California is the largest dairy producing state in the United States. Environmentally sustainable management of these dairies is critical to the economic health of California's agricultural community.
Dairies are potentially a major contributor of nitrate and salts to groundwater.
Dairy operators are actively looking for solutions to ensure that their waste management practices have no negative impact on groundwater quality. The groundwater monitoring project was begun in collaboration with the Regional Water Quality Control Board which initially installed the monitoring well network. Groundwater levels in this area typically vary from 5 to 15 feet below ground surface. We sample the 45 monitoring wells on 5 dairies in Stanislaus and Merced County on a monthly basis. The cooperating dairies are well managed and both their operation and their geographic environment are representative for many dairies in the San Joaquin Valley.