in the Imperial Valley Voluntary TMDL Compliance Program must attend one drainshed meeting per year in order to remain in good standing with the Program.

Farmers in Imperial Valley who did not attend the drainshed meetings held during the month of June are encouraged to contact the TMDL Program Manager Candace Nelson at 760-352-3831 to schedule an appointment for a make-up meeting.

All growers are also encouraged to update their farm plans at the program web site: www.ivtmdl.com. “I really encourage participants to update their plans throughout the year, as new BMPs are implemented or as crops change,” said Nelson, “but whether you update your farm plan throughout the year or all at once, the plans for every field must be updated before September 1.”

Imperial County Farm Bureau’s Voluntary TMDL Compliance Program is designed to help local farmers and landowners continue reducing the silt and sediment entering the drainage system and rivers from agricultural fields in Imperial Valley.

Participation in this program is voluntary, however all farmers must comply with the silt and sediment standards set by the Regional Water Quality Control Board for the Imperial Valley drainage systems and the New & Alamo Rivers. This can be done either by participating in this program or by working directly with the Regional Water Quality Control Board to develop and implement a plan for reducing silt and sediment leaving their fields.

Through the program, farmers implement a variety of Best Management Practices that are most effective for reducing silt and mineral runoff on their own farms, and maintain a record of their efforts. Participants are also required to attend annual meetings to keep up-to-date and share information relating to BMPs and TMDL management on their farms.

Within three years of implementation, the Farm Bureau’s TMDL program achieved its goal for reducing silt and minerals being carried into the New River. The program has also seen a significant reduction at the Alamo River.

For more information about the TMDL program, or to request an appointment for a drainshed meeting, contact Candace Nelson, TMDL Program Manager at Imperial County Farm Bureau – 760-352-3831 or info@ivtmdl.com.