SGMA in the News

Vicky Espinoza is a Ph.D. Candidate advised by Dr. Joshua Viers in the Environmental Systems Graduate Group at the University of California Merced. As a Latina in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), she has been actively involved in making science and mathematics accessible to underrepresented, Spanish-speaking communities throughout her educational career.

Q: Can you share a brief introduction of your research and CaliWaterAg?

A: Many studies have projected that more than 10% of agricultural land will need to go out of production to address groundwater overdraft in the San Joaquin Valley. Taking land out of production is difficult and something that cannot be done randomly since there are impacts to people’s livelihood and the economy.  My doctoral work addresses how and where this is going to happen in a way that minimizes impacts to already vulnerable communities and farmers in the Valley.

Click here to continue reading at the NGO Groundwater Collaborative.

Click here to view the CaliWaterAg channel on YouTube.

California growers face groundwater restrictions

“In the wake of one of the state’s worst droughts in modern history, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) became law in California in 2014. It’s intended to ensure better local and regional management of groundwater use, with the overall goal being sustainable groundwater management by 2042.  The state’s growers will face increasing pressure to justify their water usage, and depending on their location, could face tough restrictions. Irrigation suppliers are of course very familiar with the law, so we asked them how they can help growers, and what advice they might offer. Here’s a sampling of their responses … ”  Read more from Growing Produce here: California growers face groundwater restrictions

Groundwater information is no longer out of depth

“Water is constantly on the move: through the air, through waterways, and underground. Life depends on a consistent supply of water and details about its journey are necessary for understanding and managing this dynamic resource.  However, those details are often difficult to measure. UConn Ph.D. candidate Danielle Hare, in the lab of associate professor of Natural Resources and the Environment Ashley Helton, has expanded on a novel method to easily access vital details about groundwater, and in doing so, they have discovered that many streams are more vulnerable to stressors like climate change than previously thought. The team has published their findings in the latest issue of Nature Communications. … ”  Read more from Water Online here: Groundwater information is no longer out of depth

Managing water and crops with groundwater salinity – a growing menace

“Salinity is an eventual threat to agriculture and groundwater sustainability in parts of California, and other irrigated parts of the world. Irrigation, lower groundwater levels, and natural conditions have dramatically increased groundwater salinity in parts of California over the last 150 years (Hansen et al. 2018). Nearly two million tons of salt accumulates per year in the San Joaquin Valley (CV-SALTS), where 250,000 acres of irrigated land have been fallowed, 1.5 million acres are potentially salt-impaired (Great Valley Center 2005), with $1.2 – $2.2 billion/year losses by 2030 (Howitt et al. 2009) without management. Managing groundwater with salinity can differ fundamentally from conjunctive water management without salinity, which was summarized in a previous blog post. … ”  Read more from the California Water Blog here:  Managing water and crops with groundwater salinity – a growing menace

Paso Robles: Supervisors discuss water resources and amendments

” …  After closed session, the Board returned to hear the Water Management Amendment 18 to Water Supply Contract between the State of California Department of Water Resources and San Luis Obispo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District.  This amendment would give more flexibility to the county in how they want to use any additional water over the allowed holding while still requiring that every use would have to come before the Board to be approved.  Peschong stated his concerns on behalf of his constituents, “We really have gone out of our way not to allow water banking. If I can cut to one thing, this is what I worry about. [The verbiage of the amendment is] not strong enough to let the state know this is not the place they can store water underground.” ... ”  Read more from the Paso Robles Press here: Paso Robles: Supervisors discuss water resources and amendments

Commentary: Dry year intensifies focus on California groundwater

Danny Merkley, director of water resources for the California Farm Bureau writes, “Each March, those of us involved in water policy commemorate National Groundwater Awareness Week. Because groundwater represents such a precious resource to California farmers and ranchers, Farm Bureau works to promote groundwater awareness throughout the year.  In 2014, the state Legislature passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, the most sweeping water management legislation in 100 years. Since then, the California Farm Bureau has been assisting members with understanding, engaging and complying with SGMA.  Groundwater aquifers are best understood and managed locally; therefore, the key to successfully implementing SGMA lies in maintaining local control, something Farm Bureau vigorously advocates. In addition, we have stressed that to reduce dependence on groundwater, we must expand surface water storage and recharge our groundwater aquifers when excess water is available. … ”  Read more from the California Farm Bureau Federation here: Commentary: Dry year intensifies focus on California groundwater

The Combined Well Standards, DWR Bulletin 74-81 and 74-90 are once again available for use. This web-based document was remediated to meet accessibility requirements.

The publication is an informal compilation of Bulletin 74-81 and the draft supplemental, Bulletin 74-90. Although Bulletin 74-90 was not finalized by DWR nor officially adopted into the Model Well Ordinance by the State Water Resources Control Board, it has been adopted into local ordinances around the state.

