Sustainable for Whom? The Impact of Groundwater Sustainability Plans on Domestic Wells
From UC Davis Center for Regional Change:
“Studies estimate that 1.5 – 2.5 million Californians rely on domestic wells to meet their household water needs (Johnson and Belitz 2015; Dieter et al. 2018; Pace et al. 2020). But because domestic wells are often shallow, they are also often sensitive to changes in groundwater levels. As such, sustainable groundwater management has an important role to play in safeguarding the health and safety of residents and the achievement of California’s recognized Human Right to Water.
This report analyzes 41 Groundwater Sustainability Plans in 19 critical priority subbasins in California (in the San Joaquin Valley, Central California, and the Central Coast) to assess monitoring network coverage and the vulnerability of domestic wells to minimum thresholds (MTs), or the lowest groundwater level considered sustainable. … ”
Click here to read this article and download the report.
LEGAL ALERT: Supreme Court of California Weighs In on Blanket Categorization of Well Construction Permit Approvals as Ministerial
From JD SUPRA:
“Key points in this legal brief:
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- A permitting agency’s blanket designation of an entire category of permit decisions as ministerial for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) may be held to be improper if the agency has the ability to modify or deny the permit based on any concern that may be examined under CEQA review.
- Courts will afford a larger degree of deference to an agency’s designation of a single permit decision as ministerial on a case-by-case basis.”
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Click here to read the full legal brief.
SGMA in the news
Why conserving water today means more groundwater for tomorrow
“Groundwater is California’s water savings bank account that can be tapped during dry years when water in lakes and rivers are low. Conserving water helps preserve groundwater, which is important for plants, animals and people. Groundwater comes from rain and melting snow that seeps down into the ground and is stored in aquifers. An aquifer is a body of porous rock or sediment saturated with groundwater. Groundwater can move through the aquifer and resurface through springs or be pumped to the surface using manmade wells. … ” Read more from DWR News here: Why conserving water today means more groundwater for tomorrow
Paso Robles subbasin stands to lose up to $458 million annually if water use is reduced, says economic impact study
“A new study released by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is projecting the potential economic impact of water reductions in the Paso Robles region resulting from the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The study, The Economic Impact on the Local Economy of Irrigated Agriculture in the Paso Robles Area and Potential Impacts of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, performed by Lynn Hamilton, Ph.D. and Michael McCollough, Ph.D. of CalPoly, estimates that reductions to irrigated agriculture could potentially cost the local economy hundreds of millions of dollars and the loss of more than 1,000 jobs. … ” Read more from Wine Business here: Paso Robles subbasin stands to lose up to $458 million annually if water use is reduced, says economic impact study
Tainted valley groundwater could stymie banking deals
“The big kahuna of California water — Metropolitan Water District of Southern California — has stopped taking supplies from one Kern County groundwater bank because the water is heavily tainted with a cancer-causing agent that is pervasive in Central Valley’s aquifers. While only one banking program has been affected so far, the emergence of this issue could have huge implications for water storage and movement in the Central Valley. Increased underground storage has been key for agricultural water districts scrambling to comply with the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which mandates balanced aquifers by 2040. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: Tainted valley groundwater could stymie banking deals
Ridgecrest Groundwater Replenishment Fee
Ridgecrest: Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority wrestles 7,000-percent cost increase or state takeover
“The long-awaited conflict between California’s ambitious laws to limit groundwater use and the people of California has arrived. The front: the Mojave Desert. Friday, the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority is set to hold a protest vote of its water users to determine if it will adopt a “basin replenishment fee.” The fee is an element of the Authority’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan, a key guiding document required under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun here: Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority wrestles 7,000-percent cost increase or state takeover
Ridgecrest: What if the state takes over the water basin?
“What would state intervention with local water management look like? Well, for a start, local groundwater extractors can likely look forward to forced reduction of water use and forced monitoring courtesy of the state water board. And state control would be exerted directly, rather than through the groundwater authority. New fees would also be assessed, since local users would be expected to foot the bill to pay for the temporary government oversight. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: What if the state takes over the water basin?
