Eel River Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Humboldt County Groundwater Sustainability Agency | January 29th, 2022

In 2015, Humboldt County received a planning grant from DWR for technical studies and planning which led to the submission in December 2016 of a Groundwater Sustainabili

In 2015, Humboldt County received a planning grant from DWR for technical studies and planning which led to the submission in December 2016 of a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) Alternative, a streamlined version of a GSP. The GSP Alternative was disapproved by DWR in 2019 primarily because objective management criteria had not been established for 10 years; a quantitative estimate of sustainable yield was not developed; and the GSP Alternative did not quantify the impacts of groundwater use on surface water systems and determine at what point they are significant and unreasonable. As a result of the GSP Alternative being disapproved, formation of a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) was required and development of a full GSP was required by January 31, 2022. This is that document. Due to file size, this document has been divided into sections. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 Click here for the Eel River Valley GSP page at the California Department of Water Resources

Elsinore Valley Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District | December 23rd, 2021

The Elsinore Valley Subbasin is located within the service area of Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District (EVMWD or District). No other agencies overlap the boundaries

The Elsinore Valley Subbasin is located within the service area of Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District (EVMWD or District). No other agencies overlap the boundaries of this subbasin therefore no inter-agency coordination was required for the development of this GSP. Two outside technical experts participated as the technical advisory committee for the GSP development. EVMWD conducted public outreach throughout the development of the GSP.

Ending groundwater overdraft without affecting food security

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | June 14th, 2024

Engineer’s Report for the North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency: Proposition 218 Procedures for Benefit Assessments

North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (NFKGSA) | January 15th, 2018

The North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (NFKGSA or Agency) recently formed with the primary purpose of compliance with the Sustainable Groundwater

The North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (NFKGSA or Agency) recently formed with the primary purpose of compliance with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). As a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), the Agency may develop, adopt, and implement a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for sustainable management of groundwater for that portion of the Kings Subbasin (Subbasin) underlying the Agency. The newly formed Agency needs to implement an assessment rate structure that is sufficient to fund Agency operations and required activities pursuant to SGMA. The NFKGSA will develop, in coordination with other GSAs in the Kings Subbasin, a GSP that provides for achieving groundwater sustainability in the Kings Subbasin of the San Joaquin Valley Groundwater Basin underlying the Agency by January 2040. SGMA requires that a GSP be submitted to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) by January 31, 2020 since the Kings Subbasin is considered a high priority, critically overdrafted subbasin. Based on the Agency’s needs, the NFKGSA Board of Directors is requesting landowner approval to levy assessments to generate sufficient revenue to fund both annual Agency operation costs and expenses associated with the development and implementation of a GSP. The annual operational costs have already begun and are used to fund Agency operations and activities required by SGMA, including retaining consulting firms and legal counsel to provide Agency oversight and lead the Agency through the steps for SGMA compliance. Expenses consist of administrative support, GSP development, and GSP implementation, with GSP development occurring over the next several years and GSA administration and GSP implementation anticipated to be on-going expenses. The administrative annual expenses include an assumed annual 3% inflation factor. The assessments are planned to apply equally to all assessable lands within the Agency’s boundaries. The Assessment Roll provided in Attachment D identifies the acreage for each assessable parcel according to the 2017 tax rolls of Fresno County and Attachment E identifies the acreage for each assessable parcel according to the 2017 tax rolls of Kings County. The following table provides an example schedule of the proposed assessments during the next five years that are the subject of this Proposition 218 Engineer’s Report. The actual assessment rate will be set annually by the Board, based on the budget needs, but will not exceed the proposed maximum rate. Assessments will continue beyond Fiscal Year 2022-23, but at this time the assessment rate after this initial five-year period is unknown because the GSP Implementation costs will not be fully determined until the GSP is developed. The projects that will be proposed as part of the GSP implementation to attain sustainability and maintain the threshold levels established in the GSP will likely require supplemental funding and assessments greater than the maximum assessments recommended in this report, and approval by the landowners in a future Proposition 218 election will be required.

Enterprise Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Enterprise Anderson Groundwater Sustainability Agency | January 20th, 2022

This GSP covers all of the 61,300 acres of the Enterprise Subbasin. The GSP describes the current groundwater conditions and hydrogeologic conceptual model, establishes a

This GSP covers all of the 61,300 acres of the Enterprise Subbasin. The GSP describes the current groundwater conditions and hydrogeologic conceptual model, establishes a water budget, outlines local sustainable management criteria (SMC or SMCs), and describes projects and programs for maintaining sustainability through the GSP planning and implementation period. Due to size this file has been divided into five parts. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Estimating the permanent loss of groundwater storage in the southern San Joaquin Valley, California

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | February 23rd, 2017

In the San Joaquin Valley, California, recent droughts starting in 2007 have increased the pumping of groundwater, leading to widespread subsidence. In the southern porti

