SGMA in the News

San Luis Obispo Supervisors react to ag board letter regarding Paso basin:  “San Luis Obispo County supervisors offered their reactions on Oct. 22 to a recent California State Board of Food and Agriculture letter that levied criticism against the county’s approach to groundwater management in Paso Robles.  The Sept. 30 ag board letter shared concerns about “limited” ag industry involvement in developing sustainability plans for the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin, as part of complying with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). … ”  Read more from New Times SLO here: San Luis Obispo Supervisors react to ag board letter

Look out for a helicopter hoisting a giant hexagon over Paso. Here’s what it’s up to:  “In the next few weeks, a large hexagon will soar through the sky, dangling from a low-flying helicopter over the rural towns and farms east of Paso Robles.  It isn’t the latest trend in skydiving. Rather, it’s the frame for an aerial mapping technology that California is borrowing from Denmark to study how water moves underground.  That’s important information to have. … ”  Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune here: Look out for a helicopter hoisting a giant hexagon over Paso. Here’s what it’s up to

Selma: New laws may result in water rate increases:  “In order to keep up with the State’s underground water recharge laws, sooner or later, local water rates will likely need to increase.  That was the message local water management officials gave in a joint presentation at the Oct. 21 Selma City Council. … ”  Read more from the Hanford Sentinel here: New laws may result in water rate increases

Bakersfield: Farmers urged to think big and small to survive groundwater cutbacks:  “The thinking started small and then grew much bigger at a gathering Tuesday in Bakersfield that was intended to provide a “survival toolkit” for farmers and water managers facing drastic restrictions on Central Valley groundwater pumping.  Irrigation and other technical specialists opened the meeting by promoting ways to maximize the region’s existing water resources. Discussions ranged from individual investments in desalination to gathering water-use data as a way for farmers to defend against government accusations of over-pumping. … ”  Read more from Bakersfield.com here:  Farmers urged to think big and small to survive groundwater cutbacks

Lois Henry: Kern groundwater shortfall numbers closer to reality:  “New numbers coming in from water districts to the Kern Groundwater Authority show a groundwater overdraft of 249,644 acre-feet a year — and that’s a good thing.  “At the last meeting, I admonished water managers to get serious about this, and I’m pleased to report that they have,” said Dennis Mullins, chairman of the KGA, during Wednesday’s meeting. He referred to the Sept. 25 meeting at which he said it was “obvious that some districts have created water with their paperwork” and that the state would not accept such “phony numbers.” … ”  Read more from the Bakersfield Californian here: Lois Henry: Kern groundwater shortfall numbers closer to reality

Searles Valley Minerals reasserts water claims to IWVGA board:  “Searles Valley Minerals reasserted that its right to pump water from the Indian Wells Valley during public comment at the IWV Groundwater Authority meeting on Oct. 17.  Tom Bunn, SVM’s attorney, cited that this right trumps the Navy’s 1943 federal reserve rights, the year that the naval air facility at China Lake was established. … ”  Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Searles Valley Minerals reasserts water claims to IWVGA board

Montecito’s ‘lousy’ ground water basin:  “The groundwater basins on most of the urban South Coast are drought buffers of last resort, to be conserved for pumping in emergencies.  But in Montecito, as many as 1,500 private well owners may have “straws” in the same small basin as the Montecito Water District with its 12 public wells, a team of consultants told the district board this month. … ”  Read more from the Santa Barbara Independent here: Montecito’s ‘lousy’ ground water basin

Dr. Douglas Tolley gives an explanatory presentation on integrated hydrologic modeling, including how models are coupled and key terms such as sensitivity analysis, model calibration, and uncertainty analysis

Douglas Tolley recently finished his PhD from UC Davis where his research focuses on the development, calibration, and prediction uncertainty of groundwater models.  In this presentation from the Groundwater Resource Association’s Western Groundwater Congress, Dr. Tolley focused on integrated hydrologic model development and evaluation from the standpoint of a non-modeler with the goal of providing the layperson with a fundamental understanding of what integrated hydrologic modeling is, as well as applications and processes involved with model development itself, such as sensitivity analysis, calibration, and uncertainty analysis.

Click here to continue reading at Maven’s Notebook.

Dennis Hutson’s rows of alfalfa, melons, okra and black-eyed peas are an oasis of green in the dry terrain of Allensworth, an unincorporated community in rural Tulare County. Hutson, currently cultivating on 60 acres, has a vision for many more fields bustling with jobs. “This community will forever be impoverished and viewed by the county as a hamlet,” he says, “unless something happens that can create an economic base. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

While he scours his field for slender pods of ripe okra, three workers, community members he calls “helpers,” mind the irrigation station: 500-gallon water tanks and gurgling ponds at the head of each row, all fed by a 720-foot-deep groundwater well.