Ridgecrest: Groundwater basin replenishment fee passed
“The basin replenishment fee was passed by the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority with a vote of four to one Friday afternoon. IWV Water District Director Ron Kicinski was the sole no vote. The IWVGA voted after the basin replenishment fee protest hearing Friday failed. The IWVGA did not announce the number of protest votes received, although County counsel Phil Hall said it would take roughly 9,900 protest votes for the protest hearing to be successful. IWV Water District Director/IWVGA Vice Chair Ron Kincinski mentioned 4,000 votes, but it was not clear if this was the number received or just a figure of speech. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Basin replenishment fee passed
Desert water basin hopes to dive into California water market
“If you’ve got water for sale, the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority has $50 million to spend. Or, it will once it starts collecting a controversial, five-year, $2,000-per-acre-foot pumping fee that was approved by the authority last week. Specifically, the desert groundwater basin about 100 miles northeast of Bakersfield in the Mojave Desert, is looking to buy rights to 5,000 acre feet a year from an as-yet-to-be-determined Central Valley source. How it will get the water from the valley over the Sierra Nevadas is another question without any answers so far. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: Desert water basin hopes to dive into California water market
Ridgecrest: Replenishment fee passed. Now what?
“The four-to-one approval Friday of the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority basin replenishment fee has left many wondering what comes next. The fee was approved by a majority vote of the IWVGA after a protest hearing against the controversial fee failed. IWV Water District Director Ron Kincinski was the lone no vote on the groundwater authority. In a delay from the original timetable, the new fee will be assessed starting January 2021. The estimated fee would be $24 a month for the average residential user presuming a five-year repayment period, according to Gleason. The fee would reportedly collect some $50 million which would be used to purchase water rights for imported water, presuming the same users continue using the water at roughly the same rate. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Replenishment fee passed. Now what?
Ridgecrest: Groundwater Authority approves transient pool, fallowing program
“The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority last week voted unanimously to adopt a transient pool and fallowing program and also approve findings that the programs are exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (or CEQA) review — meaning the programs are not considered to have a significant impact on the environment. The decision came down after an intense two-day meeting Aug. 20 and 21 culminating with an unsuccessful protest hearing against the IWVGA’s basin replenishment fee and the authority’s subsequent four to one approval of the fee. IWV Water District Director Ron Kicinski was the lone no vote on the replenishment fee. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Groundwater Authority approves transient pool, fallowing program
GSA SUMMIT: Addressing environment, disadvantaged communities, and domestic wells in the 2022 Groundwater Sustainability Plans
The groundwater sustainability plans that were submitted to the Department of Water Resources in January of 2020 were the first of the groundwater sustainability plans to be completed. Public review of these plans has revealed some important lessons to be learned to be considered for those preparing the plans that will be due in January of 2022. At the 3rd Annual Groundwater Sustainability Agency Summit hosted by the Groundwater Resources Association online in June, a panel of NGOs that had completed a review of the plans summarized their findings from the perspective of underrepresented beneficial users and with respect to stakeholder engagement, providing insights and recommendations for the upcoming plans.
Click here to read this article at Maven’s Notebook.
NOTICE: DWR Sustainable Groundwater Management Office announces updates for translation services
From the Department of Water Resources Sustainable Groundwater Management Office:
DWR’s Written Translation Service is available to help groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs), or other groups assisting in local SGMA implementation efforts, communicate groundwater management activities with their non-English speaking constituents.
GSAs, or other groups, can submit written notices, letters, forms, presentations, fact sheets, pamphlets, and other materials to DWR for translation into one or more of the following languages: Chinese, Hmong, Korean, Laotian, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
A couple updates have been made to the Service:
- The word limit has increased from 1,500 words to 5,000 words per groundwater basin/subbasin.
- Applicants can now submit Microsoft Word or Microsoft PowerPoint files that include formatting. Please note that content spacing and formatting may be affected through the translation process and should be checked prior to finalization by the applicant.
