Information for the Future: The West Side San Joaquin Valley Project

West Side San Joaquin Valley Coordinating Council, University of California, Water Resources Center | September 1st, 1970

Information Needs for Water Markets

University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) | March 14th, 2024

This report is part of a larger project to better understand how institutional context affects the potential for water markets to enhance climate resilience for agricultu

This report is part of a larger project to better understand how institutional context affects the potential for water markets to enhance climate resilience for agriculture and ecosystems, what legal and organizational features are likely to facilitate fair and effective water markets in the U.S. Southwest, and where opportunities exist to adapt existing institutions to support more sustainable water management. The report focuses on one legal and organizational feature that is a necessary precursor to fair and effective water markets: the collection and sharing of adequate information about water diversion and use. It synthesizes the discussions and notes from a convening of water experts with additional research and analysis.

Information Needs for Water Markets: Fair and Effective Water Markets Require Adequate Measurement and Reporting of Diversion and Use

University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) | November 14th, 2024

Information Pertaining to Water Rights in California

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | January 1st, 2000

A handbook on water rights produced by the State Water Resources Control Board, dated January 2000. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction General Information Pertaini

A handbook on water rights produced by the State Water Resources Control Board, dated January 2000. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction General Information Pertaining to Water Rights Appropriative Rights Initiated Prior to December 19, 1914 Appropriative Rights Initiated Subsequent to December 19, 1914 Loss of Appropriative Rights Riparian Rights Prescription Vested Appropriative and Riparian Rights Not Affected by Filing an Application Disputes Over the Use of Water Public Trust Determination of Existing Rights Appropriation of Underground Water Spring Water No Assistance Rendered in Securing Right of Access to Point of Diversion or Right-of-Way Patents and Homesteads Supervision Over Dams Provision of Fish and Game Code Statements of Water Diversions and Use Stockpond Rights General Information Pertaining To Applications For Permits To Appropriate Unappropriated Water Who Should File An Application Who Should Not File An Application Purpose of Filing When to File Unappropriated Water and Responsibilities of Permittees Outline of Essential Steps Preparation of Applications Changes In Ownership Appendix - Table of Equivalents

Inhabiting the Delta: A Landscape Approach to Transformative Socio-Ecological Restoration

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | September 19th, 2017

Current legislation and plans for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Delta) call for large-scale restoration of aquatic and terrestrial habitats, which will require sign

Current legislation and plans for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Delta) call for large-scale restoration of aquatic and terrestrial habitats, which will require significant changes in waterways, land uses, and cultural patterns. These re-made landscapes will be subject to a variety of new human uses, which Delta planning and adaptive management literature has yet to adequately consider. Failing to account for human uses and evolving place values can lead to diminished performance and public support for Delta restoration efforts. Our empirical study examined restored and naturalized Delta landscapes using an integrative landscape approach that seeks to reconcile multiple goals and land-use agendas that span ecological, social, economic, and political domains. The research design consisted of six overlapping methods that included a planning, policy, and law review specific to the Delta; surveys and interviews with approximately 100 land managers, scientists, land-owners, law-enforcement personnel, agency representatives, and Delta residents; nine case studies of restored and naturalized delta landscapes; GIS mapping; and extensive field work. Findings derived from the synthesis of these methods show that human uses of the Delta’s re-wilded landscapes are diverse and pervasive. Given the infrastructural and urbanized context of the region, these environments are subject to multiple and sometimes conflicting uses, perceptions, and place values. Though these myriad uses cannot be fully predicted or controlled (nor should they be), findings showed that more proactive and inclusive planning for human uses can encourage or discourage particular uses while also building constituency, support, and active engagement in ecological restoration efforts. We conclude that reconciling human uses with ecological recovery in the Delta will require a more localized, multi-functional, and creative approach to designing and adaptively managing these emergent landscapes. We recommend that more resources and experimental prototyping be dedicated to such work.

Initial Alternatives Information Report for the North/Central Delta Improvement Study (Delta Cross Channel, Franks Tract, and Through- Delta Facility Evaluation)

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | March 17th, 2010

The U.S. Department of the Interior (Interior) Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) are evaluating the feasibility o

The U.S. Department of the Interior (Interior) Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) are evaluating the feasibility of using conveyance and operations actions in the north and central region of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta (Delta) to improve water quality and fish conditions. Specifically, Reclamation is evaluating the feasibility of these actions in the North/Central Delta Improvement Study (NoCDIS or Study). The Initial Alternatives Information Report (IAIR) identifies, discusses, and screens measures to address the problems and opportunities. These measures are used to develop initial alternatives. Initial alternatives from the IAIR will be incorporated into and refined in the subsequent Plan Formulation Report (PFR). Subject to continued appropriations and a determination of federal interest, the Study should culminate in an Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and a Feasibility Report. Reclamation is the federal lead agency for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance, and DWR is the state lead agency for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance.

