In California, the past 20 years have been the driest in over 1,000 years, but a deluge of storms in January and February 2023 brought more than 24.5 trillion gallons of water to the state. “In the past several years, we’ve said, ‘We welcome every drop we can get,’” Dudek hydrogeologist Jill Weinberger said. But
California has more federally recognized tribes than any other state—109 to be exact. Within the State of California, Tribes, Tribal Communities, and Underrepresented Communities face multiple challenges regarding water equity and access to clean, affordable, and sustainable groundwater and water resources, such as groundwater overdraft and groundwater basin contamination. The Public Policy Institute of California
The Mountain Ave. West Groundwater Replenishment Basins project is a 40-acre recharge facility that is part of the San Jacinto Valley Enhanced Recharge and Recovery Program (SJVERRP) operated by the Eastern Municipal Water District. The SJVERRP will create a resilient water supply supporting the sustainable management of the San Jacinto Groundwater Basin (Basin), reduce dependence
California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires all groundwater basins designated as medium or high priority to develop a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) to achieve sustainable management by 2040-2042. Basin priorities are assigned by the California Department of Water Resources based on multiple factors, including population, land use, and basin conditions. Low or very low
Developing groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) requires solid technical analysis and a skillful stakeholder outreach and consensus program to successfully comply with California’s newly adopted Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Water purveyors, farmers, landowners, and resource agencies must determine the right amount of groundwater production for agricultural output on thousands of acres while maintaining municipal supply
Water agencies seeking funding for California groundwater projects, including recharge and banking projects can be encouraged by the history of the SMARTWater program’s past awards supporting California groundwater projects. Funded projects included: The Fresno Irrigation District receiving $1 million toward development of a new 60 acre groundwater recharge basin as part of the District’s Southwest
Creating a self-reliant mutual water company to serve development could avoid annexation approvals by public water purveyors and the politics associated with those approvals. Developing large properties using a site’s own water resources may become an increasingly attractive option for developers. A number of factors — early melt of Sierra snowpack, persistent drought in the
A key element of the Recycled Water Policy adopted by the California Water Resources Control Board is developing salt and nutrient management plans for every groundwater basin by 2014. A two-year extension to 2016 is possible if substantial progress is being made). The plans are intended to protect groundwater from accumulating salt and nutrient concentrations
In 1986 underground storage tanks were discovered to be leaking at a gas station within the City of Seal Beach. Over the next 23 years, site cleanup was a low priority according to Regional Water Quality Control Board policies. The site’s unsuccessful clean-up efforts included removing the tanks, drilling groundwater monitoring wells, and sporadic remediation
Sustainable water supply is a crucial factor when seeking approval to build and operate renewable energy projects in remote California locations. With municipal water infrastructure and surface water sources typically not available, groundwater is often the most practical water supply option for construction and long-term operations. However, groundwater is subject to increasingly complex assessment requirements
