Coachella Valley – Indio

Statistics

At-A-Glance

Located in California’s Colorado River hydrologic region, the Coachella Valley – Indio subbasin is 297,156 acres in size. This Medium priority basin is home to an estimated 368,852 people (2010 value). It has approximately 675 wells, of which approximately 206 are water supply wells. Groundwater accounts for approximately 55.00 percent of the basin’s water supply.

Source: CA DWR
Source: CA DWR

Basin Notes

2003: Bulletin 118 basin description 

2014: CASGEM prioritization – medium. Comments:  Nitrates and addition of salts due to Colorado River imported water. Local areas of elevated fluoride.

2016: Basin boundary modification request deemed incomplete.

December —SGMA Alternative Groundwater Sustainability Plan – Bridge Document for the Indio Subbasin submitted to DWR (Approved).

2017Coachella Valley Water District v. Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Scotus Blog Supreme Court won’t hear California water agencies’ appeal in tribe’s groundwater case, Desert Sun

2018: Draft basin priority – High. Comments:

  • Levels – Groundwater basin has been in a state of overdraft in varying degrees for several years. Source: 2010 Urban Water Management Plan, Indio Water Authority
  • Subsidence – ) It may be noted that preliminary results from a high-precision GPS survey in Sept/Oct 2015 indicate that much of the basin stopped subsiding since Sept 2010. The preliminary results also indicate that some areas near Palm Desert, Indian Wells, and La Quinta subsided since 2010, albeit at reduced rates compared to subsidence rates before 2010. Source: USGS; submitted via email to DWR, 10/21/2016 – Subsidence has been documented in the Indio Basin. Land subsidence, groundwater levels, and geology in the Coachella Valley, California, 1993-2010, (USGS) 2) “USGS has commenced their next round of subsidence monitoring in the Coachella Valley. This report will be available in 2018. Since 1990, CVWD has invested over $1 million to monitor land subsidence in the region.” Source: Coachella Valley Water District SMGA Alternative GSP (2016).
  • Inter-basin flow – Groundwater moves from Mission to Desert Hot Spring via urban districts and basin overlapping boundaries. No records on the amounts
  • Final Basin Prioritization: Basin priority remains at medium priority.

2019: Alternative to GSP approved by DWR

2024: June 27 – Successful periodic review of GSP by DWR

GSA Information