About Us

The participating agencies in the regional Ag Mobile Lab program include the Farm Bureaus for Santa Clara, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Mateo Counties, the Santa Clara Valley Water District, the San Benito County Water District, the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency, and the Monterey County Water Resources Agency.

The Ag Mobile Lab program for Irrigation and Fertilization Management Assistance was established because irrigated agriculture has been linked to watercourse and groundwater contamination in the Pajaro River and Salinas River watersheds, the Elkhorn Slough and the Monterey Bay National Sanctuary.

It is necessary to improve the quality and safety of water impacted by run-off from agricultural activities. The program will educate growers on efficient water and fertilizer use and deploy a mobile nutrient management and irrigation efficiency evaluation service.

The goal of the program is to protect and improve water quality in the targeted watersheds and receiving coastal waters in Santa Clara, San Benito, Monterey, San Mateo, and Santa Cruz counties through monitoring of practices and education of local irrigators with regard to irrigation practices and nutrient management.

This program was developed over several years during its implementation in Santa Clara County. Many participants have observed the beneficial effects the program has had on their operations.