An assessment of the groundwater resources in the western margin ...
Overview -- Groundwater Management in California Western States Water Council April 2004.
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Transcript of Overview -- Groundwater Management in California Western States Water Council April 2004.
Overview -- Groundwater Management in California
Western States Water Council
April 2004
GW resources background
Supports about 30% of California urban & ag needs in average water years
Important drought resource Supplies majority of state’s public water
systems (largest urban agencies use surface water, almost all small systems use groundwater)
Rights to use of groundwater
Not administered by State (unlike surface water)
Developed through case law
Case law examples
City of Los Angeles v. City of San Fernando (1975) – mutual prescription not applicable between public agencies
Niles Sand & Gravel Co. v. Alameda County Water District (1974) – public agencies can store water underground & recover stored water
Impetus for GW management
Seawater intrusion – widespread by 1950s
Overdraft, land subsidence Fear of exports State financial assistance Other
Physical realities of GW management Limit/regulate extraction Develop new in-basin surface supply Bring in new imported water source Storage/conjunctive use projects require
available aquifer capacity, conveyance, and surface water source
GW management techniques
Basin adjudication in court (19) Special or general act districts AB 3030 plans (>160 agencies) County ordinances (28)
Basin adjudications
Expensive Entail years in court system
AB 3030 plans
Enabling legislation enacted in 1992 Plan adoption is voluntary Hydrologic/hydrogeologic/political
boundaries often differ Plans may be multi-agency Are they effective?
GW storage projects increasing
Existing “large” projects w/ ballpark of 10 MAF total managed capacity
More than $500M in state financial assistance authorized 1996-2000
Many “small” and “medium” projects now in planning stages, reflecting availability of substantial state funding