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Strategic Salt Accumulation Land and Transportation Study (SSALTS) Final Phase 2 Report – Development of Potential Salt Management Strategies

CDM Smith (CDM Smith) | October 1st, 2014


The purpose of the Strategic Salt Accumulation Land and Transportation Study (SSALTS) is to identify the range of viable Central Valley alternatives for salt disposal to provide input for consideration during development of the Salt and Nutrient Management Plan (SNMP) for the region under the jurisdiction of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Central Valley RWQCB).

The findings will be used to guide discussions regarding establishment of regional salt management policies and the need for changes to the existing Central Valley RWQCB Water Quality Control Plans (Basin Plans) to facilitate salt disposal in a manner that is most beneficial to the region and consistent with the State Water Resource Control Board (SWRCB) Recycled Water Policy.

This work is being conducted under the direction of the Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long- Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) initiative, which is developing the SNMP for the Central Valley. The SSALTS project is being conducted in three phases:

    • Phase 1: Identify and Characterize Existing Salt Accumulation Study Areas–Selection of representative Study Areas to serve as prototype situational examples to facilitate discussions regarding salt accumulation and disposal in the Central Valley. Each of these Study Areas is being characterized to establish baseline information that may be used to support development of salt disposal alternatives in subsequent project phases.
    • Phase 2: Develop Potential Salt Management Strategies–SSALTS will develop potential long- term salt disposal alternatives in three parts: (1) In-Valley alternatives; (2) Out-of-Valley alternatives; and (3) hybrid alternatives that combine In-Valley and Out-of-Valley salt disposal options.
    • Phase3: Evaluate Potential Salt Disposal Alternatives to Identify Acceptable Alternatives for Implementation – Alternatives developed under Phase 2 will be evaluated using selected feasibility criteria (e.g., regulatory, institutional, economic, technological, etc.). The outcome of this evaluation will be the identification and prioritization of acceptable salt disposal alternatives for potential incorporation into Central Valley SNMP as salt management implementation measures.

The Phase 1 report was finalized in December 2013. This report summarizes the findings of Phase 2. Phase 3 work will begin after the stakeholders have reviewed the Phase 2 report and provided comments.

Keywords

Central Valley, groundwater contamination, Groundwater Exchange, salinity, water quality