For details, visit the Written Translation tab on the Assistance and Engagement webpage and to submit a request, fill out the short online application.
SGMA in the news
Groundwater sustainability moves from planning to implementation
“The recent completion of groundwater sustainability plans for California’s most over-pumped basins was a major step toward bringing basins into long-term balance, as mandated by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). As these plans move through the state approval process, the next stage is implementation. We talked to Trevor Joseph—the first SGMA employee at the Department of Water Resources (DWR), and now a member of a groundwater sustainability agency in the Sacramento Valley—about next steps and possible pitfalls. PPIC: You’ve been involved with SGMA since its inception. What has surprised you the most about how it has unfolded? TREVOR JOSEPH: I’m pleasantly surprised that SGMA has gone relatively well to date. … ” Read more from the PPIC here: Groundwater sustainability moves from planning to implementation
Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency proposes groundwater extraction fee
“The Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency has proposed a groundwater extraction fee to be charged to property owners within its district. The ETGSA board approved providing its water rate study for public review at its meeting on August 6. The proposed fee is included in that water rate study. A public hearing videoconference on the proposed fee will be held at 2 p.m. October 1. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder here: Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency proposes groundwater extraction fee
This Madera County community is running out of water — and the only well might fail
“Residents of Fairmead, California worry they are on the brink of losing water service, as the town’s only community well shows signs it may fail before a new one can be built. After years of planning, the Madera County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an engineering contract to design and manage upgrades to the system, including a new well to serve more than 500 people connected to the community water system. Construction won’t likely begin until 2021. Norma Bustillos, a longtime Fairmead resident, worries that will be too late. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: This Madera County community is running out of water — and the only well might fail
Paso Robles: SLO County and USGS ask landowners for help to study Adelaida groundwater
“San Luis Obispo County and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are set to study the groundwater conditions in the Adelaida region of North County for the first time—and they’re asking local landowners for help. The two agencies inked a partnership last year to undergo the study, which will collect and analyze data on the water supply, land uses, and groundwater flow over the mostly rural region west of Highway 101—north to Lake Nacimiento and south to Atascadero. … ” Read more from New Times SLO here: SLO County and USGS ask landowners for help to study Adelaida groundwater
Ridgecrest: Replenishment fee, ag buyouts on the agenda for Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority
“The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority’s basin replenishment fee public hearing at 10 a.m. Friday, August 21 at City Hall will be a virtual meeting, with the public unable to attend in person. The meeting will be live streamed on the city of Ridgecrest Youtube channel. The public hearing will technically be part two of the regular IWVGA open session virtual meeting scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday, August 20. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Replenishment fee, ag buyouts on the agenda for Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority
Ridgecrest: Groundwater in the Indian Wells Valley: Replenishment fee — here are the FAQ
“In our continuing series on groundwater in the Indian Wells Valley, here are some frequently asked questions about the upcoming Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority basin replenishment fee public hearing. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Ridgecrest: Groundwater in the Indian Wells Valley: Replenishment fee — here are the FAQ
SEE ALSO: Letter to the Editor August 15 2020: Voting no on fee causes more problems than it solves
Ridgecrest: ‘Save Searles’ aims to save mineral plant from 7000 percent water fee hike
“‘The “Save Searles” campaign was launched Tuesday, just three days before the IWV Groundwater Authority’s virtual public hearing intended to either approve or shoot down the controversial new replenishment fee. The replenishment fee would increase water costs for Searles Valley Minerals by nearly $6 million a year, “pushing the company and the local community towards extinction,” according to the campaign’s announcement. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Ridgecrest: ‘Save Searles’ aims to save mineral plant from 7000 percent water fee hike
Carpenteria Valley Water District seeks drought proof supply
“Although 2020 has presented many challenges, Carpinteria Valley Water District (CVWD) staff are working hard to keep making progress on many important matters while social distancing. The development of a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) has begun and will help to ensure that we can manage the Carpinteria Groundwater Basin (CGB) sustainably, which is an important shared resource for the Carpinteria Valley. … ” Read more from the Coast News here: Carpenteria Valley Water District seeks drought proof supply
Water right permitting options for groundwater recharge: Avoiding unintended consequences
“Efforts to boost groundwater recharge are critical to making California’s limited, and increasingly volatile, water resources go further. Recharge is playing a growing role in maintaining groundwater as an effective drought reserve and in slowing or reversing the effects of years of unsustainable groundwater pumping.
