Santa Ynez River Valley Groundwater Basin – Eastern Management Area Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Eastern Management Area Groundwater Sustainability Agency | January 6th, 2022

This GSP describes the EMA physical setting; presents historical, present, and future water budgets; develops quantifiable management objectives that account for the inte

This GSP describes the EMA physical setting; presents historical, present, and future water budgets; develops quantifiable management objectives that account for the interests of the EMA’s beneficial groundwater uses and users; and identifies a group of projects and management actions that will allow the EMA to maintain or achieve sustainability within 20 years of plan adoption. This document also includes the list of references and technical studies, documentation of the stakeholder engagement process used in the development of this plan, and several supporting appendices. The EMA GSA has taken many steps, starting with stakeholder engagement, to complete the GSP in accordance with the requirements of SGMA and related SGMA regulations.

SB-72 The California Water Plan: long-term supply targets

State of California | September 8th, 2025

Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources to update every 5 years the plan for the orderly and coordinated control, protection, conservation, development, a

Existing law requires the Department of Water Resources to update every 5 years the plan for the orderly and coordinated control, protection, conservation, development, and use of the water resources of the state, which is known as “The California Water Plan.” Existing law requires the department to include a discussion of various strategies in the plan update, including, but not limited to, strategies relating to the development of new water storage facilities, water conservation, water recycling, desalination, conjunctive use, and water transfers, that may be pursued in order to meet the future needs of the state. Existing law requires the department to establish an advisory committee to assist the department in updating the plan. This bill would revise and recast certain provisions regarding The California Water Plan to, among other things, require the department to expand the membership of the advisory committee to include, among others, tribes, labor, and environmental justice interests. The bill would require the department, as part of the 2033 update to the plan, to update the interim planning target for 2050, as provided. The bill would require the target to consider the identified and future water needs for all beneficial uses, including, but not limited to, urban uses, agricultural uses, tribal uses, and the environment, and ensure safe drinking water for all Californians, among other things. The bill would require the plan to include specified components, including a discussion of the estimated costs, benefits, and impacts of any project type or action that is recommended by the department within the plan that could help achieve the water supply targets. The bill would require the department to report to the Legislature the amendments, supplements, and additions included in the updates of the plan, together with a summary of the department’s conclusions and recommendations, in the session in which the updated plan is issued. The bill would also require the department to conduct public workshops to give interested parties an opportunity to comment on the plan.

Science and Decision Making: Water Management and Tree‐Ring Data in the Western United States

American Water Resources Association (AWRA) | October 5th, 2009

Growing populations, limited resources, and sustained drought are placing increased pressure on already over‐allocated water supplies in the western United States, prom

Growing populations, limited resources, and sustained drought are placing increased pressure on already over‐allocated water supplies in the western United States, prompting some water managers to seek out and utilize new forms of climate data in their planning efforts. One source of information that is now being considered by water resource management is extended hydrologic records from tree‐ring data. Scientists with the Western Water Assessment (WWA) have been providing reconstructions of streamflow (i.e., paleoclimate data) to water managers in Colorado and other western states (Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming), and presenting technical workshops explaining the applications of tree‐ring data for water management for the past eight years. Little is known, however, about what has resulted from these engagements between scientists and water managers. Using in‐depth interviews and a survey questionnaire, we attempt to address this lack of information by examining the outcomes of the interactions between WWA scientists and western water managers to better understand how paleoclimate data has been translated to water resource management. This assessment includes an analysis of what prompts water managers to seek out tree‐ring data, how paleoclimate data are utilized by water managers in both quantitative and qualitative ways, and how tree‐ring data are interpreted in the context of organization mandates and histories. We situate this study within a framework that examines the coproduction of science and policy, where scientists and resource managers collectively define and examine research and planning needs, the activities of which are embedded within wider social and political contexts. These findings have broader applications for understanding science‐policy interactions related to climate and climate change in resource management, and point to the potential benefits of reflexive interactions of scientists and decision makers.

