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Groundwater Management

in the Kings River Service Area

David OrthKings River Conservation District

Water PowerEnvironmental Stewardship

Overview

• Formed in 1951 by special act• A leading resource management agency for the

Kings River region

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Current Regional Programs

• Groundwater Management

• Upper Kings Basin Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP)

• Kings Basin Coordinated Groundwater Management Group

• California Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring (CASGEM)

• Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program

• Agricultural Water Enhancement Program

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Groundwater Policy Questions

• Local Management or State control?

• Definition of “Sustainability”?

• Transparency? More Data?

• How to address Nitrates in Drinking Water?

• How to protect Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems?

Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region: 10.9 million acres, 12 distinct Basins/7 sub-basins

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San Joaquin River

Kings RiverFRESNO CO

MADERA CO

KINGS CO

Pine Flat Reservoir

Fresno

TULARE CO

Hanford

Corcoran

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Kings Service Area Characteristics

• Kings Groundwater Basin– 976,000 acres– 93 MAF of storage to 1,000 ft (2003 Bulletin 118)

• Tulare Lake Groundwater Basin– 524,000 acres– 12 MAF of storage to 300 ft (DWR 1995)

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Critical Condition

• Overdraft– Increasing demand– Reduced Surface Supply reliability

• Water Quality– Nitrates

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• Kings Basin Overdraft– Regional Supply Characteristics: closed system, conjunctive use basin.

– Average annual overdraft (1963 to 2009) approx. 120 TAF.

– Largest GW depression located near Raisin City, beyond the Kings River place of use.

Groundwater Conditions

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Kings BasinGroundwater FlowPatterns

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Groundwater Policy Recommendations

• Association of CA Water Agencies

• California Water Foundation

• Natural Heritage Institute

• Others

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ACWA Groundwater Task ForcePolicy Objectives

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Local Management

• SB 1938 (2002)– Amended AB 3030 (January 1, 1993) – Local planning/stakeholder involvement– Establish Basin Management Objectives

• Groundwater levels• Groundwater Quality• Subsidence• Surface/Groundwater Relationship

– Implement Monitoring

• 23 agencies in the two basins have updated AB 3030 Plans to SB1938 standard

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Water Board Recommendations

• Providing Safe Drinking Water– New funding

• Monitoring, Assessment, and Notification– Private well testing

• Nitrogen Tracking and Reporting– Mass balance tracking

• Protecting Groundwater– CDFA programs

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Drinking Stakeholder Group Accomplishments

IRWM Plan Goals

• Halt, and ultimately reverse, the current overdraft and provide for sustainable management of surface and groundwater

• Increase the water supply reliability, enhance operational flexibility, and reduce system constraints

• Improve and protect water quality

• Provide additional flood protection

• Protect and enhance aquatic ecosystems & wildlife habitat

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Kings Basin Water Authority Participation

INTERESTED PARTIES (40)Bakman Water CompanyBiola Community Services DistrictCalifornia Native Plant Society, Sequoia ChapterCalifornia State University, FresnoCity of KingsburgCity of Orange CoveCity of San JoaquinCommunity Water CenterCounty of KingsCrescent Canal CompanyCutler Public Utilities DistrictEast Orosi Community Services DistrictEaston Community Services DistrictEl Rio Reyes Conservation TrustFresno County Farm BureauHardwick Water CompanyJames Irrigation DistrictKings River ConservancyKings River Water AssociationLaguna Irrigation DistrictLaton Community Service DistrictLiberty Canal CompanyLiberty Water DistrictLondon Community Services DistrictMalaga County Water DistrictMid-Valley Water District

MEMBERS (16)

Alta Irrigation DistrictCity of ClovisCity of DinubaCity of FresnoCity of KermanCity of ParlierCity of ReedleyCity of SangerCity of SelmaCounty of FresnoCounty of TulareConsolidated Irrigation DistrictFresno Metro. Flood Control Dist.Fresno Irrigation DistrictKings County Water DistrictKings River Conservation District

Orange Cove Irrigation DistrictOrosi Public Utilities DistrictRaisin City Water DistrictReed Ditch CompanyRiverdale Irrigation DistrictRiverdale Public Utility DistrictSanger Environmental FundSelf-Help EnterprisesSierra Club, Tehipite ChapterSierra Resource Conservation DistrictSultana Community Services DistrictTerranova Ranch, Inc.Tulare Basin Wildlife PartnersUC Cooperative Extension - Fresno

OTHER PARTICIPATIONCA Department of Fish & GameCA Department of Water ResourcesCenter for Collaborative PolicyFresno Audubon SocietyKings River Fisheries ProgramRegional Water Quality Control BoardSierra Nevada Research Institute (UCM)State Water Resources Control Board

• Inventoried over 100 DACS in the Kings Basin region

• Clarified for communities water-related issues impacting their communities

• Explored regional solutions and types of collaborations

• Provided practical solutions that can be leveraged into IRWMP process– 5 potential pilot projects identified

Kings Basin IRWM DAC Project

Pilot Projects

• Economy of Scale Analysis

• Community Survey

• Wastewater Improvements

• Water Supply Deficit

• Water Treatment Improvements

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Kings Basin Water AuthorityIRWM Report Card

• Awarded $53.8M in grant funds to implement $87M in projects• Developed a regional integrated GW/surface-water model• 20,000 AF of annual direct recharge capacity added• Water metering projects – combined reduce per capita annual

consumption by 12,000 AF• Surface water treatment projects – combined reduce annual

need for GW pumping by up to 50,000 AF• Disadvantaged Communities (DACs) planning outreach and

water resources needs assessment• Coordinated SB-1938 GW Management Plan development and

implementation (GW elevations, quality, subsidence)• SB-7x6 (CASGEM) plans for Kings and Tulare Lake Basins• Over 100 planned projects with more than 100,000 AF of

recharge and conservation benefits

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Questions?