SGMA in the News

STATEWIDE NEWS

DWR awards $47 million in grants for groundwater sustainability:  “The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today awarded $47 million in grant funding to 53 applicants to support local agencies in development of plans to manage groundwater basins for long-term sustainability. These grants will support various projects including facilitating community outreach efforts, preparing feasibility studies for proposed actions to restore groundwater supplies, and installing monitoring wells to oversee groundwater levels.  This funding will provide important assistance in successful local implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which establishes a framework for managing the state’s groundwater resources. ... ”  Read more from DWR here: DWR awards $47 million in grants for groundwater sustainability

Groundwater management is a team effort at DWR:  “In California, groundwater is a precious resource that supports the health of our communities, the economy, and the environment.  Groundwater is critical to ensuring a more resilient water future for California, explained Taryn Ravazzini, Deputy Director, Statewide Groundwater Management, with the Department of Water Resources (DWR). Not only does it represent more than half of the state’s water supply in dry years, it is the only source of drinking and irrigation water for many communities, she added. … ”  Read more from DWR News here: Groundwater management is a team effort at DWR

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

Central Valley groundwater markets emerging under SGMA:  “Central Valley farmers may soon have another crop to sell along with almonds, tomatoes and peppers — the groundwater beneath their land.  Proposed groundwater markets have popped up in just about every groundwater sustainability plan (GSP) filed with the state Jan. 31.  One such market is about to launch its first phase within the next a week in Kern County.  The proposed markets are being touted by some as a way to limit groundwater pumping while still allowing farmers the flexibility to optimize their resources. … ”  Read more from SJV Water here: Central Valley groundwater markets emerging under SGMA

SGMA to dry up one-fifth of irrigated SJ Valley farmland:  “The cost of fallowing upwards of one million acres of farmland across California will be measured in the billions of dollars to the state’s economy as an estimated 85,000 jobs are lost and farm income declines by more than $7 billion annually, according to a university report.  An economic analysis of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), a law passed by the Legislature in 2014 to make groundwater supplies sustainable after decades of over-pumping, paints a grim economic picture for California as the first hurdle towards groundwater sustainability was reached earlier this year. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here:  SGMA to dry up one-fifth of irrigated SJ Valley farmland

San Joaquin Valley: District sues to stop salty water exchange:  “The James Irrigation District in western Fresno County has sued the Westlands Water District over its plan to let farmers pump salty groundwater into the Mendota Pool in exchange for water from the San Luis Reservoir.  The lawsuit could scuttle Westlands’ plans to create a certain supply for its farmers as they, and farmers throughout the Central Valley, adapt to new water uncertainties under the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, a measure to restrict groundwater pumping. … ”  Read more from SJV Water here:  San Joaquin Valley: District sues to stop salty water exchange

EASTERN SIERRA

Owens Valley Groundwater Authority board grows, learns parameters of “sustainability”:  “The Owens Valley Groundwater Authority board took the bulk of last week’s meeting discussing the addition of members within a format established in the Joint Powers Agreement that all members signed nearly three years ago.  The thorny topic: adding a representatives from area tribes, mutual water companies and what are defined as interested parties.  ... ”  Read more from the Sierra Wave here: Owens Valley Groundwater Authority board grows, learns parameters of “sustainability”

Owens Valley Groundwater Authority shrinks, major players pick up the financial slack:  “The Owens Valley Groundwater Authority board will need a much smaller table to seat the six remaining members when it meets this afternoon in the Bishop City Council chambers. But, that number could change with the addition of organizations that have been eager for a place at the table.  Tri-Valley Groundwater Management District and Wheeler Crest Community Service District were the latest to drop out of the Authority. The districts won’t participate in the OVGA, but will still have to comply with the sustainability plan. … ”  Read more from the Sierra Wave here: Owens Valley Groundwater Authority shrinks, major players pick up the financial slack

Ridgecrest: Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority approves metering standards, requirements:  “The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority signed off on an ordinance and related resolution officially requiring all major pumpers needing metering on all groundwater extraction facilities and pumps during a board meeting on Thursday.  The board met in mostly empty council chambers, fielding questions and comments from a small crowd or remotely due to the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak to help curb the outbreak. … ”  Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here:  Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority approves metering standards, requirements

