Sacramento River

Corning Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Tehama County Flood Control and Water Conservation District | December 20th, 2021

Preparation of this GSP is the first step for the GSAs to achieve groundwater sustainability in the Corning Subbasin. To evaluate progress toward groundwater sustainabili

Preparation of this GSP is the first step for the GSAs to achieve groundwater sustainability in the Corning Subbasin. To evaluate progress toward groundwater sustainability during implementation, annual reports and 5-year updates to the GSP will be prepared as required by SGMA. The GSAs recognize that sustainability is only possible with support of stakeholders and coordination of local, state, tribal and federal agencies and the managed use of both surface and groundwater resources. While SGMA does not require the Plan to address California’s Public Trust Doctrine, a 2018 California Court of Appeal ruling found that groundwater pumping that reduces the flow or volume of water in a navigable stream (and tributaries that supply navigable streams) may violate the public trust. This Plan recognizes the importance of protecting public trust resources, including fish and wildlife, in the Subbasin’s streams that are connected to groundwater.

Costs of Ecosystem Management Actions for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | April 22nd, 2013

California is at a critical juncture on policy for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. This report summarizes the results of a wide-ranging study of cost-effective wa

California is at a critical juncture on policy for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. This report summarizes the results of a wide-ranging study of cost-effective ways to improve the health of the Delta ecosystem. It highlights the need for science-based, integrated management of the many sources of ecosystem stress. The report also recommends improvements to the highly fragmented system of oversight that now involves dozens of federal, state, and local agencies. Several companion reports contain related findings: Aquatic Ecosystem Stressors in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (Mount et al. 2012) summarizes the science of Delta ecosystem stressors for a policymaking audience. Integrated Management of Delta Stressors: Institutional and Legal Options (Gray et al. 2013) lays out proposals for institutional reform of science, management, and regulation. Scientist and Stakeholder Views on the Delta Ecosystem (Hanak et al. 2013) presents detailed results of the two surveys conducted by the report’s authors. Stress Relief: Prescriptions for a Healthier Delta Ecosystem (Hanak et al. 2013) summarizes the overall research project and the recommendations it generated. Where the Wild Things Aren’t: Making the Delta a Better Place for Native Species (Moyle et al. 2012) outlines a realistic long-term vision for achieving a healthier ecosystem.

Counties Wresting Control: Local Responses to California's Statewide Water Market

University of Denver Water Law Review (UDWLR) | January 1st, 2003

Critical Aquifer Overdraft Accelerates Degradation of Groundwater Quality in California's Central Valley During Drought

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | September 1st, 2021

It has been established that wells are at risk to run dry when groundwater levels decline during drought, but associated impacts to water quality are poorly understood. 

It has been established that wells are at risk to run dry when groundwater levels decline during drought, but associated impacts to water quality are poorly understood. This study examined 30 yr of data from California's Central Valley to find dramatic groundwater-level declines during drought were associated with worsening groundwater quality. This likely happens because increased pumping during drought can draw shallow, contaminated groundwater to depths commonly tapped by public drinking water wells. This is the first study of its kind to show direct linkages between drought and groundwater quality at such a broad spatial scale

Critical Assessment of the Delta Smelt Population in the San Francisco Estuary, California

University of California, Davis (UC Davis) | July 1st, 2005

Cultivating climate resilience in California agriculture: Adaptations to an increasingly volatile water future

National Academy of Sciences (NAS) | July 29th, 2024

CV SALTS Prioritization & Optimization Study Year 1 Progress Report

Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) | March 24th, 2023

CV-SALTS Central Valley Region Salt & Nitrate Control Program Surveillance and Monitoring Program

Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) | February 3rd, 2023

The prioritized Nitrate Control Program and phased Salt Control Program are designed to address both legacy and ongoing salt and nitrate accumulation issues in groundwate

The prioritized Nitrate Control Program and phased Salt Control Program are designed to address both legacy and ongoing salt and nitrate accumulation issues in groundwater and salinity concerns in surface waters. However, the primary focus of early actions being implemented under the Nitrate Control Program (i.e., the first ten years) is on groundwater quality and in particular nitrate impacts to drinking water supplies. The overarching management goals and priorities of the SNCP are to: Ensure safe drinking water supply; Reduce salt and nitrate loading so that ongoing discharges neither threaten to degrade high quality waters absent appropriate findings by the Central Valley Board, nor cause or contribute to exceedances of water quality objectives; and Implement long-term, managed restoration of impaired waterbodies.

CV-SALTS Groundwater Sustainability Plan Data Collection - Pilot Study Results

Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) | February 1st, 2024

The purpose of Prioritization & Optimization (P&O) Study Task 5.3 (Information Extraction from Groundwater Sustainability Plans [GSP]) is to extract and organize relevan

The purpose of Prioritization & Optimization (P&O) Study Task 5.3 (Information Extraction from Groundwater Sustainability Plans [GSP]) is to extract and organize relevant GSP data and information that can be used to (1) validate or refine information contained in the P&O Study’s CV-SWAT watershed model (developed to support ongoing baseline characterization work); (2) support the eventual development of salinity management alternatives within specified planning areas; and (3) help ensure that long-term Central Valley salt planning considers ongoing Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) planning efforts, which is of particular interest to the State Water Resources Control Board.

CV-SALTS Groundwater Sustainability Plan Data Integration Report Integrated Scope of Work - Task 5.3 (Draft)

Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) | June 20th, 2024

The purpose of Prioritization & Optimization (P&O) Study Task 5.3 (Information Extraction from Groundwater Sustainability Plans [GSP]) is to extract and organize

The purpose of Prioritization & Optimization (P&O) Study Task 5.3 (Information Extraction from Groundwater Sustainability Plans [GSP]) is to extract and organize relevant GSP data and information that can be used to: Validate or refine information contained in the P&O Study’s Central Valley Soil and Water Assessment Tool (CV-SWAT) watershed model and other models (developed to support ongoing baseline characterization work and future salinity-related analyses); Support the eventual development of salinity management alternatives within specified Central Valley planning areas; and Help ensure that long-term Central Valley salt planning understands and considers ongoing Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) planning efforts, efforts and potential future conditions of the water in the Central Valley region and benefits from the local investment in these plans. It is also expected that this report will be a foundation for enhanced coordination with GSAs as planning occurs in their regions. Click below for document appendices.  Appendix A: Selected GSP Information Summaries by Hydrologic Region Appendix B: Appendix B 1 - Sac Valley Hydrologic Region - GSP Hydrogeologic Conceptual Model Excerpts and Near AEM Profiles Appendix B 2 - San Joaquin Valley Hydrologic Region - GSP Hydrologic Conceptual Model Excerpts and Near AEM Profiles Appendix B 3 - Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region - GSP Hydrogeologic Conceptual Model Excerpts and Near AEM Profiles