But implementing recharge projects is not easy. Water managers face a range of hurdles. Even with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) on the books, and the increasing availability of technical assistance, local decision makers are left mostly to their own ingenuity to figure out how to shore up groundwater resources to meet future needs.
Many Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) expect recharge to help them meet their responsibilities under SGMA. But the details of how they will implement recharge projects are often unclear. … “
Click here to continue reading this article at Legal Planet.
When does a groundwater recharge project NOT need a water right?
“Groundwater recharge projects already play an important role in California. That role is about to expand rapidly, as local groundwater managers begin to take more concrete actions to meet their responsibilities under California’s landmark Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
As we mentioned in our last post, an important part of developing a successful recharge project is securing a source of water and the legal right to use it. In that post, we described the surface water right permit options administered by the State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) that are potentially available for new groundwater recharge projects. We also mentioned the central role of permitting, and water rights oversight more broadly, in ensuring that water diversion and use doesn’t harm other water users or uses.
But is a water right always necessary? Below we explore when a recharge project might not need a water right at all (short answer: it’s complicated…and more than a little unclear)—and why it matters. … “
SGMO NEWS: New funding opportunities, Read DWR articles on groundwater level change maps and stream gages, and more …
From the Department of Water Resources, Sustainable Groundwater Management Office:
NEW SGM Grant Program Draft Proposal Solicitation Package: Public Comment Open and Meeting Scheduled
Public comment is open for the draft Proposal Solicitation Package for the Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) Sustainable Groundwater Management (SGM) Grant Program. During the first round of funding, $26 million will be available for critically overdrafted basins for projects that will assist with the implementation of groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs). A second round of funding will be available beginning in 2022 and will have approximately $62 million available for projects for high- and medium-priority basins.
Public Webinar Meeting
- September 3, 2020
- 10 a.m. to Noon
- The meeting will be recorded for later viewing.
Click here to register Public Comment Comments can be emailed to Kelley List at SGWP@water.ca.gov. Comments can be mailed to:
Kelley List DWR Financial Assistance Branch Division of Regional Assistance P.O. Box 942836 Sacramento, CA 95814
Public comment ends September 18, 2020. DWR will release the final version and solicit proposals after reviewing submitted comments. For questions, please email SGWP@water.ca.gov.
NEW Federal WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants Offered
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants for Fiscal Year 2021. The matching grants provide funding to irrigation districts, water districts, tribes, states, and other entities with water or power delivery authority. Hydropower and water conservation projects are eligible for funding. Applications are due September 17, 2020. For more information, view the Bureau of Reclamation announcement.
NEW SGMA Watershed Coordinator Grant Program Holds Workshops
The California Department of Conservation will host one-hour workshops to answer questions about the SGMA Watershed Coordinator Grant Program application. The grants fund watershed coordinator positions and projects in high- and medium-priority basins. Special districts, groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs), GSAs with approved alternatives, nonprofit groups, local governments, and tribes may apply. Workshops
- August 6, 2020, at 2:30 p.m.
- August 11, 2020, at 1 p.m.
Grant applications are due September 15, 2020. For questions and workshop registration, email wcp@conservation.ca.gov or call (916) 324-0850.
NEW Read DWR Articles on Groundwater Level Change Maps and Stream Gages
New articles on Seasonal Maps Provide Snapshot of State Groundwater Levels and Stream Gages Help Californians Better Understand Water Resources are available on the DWR website. The projects highlighted in the articles are part of DWR’s technical assistance offered to GSAs implementing the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Additional articles can be viewed on the DWR Updates webpage.
