Pulse Flows Component of the Water Storage Investment Program Groundwater Projects Supplemental Environmental Impact Report

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | July 30th, 2024

This final supplemental environmental impact report (Final SEIR) has been prepared for the Pulse Flows Component of the Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP) Groundwate

This final supplemental environmental impact report (Final SEIR) has been prepared for the Pulse Flows Component of the Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP) Groundwater Projects (Pulse Flows Component). The Final SEIR is a supplement to three certified environmental impact reports (EIRs) prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for three independent WSIP projects (referred to herein as the “WSIP Groundwater Projects”): (1) the Chino Basin Program, (2) the Kern Fan Groundwater Storage Project (Kern Fan), and (3) the Willow Springs Water Bank Project (Willow Springs).

Pure Water Soquel Groundwater Model Simulation Results

Soquel Creek Water District | June 22nd, 2018

This technical memorandum discusses model simulation groundwater levels, groundwater budget, and particle tracking results to support the Environmental Impact Rep

This technical memorandum discusses model simulation groundwater levels, groundwater budget, and particle tracking results to support the Environmental Impact Report of the Pure Water Soquel project involving replenishment of advanced purified recycled water within Soquel Creek Water District’s (SqCWD’s) service area. Six model simulations have been run using the calibrated GSFLOW model for the Santa Cruz Mid- County Basin (the Basin) where SqCWD’s service area is located. These simulations have different pumping and active replenishment distributions, as follows: Two Projected Existing Conditions (No Project) simulations with SqCWD’spumping distribution reflecting future demand without additional replenishment at proposed recharge wells. Two Project simulations with SqCWD’s pumping distribution reflecting future demand and pumping re-distribution with the addition of replenishment at the Monterey and Cabrillo College Dr. sites (referred to as the Cabrillo-Monterey simulations). These simulations also represent potential replenishment at the Twin Lakes Church site instead of one of the two Cabrillo College Dr. sites. The Twin Lakes Church site is approximately 500-750 feet to the west of the Cabrillo College Dr. sites. Two Project simulations with the same pumping distribution as the Cabrillo- Monterey simulations, but with replenishment at the Monterey and Willowbrook sites (referred to as the Monterey-Willowbrook simulations).Simulation groundwater levels are evaluated for the following effects: Comparison of groundwater levels at coastal monitoring wells to protective elevations estimated to prevent seawater intrusion from further occurring in groundwater supply aquifers. Groundwater levels in the recharge wells to assess whether model results are consistent with estimated capacities for the well, recognizing that site specific testing will be needed to confirm recharge well capacities. Groundwater levels at nearby wells to evaluate effects on operation of those municipal, private, and institutional wells.Simulation groundwater budgets are evaluated for following effects: • Flows entering and leaving the Basin, including flows to and from groundwater in storage and flows offshore to prevent seawater intrusion. • Flows between groundwater and surface water. This memo does not include results for a Cumulative simulation. Information from the City of Santa Cruz to define its Aquifer Storage and Recovery project to be cumulative with Pure Water Soquel is not available or developed at this time. This memo includes results from particle tracking based on the above simulations performed to support the Salt and Nutrient Anti-degradation Study and permitting of the recharge wells. This involves particle tracking of simulated purified, replenishment water to evaluate the fate of the water as it travels in subsurface aquifers. Particle tracking is also used to evaluate travel times of purified, replenishment water, which requires refined analysis near the recharge wells. A scope to superimpose analytic element solutions for recharge and nearby extraction wells onto GSFLOW results to facilitate travel time calculations was approved by SqCWD Board December 18, 2017 and results should be forthcoming in July 2018.

Recharge Area Identification, Utilization, and Protection Resource Management Strategy

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | April 29th, 2024

This resource management strategy (RMS) advances water supply augmentation, resilience, and equity in California by providing summaries of the state of knowledge, applica

This resource management strategy (RMS) advances water supply augmentation, resilience, and equity in California by providing summaries of the state of knowledge, applications, and available information and resources on recharge area identification, utilization, and protection.

Recharge Area Protection (Resource Management Strategy)

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | July 29th, 2016

Recharge areas are those areas that provide the primary means of replenishing groundwater. Good natural recharge areas are those where good quality surface water is able

Recharge areas are those areas that provide the primary means of replenishing groundwater. Good natural recharge areas are those where good quality surface water is able to percolate through the sediments and rocks to the saturated zone which contains groundwater. If recharge areas cease to function properly, it will limit groundwater replenishment and/or groundwater quality for storage or use. Protection of recharge areas requires a number of actions based on two primary goals: (1) ensuring that areas suitable for recharge continue to be capable of adequate recharge rather than being covered by urban infrastructure, such as buildings and roads, and (2) preventing pollutants from entering groundwater to avoid expensive treatment that may be necessary prior to beneficial use. Protection of recharge areas is necessary to maintain the quantity and quality of groundwater in the aquifer. However, protecting recharge areas by itself does not provide a supply of water. Recharge areas are functioning properly when aquifer storage capacity is available, sufficient permeable surface is present, and the adequate supply of good quality water to recharge the aquifer is available. Protecting existing and potential recharge areas allows them to serve as valuable components of a conjunctive management and groundwater strategy.

