California appeals court limits groundwater pumping
“For the first time, a California Appellate Court has addressed the issue of limiting the right to pump groundwater by a landowner who has never pumped from a particular basin. While the rights of pumping and non-pumping landowners have generally been considered equal, the Fifth District Court of Appeal decided that, in certain situations, the two can be treated differently. The decision came in the ongoing adjudication of the Antelope Valley Groundwater Basin, the largest, most complex groundwater pumping rights case ever in California, and one of the largest in U.S. history. … ” Read more from Best Best & Krieger here: BB&K Secures Key Groundwater Pumping Rights Ruling
Losing Rivers: Researchers reveal the extent to which rivers across the country are losing flow to aquifers
” … The interplay between surface water and groundwater is often overlooked by those who use this vital resource due to the difficulty of studying it. Assistant professors Scott Jasechko and Debra Perrone, of UC Santa Barbara, and their colleagues leveraged their enormous database of groundwater measurements to investigate the interaction between these related resources. Their results, published in Nature, indicate that many more rivers across the United States may be leaking water into the ground than previously realized. … ” Read more from UC Santa Barbara here: Losing Rivers: Researchers reveal the extent to which rivers across the country are losing flow to aquifers
100,000 Central Valley residents impacted by contaminated drinking water will soon see interim solutions
“An estimated 100,000 Central Valley residents impacted by nitrate groundwater contamination will soon be supplied with safe drinking water on a temporary basis while more permanent solutions are developed. These solutions in the form of bottled water deliveries or bottle-filling kiosks are outlined in Early Action Plans submitted to the Central Valley Regional Water Control Board (Central Valley Water Board) for six geographic zones deemed to have the most serious groundwater contamination issues. The plans are part of the board’s strategy for addressing nitrate pollution in numerous communities that rely on groundwater as their primary source of drinking water. … ” Read more from the State Water Board here: 100,000 Central Valley residents impacted by contaminated drinking water will soon see interim solutions
Cosumnes subbasin groundwater status, plan discussed at meeting
“Seven agencies that have been working together to sustain the groundwater in the Cosumnes Subbasin, which includes the communities of Galt, Herald, Wilton and Rancho Murieta South, held a workshop March 24. The presentation was intended to help residents understand how groundwater will be used in the next two decades in the Cosumnes Subbasin. The group has until Jan. 31, 2022 to submit its plan to the state on how it intends to meet its target of replacing 20,000-acre feet per year (AFY) in underground basins called aquifers to sustain the groundwater. … ” Read more from the Galt Herald here: Cosumnes basin groundwater status, plan discussed at meeting
UCI Podcast: How drought and climate change threaten California’s water
“In this episode of the UCI Podcast, Nicola Ulibarri, an assistant professor of urban planning and public policy who is an expert on water resource management, discusses how droughts and floods have shaped California’s approach to water, what policy changes resulted from the record-breaking drought of 2011-16, and how better groundwater management might offer a solution for the future.” Listen to the podcast or read the transcript from UC Irvine here: UCI Podcast: How drought and climate change threaten California’s water
Rural, disadvantaged California community solves century-old water quality issue by tapping the sky
“For over 100 years, the people of Allensworth, California, have been looking for safe, reliable sources of drinking water. Now, after decades of investigating and implementing various technologies, the community is evaluating an innovation that makes quality drinking water from resources in the sky. … To tackle those challenges in Allensworth, the community is collaborating with SOURCE to outfit their local community center with two Hydropanels to sustainably generate drinking water. … ” Continue reading this press release at Business Wire here: Rural, disadvantaged California community solves century-old water quality issue by tapping the sky
Ag land values rely heavily on water availability
“California agricultural land values that are rising and falling the most are doing so under the perception of water availability – no surprise there. This is putting farmland in the Fresno Irrigation District (FID) in a positive light as that agency has done a good job over the years managing conjunctive use of irrigation water. The annual release of the Trends Report, a lengthy compilation of data collected by professional appraisers and farm managers in California, is starting to shed light on the role the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is having in setting farmland values. With the call for groundwater sustainability plans by the State of California last year, buyers and sellers are starting to see the writing on the wall for some locations. ... ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Ag land values rely heavily on water availability
Opportunity for Santa Rosa Plain groundwater users to view and correct information
“Starting Monday, March 22, groundwater users who own property in the Santa Rosa Plain area will have an opportunity to review and update their water use information. The new Groundwater User Information Data Exchange (GUIDE) Program is being launched by the Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) to improve understanding of how groundwater is used, and the number and types of water wells in the Santa Rosa Plain basin. … ” Read more from Sonoma County here: Opportunity for Santa Rosa Plain groundwater users to view and correct information
Newman: Groundwater recharge project will bank water for future use
“Two local water agencies are moving forward with plans to fully develop a groundwater banking project near Newman. The groundwater recharge project has exceeded expectations in pilot studies, said Jarrett Martin, general manager of the Central California Irrigation District and Anthea Hansen, general manager of the Del Puerto Water District. They said plans are in the works to expand the 20-acre pilot project to an 80-acre recharge zone. … ” Read more from Westside Connect here: Newman: Groundwater recharge project will bank water for future use