Response to Comments: No. Author Comment Response

The Ag Organizations of the Central Coast believe it is premature to approve the Draft TMDLS while significant resources from diverse groups of stakeholders and interests are focused on solutions in nitrate high-risk areas. Although much of this focus is on potential impacts to groundwater used for drinking water purposes, there is a direct connection with the Draft TMDLS under consideration here. First, the Draft TMDLS note that impacts to shallow groundwater may also impact surface water quality via baseflow loading contributions to some of the creeks in question. (See Resolution No. R3-2013-0008, p. 15.) Second, and more importantly, the types of management practices being discussed with respect to protection of groundwater supplies are likely to also be effective practices for protection of surface waters such as those at issue in the Draft TMDLS. Due to the significant overlap between the issues, the Ag Organizations of the Central Coast believe it important for the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) to consider all related efforts prior to approving the Draf