Scientific Basis Report in Support of New and Modified Requirements for Inflows from the Sacramento River and its Tributaries and Eastside Tributaries to the Delta, Delta Outflows, Cold Water Habitat, and Interior Delta Flows

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | October 2nd, 2017

The State Water Board is conducting a review and update of the 2006 Bay-Delta Plan to ensure that beneficial uses of water in the Bay-Delta watershed are reasonably prote

The State Water Board is conducting a review and update of the 2006 Bay-Delta Plan to ensure that beneficial uses of water in the Bay-Delta watershed are reasonably protected. Phase I addresses potential changes to San Joaquin River flow requirements for the protection of fish and wildlife and potential changes to southern Delta salinity requirements for the protection of agriculture.1 Phase II addresses changes to the Bay-Delta Plan to protect native fish and wildlife in the Sacramento River, Delta, and associated tributaries. This Scientific Basis Report (Science Report or Report) is being prepared to support the Phase II update of the Bay-Delta Plan. It describes the science on which proposed changes to the Bay-Delta Plan will be based. A working draft version of the Report was released on October 19, 2016, to receive early scientific and public input on the science related to Phase II prior to submittal of the Report for external peer review. The State Water Board received input from a number of interested parties including water users; environmental groups; and local, state, and federal agencies. In recognition of the vision for “one Delta, one science” articulated in the Delta Stewardship Council’s (DSC) Delta Plan, the State Water Board also requested that the Delta Independent Science Board (Delta ISB) conduct a review of the Report. The State Water Board appreciates the valuable comments and suggestions that have helped further strengthen the scientific content in this version of the Report. In addition, comments related to regulatory and policy issues were raised that have further informed the development of proposed changes to the Bay-Delta Plan, including implementation approaches. The general components of these changes are summarized below and in more detail in Chapter 5 for context, and will continue to be refined as the planning process moves forward. This Report and the peer reviewers’ responses will be posted on the State Water Board web site and become part of the record for this Bay-Delta Plan update. Content from this Report will be included in a larger Staff Report that will also contain information on environmental, economic, and other analyses of potential changes to the Bay-Delta Plan, including regulatory and policy considerations of competing uses of water (including municipal, industrial, agricultural, power production, and other environmental uses of water such as wetland and wildlife refuge supplies). These issues are not addressed in this Science Report. Further, while a description of the approach for proposed changes to the Bay-Delta Plan is provided, the exact regulatory language is still under development and will be informed by the science in this Report and other information that will be included in the Staff Report. The public and agencies will continue to have opportunities to provide input throughout this process.

Scott Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Siskiyou County Flood Control and Water Conservation District | January 20th, 2022

Due to file size, this document has been divided into multiple files. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9 Plan approved by DW

Due to file size, this document has been divided into multiple files. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9 Plan approved by DWR 4/27/23.

Screening of Pharmaceuticals in San Francisco Bay Wastewater

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) | October 1st, 2018

Previous studies have shown that pharmaceuticals are widely detected in San Francisco Bay, and some compounds occasionally approach levels of concern for wildlife. In 20

Previous studies have shown that pharmaceuticals are widely detected in San Francisco Bay, and some compounds occasionally approach levels of concern for wildlife. In 2016 and 2017, seven wastewater treatment facilities located throughout the Bay Area voluntarily collected wastewater samples and funded analyses for 104 pharmaceutical compounds. This dataset represents the most comprehensive analysis of pharmaceuticals in wastewater to date in this region. On behalf of the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP), the complete dataset was reviewed utilizing RMP quality assurance methods. An analysis of influent and effluent information is summarized in this report, and is intended to inform future monitoring recommendations for the Bay.

