Groundwater in California

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | June 6th, 2024

Groundwater Level Monitoring and the Importance of Long-Term Water-Level Data

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | December 18th, 2001

Ground water is among the Nation’s most precious natural resources. Measurements of water levels in wells provide the most fundamental indicator of the status of this r

Ground water is among the Nation’s most precious natural resources. Measurements of water levels in wells provide the most fundamental indicator of the status of this resource and are critical to meaningful evaluations of the quantity and quality of ground water and its interaction with surface water. Water-level measurements are made by many Federal, State, and local agencies. It is the intent of this report to highlight the importance of measurements of ground-water levels and to foster a more comprehensive and systematic approach to the long-term collection of these essential data. Through such mutual efforts, the Nation will be better positioned in coming decades to make wise use of its extensive groundwater resources.

Groundwater level observations in 250,000 coastal US wells reveal scope of potential seawater intrusion

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | June 26th, 2020

Seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers can increase groundwater salinity beyond potable levels, endangering access to freshwater for millions of people. Seawater intrus

Seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers can increase groundwater salinity beyond potable levels, endangering access to freshwater for millions of people. Seawater intrusion is particularly likely where water tables lie below sea level, but can also arise from groundwater pumping in some coastal aquifers with water tables above sea level. Nevertheless, no nation-wide, observation-based assessment of the scope of potential seawater intrusion exists. Here we compile and analyze ~250,000 coastal groundwater-level observations made since the year 2000 in the contiguous United States. We show that the majority of observed groundwater levels lie below sea level along more than 15% of the contiguous coastline. We conclude that landward hydraulic gradients characterize a substantial fraction of the East Coast (>18%) and Gulf Coast (>17%), and also parts of the West Coast where groundwater pumping is high. Sea level rise, coastal land subsidence, and increasing water demands will exacerbate the threat of seawater intrusion.

Groundwater Management and Safe Drinking Water in the San Joaquin Valley

Water Foundation | June 2nd, 2020

Groundwater Management Plan Goleta Groundwater Basin

Goleta Water District (GWD) | May 11th, 2010

Goleta Water District (“GWD”) and La Cumbre Mutual Water Company (“La Cumbre”), the purveyors of groundwater in the Goleta Groundwater Basin, joined in developing

Goleta Water District (“GWD”) and La Cumbre Mutual Water Company (“La Cumbre”), the purveyors of groundwater in the Goleta Groundwater Basin, joined in developing a Groundwater Management Plan (“Plan”) for the basin. This Plan reiterates current adjudication and voter-passed components of groundwater management, addresses groundwater issues, adopts Basin Management Objectives, outlines management strategies for the basin, and recommends future tasks and timelines associated with these tasks.

Groundwater Management Principles and Strategies to Monitor, Analyze and Minimize Impacts to Drinking Water Wells: A Framework for State Action to Support Drought Resilient Communities

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | December 15th, 2021

This framework was developed in response to support drinking water access for groundwater-dependent communities.

This framework was developed in response to support drinking water access for groundwater-dependent communities.

Groundwater Management: The Use of Numerical Models

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | February 1st, 1980

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Water Resources Monograph Series, Volume 5. The first proposal for an assessment of groundwater models follo

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Water Resources Monograph Series, Volume 5. The first proposal for an assessment of groundwater models followed the 1973 meeting of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE), part of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), in Kiel, Federal Republic of Germany. SCOPE invited the Holcomb Research Institute (HRI) of Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana to undertake the assessment since it had just completed a critical evaluation of the roles of mathematical models in environmental decision?]making in the United States (HRI, 1976). An international steering committee, chaired by John Bredehoeft of the U.S. Geological Survey, was assembled for the proposed study. Yehuda Bachmat was the on?]site head of the project, having come to the Institute on a year's leave from his position as Director of Research, Hydrological Service of Israel.

Groundwater microbiomes balance resilience and vulnerability to hydroclimatic extremes

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | August 20th, 2025

Groundwater Modeling by the Finite Element Method

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | January 1st, 1989

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Water Resources Monograph Series, Volume 13. The finite element method is now widely used to solve a variety

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Water Resources Monograph Series, Volume 13. The finite element method is now widely used to solve a variety of important problems in the field of groundwater hydrology. Thus a clear understanding of the method is essential to scientists and engineers working in this field. The goal of this book is to provide the reader with the basic skills needed to use the finite element method to solve "real-world" problems. Examples are used throughout the text to illustrate each step in the solution process.

Groundwater Monitoring Protocols for Seawater Intrusion: Example of Challenges and Experiences in a Coastal Groundwater Basin

Groundwater Resources Association of California (GRA) | October 2nd, 2017

“Seawater intrusion refers to the advancement of seawater into a groundwater supply that results in degradation of water quality in the basin, and includes seawater fro

“Seawater intrusion refers to the advancement of seawater into a groundwater supply that results in degradation of water quality in the basin, and includes seawater from any source.” –GSP Emergency Regulations (Preface to a presentation by Kathleen Kuepper of the United Water Conservation District to the 26th annual meeting of the Groundwater Resources Association of California)