Domestic well vulnerability to drought duration and unsustainable groundwater management in California's Central Valley

Environmental Research Letters (IOP) | March 18th, 2020

Millions of Californians access drinking water via domestic wells, which are vulnerable to drought and unsustainable groundwater management. Groundwater overdraft and th

Millions of Californians access drinking water via domestic wells, which are vulnerable to drought and unsustainable groundwater management. Groundwater overdraft and the possibility of longer drought duration under climate change threatens domestic well reliability, yet we lack tools to assess the impact of such events. Here, we leverage 943,469 well completion reports and 20 years of groundwater elevation data to develop a spatially-explicit domestic well failure model covering California’s Central Valley. Our model successfully reproduces the spatial distribution of observed domestic well failures during the severe 2012–2016 drought (n=2027). Next, the impact of longer drought duration (5–8years) on domestic well failure is evaluated, indicating that if the 2012–2016 drought would have continued into a 6 to 8 year long drought, a total of 4037–5460 to 6538–8056 wells would fail. The same drought duration scenarios with an intervening wet winter in 2017 lead to an average of 498 and 738 fewer well failures. Additionally, we map vulnerable wells at high failure risk and find that they align with clusters of predicted well failures. Lastly, we evaluate how the timing and implementation of different projected groundwater management regimes impact groundwater levels and thus domestic well failure. When historic overdraft persists until 2040, domestic well failures range from 5966 to 10 466 (depending on the historic period considered). When sustainability is achieved progressively between 2020 and 2040, well failures range from 3677 to 6943, and from 1516 to 2513 when groundwater is not allowed to decline after 2020.

Drawdown ‘‘Triggers’’: A Misguided Strategy for Protecting Groundwater-Fed Streams and Springs

National Groundwater Association (NGWA) | October 31st, 2016

There is increasing recognition of the importanceof groundwater to the survival and function of terrestrial ecosystems (e.g., Ribeiro et al. 2013), which has grown from

There is increasing recognition of the importanceof groundwater to the survival and function of terrestrial ecosystems (e.g., Ribeiro et al. 2013), which has grown from understanding of the intimate connections between groundwater and surface water (Winter et al.1998). In this context, management strategies that can protect groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) such as springs and groundwater-fed streams are of critical importance. One strategy being adopted in some casesis the use of “drawdown triggers.” This involves specifying an amount of acceptable drawdown relative to baseline at a particular monitoring point, which if exceeded, triggers a management response. This technical commentary examines this strategy, highlighting potential pit-falls. There are important aspects of the response of groundwater and connected springs and streams which may be overlooked if drawdown triggers are adopted as the primary strategy for GDE protection. A case study of a recently approved mining project is discussed and some additional and/or alternative approaches proposed.

Drift of Earth's Pole Confirms Groundwater Depletion as a Significant Contributor to Global Sea Level Rise 1993–2010

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | June 15th, 2023

Drinking Water and Exclusion: A Case Study from California's Central Valley

California Law Review | February 1st, 2012

The American West is notorious for its water wars, and California's complex water allocation and governance challenges serve as a bellwether for contemporary water gove

The American West is notorious for its water wars, and California's complex water allocation and governance challenges serve as a bellwether for contemporary water governance across western states, Policy makers and environmental advocates typically represent California's water woes as a regulatory problem - a failure to balance the needs of growing urban populations with ecological preservation and agricultural irrigation. These debates, however, often elide the issue of water deprivation, and they do not adequately address the concerns of an important constituency: low-income, rural communities. This Comment argues that a focus on regulation misses a fundamental feature of water inequality: the structure and design of local water districts. Utilizing a case study of California's Central Valley to illustrate how these structural barriers operate, I argue that Calfornia's complex system of local water districts fractures governance, limits electoral participation, and undermines the State's stated environmental, equity, and utilitarian water goals. I offer suggestions for alternative local water district organization in order to address the constraints of Calfornia's current water governance regime.

Drought and Groundwater Sustainability in California’s Farming Regions

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | June 25th, 2024

Dry groundwater wells in the western United States

Environmental Research Letters (IOP) | July 28th, 2017

Declining groundwater levels are common in parts of the western US, but their impact on the ability of wells to pump groundwater is not known. Here we collate groundwater

Declining groundwater levels are common in parts of the western US, but their impact on the ability of wells to pump groundwater is not known. Here we collate groundwater well records for the western United States and present the recorded locations, depths, and purposes of more than two million groundwater wells constructed between 1950 and 2015. We then use the well records to estimate the percentage of wells that were dry during the years 2013–2015. During the two-year period, dry wells were concentrated in rural areas with high agricultural productivity, such as parts of the California Central Valley and the High Plains. Our results support anecdotal evidence that wells used for domestic purposes are more susceptible to drying than wells used for agricultural purposes throughout California’s Central Valley because the former tend to be shallower. However, this is not the case in all regions. Our findings suggest that declining groundwater levels are threatening drinking water reliability and agricultural productivity, and consequently, have key implications for both domestic and agricultural water security. Ongoing reductions to groundwater storage are drying groundwater wells in the western US, and this manifestation of water scarcity warrants innovative groundwater management transcending status quos.

East Bay Plain Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

East Bay Municipal Utilities District (East Bay MUD) | January 26th, 2022

The Plan Area lies within the boundaries of Contra Costa and Alameda counties, including all or portions of the cities of Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Emeryvill

The Plan Area lies within the boundaries of Contra Costa and Alameda counties, including all or portions of the cities of Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Hayward, Oakland, Piedmont, Richmond, San Leandro, and San Pablo. Unincorporated areas (including San Lorenzo) within the subbasin are covered by the respective county general plans (GPs), and various city GPs cover the other portions of the Subbasin. The Subbasin does not contain state lands, but does include some federal lands including Lytton Tribal lands. Due to size, this document has been divided into separate files. Executive Summary, Executive Summary Chapters 1-5, Appendix 1 (Chapter 1), Appendix 2 (Chapter 2), Appendix 3 (Chapter 3), Appendix 4 (Chapter 4), (No Appendix for Chapter 5), Appendix 6

East Contra Costa Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

East Contra Costa Groundwater Sustainability Agency | October 15th, 2021

On March 28, 2019, the state approved a subdivision of the Tracy Subbasin that separated the East Contra Costa portion (now called the ECC Subbasin) from the San Joaquin

On March 28, 2019, the state approved a subdivision of the Tracy Subbasin that separated the East Contra Costa portion (now called the ECC Subbasin) from the San Joaquin County portion (retained the Tracy Subbasin name), thereby providing more local control of groundwater resources. In addition, seven GSAs were formed by local public agencies to ensure that their diverse constituents are represented in this GSP. If needed, each GSA has authorities to enact policies to protect groundwater resources based on conditions within their respective jurisdictions. This provides stakeholders with more focused engagement through a local GSA. Due to size, the file has been divided into six parts. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

East Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency 2022 First Amended Groundwater Sustainability Plan

East Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency (EKGSA) | July 27th, 2022

Due to size, this file has been divided into eight parts. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

Due to size, this file has been divided into eight parts. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

East Kaweah GSA Groundwater Sustainability Plan

East Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency (EKGSA) | February 17th, 2019

Final GSP delivered to the Department of Water Resources 1/31/20 per DWR; final online draft awaiting uploading per inquiry to EKGSA 2/13/20

Final GSP delivered to the Department of Water Resources 1/31/20 per DWR; final online draft awaiting uploading per inquiry to EKGSA 2/13/20