In the San Joaquin Valley, California, recent droughts starting in 2007 have increased the pumping of groundwater, leading to widespread subsidence. In the southern portion of the San Joaquin Valley, vertical subsidence as high as 85 cm has been observed between June 2007 and December 2010 using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR). This study seeks to map regions where inelastic (not recoverable) deformation occurred during the study period, resulting in permanent compaction and loss of groundwater storage. We estimated the amount of permanent compaction by incorporating multiple data sets: the total deformation derived from InSAR, estimated skeletal-specific storage and hydraulic parameters, geologic information, and measured water levels during our study period. We used two approaches, one that we consider to provide an estimate of the lowest possible amount of inelastic deformation, and one that provides a more reasonable estimate. These two approaches resulted in a spatial distribution of values for the percentage of the total deformation that was inelastic, with the former estimating a spatially averaged value of 54%, and the latter a spatially averaged value of 98%. The former corresponds to the permanent loss of m3 of groundwater storage, or roughly 5% of the volume of groundwater used over the study time period; the latter corresponds to the loss of m3 of groundwater storage, or roughly 9% of the volume of groundwater used. This study demonstrates that a data-driven approach can be used effectively to estimate the permanent loss of groundwater storage.

Exploring the Potential for Water-Limited Agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | July 21st, 2022

The rollout of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is altering the state’s agricultural landscape. As groundwater sustainability measures are

The rollout of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is altering the state’s agricultural landscape. As groundwater sustainability measures are implemented and water scarcity increases, at least half a million acres are projected to come out of irrigated production in the San Joaquin Valley, the state’s agricultural heartland. Rather than widespread land idling—which comes with unintended consequences such as dust, weeds, pests, and soil degradation — a switch from summer irrigated crops to winter crops produced with limited water (including winter cereals and forage crops, among others) might keep some of this land in production. Although water-limited agriculture faces large hurdles, some promising aspects warrant further exploration.

Farmers Water District Groundwater Sustainability Plan Delta-Mendota Subbasin

Farmers Water District | January 1st, 2020

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was signed into law in 2014 for the purpose of protecting California’s groundwater resources. SGMA requires all high

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was signed into law in 2014 for the purpose of protecting California’s groundwater resources. SGMA requires all high and medium priority basins to develop Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP) to prevent overdraft and achieve sustainability in the utilization of groundwater resources. The Delta-Mendota Subbasin (Basin 5-022.07 in the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Bulletin 118) (Subbasin) is a high priority Subbasin that has been assigned a critical overdraft designation by DWR. The Subbasin consists of 23 Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSA) who together created six individual GSA groups, each preparing a GSP in a coordinated manner as required by SGMA. Farmers Water District elected to form a GSA on June 14, 2016 in order to represent the interest of local landowners in the District in the development of a GSP with FWD designated as a Management Area in GSP. This GSP includes a description of groundwater conditions and basin settings of the Subbasin that is common to all six of the GSPs developed for the Delta-Mendota Subbasin in addition to describing the hydrogeologic conditions and management practices in the area of FWD. It also contains the steps that will be taken to achieve sustainability over the next 20 years by preventing undesirable results by monitoring for the following sustainability indicators as defined by SGMA: • Chronic Lowering of Groundwater Levels • Reduction in Groundwater Storage • Degraded Water Quality • Subsidence • Depletion of Interconnected Surface Water • Seawater Intrusion All but seawater intrusion applies to FWD, and each applicable sustainability indicator will be addressed in this GSP and is integrated into the Subbasin-wide and FWD monitoring program. Measurable objectives and minimum thresholds have been set for each sustainability indicator based on projected hydrologic conditions through the use of a numerical groundwater flow model. This GSP, in coordination with the five other GSPs for the Subbasin, will be implemented and result in the sustainable use of groundwater resources for all beneficial users in FWD and the Subbasin.

Farmers Water District Revised Groundwater Sustainability Plan Delta- Mendota Subbasin

Farmers Water District | July 18th, 2022

This work product is the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the Farmers Water District Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA). This GSP is one of six (6) individ

This work product is the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the Farmers Water District Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA). This GSP is one of six (6) individual GSPs being prepared for the Delta-Mendota Subbasin (DMS, Subbasin).

Fillmore Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Fillmore and Piru Basins Groundwater Sustainability Agency | December 16th, 2021

The Fillmore Basin (the Basin) is managed (along with the upslope Piru Basin) by the Fillmore and Piru Basins Groundwater Sustainability Agency (the Agency). The Basin is

The Fillmore Basin (the Basin) is managed (along with the upslope Piru Basin) by the Fillmore and Piru Basins Groundwater Sustainability Agency (the Agency). The Basin is planned to remain sustainable over the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) implementation and sustainability period based on the current understanding of historical, current (2019), and projected (2022 through 2072) groundwater conditions in relation to the sustainability indicators specified in SGMA. A sustainability indicator refers to any of the effects caused by groundwater conditions occurring throughout the basin that, when significant and unreasonable, cause undesirable results. The Agency, with consideration of feedback from active stakeholder engagement, has identified and planned for the prevention of significant and unreasonable undesirable results.