Sea level rise and flooding of hazardous sites in marginalized communities across the United States

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

Sea level rise (SLR) increases the risk of flooding at coastal sites that use and produce hazardous substances. We assess whether socially marginalized populations in the

Sea level rise (SLR) increases the risk of flooding at coastal sites that use and produce hazardous substances. We assess whether socially marginalized populations in the United States are more likely to be impacted by projected SLR-related flooding of hazardous sites that could result in contaminant releases. We identify 5500 facilities at risk of a 1-in-100-year flood event by 2100 under a scenario of continued high greenhouse gas emissions, including coastal power plants, sewage treatment facilities, fossil fuel infrastructure, industrial facilities, and formerly used defense sites. Seven states (Louisiana, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, California, New York, and Massachusetts) account for nearly 80% of projected at-risk facilities. Controlling for population density and county, a one standard deviation increase in the proportion of linguistically isolated households, neighborhood residents identifying as Hispanic, households with incomes below twice the federal poverty line, households without a vehicle, non-voters, and renters is associated with 19-41% higher likelihood of having a site at risk of SLR-related flooding within 1 kilometer (odds ratios [95% confidence intervals]: 1.19 [1.09, 1.31], 1.22 [1.08, 1.37], 1.27 [1.16, 1.39], 1.35 [1.21-1.51], 1.36 [1.21, 1.53], and 1.41 [1.32, 1.52], respectively). Results elucidate the need for disaster planning, land-use decision-making, as well as mitigation strategies that address the inequitable hazards and potential health threats posed by SLR.

Sea Level Variations of the United States 1854–2006

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) | December 19th, 2009

The United States National Water Level Network (NWLON) was established in the 19th Century to ensure the Nation’s nautical charts, shoreline maps, and elevations relat

The United States National Water Level Network (NWLON) was established in the 19th Century to ensure the Nation’s nautical charts, shoreline maps, and elevations relative to homes, levees, and other coastal infrastructure were accurately referenced to sea level. In support of this mission, NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services and its predecessors have determined sea level for the United States since the mid 19th Century. While climate change was not a concern during the mid-1800s, the accurate determination of sea level was critical for navigation and marine boundary determination. To meet these important requirements, technology, procedures, and processes were developed to the highest scientific and engineering standards. At the turn of the 20th Century it was realized that there was a need to account for a rise in sea level and the first National Tidal Datum Epoch was established. Today this Epoch is updated every 20 to 25 years. The Supreme Court recognized these standards and procedures in the landmark 1936 case of Borax, Ltd v. City of Los Angeles when legally defining sea level. Due to those initial efforts and the continued dedication of those charged with the responsibility for monitoring sea level for the United States, we can accurately determine relative (local) mean sea level along the Nation’s coastline today. These observations also play an important role in monitoring change in global sea level. As we monitor change in sea level into the 21st Century, the statement made by Alexander Dallas Bache, the Second Superintendent of the Coast Survey, is as relevant today as when it was stated more than 150 years ago, “It seems a very simple task to make correct tidal observations; but, in all my experience, I have found no observations which require such constant care and attention” (1854). Michael Szabados, Director, Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services

Sea-Level Rise for the Coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington: Past, Present, and Future

National Academy of Sciences (NAS) | December 13th, 2012

Second Amended Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District Groundwater Sustainability Plan 2024

Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District Groundwater Sustainability Agency (DEID GSA) | July 1st, 2024

In January of 2020, the DEID GSA submitted its Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The GSP provided technical doc

In January of 2020, the DEID GSA submitted its Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The GSP provided technical documentation of the DEID Management Area’s existing sustainability, along with addressing the needs of the Earlimart Public Utility District and Richgrove Community Services District. The GSP outlined specific management actions that will be taken in accordance with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. DWR’s review of the Tule Subbasin, as a whole, resulted in an incomplete determination, to which the GSAs in the Tule Subbasin had 180 days to respond. The GSA’s in the Tule Subbasin provided revised GSPs on July 27, 2022, which DWR also determined were inadequate, causing the Tule Subbasin to transition to the oversight of the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The draft GSP found below includes updates to specifically address comments received from the SWRCB and their staff in anticipation of the Tule Subbasin probationary hearing on September 17, 2024. Comments on the 2nd amended GSP can be submitted to info@deid.org and will be accepted through August 18, 2024. Due to size, this file has been divided. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6