To facilitate its use, DWR has combined the contents according to Table 1 (B74-90) of Bulletin 74-90 and made minor modifications in wording and formatting to improve readability.

DWR is no longer able to post the PDF versions of the original DWR Bulletin 74-81 and Bulletin 74-90 on their webpage since they do not meet accessibility standards. They are available on the Internet Archive: Bulletin 74-81 and Bulletin 74-90.

Until the Bulletin 74 Update is completed, DWR’s project team hopes these Combined Well Standards serve as a useful resource for you in your work. For questions or more information, email Bulletin74@water.ca.gov.

“Drought has become an issue in California, and one way to help that are vineyards. California Ag Net explains how researchers are using farmland to recharge groundwater.”

Watch video segment from RFD TV here: Using vineyards to recharge California’s groundwater

For more on groundwater recharge, visit the groundwater recharge page at the Groundwater Exchange by clicking here.

“With the lack of rain this fall and winter, comes anxiety about California’s water future for people, wildlife, and agriculture in California’s Central Valley.

Our rainfall not only produces benefits at the surface like wildlife habitat and food crops, but it also recharges our stores of water below ground, otherwise known as groundwater aquifers. Even though we can’t see groundwater, and many of us don’t quite understand what it is, we all depend on it for the fresh water that we drink and use to grow our food. 

California is facing one of the largest resource challenges ever: how to recharge or refill a depleted water table in the Central Valley, a hugely important region for wildlife and agriculture. … ”

Read more from Point Blue here: Attractive and beneficial: Groundwater recharge basins can be both for people and wildlife

For more on groundwater recharge, visit the groundwater recharge page at the Groundwater Exchange by clicking here.

“Lower groundwater levels can prevent drainage of water and salts from a basin and increase aquifer salinity that eventually renders the groundwater unsuitable for use as drinking water or irrigation without expensive desalination. Pauloo et al. (2021)  demonstrate this process for the Tulare Lake Basin (TLB) of California’s Central Valley.

Even if groundwater pumping does not cause overdraft, it can cause hydrologic basin closure leading to progressive salinization that will not cease until the basin is opened by allowing natural or engineered exits for groundwater and dissolved salt. The process, “Anthropogenic Basin Closure and Groundwater Salinization (ABCSAL)”, is driven by human water management. … ”

Read more from the California Water Blog here:  Groundwater Salinization in California’s Tulare Lake Basin, the ABCSAL model

Ukiah Groundwater Agency moves forward with well monitoring network — expects groundwater regulation by June 2022

“After a three month hiatus, the Ukiah Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency’s board held their first meeting of 2021 yesterday, at which they approved new board members, adopted an updated communication plan, and formally gained access to two parcels where they will expand their groundwater monitoring network as they work towards their goal of fully regulating and managing groundwater usage by June 2022.  In the past, no government has regulated groundwater usage in Ukiah nor in California. However, a 2015 law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA pronounced like the Greek letter Σ), changed that. … ”  Read more from the Mendocino Beacon here: Ukiah Groundwater Agency moves forward with well monitoring network — expects groundwater regulation by June 2022

McMullin Area GSA awarded $10 million grant to expand On-Farm Recharge Project

“The McMullin Area Groundwater Sustainability Agency (MAGSA), a Groundwater Sustainability Agency in the Central Valley’s Kings Subbasin, has been awarded a $10 million grant by the State Water Resources Control Board through the Prop 1 Stormwater Grant Program to expand the existing McMullin On-Farm Recharge (OFR) Project located near Helm in Fresno County. The Project is identified in MAGSA’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan and is a key element in a vision developed by MAGSA to achieve groundwater sustainability under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) through innovative approaches in groundwater banking and crediting. ... ”  Read more from ACWA’s Water News here: MAGSA awarded $10 million grant to expand On-Farm Recharge Project

Understanding the water consumption of treenut orchards

“Tools such a SWIIM–which stands for Sustainable Water and Innovative Irrigation Management provids a new standard in water measurement that allows growers to receive an accurate accounting of the water both delivered and consumed by their orchards.  Kevin France, is the CEO and one of the Cofounders of SWIIM. “If you start looking at water from an accounting standpoint, like your CPA looks at your financials, and if you utilize your tools and grower relations team to help get your arms around what you are doing well and you keep doing it and you can quantify that,” said France. … ”  Read more from Ag Net West here: Understanding the water consumption of treenut orchards

