Root Creek Water District Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Root Creek Water District | November 11th, 2019

The RCWDGSA covers almost 10,000 acres in southeast Madera County located southwest of the intersection of State Highway 41 and Avenue 12 along the banks of and just nort

The RCWDGSA covers almost 10,000 acres in southeast Madera County located southwest of the intersection of State Highway 41 and Avenue 12 along the banks of and just north of the San Joaquin River. In size, the GSA accounts for less than 3 percent of the land area within the Madera Basin. The District, which lies wholly within the GSA has recently contracted for surface water supplies from the Madera Irrigation District (MID) and the Wonderful Nut Orchards for up to 17,000 acre-feet (af) of surface water in a given year. The District has also recently completed the first phase of an agricultural conveyance and distribution system that has the ability to deliver surface water to approximately 2,500 acres of farmland. Since its completion, the system has delivered approximately 16,382af of surface water to date in the past three years.To accomplish these achievements the district has invested more than 12 million dollars. While large, the purchase and delivery of surface water supplies are crucial to the long-term groundwater sustainability of not only the District and the GSAbut also the region and the subbasin.

Rules and Regulations of the Borrego Springs Watermaster

Superior Court of California, County of Orange | February 23rd, 2021

Sacramento County | Making Room for Recharge: Cosumnes River Levee Removal and Floodplain Restoration

Nature Conservancy | June 12th, 2014

Reconnecting rivers to floodplains can facilitate groundwater recharge. A recent project along the Cosumnes River is one of the first to intentionally demonstra

Reconnecting rivers to floodplains can facilitate groundwater recharge. A recent project along the Cosumnes River is one of the first to intentionally demonstrate this recharge benefit. While this project was expensive and more complex than many forms of recharge, public funding paid for the project and a partnership with UC Davis is improving the understanding of groundwater-surface water interactions and basin groundwater conditions. In 2014, The Nature Conservancy piloted this concept by selectively removing portions of a private levee system along the Cosumnes River to enhance floodplain processes and restore approximately 500 acres of riparian habitat. The levee removal project offers multiple environmental benefits, including increased groundwater recharge in the floodplain.

Sacramento River Hydrologic Region Groundwater Update

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | April 1st, 2015

The primary goal of the Sacramento River Hydrologic Region (Sacramento River region) groundwater update is to expand information about region-specific groundwater conditi

The primary goal of the Sacramento River Hydrologic Region (Sacramento River region) groundwater update is to expand information about region-specific groundwater conditions for California Water Plan Update 2013 and to guide more informed groundwater management actions and policies. A second goal is to steadily improve the quality of groundwater information in future California Water Plan (CWP) updates to a level that will enable regional water management groups (RWMGs) to accurately evaluate their groundwater resources and implement management strategies that can meet local and regional water resource objectives within the context of broader statewide objectives. The final goal is to identify data gaps and groundwater management challenges that will serve as a guide to prioritizing future data collection and funding opportunities relevant to the region. This regional groundwater update is not intended to provide a comprehensive and detailed examination of local groundwater conditions, or a substitute for local studies and analysis. Nonetheless, where information is readily available, this update does report some aspects of regional groundwater conditions in greater detail.

Safe Drinking Water Plan for California: Report to the Legislature in Compliance with Health and Safety Code Section 116365

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | June 8th, 2015

The State Water Board recognizes that to fulfill the Human Right to Water in California, every resident should have access to affordable, safe drinking water regardless

The State Water Board recognizes that to fulfill the Human Right to Water in California, every resident should have access to affordable, safe drinking water regardless of the water system size. Provided data become available on this topic, in a future update of the Safe Drinking Water Plan the Water Board could expand the scope to include systems below 15 service connections, but to do that would require new and expanded authority, significantly more resources, as well as commitment and involvement of other local and state agency partners. At this time, this report contains 32 practical recommendations in 9 areas that would expand the State Water Board’s efforts to bring a greater number of systems into compliance and contribute to realizing the Human Right to Water in California. Each chapter provides a background discussion covering the areas mandated by the Legislature including a description of problems and issues and a set of conclusions and recommendations with the basis and justification for them. A detailed five-year implementation plan addressing the major recommendations is provided in Appendix 10.