REMINDER Public Meetings Can Be Held Remotely During Pandemic
Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-25-20 encourages elected officials to conduct public meetings by teleconference or other electronic venue during the pandemic. The order temporarily waives requirements in the Bagley-Keene Act and Brown Act as long as specific requirements are met. The order applies to GSAs and others involved in the implementation of SGMA.
REMINDER Written Translation Services Available
DWR’s written translation service is available to help with communication to non-English speaking constituents. Translation services for materials are available in Chinese, Hmong, Korean, Laotian, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. For details, visit the Written Translation tab on the Assistance and Engagement webpage.
REMINDER Submit Your GSP Initial Notification
Before starting a GSP, agencies are required to notify DWR in writing using the SGMA Portal – GSP Initial Notification System. The portal allows edits to be made to previously submitted Initial Notifications, including the ability to withdraw a submittal. For more information, contact the regional coordinators in DWR’s four Regional Offices. For assistance with the system, email monica.reis@water.ca.gov.
Connect with Your Basin Point of Contact
DWR has designated basin points of contact to assist local agencies as they develop and implement their plans and to assist with applications for Technical Support Services and Facilitation Support Services.
For regional inquiries, contact sgmp_rc@water.ca.gov. For general inquiries, contact sgmps@water.ca.gov.
SGMA in the news
Feinstein bill would fix San Joaquin Valley canals
“Western Growers has announced its support for legislation by California Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein that seeks to address severe subsidence impacts that have substantially reduced the carrying capacity of the state’s water delivery system. Feinstein’s Restoration of Essential Conveyance Act would authorize $800 million in federal funding to repair critical canals in the San Joaquin Valley damaged by land sinking from overpumping of groundwater, known as subsidence, and for environmental restoration. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Feinstein bill would fix San Joaquin Valley canals
Groundwater in the Indian Wells Valley: What is IWVGA? An overview
“The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority’s notice of an upcoming public hearing on a basin replenishment fee has attracted a lot of attention from water users in the valley, but not everyone understands what the IWVGA is. In a nutshell, the IWVGA is a body charged with balancing the Indian Wells Valley groundwater basin (IWVGB). The key is achieving sustainability. This is similar to balancing a checkbook; the IWVGA has to come up with a way to balance the basin’s recharge with its annual outflow. Here is where the problem begins: if the basin were a checkbook it would be severely overdrawn. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Groundwater in the Indian Wells Valley: What is IWVGA? An overview
Valley farmers look to Kern River tributary to replenish groundwater
“A Kern County water agency is facing a wall of opposition against its plan to harvest up to 12,000 acre feet of water from the South Fork of the Kern River above Lake Isabella and bring it to valley farms and homeowners in northwest Bakersfield. Mountain residents fear the proposal by Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District will dry up their groundwater and turn the area into another Owens Valley. ... ” Read more from SJV Water here: Valley farmers look to Kern River tributary to replenish groundwater
Groundwater sustainability is a necessity more than ever, says Jose Pablo Ortiz Partida with the Union of Concerned Scientists
He writes, “The immediate emergency of COVID-19 has been a powerful reminder that the most valuable things in our lives are our families, friends, and the welfare of our communities. The current pandemic is a threat to those closest to us today in a way that presages what we will experience on an accelerating basis due to the climate emergency. In a place like California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV), Latinos account for 70 percent of COVID-19 cases, even though they represent 42 percent of the population. Improving access to clean and affordable water even as the pandemic grows more urgent, is critical to reducing the types of burdens worsened by the COVID-19 crisis. Continuing the hard work on groundwater sustainability required by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) could lessen the impact of future crises in the valley. The low level of preparation communities have experienced around the pandemic, echos what these same communities face for water management on a daily basis and will face with future climate change threats unless fundamental changes are made locally. … ” Read more from the Union of Concerned Scientists here: Groundwater sustainability is a necessity more than ever