California Court of Appeal sides with farmers in precedential water quality cases 

A state appeals court rejected all arguments brought by environmental groups and sided with the California State Water Resources Control Board, the California Farm Bureau and others related to the Central Valley’s Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program. 

“The Court of Appeal’s landmark decision supports reasonableness and balancing in protecting water quality, while also maintaining our food supply and the economic viability of agriculture,” California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson said in a news release. “The court’s decision is precedential and applies to irrigated lands regulatory programs throughout the state.”

In its March 17 decision, the 3rd District Court of Appeal addressed three cases brought by environmental plaintiffs against the California State Water Resources Control Board. The groups challenged the adoption of general waste discharge requirements for growers within the Eastern San Joaquin Watershed, the release said. 

The decision upholds farmer anonymity for nitrogen application data, the use of township-level nitrate data and surface water representative monitoring, Johansson said  in the release.

Farm Bureau was represented in the case by senior counsel Kari Fisher and joined by fellow agricultural intervenors/respondents represented by Tess Dunham of Kahn, Soares & Conway and Jennifer Spaletta of Spaletta Law, according to the release.