Double blast of lawsuits fired at proposed Kern groundwater bank

“A major water banking proposal northwest of Bakersfield that won coveted Proposition 1 funding in 2018, was hit by two lawsuits earlier this month, one claiming it is nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing intent on selling Kern River water to southern California.  The City of Bakersfield and the Kern County Water Agency filed separate complaints Feb. 2 against the Kern Fan Groundwater Storage Project seeking to have the project’s recently approved environmental impact report deemed inadequate. … ”  Read more from SJV Water here:  Double blast of lawsuits fired at proposed Kern groundwater bank

Abishek Singh, Ph.D., is Vice President of Intera’s Western Region based out of Los Angeles.  His professional experience has focused on research and application experience in groundwater and surface water modeling, planning and decision analysis, risk and uncertainty analyses, optimization techniques, and temporal/spatial statistics. He has expertise in developing, calibrating, and applying hydrologic and data-driven models to support robust water-resources decision-making.

In a recent webinar presented by Intera, Dr. Singh gave a presentation explaining what groundwater models are, uses for groundwater models, how groundwater models work, and provided some case studies.

Click here to read this article at Maven ‘s Notebook.

Subsidence of land surfaces has increasingly become a greater concern around the world as groundwater has continued to be depleted due to increase water demand while surface water depletion means that populations increasingly look to use subsurface water.

The lowering of Earth’s land surfaces promises to be a major problem for urban and rural regions and mapping these threats accurately may prove important to plan, prevent, and minimize this threat.

Using a literature review and spatial analysis, it is evident that some 34 countries are at major risk in the coming decades for major subsidence of their land surface. In particular, a recent mapping effort that looks at every 30 arc seconds resolution across the globe identified that very flat areas with unconsolidated sediments accumulated in alluvial basins or coastal plains are the most vulnerable.

Click here to continue reading at the GIS Lounge.

Department of Conservation awards $1.5M in grants to support State’s Groundwater Management Plan

“The California Department of Conservation (DOC) today announced five watershed coordinator grants totaling $1.5 million to support regional sustainable groundwater management goals. The grants will go to organizations around the state within medium- and high-priority groundwater basins.  “California’s world-class economy – its unparalleled agricultural sector, diversity, and abundance of industry and communities of all sizes and geographies — depends on water, and with the reality of climate change, that increasingly means groundwater,” DOC Director David Shabazian said. “Groundwater is a critical resource that we must manage more intently to meet today’s needs while also ensuring adequate water supply in the future. These grants, which support the goals of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), help us do that.”  … ”  Read more from the Department of Conservation here:  Department of Conservation awards $1.5M in grants to support State’s Groundwater Management Plan

Managing groundwater overdraft – combining crop and water decisions (without salinity)

” … This post summarizes some recent research examining conjunctive water management for agriculture integrating hydro-economic optimization models on two timescales, neglecting for now salinity effects on crop yield: an intermediate term 10-year stochastic model of water and crop management spanning dry and wet years, and a far horizon (100 years of 10-year stages) management model which embeds intermediate-term model to represent longer-term aquifer targets (Yao 2020). The modeling was applied for conditions similar to California’s San Joaquin Valley.  Integrated economically-driven optimization of permanent and annual crop acreages and water management for these two timescales identifies some economically-promising strategies considering both crop decisions and water management to mitigate groundwater overdraft. … ”  Read more from the California Water Blog here:  Managing groundwater overdraft – combining crop and water decisions (without salinity)

Dusty barren fields or thriving farmland and habitat? This bill creates a better vision for California’s future

“[On Friday], Assemblymembers Robert Rivas (D-Hollister), chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee and vice-chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, and Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) introduced a bill, AB 252, to help farmers and rural communities adapt to more sustainable groundwater use while simultaneously creating new benefits for people and wildlife.  AB 252, sponsored by EDF, will help create opportunities on these previously irrigated agricultural land and ease the transition to sustainable groundwater management. It will create a new program through the California Department of Conservation to provide incentive payments to landowners who voluntarily and strategically repurpose at least some portion of their agricultural land to other less water-intensive uses for at least 10 years. … ”  Read more from EDF’s Growing Returns here: Dusty barren fields or thriving farmland and habitat? This bill creates a better vision for California’s future

SEE ALSO: Assemblymembers Robert Rivas and Rudy Salas introduce legislation to maximize benefits of Sustainable Groundwater Management requirements, from Benito Link

Water games: Madera farmers set to test market

“Madera County farmers are getting ready to play what could be the “game” of their livelihoods.  The county groundwater sustainability agency will launch a groundwater market simulation, or game, next month as a way for growers to see if selling and trading their groundwater helps make the most of what will become a severely limited resource in coming years.  Groundwater markets have emerged throughout the San Joaquin Valley as potential tools to help reduce groundwater pumping per the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. … ”  Read more from SJV Water here: Water games: Madera farmers set to test market

