Salinas Valley – Corral de Tierra / Monterey

Statistics

Basin Notes

2003: Bulletin 118 basin description Corral de Tierra

2014: CASGEM Basin Prioritization – Medium

2016: Basin boundary modified in relation to the adjudicated neighboring Seaside 3-004.08 subbasin. Per DWR: This request was initially submitted as a jurisdictional subdivision, but was
changed to a scientific external modification based upon the USGS study supporting the adjudication of the Seaside area. The remaining portions of the original Seaside subbasin were incorporated into the Corral De Tierra subbasin due to similar hydrogeologic properties.

2018: Basin priority: High. Prioritization comment: Seawater intrusion began in the Salinas Valley by the 1930s. Since that time, seawater intrusion has continued and now extends more than five miles inland. The Monterey County Flood Control and Water Conservation District built Nacimiento Dam in 1957 and an Antonio Dam in 1965 to provide flood control and to accelerate groundwater recharge to mitigate seawater intrusion. In April 1998, the Monterey County Water Recycling Projects started delivering recycled water for irrigation in lieu of groundwater pumping, effectively slowing the seawater intrusion rate. 2) The Salinas Valley Water Project is currently being implemented by the Monterey County Water Resources Agency to mitigate groundwater overdraft and seawater intrusion. The project includes mitigation measures such as construction or retrofit of recharge dams, protection of recharge areas, and injection of recycled water into the impacted aquifers. Arsenic noted in GAMA study and reported in 9/22/16 Monterey County Weekly

2018: Final Basin Prioritization: Basin status remains unchanged at medium priority.  

2022: January 28 – GSP submitted to DWR

2023: April 27 – GSP approved by DWR

At-A-Glance

Source: CA DWR
Source: CA DWR

California Water Library Documents About This Basin

2024 Annual Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program Report

California Department of Conservation (CDoC) | May 29th, 2025

The Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP) increases regional capacity for repurposing irrigated agricultural land to uses that reduce reliance on groundwater while

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Application of Hydrologic Simulation Program—FORTRAN (HSPF) as Part of an Integrated Hydrologic Model for the Salinas Valley, California

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | April 8th, 2025

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Monterey County Water Resources Agency, conducted studies to help evaluate the surface-water and grou

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Salinas Valley Integrated Hydrologic and Reservoir Operations Models, Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties, California

Monterey County Resources Agency (MCRA) | April 5th, 2025

To evaluate the challenging water management issues in the Salinas Valley, the U.S. Geological Survey, Monterey County Water Resource Agency, and the Salina

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Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program Annual Report 2023

California Department of Conservation (CDoC) | April 9th, 2024

The Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP) increases regional capacity for repurposing irrigated agricultural land to uses that reduce reliance on groundwat

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Establishing ecological thresholds and targets for groundwater management

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | April 3rd, 2024

Groundwater is critical for many ecosystems, yet groundwater requirements for dependent ecosystems are rarely accounted for during water and conservation planning. Here w

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Statement of Findings regarding the Approval of the Salinas Valley - Monterey Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | April 27th, 2023

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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

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Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin 180/400-Foot Aquifer Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency | January 3rd, 2020

The 2014 California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires that medium and high-priority groundwater basins and subbasins develop Groundwater Sustainabil

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Integrated Regional Water Management Plan for the Greater Monterey County Region

Greater Monterey County Regional Water Management Group | August 31st, 2018

Integrated regional water management (IRWM) is an approach to water resource management in California that is being strongly promoted by the State as a way to inc

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Bulletin 118: California's Groundwater (1980)

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | January 1st, 1980

Ground water management is a major issue in California.  The Governor's Commission to Review California Water Rights Law, in its December 1978 report, recommends a new g

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GSA Information