The Coachella Valley Irrigated Lands Coalition (CVILC) is a member-based organization that was established to help owners and operators of irrigated agriculture meet the requirements of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board's Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) in the Coachella Valley. The Coalition is overseen by a Board of Directors comprised of Coachella Valley growers who  are committed to making it easy for growers to maintain compliance with State law.

All owners/operators of commercial irrigated lands in the Coachella Valley need to comply with the ILRP through an individual permit or by joining CVILC unless their land is covered under another permit. This includes lands irrigated to produce crops or pasture for commercial purposes and includes but is not limited to lands planted for row, vineyard, pasture, field and tree crops, and nurseries. Under the ILRP that was originally adopted in July 2003, growers and ranchers that irrigate their land must belong to a coalition or apply for an individual discharge permit from the Regional Water Board directly. In 2014, the ILRP was expanded to include Coachella Valley. Under a new General Order adopted in November 2020, all commercial irrigated crop land and commercial pasture now requires coverage under the ILRP. 

It is important for owners of any land irrigated by canal or well water to understand that this program is required by State law.  All those who irrigate their land must comply with the ILRP or face possible regulatory action by the Regional Water Board. The Coalition has developed a one-page handout to help you determine if your lands need to be enrolled with CVILC.

All individuals who own or operate commercial irrigated lands within the Coachella Valley must adhere to the mandates set forth by the Regional Water Board. This entails the submission of reports, the implementation of monitoring measures, and the annual remittance of state fees. To fulfill these obligations, growers have the option of securing regulatory coverage through a third-party entity known as CVILC or procuring an individual permit directly from the Regional Water Board.

The Coalition is the most cost effective and efficient way for growers to meet those mandates. CVILC conducts the required monitoring, helps growers complete all reporting requirements, and ensures submittal of State fees on behalf of its members through annual membership dues.

Per the General Order, if any of the below is true, you are considered commercial.

1. The landowner or operator holds a current permit for pesticide use reporting.
2. The landowner files a Schedule F on their taxes.
3. The crop is sold to third party.  A third party may be an industry cooperative, harvest crew/company, or a direct marketing location, such as Certified Farmers Markets.

You have two options to maintain compliance under the ILRP.

Option 1: You can apply for an individual discharge permit with the Regional Water Board, or

Option 2: You can join an authorized third-party group (CVILC).

Individual discharge permits tend to be more expensive and time consuming than joining the Coalition. Failure to participate in the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program, either as a member of a coalition or as an individual, will subject the landowner to administrative penalties by the Regional Water Board under California Water Code section 13267.

You only need to enroll and report on your actual irrigated acreage. If your parcel is 20 acres total but 3 acres include a house, a shop, and roads, then you only need to enroll 17 acres.

The Coalition is required to send an annual list of enrolled parcels to the Regional Water Board.  Determination of compliance is based on APNs. If the Coalition has an inactive APN for your parcel, you may be flagged as being out of compliance, even though you have the land enrolled.  Keeping the Coalition updated on any APN changes helps avoid that issue.

No. Irrigated operations of any size that produce crops or pasture for commercial purposes are regulated under the ILRP and must be covered by an individual permit or enrolled in CVILC.

To keep your membership current, you need to pay your annual membership fees by September 30 annually, complete three mandatory reports (Farm Plan (previous crop year), Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Plan Summary Report (previous crop year), and Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Plan Worksheet (next crop year) by February 1 annually, and attend at least one Coalition event per year.

All of the above requirements are mandated by the General Order.

Parcels can be enrolled under either the landowner or the operator/manager. However, it is ultimately the landowner’s responsibility to ensure that the parcels are in compliance with the R7-2020-0026 General Order.

A membership application is located under the Membership Tab on the CVILC website. Fill out the application to the best of your ability and email it to [email protected].  We will get your membership set up within 1 to 2 business days and email you with next steps.

No, the Coalition is separate from your water district. The Coalition works closely with the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) to share costs for surface and groundwater sampling. CVWD also offers services for sampling drinking water wells for nitrate. However, in order to be covered under the ILRP, you must enroll your commercial irrigated agricultural lands with CVILC or obtain an individual permit.  Find out more information on the CVILC website or by emailing [email protected].