Report to the California State Legislature Joint Legislative Budget Committee on Reduction of Agricultural Pollution Runoff into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | December 1st, 2010

This report has been prepared pursuant to the requirements of the Supplemental Report to the 2008 Budget Act: “On or before March 30, 2009, State Water Resources Con

This report has been prepared pursuant to the requirements of the Supplemental Report to the 2008 Budget Act: “On or before March 30, 2009, State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) shall submit a report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and to the relevant policy committees that details: (a) the precise actions the State Water Board would have to undertake to obtain a 30 percent reduction to agricultural pollution runoff in to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta [Delta] and its tributary watersheds by 2012, (b) the estimated costs of those actions, and (c) which of those actions can be completed administratively and which would require legislation to implement.” The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, (Central Valley Regional Water Board) staff has determined that replacing irrigation practices that produce return flow is the only method of ensuring a 30 percent reduction in agricultural pollution runoff to the Delta by 2012. The program would be focused within the Delta and San Joaquin River watershed and apply to surface return flow (tailwater). Tailwater can convey contaminants applied to or on the land surface, such as pesticides, sediment, fertilizer, and manure. Tile water (subsurface drainage pumped to surface waters) contains naturally occurring minerals found in ground water, and may contain contaminants leached into the ground water due to application on the land surface. However, tile water is not the focus of this control strategy, since it would take longer to implement the required control technologies. Irrigation return flow is the focus of this effort, since it is more amenable to control (versus storm water runoff) and over 60 percent of the exceedances of water quality objectives we have identified occur during the irrigation season.1 A target of converting 50 percent of the irrigated acres that produce runoff to more efficient irrigation practices that produce no runoff is recommended. A 50 percent conversion target is recommended, since there are other pathways for agricultural pollutants to reach the Delta through surface waters (e.g., pesticide drift, tile water drainage), so a larger percentage reduction in irrigation runoff would be needed to ensure that the overall 30 percent pollution reduction goal is achieved. The estimated cost to the agricultural community to implement the required management practices is $250 million - $450 million in capital cost, assuming half of the one million acres of agricultural land requiring improved irrigation management systems would be targeted to meet the 2012 timeframe. Additional Central Valley Regional Water Board staff resources of up to 10 PY would be required to ensure the required practices are implemented.

Review of CDFW Recommendations for the 2022 Readoption of Drought Emergency Regulations on the Scott River and Recommendations for Future Management During Extreme Drought Conditions

Siskiyou Farm Bureau | August 31st, 2022

Review of the Long-Term Operations of the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project

National Academy of Sciences (NAS) | November 10th, 2025

The CVP and SWP (referred to collectively as “the Projects”) rarely deliver their full contracted  amount of water. Some of this is inherent in the operation of larg

The CVP and SWP (referred to collectively as “the Projects”) rarely deliver their full contracted  amount of water. Some of this is inherent in the operation of large water projects with diverse demands in a dry and highly variable climate. A growing, complex regulatory environment of state and federal laws, some of which were created to protect fish species endemic to the Delta, has further restricted CVP and SWP operations.  These fish include the southern distinct population segment of North American green sturgeon, California Central Valley steelhead, Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, longfin smelt, and Delta smelt. Operating the Projects while trying to prevent species extinction can be a source of conflict if the actions to prevent extinction reduce the amount of water that can be exported. Project operation into the future will likely become more challenging as changes in various climatic factors push the listed species closer to their thresholds of survivability. Hence, in late 2023 USBR contracted with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to form an expert committee that could serve as an independent review for the CVP and SWP as they operate into the future. The Committee’s statement of task appears in Box S-1. The three actions chosen for the study—the Shasta Coldwater Pool Management Action, the Old and Middle River Flow Management Action, and the Summer-Fall Habitat Action for Delta Smelt— are perceived as consequential for species survival and controversial for their effects on water deliveries to contractors.

Root Creek Water District Groundwater Sustainability Agency Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Root Creek Water District | November 11th, 2019

Running Dry: Weathering the Great California Drought

Harvard University | December 1st, 2016

Essays include: "Physical Mechanisms of the California Drought" - Richard Seager "Droughts and the Global Economy: Lessons from California" - Jay R. Lund

Essays include: "Physical Mechanisms of the California Drought" - Richard Seager "Droughts and the Global Economy: Lessons from California" - Jay R. Lund "Addressing Variability: Adaptation and Innovation in California’s Water Systems" - Laila Kasuri "The California Case: Managing Groundwater in Irrigated Agriculture" - Josué Medellín-Azuara "The Hidden Health Consequences of Drought" - Rory Stewart & Erika Eitland "California’s Unconventional Energy-Water Nexus" - Jonathan Buonocore, Don Kriens, Susan Cahalan, Drew Michanowicz, Alexandra Gast, Kate Konschnik "The 2 R’s: What Brazil Can Teach Us About California’s Drought" -  Luis Augusto Bertoni Strengari "Carlsbad Desalination: A Leap in Water Prices, for the Better?" - Aldís Elfarsdóttir

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 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.

