State Water Board's Second Statewide Agricultural Expert Panel Releases Report Detailing Nitrogen Requirements
Published Friday, April 10, 2026
On March 30, the California State Water Resources Control Board released the Second Statewide Agricultural Expert Draft Panel Report. Comments are due by 12 p.m. on April 30. The panel met repeatedly between August 2025 and May 2026 to address nine formal charge questions. Key points from the report include:
- Nitrogen applied minus removed (A-R) is the appropriate metric to evaluate and quantify nitrogen discharges to groundwater for regulatory purposes.
- Nitrogen applied divided by removed (A/R) is essential to assess grower/ranch performance but is not appropriate to assess nitrogen discharge.
- Crop‑specific nitrogen targets and limits for nitrogen applied minus removed (A-R) can be set now to protect groundwater, particularly in vulnerable basins with existing nitrate contamination.
- Nitrogen targets and limits should be addressed on a local/regional basis rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all program.
- Three-year rolling averages of reported nitrogen metrics should be used for regulatory compliance and enforcement rather than annual comparisons.
- Each region should have flexibility to determine the best program.
- Winegrape vineyards, alfalfa, nonfertilized pasture/clover-pasture, nursery and floral industry, some organic and regenerative farms/farming practices and areas with no current or reasonably foreseeable groundwater use may be candidates for reporting exceptions or alternative compliance pathways with more research.
- Need effective verification and auditing processes to ensure reductions on A-R and correct reporting.
- Nitrate quick tests are currently the best management practice to guide fertilization of crops.
- Need education, outreach and technical assistance to help growers use best management practices and effective irrigation and nutrient management practices.
Staff contact: Kari Fisher, kfisher@cfbf.com.
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