Recharge net metering (ReNeM) is a novel, cost-effective management strategy to incentivize groundwater recharge

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | October 18th, 2023

Recharge Net Metering to Enhance Groundwater Sustainability

University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) | April 2nd, 2018

Groundwater sustainability depends on balancing aquifer inflows and outflows. Extraction (pumping of groundwater, typically for human use) and recharge (inflow of

Groundwater sustainability depends on balancing aquifer inflows and outflows. Extraction (pumping of groundwater, typically for human use) and recharge (inflow of water to an aquifer from the land surface and streams) are central components of this water balance. Often, increasing demands for groundwater are exacer- bated by stresses on limited surface water supplies. Changes in land use and shifting climate can result in less infiltration of precipitation into the ground, reducing recharge. Increasing water scarcity has led to increased pumping, and in turn, unsustainable management of groundwater in many basins, resulting in depleted supplies, degraded water quality, and other impacts.

Recharge Roundtable Call to Action: Key Steps for Replenishing California Groundwater

Groundwater Resources Association of California (GRA) | September 24th, 2018

The age of tacitly treating groundwater as primarily an extractive resource is over, both for California and the rest of the world. This will require vastly more

The age of tacitly treating groundwater as primarily an extractive resource is over, both for California and the rest of the world. This will require vastly more managed aquifer recharge than ever previously imagined. It was in this spirit of profound concern for the future of not only groundwater resources, but also for water security and sustainability in general, that on October 2, 2017 the Groundwater Resources Association of California (GRA) and the University of California Water Security and Sustainability Research Initiative (UC Water) convened the Recharge Roundtable in Sacramento. The Recharge Roundtable consisted of 50 attendees with a diverse cross-section of disciplines and professions, including water managers, consultants, academics, hydrologists, and social scientists. The strong experience and expertise assembled in this group, together with the sincere interest in solving a daunting water challenge, made the meeting very productive and led to the proposed actions included in this document.

Reference Guide to On-Farm Groundwater Recharge on Annual Cropland | Recommendations for Creating Waterbird Habitat Benefits

Nature Conservancy | May 1st, 2019

With the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requiring basins to balance water budgets and manage groundwater sustainably, there is an opportunity to demonstr

With the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requiring basins to balance water budgets and manage groundwater sustainably, there is an opportunity to demonstrate groundwater recharge with benefits to birds and people. A multiple-benefit approach brings together water managers, farmers, agencies and conservation groups to stabilize groundwater in a manner that provides greater water reliability for farms and communities while protecting ecosystems, including migratory bird habitat.

Regional land subsidence accompanying groundwater extraction

Hydrogeology Journal (Springer) | August 26th, 2011

The extraction of groundwater can generate land subsidence by causing the compaction of susceptible aquifer systems, typically unconsolidated alluvial or basin-fill aquif

The extraction of groundwater can generate land subsidence by causing the compaction of susceptible aquifer systems, typically unconsolidated alluvial or basin-fill aquifer systems comprising aquifers and aquitards. Various ground-based and remotely sensed methods are used to measure and map subsidence. Many areas of subsidence caused by groundwater pumping have been identified and monitored, and corrective measures to slow or halt subsidence have been devised. Two principal means are used to mitigate subsidence caused by groundwater withdrawal—reduction of groundwater withdrawal, and artificial recharge. Analysis and simulation of aquifer-system compaction follow from the basic relations between head, stress, compressibility, and groundwater flow and are addressed primarily using two approaches—one based on conventional groundwater flow theory and one based on linear poroelasticity theory. Research and development to improve the assessment and analysis of aquifer-system compaction, the accompanying subsidence and potential ground ruptures are needed in the topic areas of the hydromechanical behavior of aquitards, the role of horizontal deformation, the application of differential synthetic aperture radar interferometry, and the regional-scale simulation of coupled groundwater flow and aquifer-system deformation to support resource management and hazard mitigation measures.

Regional water table (2002) and water-level changes in the Mojave River and the Morongo ground-water basins, Southwestern Mojave Desert, California

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | July 1st, 2004