Salinas River Watershed Area Salt Modeling

California Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (CCRWQCB) | November 13th, 2015

Tetra Tech supported EPA Region 9 and the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (CCRWQCB) for an assessment of salt impairments and development of a

Tetra Tech supported EPA Region 9 and the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (CCRWQCB) for an assessment of salt impairments and development of a salt mass balance in the Lower Salinas River and Reclamation Canal watersheds. This effort can inform development of salt-related TMDLs by the CCRWQCB and a salt and nutrient management plan for the Salinas Valley aquifers. Three reaches have reported 2010 303(d) listings for salt-related impairments in these watersheds including impairments due to chloride, sodium, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids – Lower Salinas River, Santa Rita Creek, and Alisal Creek. This report provides data analysis and a literature review (Sections 1 through 5), development of a water and salt mass balance tool (Sections 6 through 8), and salt source assessment (Section 9). The results of the analysis provide a strong foundation for assessing salt sources and understanding salt mass balance in the study area, but can be improved with refined representation of cropland locations, rotations, and irrigation practices.

Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin 180/400-Foot Aquifer Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency | January 3rd, 2020

The 2014 California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires that medium and high-priority groundwater basins and subbasins develop Groundwater Sustainabil

The 2014 California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires that medium and high-priority groundwater basins and subbasins develop Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) that outline how they will achieve groundwater sustainably in 20 years, and maintain sustainability for an additional 30 years. This GSP fulfills that requirement for the Salinas Valley-180/400-Foot Aquifer Subbasin. In 2017, local GSA-eligible entities formed the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) to develop and implement the GSPs for the Salinas Valley. The SVBGSA is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) with membership comprising the County of Monterey, Water Resources Agency of the County of Monterey (Monterey County Water Resources Agency, or MCWRA), City of Salinas, City of Soledad, City of Gonzales, City of King, Castroville Community Services District, and Monterey One Water. The SVBGSA is governed by an eleven-member Board of Directors, representing public and private groundwater interests throughout the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin. In addition, an Advisory Committee ensures participation by, and input to, the Board by constituencies whose interests are not directly represented on the Board. The SVBGSA’s activities are coordinated by a General Manager. The Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin consists of nine subbasins, of which six fall entirely or partially under the SVBGSA’s jurisdiction. One of the nine subbasins, the Seaside Subbasin, is adjudicated and not managed by the SVBGSA. Another two subbasins, the Paso Robles and Atascadero Subbasins, lie completely in San Luis Obispo County and are managed by other groundwater sustainability agencies. The SVBGSA developed this GSP in coordination with the Marina Coast Water District Groundwater Sustainability Agency (MCWD GSA) and the County of Monterey Ground Water Sustainability Agency (County GSA). The SVBGSA developed this GSP for the 180/400-Foot Aquifer Subbasin (Subbasin) in concert with the GSPs for its five other Salinas Valley Subbasins: the Eastside Aquifer Subbasin (DWR subbasin number 3-004.02), the Forebay Aquifer Subbasin (DWR subbasin number 3-004.04), the Upper Valley Aquifer Subbasin (DWR subbasin number 3-004.05), the Langley Area Subbasin (DWR subbasin number 3-004.09) and the Monterey Subbasin (DWR subbasin number 3-004.10). Together, the six subbasin plans under the SVBGSA will be integrated into the Salinas Valley Integrated Groundwater Sustainability Plan. This GSP covers all of the 89,700 acres of the 180/400-Foot Aquifer Subbasin, as shown in Figure 1.The GSP describes current groundwater conditions, develops a hydrogeologic conceptual model, establishes a water budget, outlines local sustainable management criteria, and provides projects and programs for reaching sustainability in the Subbasin by 2040. A downloaded copy of the GSP is available below, which has been divided into 8 sections. Or the "Get Document" link will lead readers to the online version lodged at the California Department of Water Resources SGMA Portal. Part 1  Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin Monterey Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency | January 28th, 2022

