Cover Crops & Water Quality

Project Background

Agricultural Waiver Compliance Assistance and Comprehensive Evaluation of Cover Crops for Protecting Water Quality

This 3 year project builds upon previous work and is funded by the Regional Water Quality Control Board. The project expands existing programs to increase Positive Points System participation, thereby facilitating grower compliance with the ag discharge waiver. CCVT's innovative Positive Points System encourages growers to use management practices that address erosion, nutrient, pesticide, irrigation issues by using an integrated approach to farming, therefore protecting water quality.

The adoption of cover crops is the single most effective management change that vineyard growers in the Central Coast can make to reduce non-point discharges of sediments, nutrients and chemical residues from their vineyards into surrounding water bodies. However, there is a lack of information regarding the suitability of various cover crops for the diverse Central Coast climate. This project evaluates different cover crops on several demonstration plots, and will quantify the impact of these cover crops in reducing runoff from a site. In addition, this project develops, implements, and tests various runoff sampling tools to eventually be used by growers wanting to monitor their rainfall runoff in their vineyards.