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Information Sheet IS-24 Reissued Waste Discharge Requirements General Order R5-2013-0122 Existing Milk Cow Dairies ponds to prevent pond liner damage and (b) corrals and/or pens, animal housing areas, and manure and feed storage areas are maintained to collect and divert process wastewater and runoff to the retention pond and to minimize infiltration of wastewater and leachate from these areas to the underlying soils. In the MRP, the Board is requiring the monitoring of discharges, surface water, groundwater, storm water, tile drainage water, and tailwater to determine compliance with the Dairy General Order. Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability The Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) initiative has the goal of developing sustainable solutions to the increasing salt and nitrate concentrations that threaten achievement of water quality objectives in Central Valley surface waters and groundwater. The Dairy General Order requires actions that will reduce nitrate discharges and should result in practices that reduce salt loading. The Central Valley Water Board intends to coordinate all such actions with the CV-SALTS initiative. CV-SALTS may identify additional actions that need to be taken by existing milk cow dairies and others to address these constituents. The Dairy General Order can be amended in the future to implement any policies or requirements established by the Central Valley Water Board as a result of the CV-SALTS process. REQUIREMENTS AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE DAIRY GENERAL ORDER What are Dairy Wastes, and what are their Potential Impacts to Water Quality? For the purposes of this General Order, dairy waste includes, but is not limited to, manure, leachate, process wastewater and any water, precipitation or rainfall runoff that came into contact with raw materials, products, or byproducts such as manure, compost piles, feed, silage, milk, or bedding. Waste generated at dairies is stored in solid form in piles or in liquid form in waste retention ponds. The wastes are then applied to cropland or transported off-site for utilization on cropland as a nutrient source. These nutrient-laden materials are applied to soils of varying character and drainage characteristics, varying proximity to surface drainages and waterways, and different character of geology and depth to groundwater. Because of the site variability, this General Order requires the development of a Nutrient Management Plan that is field specific to ensure that optimum nutrient utilization takes place. Although the waste materials provide nutrients to crops, they can create nuisance conditions if improperly managed or cause pollution of surface water and/or groundwater if site conditions are not taken into account in preparing a nutrient utilization and management strategy. This General Order regulates the management of dairy wastes onsite and requires nutrient monitoring, discharge monitoring, groundwater monitoring (individual or representative) and continuous tracking of materials being taken off-site for utilization. Manure from dairies contains high concentrations of salts (total dissolved solids, including constituents such as sodium and chloride) derived primarily from the feed and water sources