On September 16, 2014, the California legislature enacted the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) whose primary purpose is to achieve and/or maintain sustainabi

On September 16, 2014, the California legislature enacted the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) whose primary purpose is to achieve and/or maintain sustainability within the state’s high and medium priority groundwater basins. Key tenets of SGMA are the concept of local control, use of best available data and science, and active engagement and consideration of all beneficial uses and users of groundwater. As such, SGMA empowers certain local agencies to form Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) whose purpose is to manage basins sustainably through the development and implementation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs). Under SGMA, GSPs are required to contain certain elements, the most significant of which include: a Sustainability Goal; a description of the area covered by the GSP (“Plan Area”); a description of the Basin Setting, including the hydrogeologic conceptual model, historical and current groundwater conditions, and a water budget; locally-defined sustainability criteria; networks and protocols for monitoring sustainability indicators; and a description of projects and/or management actions that will be implemented to achieve or maintain sustainability. SGMA also requires a significant element of stakeholder outreach to ensure that beneficial uses and users of groundwater are given the opportunity to provide input into the GSP development and implementation process. This GSP covers the entire Monterey Subbasin (Department of Water Resources [DWR] Basin 3-004.10), which encompasses 30,850 acres (or 48.2 square miles) in the northwestern Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin in the Central Coast region of California (Figure ES-1). The Monterey Subbasin (Subbasin) has been designated by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) as medium priority. As such, the Subbasin is required to develop a GSP by January 2022 and achieve sustainability by 2042. The GSP has been co-developed by the Marina Coast Water District Groundwater Sustainability Agency (MCWD GSA) and the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) pursuant to a Framework Agreement. The Framework Agreement outlines the Management Areas to be established within the Subbasin, which are later formalized in this GSP. The Framework Agreement further establishes a basis for information developed by the two agencies to be integrated into a single GSP for the Monterey Subbasin. Plan approved by DWR 4/27/23.

Salinity distribution in heterogeneous coastal aquifers mapped by airborne electromagnetics

Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) | February 8th, 2011

Understanding the hydrologic setting of any given area is a challenging task, especially considering that the amount of available informaon is ofen very sparse re

Understanding the hydrologic setting of any given area is a challenging task, especially considering that the amount of available informaon is ofen very sparse relative to the size of the area and the complexity of the problem. We used geophysical transient electromagnetic (TEM) data from an airborne SkyTEM instrument to investigate discharge of freshwater from a river catchment into a coastal lagoon area, in support of large-scale hydrologic mapping of the HOBE hydrology research center. Existing hydrologic data indicate possible outflow from the catchment underneath the survey area, a hypothesis that was indeed backed up by our geophysical results. The results revealed a stratified geologic setting frequently incised by buried valleys beneath the lagoon. They also showed that the valleys are saturated with sea water, unlike the layers at the same depth that are probably saturated with brackish water. The salinity decreases with depth in large parts of the lagoon. The salinity distribution in the setting indicates the presence of intricate flow systems beneath the coastal area and the lagoon, and we propose that it is governed by the heterogeneity in the geologic setting. We also demonstrated how water depth as well as salinity can be accurately mapped using SkyTEM in combination with a robust and flexible inversion scheme.

Salinity Effects on Agricultural Irrigation‐related Uses

Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) | December 1st, 2016

Purpose: Summarize current state of knowledge regarding the effects of elevated EC (TDS) concentrations on crop yields with specific attention to seasonal tolerance

Purpose: Summarize current state of knowledge regarding the effects of elevated EC (TDS) concentrations on crop yields with specific attention to seasonal tolerances. Additional information provided regarding federal, state, international regulations and guidelines and effects of elevated EC on turfgrass, landscape plants and wetland plants.