Initial Characterization of the Groundwater System near the Lower Colorado Water Supply Project, Imperial Valley, California

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | October 13th, 2015

In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of Needles, began a study of the hydrogeology along the All-American Canal, which conveys water from the

In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of Needles, began a study of the hydrogeology along the All-American Canal, which conveys water from the Colorado River to the Imperial Valley. The focus of this study was to gain a better understanding of the effect of lining the All-American Canal, and other management actions, on future total dissolved solids concentrations in groundwater pumped by Lower Colorado Water Supply Project wells that is delivered to the All-American Canal. The study included the compilation and evaluation of previously published hydrogeologic and geochemical information, establishment of a groundwater-elevation and groundwater-quality monitoring network, results of monitoring groundwater elevations and groundwater quality from 2009 to 2011, site-specific hydrologic investigations of the Lower Colorado Water Supply Project area, examination of groundwater salinity by depth by using time-domain electromagnetic surveys, and monitoring of groundwater-storage change by using microgravity methods. Prior to the completion of the All-American Canal in 1940, groundwater in the study area flowed from east to west, and groundwater was recharged primarily by underflow from the Colorado River Valley. After construction of the All-American Canal, groundwater elevations were altered in the study area as seepage of Colorado River water from the All-American Canal and other canals became the dominant recharge source. By 2005, groundwater elevations had increased by as much as 50–70 feet along the All-American Canal. Superimposed on the east-to-west groundwater gradient was groundwater movement away from the All-American Canal to the north and, most likely, to the south into Mexico. After lining the All-American Canal, from 2007 to 2010, groundwater elevations declined as seepage from the All-American Canal decreased. Between 2005 (the last complete groundwater-elevation survey prior to lining the All-American Canal) and 2011, groundwater elevations declined 20–40 feet along the All-American Canal and as much as 40–45 feet in the vicinity of Lower Colorado Water Supply Project pumping wells. Water-quality and isotope data were used to differentiate historically recharged groundwater from groundwater more recently recharged by seepage of Colorado River surface water from the All-American Canal. Prior to the completion of the All-American Canal in 1940, groundwater in the southern part of the study area was primarily sodium-chloride/sulfate type water that had relatively low total dissolved solids concentrations (500–820 milligrams per liter). During 2007–11, groundwater in the southern part of the study area, near the All-American Canal, ranged from sodium-chloride type water to mixed-cation-sulfate type water that had total dissolved solids concentrations generally less than 879 milligrams per liter. The stable-isotopic signature of groundwater near the All-American Canal sampled in 2009–11 indicated inputs of Colorado River water that had been affected by evaporation, and radioactive isotopes indicated that a substantial fraction of water had been recharged recently, within the past 60 years. This contrasted with historically recharged groundwater near the All-American Canal, which had higher sodium and chloride concentrations, and lower calcium and sulfate concentrations, than recent recharge from the All-American Canal. Groundwater at a distance from the All-American Canal, in the East Mesa, Algodones Dunes, Pilot Knob Mesa, and Cargo Muchacho Mountains piedmont, was found to have higher total dissolved solids concentrations (generally greater than 1,000 milligrams per liter) than recently recharged groundwater near the All-American Canal. Time-domain electromagnetic data indicated that low-salinity groundwater was present down to about 377 feet below land surface near the All-American Canal; groundwater salinity at depth increased with distance north from the All-American Canal. Groundwater several miles or more from the canal also did not contain tritium and had a residence time on the order of thousands to tens of thousands of years. The groundwater in the piedmont of the Cargo Muchacho Mountains had a distinctly light stable-isotopic signature indicative of recharge by runoff from local precipitation, whereas the stable isotopic signature of groundwater in the East Mesa and the Algodones Dunes indicated a mixture of local precipitation and historic Colorado River recharge sources. During and after lining the All-American Canal (2007–11), groundwater elevations in the Lower Colorado Water Supply Project area declined, while total dissolved solids concentrations remained relatively constant. The total dissolved solids concentrations in well LCWSP-2 ranged from 650 to 800 milligrams per liter during this study. Depth-specific water-quality and isotope sampling at well LCWSP-2 indicated the groundwater pumped from the deeper part of the screened interval (240–280 feet below land surface) contained a greater proportion of historical groundwater than the groundwater pumped from the shallower part of the screened interval (350–385 feet below land surface). Age-tracer data at well LCWSP-2 indicated that all depths of the screened interval had received recent recharge from seepage of Colorado River water from the All-American Canal.