Salt Tolerance of Crops in the Southern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | January 5th, 2010

The purpose of this report is to research the scientific literature and provide the state of knowledge on subjects that impact crop productivity with saline irrigation wa

The purpose of this report is to research the scientific literature and provide the state of knowledge on subjects that impact crop productivity with saline irrigation water and analyze the existing information from the South Delta and quantify how the various factors influencing the use of saline water applies to conditions in the South Delta. There are five objectives for this study: One of the objectives of this study is the review of existing literature relating to the effect of salinity on a variety of irrigated crops under South Delta conditions, preparation of a comprehensive list of references, and a synopsis of findings from key references. A second objective is the review of the relative strengths and limitations of steady-state and transient models that have been used to determine the suitability of saline water for crop production. As part of this second objective, the strengths, limitations, and assumptions of each model when applied to field conditions are to be presented. The third objective involves the use of soil information to determine and describe the approximate area and nature of saline and drainage-impaired soils; an estimate of the effectiveness of local rainfall in reducing the irrigation requirement; and compiling and evaluating historical crop types, acreages, and evapotranspiration information. The fourth objective is to provide conclusions and recommendations to the State Water Resources Control Board based upon the literature, modeling, and data evaluation.  Among the conclusions and recommendations to be reported the following are considered paramount. (1) Identify significant gaps or uncertainties in the literature and recommend future studies to fill the gaps. (2) Using a steady-state model and appropriate data for the South Delta, estimate the leaching fraction required for salinity control for crops regularly grown on the drainage- and salinity-impaired soils of the South Delta. (3) Using the approach as in (2), recommend a salinity guideline that could provide full protection of the most salt sensitive crop currently grown or suitable to be grown on the drainage- and salinity- impaired soils. The final objective is to present the findings and recommendations in Sacramento to interested stakeholders and representatives of California state agencies.

Salton Sea Management Program and Community Needs

California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) | January 31st, 2024

In the Southeastern corner of the state, straddling Imperial and Riverside counties, the Salton Sea (the Sea) is California’s largest inland lake and home to many Calif

In the Southeastern corner of the state, straddling Imperial and Riverside counties, the Salton Sea (the Sea) is California’s largest inland lake and home to many California Native American tribes and communities. Once a resort destination, the Sea has since become a growing environmental issue. The Sea has been shrinking, largely due to water transfers out of Imperial Valley that reduce inflows to the Sea. Drought and changes to Colorado River water availability exacerbate this trend. Although it continues to provide a vital stop along the Pacific Flyway for migratory birds, the water has become increasingly saline. As the Sea shrinks, it exposes the lakebed that has the potential to release dust, contributing to worsening air quality in a region already struggling with poor air quality from high wind events, idling vehicles, high off-road activity, commercial truck traffic, and agricultural burning. Compounding this, communities in the Eastern Coachella Valley and Imperial Valley have for decades also faced social and economic challenges. While these vibrant communities have rich cultural and natural resources, they suffer from decades of underinvestment. Residents have highlighted that local communities struggle with poor air quality, health issues, low broadband access, unreliable electricity, limited access to recreational opportunities, inadequate transportation systems, and underfunded public health infrastructure and services. These challenges make it difficult to overcome the growing environmental challenges related to the Sea.

Salton Sea Monitoring Implementation Program (MIP) Annual Work Plan 2024

California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) | February 29th, 2024

The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) are implemen

The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) are implementing the Salton Sea Management Program (SSMP) to address air quality and ecological threats at the Salton Sea. The SSMP has a plan for action over the 10-year period from 2018 to 2028 (Phase 1: 10-Year Plan), which aims to improve conditions around the Salton Sea by constructing projects that create habitat and reduce dust from the exposed lakebed on 30,000 acres. Since the state is not a significant landowner in the area, collaboration with land-owning entities is essential and a top priority for the SSMP. The SSMP team also recognizes the crucial role of partnerships in meeting restoration goals through collecting data, facilitating project implementation, and helping obtain funding sources. The Salton Sea Monitoring Implementation Plan (MIP) is a regional-scale monitoring plan for the Salton Sea ecosystem (CNRA 2022). The MIP, which was developed with input from implementing partners (agencies, non-governmental activities to measure conditions of water, air quality, land cover, biological resources, and socioeconomics. The MIP prioritized indicators and metrics and summarized methods and sampling regimes. These indicators were prioritized based on their informativeness and relationship to key resources and drivers of the Salton Sea ecosystem, feasibility of measurement, and relevance for management actions. Some indicators were recommended only for focused study to inform a specific management-articulated information need or specifically identified data gap.