Santa Maria River Valley – Arroyo Grande
Statistics
- Basin Name
- Santa Maria River Valley – Arroyo Grande
- Basin Number
- 3-012.02
- SGMA Basin Priority
- Very Low
- Critically Overdrafted
- No
- Hydrologic Region Name
- Central Coast
- Counties
- San Luis Obispo
- Adjacent Basins
At-A-Glance
Located in California’s Central Coast hydrologic region, the Santa Maria River Valley – Arroyo Grande subbasin is 2,901.22 acres in size. This Very Low priority basin is home to an estimated 1,870 people (2010 value). It has pproximately 5 are water supply wells. Groundwater accounts for approximately 76 percent of the basin’s water supply.
Basin Notes
2004: Bulletin 118 basin description
2019: Subbasin created from Santa Maria River Valley by basin boundary modification request.
The Santa Maria River Valley – Arroyo Grande groundwater subbasin (AG Subbasin) was originally part of the non-adjudicated “fringe” areas of the adjudicated Santa Maria River Valley Groundwater Basin (DWR No. 3-012), which was designated as a high priority basin (DWR, California’s Groundwater: Bulletin 118 – Interim Update 2016, Working Towards Sustainability, 2016), but due to the final results of the DWR’s groundwater basin boundary modifications in 2019, the AG Subbasin and Santa Maria River Valley – Santa Maria (No. 3-012.01) groundwater subbasin (Santa Maria Subbasin) were established as separate subbasins within the previous Santa Maria River Valley Basin (No. 3-012). The AG Subbasin was then reprioritized as very low priority (DWR, 2019). – Arroyo Grande Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan – Public Draft
2022: Arroyo Grande Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan – Public Draft published. From the introduction: The Arroyo Grande Subbasin (3-12.02) (Basin) is currently designated as a very low priority basin by the California Department of Water Resources Bulletin 118. Thus, the Basin is not required to be managed under a Groundwater Sustainability Plan or coordinated Groundwater Sustainability Plan pursuant to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) (see e.g. Water Code Section 10720.7 and Water Code Section 10727) and Chapter 11. State Intervention of SGMA (Water Code Section 10735 et seq.) does not apply to the Basin. Nonetheless, and as authorized by subsection (b) of Water Code Section 10720.7, the County of San Luis Obispo (County) and the City of Arroyo Grande (City) have chosen to prepare the Arroyo Grande Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the limited purposes of better understanding Basin conditions and supporting future Habitat Conservation Plan efforts with the Arroyo Grande Creek Watershed Model. As such, an Implementation period start date has not been defined, but the County and City may choose to revisit GSP implementation should a change in subbasin conditions arise.