CENTRAL COAST

Sustaining Pajaro Valley’s Water:  “The Pajaro Valley enjoys a temperate microclimate, in part because it is situated at the hip of Monterey Bay. It lays like an east-west-oriented horseshoe, with the open end settling around the coastal plains of Elkhorn Slough and its various tributaries and side sloughs. Rimmed by the Santa Cruz Mountains to the north, the Gabilan Range to the south, and the San Andreas Fault at its head, the Pajaro Valley is a unique place in California.  Marks from the state’s past — traces of the indigenous creekside camps to the Mission landmarks and Gold Rush-era place-names — tell part of the valley’s story. Unlike in neighboring areas that have embraced the commuting car culture, the endless lines of perfectly aligned row crops reveal that this valley is still very much a working landscape. … ”  Read more from Estuary News here: Sustaining Pajaro Valley’s Water

VENTURA COUNTY

Casitas pulls out of mediation talks over Ventura River water adjudication:  “An Ojai Valley water district has pulled out of mediation talks with the city of Ventura and others after months of negotiation over water rights.  Those talks started after the city of Ventura filed a cross-complaint in response to a 2014 lawsuit over its own pumping from the Ventura River. Santa Barbara Channelkeeper had filed the lawsuit, alleging the city of Ventura was taking too much water from the river, hurting habitat for steelhead trout and other wildlife. ... ”  Read more from the Ventura County Star here: Casitas pulls out of mediation talks over Ventura River water adjudication

Presentation at the California Irrigation Institute conference highlights this critically-overdrafted basin’s creative approach to meeting the requirements of SGMA

The Borrego Valley is a small valley in the northeastern part of San Diego County, about 60 miles northeast of San Diego.  Groundwater is the sole source of water supply for the valley; there isn’t any surface water or imported water available.  After decades of excessive pumping, the Borrego Groundwater Basin is considered critically-over drafted and dramatic reductions in pumping – up to 70% by the latest estimate – will be needed to reach sustainability.

The town of Borrego Springs is small – about 3500 folks.  Tourism is a major industry in for the area, which is a popular destination in the winter months for ‘snow birds’ coming from colder climates to enjoy the mild temperatures.  Borrego Valley has four public golf courses, a tennis center, and horseback riding, as well as being surrounded by the Anza-Borrego State Park.  About 30% of the land use is agriculture, mainly tree and citrus farms.

After the passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in 2014, the Borrego Valley GSA was formed and work began on the development of a Groundwater Sustainability Plan with the goal of meeting the January 30, 2020 deadline for critically-drafted basins to develop and adopt a GSP.  However, unable to reach agreement, the basin has decided to take a different route to meet the requirements of SGMA.

At the 2020 California Irrigation Institute conference held in January of this year, Michele Staples, a shareholder in the Irvine office of Jackson Tidus, gave a presentation on the creative way the basin came up with complying and implementing SGMA.

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

Now that critically overdrafted groundwater basins in the Central Valley have submitted their sustainability plans, the hard work begins for them to balance groundwater supply and demand in ways that minimize economic disruption.

A state program called Regional Conservation Investment Strategies (RCIS) can help.

RCIS wasn’t created to help groundwater basins comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Rather, it was established in 2016 as a framework for regions to prioritize and develop measurable habitat conservation outcomes including those needed to  adapt to climate change.

This week, however, the Kaweah Subbasin was awarded $515,000 from the state’s Wildlife Conservation Board to develop an RCIS plan, becoming the first region in the Central Valley to leverage the process in response to SGMA.

Click here to read this report at EDF’s Growing Returns blog.

For the past several years, California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act has been the talk, not only of the town and of the state, but also of the national and international groundwater and environmental policy community.

What’s the big deal?

SGMA fundamentally changes groundwater management in California – a big deal to be sure. Equally important, as we discuss in a recently published paper, is the broader conceptual significance of the SGMA experiment. That significance lies in SGMAs governance structure.

