www.sonomacountywater.org
Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Management Planning Update Fall 2013
Briefing Purpose
• Provide an overview and status update on groundwater planning activities.
• Solicit feedback on the process, information available to date, ideas for management activities and opportunities to improve groundwater resources in the Santa Rosa Plain Watershed.
Background
2009 – Stakeholder Assessment 2010 – Steering committee recommends developing non-regulatory
Groundwater Management Plan after evaluating management options and soliciting input through public forums
2011 – Funding for development of a Groundwater Management Plan obtained through grant from California Department of Water Resources and agreement between Water Agency and local partners
December 2011 – Convened Basin Advisory Panel to Initiate Discussions for GMP Development (15 meetings through October 2013)
July 2013 – USGS publishes Groundwater Study of Santa Rosa Plain Watershed (Part 1)
Basin Advisory Panel MeetingsDiscussion Topics
15 Meetings December 2011 through October 2013:• Panel Charter• Groundwater Issues and Interests• Groundwater Management & Groundwater Basics• Groundwater Legal and Institutional Issues• Plan Boundary• USGS Groundwater and Climate Change Studies & Modeling• Governance Proposal and Lead Agency• DRAFT Goals & Objectives• Groundwater Monitoring Program Framework• Formed Technical Advisory Committee (initial meeting August 2012)• Land Use Planning• Water Quality• DRAFT Management Components
Proposed Governance Structure for GMP Implementation
• Basin Advisory Panel– Develops plan and guides implementation– Remain in existence as long as Plan is being implemented– Collaborative structure made up of members representing the following
stakeholder interests• Groundwater users (business, agriculture, residential and governmental)• Economic interests• Government (tribal, county and cities)• Water providers• Environmental and community organizations
• Lead Agency (Water Agency selected by Panel)– Responsible for adopting, implementing and garnering funding for the Plan
consistent with the Water Code and Panel consensus• Technical Advisory Committee
– Advises on technical matters and develops recommendations for Panel consideration
Area Proposed for Groundwater Management Plan
Santa Rosa Plain Watershed (Plan Area) includes: Santa Rosa Plain Sub-basin Rincon Valley Sub-basin Wilson Grove Formation
basin (portion) Kenwood Valley basin
(portion) Alexander Area Sub-basin
(portion) Upland areas not state-
identified groundwater basins
USGS Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Study – July 2013
• 7-Year Study Characterizing Groundwater Conditions
• Setting and Geology• Climate and Surface Water
Hydrology• Groundwater Recharge and
Discharge• Groundwater Level Trends• Groundwater Quality• Conceptual Model
• Serves as scientific foundation for management planning
Ongoing scope includes development of fully-coupled surface water and groundwater flow model to be completed in January 2014
Water Resources – to describe groundwater conditions, water demands & supplies
Goals and Objectives – to manage the groundwater basin
Management Components – to achieve progress on the goals and objectives
Implementation – to prioritize recommended actions and identify a schedule and funding
Groundwater Management Plan Elements
• Draft Developed by the Basin Advisory Panel
• Objectives: • Stakeholder Involvement and Public Awareness
• Monitoring and Modeling
• Groundwater Protection and Recharge
• Conservation and Efficiency
• Water Reuse
• Integrated Water Planning and Management
• Refining based on stakeholder input
Draft Plan Goals & Objectives
Stakeholder Involvement – meetings on implementation, briefings, public outreach
Monitoring Program and Modeling – necessary for tracking progress and making decisions
Increase Conservation and Efficiency– reduces demands and stresses on groundwater
Draft Management Components
Primary Monitoring Program Elements
·Groundwater-Levels (not pumping amounts)·Groundwater Quality·Inelastic Land Surface Subsidence·Surface Water-Groundwater Interaction ·Hydro-Meteorological
Groundwater Protection– maintaining quantity and quality, protecting recharge areas
Increase Groundwater Recharge– infiltration of local stormwater or groundwater banking with Russian River drinking water
Increase Water Reuse– increase use of recycled water for irrigation to offset groundwater demands
Integrated Groundwater Management– fostering collaboration of existing organizations on climate change planning, multiple-benefit actions, and land use planning
Draft Management Components
Basin Advisory Panel Future Meetings
Additional Planned Efforts through June 2014: • Refine Groundwater Management Components• Prioritization of Recommended Actions• Implementation and Funding• Constituent Briefings• Monitoring Program Refinement• Integrate USGS Model Report (water budget and future
climate scenarios) due in January 2014• Public Outreach and Forums• Prepare and Recommend Plan for Adoption
Questions?http://www.scwa.ca.gov/srgroundwater/