Paying it Forward: The Path Toward Climate-Safe Infrastructure in California

Climate-Safe Infrastructure Working Group | September 1st, 2018

Potential Impacts of Future Geological Storage of CO2 on the Groundwater Resources in California’s Central Valley: Southern San Joaquin Basin Oil and Gas Production Analog for Geologic Carbon Storage

California Energy Commission (CEC) | May 1st, 2013

This study investigated the potential impacts of the injection and storage of large quantities of carbon dioxide on shallow water resources in California’s southern San

This study investigated the potential impacts of the injection and storage of large quantities of carbon dioxide on shallow water resources in California’s southern San Joaquin Basin, including the possibility that if such injection was properly planned it might help mitigate the land subsidence impacts related to over-pumping of groundwater. The project used simulation studies to investigate whether the basin-scale pressure changes and brine displacement caused by future carbon dioxide storage in the deep sediments could impact the groundwater-surface water systems in the area. Two simulation models were developed. The Deep Basin Reservoir Simulation Model was developed for accurately simulating the multiphase processes of carbon dioxide and brine flow occurring in deep sequestration reservoirs. The Shallow Water Resources Impact Simulation Model was developed for accurately predicting the impact of deep carbon dioxide sequestration on a stressed water system, including evaluation of carbon dioxide-related impacts in the context of the long-term groundwater and subsidence trends occurring in the area as a result of other water stresses such as pumping and irrigation. The Deep Basin Reservoir Simulation Model showed that the caprock and overlying geological units had sufficient barrier attributes to prevent pressure propagation from the injection layer to the shallow aquifers. The Shallow Water Resources Impact Simulation Model simulation results showed that deep carbon dioxide injection would create only minor head change and surface uplift in the shallow model layers. Overall the simulation results suggested that even large carbon dioxide storage projects should have minimal impact on shallow groundwater and surface water systems if thick layers of shales and sands separated the deep CO2 injection layers from shallow aquifers. Researchers believed this study justified devoting resources to evaluating the potential impact from localized pathways or from induced seismicity to more thoroughly investigate the feasibility of carbon dioxide storage in the southern San Joaquin Basin. 

Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project (FERC Project No. 77) Draft Application for Surrender of License and Application for Non-Project Use of Project Lands

Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) | January 27th, 2025

Click here for a California State Water Resources Control Board page about FERC Project 77 Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) has prepared a Draft Surrender

Click here for a California State Water Resources Control Board page about FERC Project 77 Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) has prepared a Draft Surrender Application and Conceptual Decommissioning Plan (Surrender Application) for the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [FERC or Commission] Project No. 77) (Project) consistent with 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section (§) 6.1. PG&E’s goals upon conclusion of the decommissioning process are to (1) remove the Project facilities and features including but not limited to Scott Dam and Cape Horn Dam, (2) remove the Project from FERC and Division of Safety of Dams jurisdiction; and (3) no longer operate or maintain the Project and Project features in the future. Parts 1 and 2 -- Part one or click "Get Document" below Parts 1 and 2 -- Part two

Preliminary Results from Exploratory Sampling of Wells for the California Oil, Gas, and Groundwater Program, 2014–15

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | January 26th, 2017

In 2014 and 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) sampled water wells in the Los Angeles Basin and southern San Joaquin Valley, California, and oil wells in the San Joa

In 2014 and 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) sampled water wells in the Los Angeles Basin and southern San Joaquin Valley, California, and oil wells in the San Joaquin Valley for analysis of multiple chemical, isotopic, and groundwater-age tracers (fig. 1). The purpose of this reconnaissance sampling was to evaluate the utility of tracers for assessing the effects of oil and gas production activities on groundwater quality in California. The study was done in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board. Results of the study are intended to help design a regional groundwater monitoring program to be implemented as part of California Senate Bill 4 (SB 4 statutes of 2013). The regional monitoring program plans to assess the effects of oil and gas production activities on groundwater quality and to provide a regional context for local monitoring of the groundwater-quality effects from well-stimulation treatments, which are techniques used to improve oil and gas production by increasing their rate of flow to the well. California SB 4 mandates that this local monitoring is to be done by oil-well operators in accordance with monitoring criteria established by the State Water Board. This report evaluates the utility of the chemical, isotopic, and groundwater-age tracers for assessing sources of salinity, methane, and petroleum hydrocarbons in groundwater overlying or near several California oil fields. Tracers of dissolved organic carbon in oil-field-formation water are also discussed. Tracer data for samples collected from 51 water wells and 4 oil wells are examined.

Pricing Practices in the Electricity Sector to Promote Conservation and Efficiency: Lessons for the Water Sector

Pacific Institute | September 11th, 2013

Because water utilities are dependent on the sale of water to recoup costs, reduced sales can result in deficits – and per capita water demand in California has been st

Because water utilities are dependent on the sale of water to recoup costs, reduced sales can result in deficits – and per capita water demand in California has been stagnant or decreasing for the past several decades. Over the coming years, California municipal water utilities are required to reduce water use by 20%. Thus, the “new normal” or an era of declining demand and rising costs is a trend that is likely to continue. Water utilities can learn from a number of electricity pricing practices to help adapt to this “new normal” while staying fiscally solvent and providing fair prices. “California’s energy sector has implemented many pricing policies that seek to balance a commitment to energy conservation with utility financial health,” said Kristina Donnelly of the Pacific Institute, lead author of the report. “Both water and energy utilities are coping with similar financial challenges related to demand reductions and stand to benefit from a greater exchange of information and lessons learned.” In order to understand how some of these practices might be relevant to the water sector, the Pacific Institute examined a range of electricity pricing practices and policies that California electric utilities use to remain financially stable even when per capita demand is decreasing. The paper, Pricing Practices in the Electricity Sector to Promote Conservation and Efficiency: Lessons for the Water Sector, helps inform discussion at the local, regional, and state level about water pricing in light of recent and future reductions in water demand.

