Rice growers have a commodity-specific regulation

The California Rice Commission is the Third-Party organization that represents commercial rice Growers for the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) Waste Discharge Requirements General Order for Sacramento Valley Rice Growers.

By extension, the Order also applies to landowners that lease, rent, or otherwise own land that is used by a producer of rice. The CRC and Growers each have specific compliance requirements under the Order. The CRC completes the water quality monitoring assessments and programs, conducts outreach and education, and submits fees, plans and reports to the Water Board. A copy of the WDR Order and a summary of Grower requirements are on the CalRiceNews.org website.

For your rice acreage, you do NOT need to enroll in ILRP coverage or claim exemption.

If you grow rice in the Sacramento Valley (counties of Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, Yuba, Sutter, Colusa, Glenn, Butte), you are automatically enrolled in the Commission and your per-acre ILRP fee is automatically collected by the CRC (via mill assessment) and paid to the Water Board by the CRC. Rice Growers pay about 20% lower fee ($1.20 for FY25-26) per acre than other ILRP coalitions. Individual enrollment outside of a coalition can be as high as $37 an acre.  

For more information, contact the CRC’s Industry Affairs Manager Craig Riddle at criddle@calrice.org.