Why are rules needed to implement Agricultural Water Quality Plans?
Essentially, SB1010 provides a broad outline for an agricultural water quality program and provides authority for ODA to develop this plan. The plan and rules compliment each other. The plan provides an overall proactive strategy that the department will follow to identify for landowners potential problems and suggest nonregulatory solutions to the problems. The rules provide an enforceable backstop when blatant, flagrant problems are not being resolved. The combination of the plan and rules is designed to provide a program that can reduce water pollution from agricultural sources and can address water quality requirements.
