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Reissued Waste Discharge Requirements General Order R5-2013-0122 10 Existing Milk Cow Dairies management measures, as well as the design constraints and pollution control effectiveness of various practices. In compliance with Water Code section 13360, dairy owners/operators have the flexibility to choose management practices that best achieve a management measure's performance expectations given their own unique circumstances. It is expected that this will be an iterative process whereby the effectiveness of any set of practices in minimizing degradation will be periodically reevaluated as necessary for and/or as more recent and detailed water quality data become available. 32. To assess compliance with the State Anti-Degradation Policy, this Order requires Dischargers to monitor discharges to surface waters and groundwater. The requirements to monitor first encountered groundwater (the point in the aquifer where typically detection of changes to groundwater quality, caused by the facility, would be first detected) are met when the Dischargers perform individual groundwater monitoring or participate in an RMP. The purpose of monitoring is to confirm that the discharges are effectively controlled by management practices and to evaluate compliance with this Order. 33. When the Board prescribes waste discharge requirements that will result in the degradation of high-quality waters, the State Anti-Degradation Policy requires that the Board first make a determination that the authorized degradation is consistent with the maximum benefit to the people of the State. Consistent with the evaluation contained in the Information Sheet and considering the economic significance of the Central Valley dairy industry and the important role Central Valley dairies play in providing adequate milk supplies to the nation, the Central Valley Water Board finds that maintaining the Central Valley dairy industry is consistent with the maximum benefit to the people of the state. To maintain the industry and to prevent the loss of jobs and the impacts to the local economy that might otherwise occur, some degradation to high quality waters must be allowed. However, this degradation will be limited by this Order so that there will not be long-term impacts to beneficial uses, thereby allowing the full utilization of the aquifer. ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS 34. Environmental stewardship programs, such as the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program, and local ordinances can greatly assist the Central Valley Water Board efforts to assure compliance with this Order. Since its inception in 1998, the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program's efforts have resulted in dairy operators having a greater understanding of the need for water quality protection. Local ordinances in several counties throughout the Region have also increased dairy operators' understanding of the needs for water quality protection. Dairies that are certified under a quality assurance program approved by the State Water Board or under a County regulatory program approved by the Central Valley Water Board receive a 50 percent reduction in their annual fee.