GSA, Friant Water settle on subsidence payments

” A major portion of funding to repair subsidence in the Friant-Kern Canal was secured last week in a settlement between the canal’s operator, the groundwater agency where subsidence is taking place and the irrigation district most affected by the lack of conveyance.  On Jan. 7, the Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency (ETGSA) Board of Directors approved an agreement with the Friant Water Authority (FWA) and Arvin Edison Water Storage District where the GSA would pay up to $220 million to repair the section of the canal between Lindsay and McFarland where overdrafting groundwater has played a significant role in the subsidence of the canal, according to hydrological studies. The board reported the vote following a closed session on the settlement. ... ”  Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette here:  GSA, Friant Water settle on subsidence payments

Agreement between the Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency and the Friant Water Authority will allow transitional pumping to continue

“The agreement between the Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency and the Friant Water Authority will provide additional funding for repairs to the Friant-Kern Canal.  But the agreement will also help the ETGSA meet the requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act while allowing growers in the district to continue “transitional” pumping.  On January 7, the ETGSA Board approved the agreement with the Friant Water Authority, which oversees the Friant-Kern Canal. The ETGSA oversees the Groundwater Sustainable Plan to meet the requirements of the SGMA to reduce the use of groundwater by a certain amount by 2040. … ”  Read more from the Porterville Recorder here: Agreement will allow transitional pumping to continue

Kings River floodwater dispute goes to the state

“A bid by Kern County farmers to take Kings River floodwater officially got underway Tuesday as state regulators hashed out procedures and next steps with the various parties.  An initial hearing had been set for April 15, but may now be pushed back to July, depending on how Administrative Hearing Officer Nicole Kuenzi rules.  Kuenzi discussed coming deadlines and other procedural issues with representatives of the Kings River Water Association, Semitropic Water Storage District and others during a pre-hearing conference Tuesday morning. … ”  Read more from SJV Water here: Kings River floodwater dispute goes to the state

Delano’s “big dig”

“The state’s new groundwater law has prompted a lot of dirt movement in the Central Valley.  The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act passed in 2014 mandates that overdrafted water basins get their aquifers in balance — don’t pump out more than goes back in — by 2040.  In order to get there without massive farmland fallowing, most valley water managers have been adding as many acres of recharge ground as possible. … ”  Read more from SJV Water here: Delano’s “big dig”

Santa Clarita Valley Water calling for input on Saugus Formation Aquifer

“Santa Clarita Valley community members are invited to provide input to SCV Water on the removal of hazardous substances that have been identified in the Saugus Formation Aquifer.  The water agency is aiming to keep its water safe for drinking water consumption through minimizing and mitigating the public health and environmental effects of hazardous substances that have been identified.  The public is invited to review and comment on the engineering evaluation/cost analysis dated January 2021 regarding SCV Water’s proposed non-time-critical removal action for the Saugus aquifer and the associated community involvement plan. … ”  Read more from the SCV Signal here: Santa Clarita Valley Water calling for input on Saugus Formation Aquifer

Kern County: Court approves Cummings Basin amended, restated judgment

“A Kern County Superior Court judge recently approved an updated water management plan for the Cummings Basin groundwater west of Tehachapi. “The goal is to ensure that sufficient, safe and clean drinking water will be available for decades to come,” said TCCWD General Manager Tom Neisler. On Jan. 5, Judge Stephen Schuett approved the Cummings Basin Amended and Restated Judgment and Physical Solution, which was prepared and presented by the Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District. … ”  Read more from the Tehachapi News here:  Court approves Cummings Basin amended, restated judgment

San Bernardino Groundwater Council featured on cover of CSDA magazine

“The California Special Districts Association has featured the San Bernardino Basin Groundwater Council as its cover story for the November-December issue.  Winner of the CSDA 2020 Award for Innovative Project of the Year, the Groundwater Council is an innovative, voluntary partnership among area water agencies and cities to work together to enhance local water storage in the region.  Record levels of water were captured and stored in the San Bernardino Basin in 2019, due in large part to the collaboration of the group. The ongoing collaboration of the council ensures continued recharge successes long into the future. … ”  Read more from the San Bernardino Water Conservation District here: San Bernardino Groundwater Council featured on cover of CSDA magazine

Western, EMWD partner to enhance water reliability for March Air Reserve Base

“Western Municipal Water District (Western) and Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) entered into an interagency agreement this month to partner on efforts to enhance water supply reliability for March Air Reserve Base (March ARB).  The North Perris Groundwater Basin Program participation agreement between Western and EMWD supports a commitment to remedy and protect groundwater resources, providing a new local water supply for the area. ... ”  Read more from Water World here:  Western, EMWD partner to enhance water reliability for March Air Reserve Base