Agricultural nonpoint source water pollution policy: The case of California's Central Coast

Abstract

Nonpoint sources of pollution, primarily from agricultural sources, are a major cause of water quality impairment. Yet policies to address this issue remain underexplored in the literature. This article first reviews the agricultural nonpoint source (NPS) pollution policy literature and categorizes its major findings. The North American literature, in particular, rarely analyses NPS policies already in force, and pays even less attention to overcoming implementation barriers to reaching desired environmental outcomes. Second, this paper evaluates a newly adopted policy approach that addresses nonpoint sources of nutrient contaminants in the surface waters of one of the United States’ most agriculturally productive and environmentally pristine areas, California's Central Coast. The article then reveals the political, budgetary and technical barriers faced by farmers, regulators, and other stakeholders. The article concludes by arguing that more analyses of implemented policies designed to address agricultural NPS pollution will better inform both local-level and federal policymakers towards the successful creation and implementation of policies that achieve environmental outcomes.