According to the Central Coast Ag Order 4.0, “assessment” is a required element of the Farm Plan. To read the exact language in Ag Order 4.0, click here. 

Briefly:

• • The Farm Plan must include information on management practice implementation and assessment.

  • Dischargers must implement management practices and assessment as necessary to protect and improve water quality, and to comply with interim quantifiable milestones and numeric limits established in the Ag Order.

Self-Assessment serves as both a tool and as documentation for the responsible management of water quality issues that can come from farm runoff (discharges).  If your farm has no runoff, your Self-Assessment can help to document that.  If your farm does have runoff, your Self-Assessment will give you the information you need to update management practices to prevent eroded soils, erosive water flows, pesticides and fertilizers from leaving your farm at levels that cause downstream water bodies to exceed interim quantifiable milestones and numeric limits.

What are interim quantifiable milestones? Also known as IQMs, interim quantifiable milestones are required by Ag Order 4.0 and serve to demonstrate rapid, incremental progress towards meeting final water quality limits.  Generally, IQMs are water quality goals that represent 25%, 50% or 75% improvement over a 2024 baseline condition for each water body and constituent.  For more information about IQMs, click here. 

• View Tail Water Self-Assessment Template (Excel)
• View Tail Water Self-Assessment Template (PDF)
• View Storm Water Self-Assessment Template (Excel)
• View Storm Water Self-Assessment Template (PDF)
• Ver Requisitos del Plan de Granja de Pedidos Ag.pdf

A convenient way to track your progress is to think of your ranch as having three possible types of discharge, and three possible categories of impairments, as shown in the grid below.

To score yourself, assign a grade of A, B or C to each box as follows:

1. 1. Give yourself an A if any of the following are true:
      • The nearest Surface Water Trend (SWT) monitoring site already complies with applicable numeric limits in the Ag Order, OR
      • Your ranch doesn’t ever have this type of discharge (i.e. 0 days per year), OR
      • Your ranch’s discharge always or almost always meets applicable numeric limits in the Ag Order, (i.e. 90-100% of discharge events)  
   2. Give yourself a B if either of the following are true:
      • The nearest Surface Water Trend (SWT) monitoring site complies with applicable interim quantifiable milestones (IQMs), OR
      • Your ranch’s discharge always or almost always meets applicable IQMs (i.e. 90-100% of discharge events) 
   3. Give yourself a C if both of the following are true:
      • The nearest SWT monitoring site does not comply with applicable IQMs, AND
      • Your ranch’s discharge does not meet applicable IQMs for at least 90% of discharge events

Using Self-Assessment to Inform Your Farm Plan

The Farm Plan is only one of two important farm water quality management tools. The other important tool is Self-Assessment.

Water quality issues identified in your Self-Assessment should inform updates to the management practices in your Farm Plan.  Your updated management practices should result in measurably improved Self-Assessment results.