Read more from Valley Public Radio by clicking here.

Assembly Bill 658, signed into law last week, creates new temporary diversion permits allowing for excess surface water capture during high-flow events. Permits automatically expire after 180 days, unless renewed. The law is designed, in part, to encourage groundwater recharge projects that could assist groundwater sustainability agencies and other local agencies to achieve groundwater sustainability requirements under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, known as SGMA.

Click here to read more from Best Best & Krieger.

The Third District Appellate Court recently issued a long-awaited decision in Environmental Law Foundation vs. State Water Resources Control Board (ELF v. SWRCB). The decision confirms the expansive scope of California’s public trust doctrine by ruling that the doctrine applies to the extraction of groundwater if the extraction will adversely impact a navigable waterway. The court also determined that the 2014 enactment of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) did not displace the common law duty to consider public trust interests before allowing groundwater extractions that could potentially harm a navigable waterway. The case arose in the context of a lawsuit over Siskiyou County’s (the County) obligations in administering groundwater well permit and management programs with respect to the Scott River, a navigable waterway tributary to the Klamath River. The Scott River is a public trust resource.
Read more from the National Law Review by clicking here.

To survive the next drought and meet the looming demands of the state’s groundwater sustainability law, California is going to have to put more water back in the ground. But as other Western states have found, recharging overpumped aquifers is no easy task.

Successfully recharging aquifers could bring multiple benefits for farms and wildlife and help restore the vital interconnection between groundwater and rivers or streams. As local areas around California draft their groundwater sustainability plans, though, landowners in the hardest hit regions of the state know they will have to reduce pumping to address the chronic overdraft in which millions of acre-feet more are withdrawn than are naturally recharged.

Continue reading from Western Water by clicking here.

We in California are depleting our groundwater aquifers faster than we can replenish them. Over the last few decades in the San Joaquin Valley, that deficit has averaged close to two million acre-feet per year, a total that was exacerbated by drought conditions that may become more common as the climate continues to change.

To help reduce this deficit, state lawmakers and Governor Brown in 2014 passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, which aims to overhaul the way growers, cities and other water users manage the resource.
While many hail SGMA as a success in state legislation and others say the law represents government overreach, most seem to agree: It could change agriculture and the economy in the San Joaquin Valley in a very big way. In this interview, we talk about the nuts and bolts of SGMA with Stephanie Anagnoson, Director of Water and Natural Resources with Madera County.

Click here to listen to the radio show from Valley Public Radio.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: It’s not too late to apply for SGMA Planning Grant Funds

Butte County: Chico-based environmental group concerned about domestic wells as farmers propose new groundwater district:  “County water officials went to the Butte County Farm Bureau about four years ago with a message: The 2014 passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)—a sweeping regulatory program intended to curb overuse of the state’s aquifers—will prove crucial to farmers dependent on groundwater, and it was time to get organized.  Rich McGowan, who sits on the farm bureau’s board of directors, told the CN&R that the county’s agricultural groundwater users—primarily growers of almonds, walnuts, pistachios and other tree crops—had been unorganized at the time, working individually or in splintered groups in contrast to the county’s more organized surface water users. … ”  Read more from the Chico News Review here: Chico-based environmental group concerned about domestic wells as farmers propose new groundwater district

Salinas Valley, Marina groundwater plans under public review, at odds:  “Groundwater management plans have been released for public review by both the Salinas Valley and City of Marina groundwater sustainability agencies even as the deadline for submitting final plans looms less than four months away with no agreement between the two agencies in place and California American Water’s desalination project at the center of a dispute.  Last week, both the Salinas Valley groundwater agency and the Marina groundwater agency released their plans for 45-day public review periods that will extend through Nov. 25, the week before Thanksgiving. They have also announced plans for public workshops on the plans. … ”  Read more from the Monterey County Herald here: Salinas Valley, Marina groundwater plans under public review, at odds

New groundwater law will have significant impact on Valley farmers starting in 2020:  “The new year will bring new concerns over how much water farmers, cities, and school districts will be able to pump out of the ground.  A groundwater sustainability plan drawn up during the California drought will take effect in January, which will set new limits on how much groundwater can be pumped out of wells.  The impact of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, will be significant. Hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland are expected to be fallowed as a result of the new law. … ”  Read more from KFSN here: New groundwater law will have significant impact on Valley farmers starting in 2020