Rapid subsidence over oil fields measured by SAR interferometry: Geophysical Research Letters

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | September 1st, 1998

The Lost Hills and Belridge oilfields are in the San Joaquin Valley, California. The major oil reservoir is high porosity and low permeability diatomite. Extraction of la

The Lost Hills and Belridge oilfields are in the San Joaquin Valley, California. The major oil reservoir is high porosity and low permeability diatomite. Extraction of large volumes from shallow depths causes reduction in pore pressure and subsequent compaction, forming a surface sub- sidence bowl. We measure this subsidence from space using interferometric analysis of SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) data collected by the European Space Agency Remote Sensing Satellites (ERS-1 and ERS-2). Maximum subsidence rates are as high as 40 mm in 35 days or > 400 mm/yr, measured from interferograms with time separations ranging from one day to 26 months. The 8- and 26-month inter-ferograms contain areas where the subsidence gradient exceeds the measurement possible with ERS SAR, but shows increased detail in areas of less rapid subsidence. Synoptic mapping of subsidence distribution from satellite data powerfully complements ground-based techniques, permits measurements where access is difficult, and aids identification of underlying causes

Recommendations on Model Criteria for Groundwater Sampling, Testing, and Monitoring of Oil and Gas Development in California

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | June 1st, 2015

In California Senate Bill 4 (Pavley, 2013; hereafter referred to as “SB4”), the California legislature found and declared that protecting the state’s groundwater f

In California Senate Bill 4 (Pavley, 2013; hereafter referred to as “SB4”), the California legislature found and declared that protecting the state’s groundwater for beneficial use, particularly sources and potential sources of drinking water, is of paramount concern. Access to safe drinking water is a major issue for California, especially to its disadvantaged communities. State policy is that every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes (Chapter 524, Statutes of 2012 (Assembly Bill 685, Eng)). SB4 further found and declared that strategic, scientifically based groundwater monitoring of the state’s oil and gas fields is critical to allaying the public’s concerns regarding well stimulation treatments of oil and gas wells.

Relative risk of groundwater-quality degradation near California (USA) oil fields estimated from 3H, 14C, and 4He

Applied Geochemistry (Elsevier) | June 5th, 2021

 Relative risks of groundwater-quality degradation near selected California oil fields are estimated by examining spatial and temporal patterns in chemical and isotopic

 Relative risks of groundwater-quality degradation near selected California oil fields are estimated by examining spatial and temporal patterns in chemical and isotopic data in the context of groundwater-age categories defined by tritium and carbon-14. In the Coastal basins, western San Joaquin Valley (SJV), and eastern SJV; 82, 76, and 0% of samples are premodern (pre-1953 recharge), respectively; and 3, 0, and 31% are modern (recharged during or after 1953), respectively. Carbon-14 and helium-4 data indicate most premodern samples are 1000 to 10,000 (33%) or >10,000 (50%) years old. Organic chemicals that could be associated with deeper hydrocarbon reservoirs (e.g. thermogenic gases and benzene) occur most frequently in premodern groundwater, suggesting premodern groundwater has a higher risk of degradation from upward migration of hydrocarbons than modern and mixed-age groundwater. Low sulfate concentrations in some premodern groundwater containing high thermogenic-methane concentrations (>28 mg/L) indicate methane attenuation associated with sulfate reduction can be limited in premodern groundwater. The more common occurrence of manufactured compounds, like tetrachloroethene, in modern and mixed-age groundwater than in premodern groundwater indicates modern and mixed-age groundwater has a higher risk of degradation from land-surface sources than premodern groundwater. Time-series data for chloride in groundwater affected by disposal of oil-field water in unlined ponds indicate some modern and mixed-age groundwater are susceptible to chemical migration within 2–3 km of surface sources. Timescales for diluting chloride concentrations in groundwater with fresh recharge once disposal ponds are decommissioned are shorter in mixed-age groundwater with large fractions of modern water (9–14 years in one example) than in mixed-age groundwater with large fractions of premodern water (no evidence of dilution after 12 years of monitoring in one example). The presence of predominantly premodern groundwater in the Coastal basins and western SJV indicates these areas have relatively high risk from upward migration of hydrocarbons, reduced methane attenuation capacity, and long dilution times, whereas predominantly modern-and mixed-age groundwater in the eastern SJV indicates this area has relatively high risk from chemical migration from land-surface sources and subsequent extensive spreading. Age-based characterizations of relative risk could inform the design of groundwater-monitoring programs near oil fields in terms of the spatial distribution of monitoring points relative to source areas and monitoring frequency and duration. 

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.

Rise of Water Power in Electrical Supply

Scientific American | March 28th, 1903

Water power is destined to operate the greater part of electrical supply and street railways in North America. A large beginning in this direction has already been mad

Water power is destined to operate the greater part of electrical supply and street railways in North America. A large beginning in this direction has already been made. Electrical l oads are being transferred to water power faster than they are created and steam plants reduced to occasional use. Meantime development of the vast resources of water power on this continent is only in its initial stage.