One key challenge for the authors of SGMA was navigating the complex distribution of authority over water and land in the state. To achieve this, SGMA bridges state agencies, local agencies, and outside entities, providing a role for all of them in governance. Understanding this complex system of simultaneous governance processes is important for policy makers striving to successfully implement the new law, and for decision makers at all levels who are adapting to the new regime.

This post very briefly summarizes our paper.

• Click here to read this post at the Legal Planet.

• Click here to download the paper.

From the Department of Water Resources:

The Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) Annual Report module is available on the Department of Water Resources’ SGMA Portal. Groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) with adopted GSPs can upload their annual reports, which are due April 1, 2020. Downloadable templates for basinwide data are available on the GSP Reporting System webpage and must be submitted with the GSP Annual Report. Additional resources are also available:

• Annual Report Elements Guide
• GSP Annual Report Module User Manual
• Frequently Asked Questions on 2020 GSP Annual Reports

Annual reports, which can be viewed by the public once they are submitted, provide information on groundwater conditions and implementation of the GSP for the prior water year. For questions or more information, please email GSPSubmittal@water.ca.gov.

From the State Water Resources Control Board:

The GAMA program has updated and expanded its online data tools to enhance access to groundwater information.

Since 2010, the GAMA Groundwater Information System (GAMA GIS) online interface has integrated and standardized groundwater quality data from various resources as part of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. Data can now be queried based on well depth and well type. In addition, the GAMA GIS now directly accesses a library of geographic information that allows users to spatially compare groundwater quality data to various land and groundwater features, geology, disadvantaged communities, and many other layers. To further its mission, a new data connection tool has been implemented to facilitate data uploads into the GAMA GIS.

Data collected and analyzed by the GAMA program is standardized with data from other organizations into the GAMA GIS. This allows users to query data across multiple sources in one location, while providing tools for custom queries. All data is public and available for download. Data download tables have been improved to include standardized data source fields. Data collected and analyzed by the GAMA Program is also available via the state’s open data platform.

The GAMA Program Online Tools web page includes a growing list of map-based applications to evaluate specific groundwater issues and trends, including applications to support efforts like the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and the Human Right to Water initiative. Enhancements include new tools for analyzing trends in groundwater quality accessed by public drinking water wells, estimates of groundwater quality accessed by domestic wells, and areas of potential groundwater recharge.

For example, applications for 1,2,3 trichloropropane (123 TCP), nitrate, and groundwater age/recharge provide an increased understanding of factors that may affect drinking water quality. The new trend tool analyzes statistically relevant trends in 28 inorganic constituents in groundwater dating back to 1974, and allows a user to select long-term, recent, reversing, and seasonal trends graphically, including the magnitude and directions of water quality trends.

Feedback is welcome. Please visit the GAMA Program Online Tools web page to access all tools listed above.

‘Surviving is a real question’: can small farms endure under California’s landmark water law?  “Nikiko Masumoto began her farming career in the summer of 2011, just as California was entering its worst drought in recorded history.  Masumoto is the fourth generation of her family to farm this land in Del Rey: 80 organic acres of stone fruit in eastern Fresno county in California’s fertile Central Valley, its most perfect peaches bound for the epicurean Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley.  For four years in a row, the farm survived only on the water it could draw from underground. And as the drought persisted, the perfect peaches grew less perfect – smaller, malnourished. The farm lowered its wells and pumped more so Masumoto could keep the trees alive.  The farm made it through by way of grit and preparation. But even with plenty of both, said Masumoto, “surviving is a real question.” … ”  Read more from The Guardian here:  ‘Surviving is a real question’: can small farms endure under California’s landmark water law?

