Chico State, Stanford University helping county analyze water basin management: “A Butte County project will expand its partnership with Chico State and Stanford University to analyze available groundwater systems. The AEM project involves analysis of well logs, and hopes to expand the analysis using magnetics and a grid to fill in holes in the data. It’s a groundbreaking project for water management in the county, according to Paul Gosselin, director of the county’s water and resource management department. … ” Read more from the Oroville Mercury-Register here: Chico State, Stanford University helping county analyze water basin management
Lake County to consider shifting Big Valley groundwater management: “On Tuesday, the Lake County Board of Supervisors, sitting as the directors of the county’s watershed protection district, will consider forming a new groundwater management agency for the Big Valley basin. Lake County Water Resources Interim Director Scott de Leon writes that “In order to maintain local and sustainable management of the Big Valley groundwater basin, it is in the best interest for the County that the Board of Directors of the Lake County Watershed Protection District approve the resolution authorizing the District to from the Big Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency.” … ” Read more from the Lake County Record Bee here: Lake County to consider shifting Big Valley groundwater management
Roseville: Groundwater basin recharged with 470 Olympic-sized pools worth of water: “Increasingly, water management in California is a balancing act where solutions must knit together the needs of people, industry, farming, species and the environment. Managing water to benefit these multiple uses is hard enough if water was a stationary resource – but it’s not. Especially during the winter months, water managers confront complex decisions about when and where water is released from reservoirs for winter flood protection as well as environmental flows and supply needs throughout the year. … ” Read more from the City of Roseville here: Roseville: Groundwater basin recharged with 470 Olympic-sized pools worth of water
Lodi: Groundwater draft plan reaches milestone: Jane Wagner-Tyack writes, “An important but not widely-publicized local planning process reached a milestone with the July release of the draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the Eastern San Joaquin Subbasin. This is the public’s first chance to see how groundwater in this region may be managed for the next 20 years. … ” Continue reading at the Lodi News-Sentinel here: Lodi: Groundwater draft plan reaches milestone
San Benito: Groundwater plan is moving along: “Adopted in 2014, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) sets milestones that must be met to achieve groundwater sustainability. The law requires formation of local groundwater sustainability agencies—or GSAs—to guide groundwater management in basins and sub-basins classified by the state as medium- or high-priority. The local agencies must work together with groundwater users to develop groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) that will guide decisions affecting groundwater use and fees. The San Benito County Water District is the GSA for the North San Benito Basin and is preparing a GSP in partnership with Santa Clara Valley Water District (now known as Valley Water), for small areas of the basin that extend into Santa Clara County. ... ” Read more from Benito Link here: San Benito: Groundwater plan is moving along
Thirsty for sustainability: Is Paso Robles any closer to solving its groundwater problem?: “On a blistering hot July day in San Miguel, Robert Galbraith, 68, bends down and scoops up two handfuls of dry soil. He spreads his fingers and lets the dirt fall back to his fallowed ground. The motion is symbolic of how Galbraith feels his family farm is slipping away from him. A San Luis Obispo County policy regulating pumping from the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin has hamstrung how Galbraith can farm his land. … ” Read more from New Times SLO here: Thirsty for sustainability: Is Paso Robles any closer to solving its groundwater problem?
Owens Valley Groundwater Authority awaiting decision from Department of Water Resources: “The tentative low priority status of the Owens Valley groundwater basin has only heightened the complexity of the Owens Valley Groundwater Authority’s meetings, not lowered them. The current nine board members opted to hold off on additional meetings until the state Department of Water Resources issues its final decision. The delay will also give the members’ individual entities another chance to figure out if they want to proceed with a Groundwater Sustainability Plan and all the potential requirements of that plan. The snag in the delay is the deadline of January 31, 2022 when medium and above priority basins will have to have a plan in place. … ” Read more from the Sierra Wave here: Owens Valley Groundwater Authority awaiting decision from Department of Water Resources
Ridgecrest: TAC takes a crack at latest groundwater model: “The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority Technical Advisory Committee got a look at a new modeling scenario that could help define a groundwater sustainability plan required by the Department of Water Resources. Jeff Helsley with Stetson Engineers, Inc., the Groundwater Authority’s water resources manager, provided the update during a meeting Thursday at Ridgecrest City Hall. The modeling scenario, labeled “Modified Water Buyout” is the sixth model to be developed, and is the modified version of a previous model identified as the most likely acceptable solution for stakeholders. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: TAC takes a crack at latest groundwater model
Ridgecrest: Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority PAC meets today to discuss modeling scenario: “The Policy Advisory Committee of the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority meets today at 1 p.m. for a special meeting at Ridgecrest City Hall council chambers, 100 W. Ridgecrest Blvd. The committee’s top agenda item will be the discussion of the latest groundwater modeling scenario, which provides possible guidelines and outlooks related to the goal of achieving a safe sustainable pumping yield required by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014. ... ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Ridgecrest: PAC meets today to discuss modeling scenario
Tulare Irrigation District applies for groundwater grant: “The Tulare Irrigation District is seeking a grant to develop a groundwater exchange market with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The grant would determine the viability of a water market for the Kaweah subbasin, which would involve the groundwater sustainability agencies managing the subbasin: Mid-Kaweah, Greater Kaweah and East Kaweah. Paul Hendrix, the general manager for the Mid-Kaweah groundwater sustainability agency (GSA), said all three GSAs would be involved in developing a water market for the Kaweah subbasin and deciding how the market is shaped. ... ” Read more from the Foothills Sun Gazette here: Tulare Irrigation District applies for groundwater grant
Bakersfield: Hard Rock casino could ease county’s water worries, officials say: “As the Tejon Tribe casino makes its way through the regulatory process, concerns have been raised over the impact the complex will have on the county’s groundwater. However, county officials believe the casino may actually use less water than the farms that currently occupy the planned site just south of Bakersfield. But questions do remain as to how much water the casino will actually need to operate. ... ” Read more from Bakersfield.com here: Hard Rock casino could ease county’s water worries, officials say
Kern County: Groundwater trading program, first of its kind for Central Valley, is being designed: “In a first for Kern County and the Central Valley, a groundwater trading program is being designed to help local growers meet new regulations under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act — which kicks in next year. The Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District is working with the Environmental Defense Fund to develop a web-based platform growers can use to sell or buy units of groundwater. New state regulations take effect in 2020 that essentially prohibit water districts in California from taking more water out of the ground than they can put back in on an annual basis. … ” Read more from KGET here: Groundwater trading program, first of its kind for Central Valley, is being designed
San Bernardino Basin has record recharge: “Nearing the end of the San Bernardino Basin area’s first water year with above average precipitation since 2010-11, San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District reported more than 20 billion gallons of water captured, a new record for captured groundwater recharge. This milestone was reached the last week of July, with two months left in the water year, and represents enough groundwater to serve 180,000 families for one year, according to a conservation district press release. ... ” Read more from the Highland Community News here: San Bernardino Basin has record recharge