Rice Water Quality Programs Monitoring Summary
Monitoring for 2025 is complete.
The 2025 surface and groundwater monitoring under the RPP and WDR programs was completed by August.
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Water Quality
Drinking Water Well Testing for Nitrates
Complete the required annual testing for 2025
Nitrate (NO3) in soil can often be found in rural and agricultural areas due to fertilizer, livestock waste, and septic systems. When present in groundwater, nitrate can cause serious health effects if consumed.
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Rice Water Quality Programs Monitoring Update
Monitoring for 2025 is halfway complete.
The 2025 surface water monitoring under the RPP and WDR programs is ongoing.
For the Rice Pesticide Program (RPP), there have been a handful of detections in late May, none of which were above the agricultural drain performance goal. The latest results from early June were non-detectable.
The Rice Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) surface water program is in an assessment year, which means additional sampling for pesticides and toxicity.
Pyrethroids used in rice have been reported in association with water toxicity at the upper Colusa Basin Drain this year for multiple events. The California Rice Commission (CRC) sent out letters earlier this year requesting the use reporting information (to be submitted in the fall) for pyrethroid users in the area. Algal water toxicity was reported in the Sacramento Slough near Karnak as well.
The CRC continues to work on behalf of the industry to conduct required monitoring and interface in reporting with the Water Board. Additional efforts are underway to assess and analyze water quality trends across the valley and gather information from industry on uses and operational patterns.
We appreciate the industry’s support of the regulatory programs and their good stewardship of the commercial products used and protection of the environment.
For more information, contact the CRC’s Industry Affairs Manager Craig Riddle at criddle@calrice.org.
Pesticide Use and Water Quality Monitoring
May is a critical month for water quality results
Mid-May is the typical 50% plant date for rice in the Sacramento Valley. As such, it is also the month for pre-emergence pesticide application and thus a critical time for water quality results.
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2025 Water Quality Monitoring Start
Water Quality Is Our Collective Stewardship
The water quality monitoring under the Rice Pesticide Program (RPP) will begin on April 29th. The RPP monitors for thiobencarb for 10 consecutive weeks at 4 agricultural drain sites and one site in the Sacramento River near downtown Sacramento.
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Mandatory Thiobencarb Stewardship Training NOW ACTIVE
Course is available through the Calricenews.org website.
The link for the online mandatory thiobencarb stewardship training is now active and available through the Commission’s industry website here.
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2024 Water Quality Monitoring Start
Water Quality Monitoring Programs Begin April 30th
The water quality monitoring under the Rice Pesticide Program (RPP) and Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) will begin on April 30th.
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Thiobencarb Stewardship Training
The website for the online mandatory thiobencarb stewardship training is now active and available through the CalRiceNews link here.
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Drinking Water Well Testing
Complete the required annual testing for 2023
The California Rice Commission’s Waste Discharge Requirement (WDR) requires, beginning in 2022, each grower (or landowner) to conduct annual testing for nitrates in all drinking water supply wells present on parcels where rice is produced. The results are reported from the analytical laboratory to the State’s GeoTracker database.
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Drinking Water Well Testing
Complete the required annual testing for 2023
The California Rice Commission’s Waste Discharge Requirement (WDR) requires, beginning in 2022, each grower (or landowner) to conduct annual testing for nitrates in all drinking water supply wells present on parcels where rice is produced. The results are reported from the analytical laboratory to the State’s GeoTracker database.
READ MORE