Willits: LACO, City seek input from residents regarding Groundwater Management Plan:  “Representatives from LACO Associates and the City of Willits held the first of two Little Lake Valley (LLV) Groundwater Plan public workshops on Feb. 20 at City Hall. Willits City Council recently approved the development of a Groundwater Management Plan (GWMP) for the LLV Groundwater Basin in order to fulfill the commitment required to receive Proposition 1 funds. Once the required GWMP is completed, the California Department of Water Resources will supply $500,000 to help the City bolster its water supply, which could be threatened in times of drought, fire and other natural disasters.  The purpose of the public workshops is to garner stakeholder participation in order to help develop and establish groundwater management opportunities, concerns and objectives. … ”  Read more from Willits News here:  Willits: LACO, City seek input from residents regarding Groundwater Management Plan

State refuses to accept groundwater plans for the Madera subbasin: “In the first indication of how strict state officials will be with new groundwater sustainability agencies, the Department of Water Resources has refused to accept groundwater plans covering the Madera subbasin because one of those agencies did not sign a coordination agreement.  The DWR has not posted the submitted groundwater sustainability plans on its website and notified all the GSAs that it is talking with the State Water Resources Control Board — the state’s enforcement arm — about the issue. … ”  Read more from SJV Water here: State refuses to accept groundwater plans for the Madera subbasin

Kern County: Price of water going up as the snowpack shrinks:  “Another block of water has been offered for sale in Kern County at $950 per acre foot.  With a dry January and extremely dry February, California’s water outlook has worsened.  And that has bumped the price of water for those who have it to sell.  Buena Vista Water Storage District on the western edge of the valley in Kern already sold 4,500 acre feet of water at $770 per acre foot, said General Manager Tim Ashlock.  And this latest block of 4,000 acre feet at $950 per acre foot is going fast. … ”  Read more from SJV Water here: Price of water going up as the snowpack shrinks

Property owners get six-month extension in Ventura River lawsuit: “A judge on Thursday granted a six-month extension for roughly 14,000 Ojai Valley and Ventura property owners facing a potential water adjudication.  In January, the city of Ventura sent thousands of legal notices and summonses to people with property near the Ventura River or one of the area’s groundwater basins.   The property owners were given 60 days to pay $435 in court fees and possibly hire an attorney to join the litigation or risk losing their ability to do so later.  The city has said it doesn’t want a full adjudication but instead to reach a negotiated settlement among water users. ... ”  Read more from the Ventura County Star here: Property owners get six-month extension in Ventura River lawsuit

Hydrologist Derik Williams discusses the different paths GSAs are taking to get to sustainability, plus the three things every GSP should include

Derik Williams is a professional geologist and certified hydrologist with more than 30 years of experience managing groundwater in California.  He’s recently completed the development of two Groundwater Sustainability Plans (or GSPs) in critically overdrafted basins along the Central Coast and is starting on 5 other GSPs for non-critically overdrafted basins.  In this presentation from the California Irrigation Institute’s conference, Mr. Williams gave his perspective on some common themes in SGMA implementation and the different paths that groundwater basins are taking towards sustainability.

Click here to read this article.

ACWA/State Water Board webinar presentation outlines temporary and permanent options, including a new streamlined permitting pathway for standard water rights permits

Almost five years ago, in the midst of a historic drought, the legislature passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 (SGMA).  The centerpiece of the legislation is the principle of local groundwater basin management, requiring the establishment of local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (or GSAs) and the preparation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans (or GSPs) for groundwater basins statewide.  The plans detail how the basin will be managed to avoid undesirable results, such as salt water intrusion or land subsidence, and to achieve sustainability managed basins over a 20 year planning and implementation horizon.

As many groundwater basins work to achieve sustainability, many if not most will look to groundwater recharge as a tool to help balance supplies and demands.  At a webinar held at the end of last year, State Water Board staff discussed new permitting options for Groundwater Sustainability Agencies pursuing recharge projects.

Click here to read this article.

DWR has released a draft single-volume Handbook for Water Budget Development: With or Without Models, which presents existing information on various methods and data sources for developing water budgets. The Water Budget Handbook can help inform the development of water budgets for any geographic area and time period, using modeling and non-modeling approaches.

The Department of Water Resources will hold a public webinar to provide an overview of the Water Budget Handbook.   The link will be posted to this page when available.  No pre-registration required.

For more information, check out the Frequently Asked Questions on the Water Budget Handbook.

The comment period is now open on the draft document and closes on April 7, 2020. Email comments to cwpcom@water.ca.gov, attention Abdul Khan.

For information on the Water Budget Handbook visit the Reports tab on the Data and Tools webpage.