San Fernando Valley

Statistics

Basin Notes

1979: May 12 — California Supreme Court affirms City of Los Angeles pueblo water rights to groundwater in basin derived from precipitation. History of the decision and watermaster links:  Upper Los Angeles River Area Watermaster 

1980-89: Contamination of groundwater and Superfund site established in Burbank, US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)

2003: Bulletin 118 basin description

2008: An Implementation Blueprint for Enhancing Groundwater Recharge in the San Fernando Basin, University of Southern California

2012: Groundwater Quality in the San Fernando–San Gabriel Groundwater Basins, California, US Geological Survey

2014: CASGEM basin prioritization – medium. Comments: Some public supply wells have shown contamination per B118

2016: Watermaster report, annual ULARA Watermaster reports

2018: Draft basin prioritization – Very Low.  Comments:

  • 1) CASGEM/WDL/GWIDS: Longterm hydrographs show groundwater level decline. Source: DWR
  • 2) Upper Los Angeles River Area Watermaster notes decline

Basin is 98.98% adjudicated 2018 Final Basin Prioritization: Very Low.

San Fernando Valley Groundwater Remediation Program,  Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

2023: San Fernando Valley Groundwater Remediation, West Coast Aerial Photography

At-A-Glance

Source: CA DWR

California Water Library Documents About This Basin

Depth-dependent seismic sensing of groundwater recovery from the atmospheric-river storms of 2023

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | February 13th, 2025

In early 2023, a series of intense atmospheric-river storms eased California’s historic drought, yet the spatiotemporal extent of groundwater recovery remains poorly un

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The Resilience Value of Recycled Water for Los Angeles

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | November 13th, 2024

In 2019, the City of Los Angeles (City) announced the development of the Operation NEXT Water Supply Program (Operation NEXT or Program) (City of Los Angeles, 2019), an a

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Advancing Stormwater Capture for Greener Schools in Los Angeles

Pacific Institute | August 15th, 2024

In communities across the United States, schools provide an enriching and safe environment for children to learn and grow. Yet urban schools, particularly those serving

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Los Angeles County’s Climate Cost Challenge

Center for Climate Integrity | April 2nd, 2024

Within the first two months of 2024, the City of Los Angeles had already exceeded its average annual rainfall, receiving nearly 15 inches of rain in back-to-back deluges.

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Los Angeles County Water Plan 2023

Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (LACDPW) | December 5th, 2023

Over 200 agencies in Los Angeles County manage a complex network of water systems to meet the needs of our communities and environment. To achieve sustainability, resilie

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Equity in Stormwater Investments: Measuring Community Engagement and Disadvantaged Community Benefits for Equitable Impact in the Safe Clean Water Program

Publisher not available | August 4th, 2022

The Safe, Clean Water Program (SCWP) reflects the will of the voters of Los Angeles County, who approved Measure W in 2018 by close to 70%. The ballot measure established

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Historical Ecology of the Los Angeles River Watershed and Environs, Infrastructure for a Comprehensive Analysis

University of Southern California (USC) | June 15th, 2020

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Achievements in Conservation, Recycling, and Groundwater Recharge Covering Fiscal Year July 2018-June 2019

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) | March 1st, 2020

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One Water LA 2040 Plan

City of Los Angeles | April 30th, 2018

The purpose of the One Water LA 2040 Plan (Plan) is to increase sustainable water management for the City of Los Angeles (City). The City launched One Water LA with two p

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San Fernando Groundwater Basin Remediation Program

Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) | January 1st, 2018

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Estimating Spatially and Temporally Varying Recharge and Runoff from Precipitation and Urban Irrigation in the Los Angeles Basin, California

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | October 6th, 2016

A daily precipitation-runoff model, referred to as the Los Angeles Basin watershed model (LABWM), was used to estimate recharge and runoff for a 5,047 square kilometer st

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Extreme hydrological changes in the southwestern US drive reductions in water supply to Southern California by mid century

Environmental Research Letters (IOP) | September 21st, 2016

The Southwestern United States has a greater vulnerability to climate change impacts on water security due to a reliance on snowmelt driven imported water. The State of C

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Groundwater Quality in the San Fernando–San Gabriel Groundwater Basins, California

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | March 31st, 2012

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An Implementation Blueprint for Enhancing Groundwater Recharge in the San Fernando Basin

University of Southern California (USC) | December 31st, 2008

The purpose of this report is to analyze the potential of providing ground water recharge in the San Fernando Basin (SFB) using native water, including the identification

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Final Groundwater Assessment Study: A Status Report on the Use of Groundwater in the Service Area of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) | September 3rd, 2007

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Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Hydrology Manual

Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (LACDPW) | January 30th, 2006

This manual establishes the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works' hydrologic design procedures and serves as a reference and training guide. This manual contains

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Geohydrology, Geochemistry, and Ground-Water Simulation-Optimization of the Central and West Coast Basins, Los Angeles County, California By

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | January 3rd, 2003

Historical ground-water development of the Central and West Coast Basins in Los Angeles County, California through the first half of the 20th century caused large water-l

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Water Supply Conditions in Southern California during 1958-1959, Volume II, Water Level Data, Central Coastal and Los Angeles Regions

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | May 1st, 1961

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Bulletin No. 39-58, Water Supply Conditions in Southern California during 1957-1958, Volume II, Precipitation and Water Level Data, Central Coastal and Los Angeles Regions

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | August 1st, 1960

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Bulletin No. 39-57, Water Supply Conditions in Southern California during 1956-1957, Volume II, Precipitation and Water Level Data Central Coastal and Los Angeles Regions

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | June 16th, 1958

Bulletin No. 39-57 Volume I Bulletin No. 39-57 Volume III Bulletin No. 39-57 Volume IV

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GSA Information