Bruce Houdesheldt joined the Northern California Water Association’s (NCWA) in 2009 as Director of Regulatory Affairs. In this role, he has program management responsibility for the Sacramento Valley Water Quality Coalition (Coalition), a watershed-based agricultural water quality program. Working with growers, local Farm Bureau leadership, crop specialists from the University of California Cooperative Extension, natural resource specialists and Agricultural Commissioners he ensures the compliance and reporting requirements of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) are met for the 8,600 farmers and wetlands managers enrolled Coalition.
Working with a multi-disciplinary team of legal, technical, and agronomic specialists who carry out surface water quality sampling, produce source evaluation reports, conduct outreach and document management practices protective of water quality beneficial uses, he ensures monthly, quarterly and annual Management Plan Progress Reports are filed demonstrating compliance with water quality regulations.
In addition to working with Coalition participants on the ILRP he participates in stakeholder working groups for a number of basin planning efforts – Central Valley Drinking Water Policy Working Group, Clear Lake Nutrient TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load), and Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) Basin Plan Amendment—and monitors evolving and emerging public policy and regulatory proposals. In his capacity, he coordinates with publically own treatment works (POTWs) and other dischargers on development of basin plan amendments and TMDLs (Total Maximum Daily Load) to ensure in regulatory proposals based on scientifically sound information.
He writes weekly and quarterly newsletter articles summarizing emerging water policy and regulatory, and water quality issues, and is NCWA’s alternate representative to the North Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional Water Management Plan Technical Advisory Committee.
Before joining NCWA, Bruce was engaged in water resource issues, securing water allocations and formation of public policy on water, land use and endangered species for a national home builder and as a lobbyist with the building industry.