Multi-million dollar plan proposed to change Kings County groundwater management:  “Kings County’s groundwater management will begin a 20-year transformation in 2020. Five local groundwater agencies presented more information behind the groundwater sustainability plan (GSP) in a public outreach meeting Thursday night. Groundwater is a significant source of California’s water supply and can be found in groundwater basins, which contain aquifers, according to Bill Pipes, principal geologist of Wood Environment and Infrastructure Solutions. … ”  Read more from the Hanford Sentinel here: Multi-million dollar plan proposed to change Kings County groundwater management

Tulare County: Less groundwater likely available:  “The East Tule Groundwater Sustainability Water Agency is racing the clock when it comes to meeting the state’s requirements by next year but the message is this:  Those who use groundwater will have to prepare for the possibility of pumping 10 percent less than they have in the past, beginning as soon as next year.  That was the message at a joint meeting of the agency’s stakeholders and executive board held on Thursday. While it’s still unknown how much less those who use groundwater will actually have to pump from the ground, an analysis presented on Thursday showed it’s likely less groundwater can be used as soon as next year. … ”  Read more from the Porterville Recorder here: Less groundwater likely available

Owens Valley Groundwater Authority update:  ” The Owens Valley Groundwater Authority has set up what seems like a permanent residence in Limbo—still no final word on how the California Department of Water Resources has prioritized the valley’s aquifer.  While the basin went from medium to low last spring that designation has not been finalized. The deadline for medium Groundwater Sustainability Plans is still early 2022. … ”  Read more from Sierra Wave here: Owens Valley Groundwater Authority update

Ridgecrest: LADWP not bailing out Indian Wells Overdraft, for now:  “The critical aquifer overdraft in the Indian Wells Valley has been viewed with dread at Owens Valley Groundwater Authority meetings. Between growth in Ridgecrest and the Naval Air Station at White Sands, the area’s groundwater is in overdraft. The Owens Valley basin, on the other hand, appears to be in decent shape with a yet unverified “low” priority rating.  So, why does the OVGA cringe at any mention of Indian Wells? ... ”  Read more from the Sierra Wave here: LADWP not bailing out Indian Wells Overdraft, for now

Ridgecrest: Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority board discusses fiscal direction:  “The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority will scale back some of its work with Capital Core Group, the contractor responsible for grants and researching alternate sources of water and take a harder look at its current pump fee and expenses in order to get a handle on the future expenses.  The IWVGA board looked over its future budget predicament in a lengthy discussion on Thursday, a month after it received a report about a dire fiscal scenario should things continued unaltered. … ”  Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: IWVGA board discusses fiscal direction

Study Not Optimistic About Groundwater Injection for Montecito Basin:  “There are limited opportunities for groundwater augmentation in the Montecito basin, consultants told the Montecito Water District board of directors on Tuesday.  GSI Water Solutions and Geosyntec studied indirect potable reuse feasibility in the district, which involves treating wastewater to a potable standard and injecting it into the groundwater basin.  Tim Thompson of GSI talked about the hydrology of the Montecito basin and specific storage areas studied for potential indirect potable reuse injection wells. ... ”  Read more from Noozhawk here: Study Not Optimistic About Groundwater Injection for Montecito Basin

Supervisors vote Wednesday on withdrawing San Diego County as Groundwater Sustainability Agency for Borrego Valley groundwater basin:  “Faced with a state mandate to reduce water use by 75 percent after years over over-pumping groundwater, major water users in Borrego Springs have submitted a stipulated agreement for reducing the desert community’s water use by an estimated 75 percent. On Wednesday, San Diego County Supervisors will vote on withdrawing as a groundwater sustainability agency for the Borrego Valley Groundwater Basin, with a goal toward transitioning into water management. ... ”  Read more from East County News here: Supervisors vote Wednesday on withdrawing San Diego County as Groundwater Sustainability Agency for Borrego Valley groundwater basin

Groundwater managers across the state are looking to groundwater recharge as a potential solution to their community’s water challenges. However, there are concerns about how groundwater recharge in the age of SGMA actually works and how to ensure sufficient instream flows to protect those beneficial uses.

To address these questions, the Local Government Commission and the Clean Water Fund held a webinar to find out more about recharge, environmental flows, water rights, and permitting from a panel of experts.  First, Stacey Sullivan from Sustainable Conservation talked about Flood MAR; next Sam Boland-Brien from the State Water Resources Control Board talked about the Environmental Flows Workgroup and permitting issues for groundwater recharge; and then Pablo Garza with the Environmental Defense Fund discussed policy issues related to groundwater recharge.

Read more at Maven’s Notebook here: GROUNDWATER RECHARGE: Balancing our depleted groundwater supplies and ecosystem needs