Salinas Valley – Langley Area
Statistics
- Basin Name
- Salinas Valley – Langley Area
- Basin Number
- 3-004.09
- SGMA Basin Priority
- High
- Critically Overdrafted
- No
- Hydrologic Region Name
- Central Coast
- Counties
- Monterey
Basin Notes
2003: Bulletin 118 basin description
2014: Basin priority: medium
2015: Declining groundwater levels noted in State of the Salinas River Groundwater Basin, Monterey County Resource Management Agency 2016: Basin boundary modifications approved with the Santa Cruz Purisima 3-021, Pajaro Valley 3-002, Langley Area 3-004.09, and 180/400 Foot Aquifer subbasins.
Bulletin 118 Interim Update: Various portions of the original Pajaro Valley Basin were moved to three adjacent subbasins/basins— 180/400 Foot Aquifer Subbasin (3-004.01), Langley Area Subbasin (3-004.09), and the newly formed Santa Cruz Mid-County (3-001) Basin. A portion of the for- mer Santa Cruz Purisima Formation Basin (3-21) was added to this basin. The Pajaro Valley Basin was also reclassified as a subbasin.
Revised boundary description notes
2018: Basin 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 (MCWRA, 2006). 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.
2018 Final Basin Prioritization: Basin status is changed from Hedium to High priority.
2022: January 24 – Groundwater Sustainability Plan submitted to DWR
2023: April 27 – GSP approved by DWR
At-A-Glance
California Water Library Documents About This Basin
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
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
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
Statement of Findings regarding the Approval of the Salinas Valley - Langley Area Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan
California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | April 27th, 2023
Langley Area Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan
Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency | January 13th, 2022
The 2014 California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires that medium- and high-priority groundwater basins and subbasins develop Groundwater Sustainabil
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
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
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