Initial Trends in Chemical Contamination, Toxicity and Land Use in California Watersheds: Stream Pollution Trends (SPoT) Monitoring Program

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | April 1st, 2013

The State Water Resources Control Board’s Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) has released the second report on results from a continuing statewi

The State Water Resources Control Board’s Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) has released the second report on results from a continuing statewide program that measures trends in pollution levels and toxicity in major California watersheds. The program is called the Stream Pollution Trends monitoring program (SPoT), and it is one of three statewide projects funded by SWAMP. The report, Initial Trends in Chemical Contamination, Toxicity and Land Use in California Watersheds, summarizes results from the 2009–2010 annual SPoT surveys and represents an assessment of large watersheds across California to determine how stream pollutant concentrations are affected by land use, with an emphasis on urban and agricultural development. These data were compared to the 2008 SPoT sampling year, allowing a preliminary assessment of emerging trends. SPoT is improving our understanding of the long term trends of watershed contamination and associated toxicity. This program investigates the impacts of land development on water quality, helps prioritize water bodies in need of water quality management, and evaluates the effectiveness of management programs designed to improve stream health. SPoT forms the foundation for other regional programs and provides a statewide perspective so that local and regional water quality monitoring efforts can evaluate how conditions in their streams compare to those in other California watersheds.

Inland Empire Interceptor Appraisal Analysis

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | September 16th, 2013

The Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) is a joint powers authority comprised of five member water districts that serve the vast majority of the Santa Ana Water

The Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) is a joint powers authority comprised of five member water districts that serve the vast majority of the Santa Ana Watershed. The area served by SAWPA is located within Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties of California, bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west, the San Bernardino Mountains to the north, and the San Jacinto Mountains to the east. The five SAWPA Member Agencies are: • Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD), • Western Municipal Water District (WMWD), • Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA), • San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District (SBVMWD), and • Orange County Water District (OCWD). These five agencies serve most of the Santa Ana Watershed. Population within the watershed has increased significantly in recent years, and this urban growth has put enormous pressure on the regional water supply, water quality and environmental/recreation resources. SAWPA’s mission is to plan and build facilities to protect water quality and enhance the water supply within the Santa Ana River Watershed. This mission includes the goal of achieving a salt balance in the upper Santa Ana Watershed. SAWPA developed the Inland Empire Brine Line (Brine Line), which was formerly known as the Santa Ana Regional Interceptor (SARI), for the purpose of exporting salt from the Santa Ana Watershed. Exportation of salt prevents its accumulation in the watershed and protects the quality of the potable water supply. The future of the potable water supply will continue to be dependent upon an economical means of collection, treatment and disposal of brine. The Brine Line collects and disposes of brine flow from the Santa Ana Watershed and is critical to SAWPA’s mission success. The Brine Line includes approximately 72 miles of pipeline in multiple branches which converge in the vicinity of Prado Dam near the City of Corona. It has a planned capacity of approximately 32.5 million gallons per day (MGD) and was planned for collection and exportation of approximately 271,000 tons of salt per year from the upper Santa Ana Watershed, east of the Santa Ana Mountains. Currently (2010 & 2011), average system flows are approximately 11.7 MGD and over 75,000 tons of salt are exported per year. An additional 21 miles of pipeline convey the combined flows to Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) facilities for treatment and disposal by discharge to the Pacific Ocean. This pipeline has a nominal capacity of 30 MGD. The planned capacity of the Brine Line system (32.5 MGD) exceeds the hydraulic capacity of the pipeline from the Brine Line convergence near Prado Dam to the OCSD facilities. Furthermore, the present agreement between SAWPA and OCSD allows Brine Line flows to the OCSD system up to only 17.0 MGD, with a contractual right to purchase up to 30.0 MGD capacity.

Inner Workings: Big wildfires mobilize mercury. What are the risks to surface water?

National Academy of Sciences (NAS) | July 6th, 2021

The landscape was still smoldering in October 2020 as Jeff Prancevic and Charles Alpers, part of a multidisciplinary team of US Geological Survey (USGS) researchers, drov

The landscape was still smoldering in October 2020 as Jeff Prancevic and Charles Alpers, part of a multidisciplinary team of US Geological Survey (USGS) researchers, drove into the scorched hills above Lake Berryessa in California. Masked and traveling separately because of the pandemic, the team met up at EcoCamp Berryessa, a site that had recently hosted firefighters as they battled the LNU Lightning Complex fires in Northern California. The USGS team was there to sample soils and ash amidst the devastation.