public workshop on the sustainable groundwater...
TRANSCRIPT
Public Workshop on theSustainable Groundwater Management Act
- SGMA -
October 2017
Agenda
• Welcome and Overview
• Managing Groundwater
– Why care? – What’s Required?
• SGMA in the Cosumnes Subbasin
• Near-Term Efforts and Grant Scope
• Public Outreach
• Next Steps
SMGA = Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
Welcome and Overview
Welcome and
Overview
GSA = Groundwater Sustainability Agency
Managing Groundwater
• Why should we care?
– Avoid state intervention
– Maintain local control
– Keep groundwater available (sustainable)
• What’s required?
– Form Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs)
– Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) by 2022
– Achieve sustainability by 2014
✓
Law Requirements
• Law also calls for meaningful stakeholder engagement
– Maintain list of interested parties
– Foster broad participation and input
– Consider the interests of beneficial uses and users of groundwater in the basin, as well as land uses and property interests potentially affected by groundwater use basin
• Tonight is the part of an ongoing series of public outreach efforts
SGMA – State Legislature’s Response to Ongoing Problem
SMGA = Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
Critically Overdrafted Basins
What’s required: SGMA Basics
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
1. Local control (governance) is preferred
2. Ensure sustainable groundwater
3. Define thresholds & actions in your Plan
4. Continual periodic State review
5. Avoid State intervention (State “backstop”)
SMGA = Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
SGMA in Cosumnes Subbasin
• Who will manage your groundwater
• Local agencies
• Agency roles
• Writing the Plan
• Demonstrating sustainability
SMGA = Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
Who will manage our groundwater?
• Local: Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs)
• 7 GSAs in Cosumnes Subbasin
– Amador County Groundwater Management Authority
– Sloughhouse RCD
– Omuchumne-Hartnell WD
– Galt ID
– Clay WD
– City of Galt
– Sacramento County
Who will manage our groundwater?
• Local: Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs)
• 7 GSAs in Cosumnes Subbasin
– Amador County Groundwater Management Authority
– Sloughhouse RCD
– Omuchumne-Hartnell WD
– Galt ID
– Clay WD
– City of Galt
– Sacramento County
Amador County Groundwater Management Authority
Authority Members
• Amador County
• Amador Water Agency
• Jackson Valley Irrigation District
Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs)
• GSA eligibility– Public agency
– Local land or water use responsibility
• Flexible management structure
• Could be one GSA for basin or multiple GSAs that coordinate
• Empowers GSAs to:– Measure extractions
– Conduct studies
– Manage extractions
– Assess fees
– Achieve sustainability
GSAs- Groundwater Sustainability
Agencies -
GSA = Groundwater Sustainability Agency
SGMA RolesDWR = Calif. Dept. of Water ResourcesSWRCB = State Water Resources Control BoardGSA = Groundwater Sustainability Agency
Step three
Achieve Sustainability
20 years after adoption of plan
• Annual reports (water extraction, storage)
• Prevent “undesirable results”
SGMA Steps to Compliance
Step one
Form Groundwater Sustainability Agency(ies)– GSA –
June 30, 2017
100% coverage: no more, no less
Step two
Develop Groundwater Sustainability Plan – GSP –
January 31, 2022
• Sustainable management criteria;
• Implementation thresholds & actions
SGMA = Sustainable Groundwater Management ActGSA = Groundwater Sustainability AgencyGSP = Groundwater Sustainability Plan
SGMA – Consequences of Failure(aka “State Intervention”
• State Water Board steps in
• Water Extraction/reporting Fees
• Mandated Water Meters
• Water Planning Fees
• State Water Board prepares Interim Plan
• Basin still needs to prepare GSP
Fees
Filing $130/well
Probation $ 40/AF
Interim plan $ 55/AF
De minimis $100/well
For ag: over $300/acre*
*estimated cost
SGMA = Sustainable Groundwater Management ActGSP = Groundwater Sustainability Plan
Sustainability Means…
… avoiding “undesirable results”
Undesirable Results
1. Chronic lowering of groundwater levels
2. Reductions in groundwater storage
3. Seawater intrusion
4. Degradation of water quality
5. Significant land subsidence
6. Surface water depletions from groundwater
Developing The Plan
• The GSAs have until January 2022 to complete a Groundwater Sustainability Plan
• The seven GSAs are working to develop a single integrated plan for the Basin
– The plan will have specific components unique to each GSA
• Must demonstrate sustainability
Show Sustainability: Past FutureG
rou
nd
wat
er L
evel
2015 20422022
Look back: Overdraft?
Look forward: Sustainable?- No Undesirable Results- Set Triggers
Projections: landuse, population, etc.
OK
OK
OK?
No!
Have to show sustainability for all 6 Undesirable Results:1) Groundwater levels 2) Groundwater storage 3) Seawater intrusion 4) Water quality 5) Land subsidence 6) Surface water depletions
Show Sustainability: Past FutureG
rou
nd
wat
er L
evel
2015 20422022
Have to show sustainability for all 6 Undesirable Results:1) Groundwater levels 2) Groundwater storage 3) Seawater intrusion 4) Water quality 5) Land subsidence 6) Surface water depletions
Define Milestones
Define Thresholds
Plan: Past Future• Hydrologic
Conceptual Model
• Water Balances
• Groundwater Model
ETPrecipitation
Foothills
Central Basin
San JoaquinInflow – Outflow –rStorage = 0
Sac. River
(Sub)Basin & GSAs- Pieces of a whole -
State requires single:
– Data Set
– Methodology
– Coor. Agreement
– Point of Contact
Requires coordinated:
– GW models
– Sustainable yields
– Plans
GSP: a BIG challenge
Required
• Coordination
• Negotiation
• Funding ($2M+)
• Lots of outreach
• Complex science
• Joint fact-finding
• Maintain GSA autonomy
Other factors
• Consequences are high
• Due in 2020 (or 2022)
• Autonomy + Single Submittal
• After 2022: annual reports and 5-year updates
• Grant $$ available
Grant Funding
• Funds from Prop 1 through DWR
• Grants up to $1M or 50% (whichever is less)
• Funds ONLY for GSP preparation (and studies)
• Only one application per Basin
• Demonstrated public engagement
• Credible scope of work needed
• Demonstration of basin collaboration key
– Single GSP probably more competitive
DRAFT Grant Applicatoin
• Incremental approach
• Each PhaseProject Management and Administration
Phase 1
GSP Foundation
2015 – 2018
Phase 2
Basin Charact. & Analysis
2018 – 2019
Phase 3
Sust. Planning
2019 – 2020
Phase 4
GSP Prep. & Submittal
2020 –2022
Getting Involved
• The seven GSAs have organized into a Basin Working Group
• Meetings are open to the public
• Meeting summaries are posted to a webpage
– cosumnes.waterforum.org
• Periodic workshops will be held throughout the planning effort
• Draft documents will be available for public review and comment.
QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS
Conclusion: SGMA is Complex and High Stakes
Next Steps
• It’s all about the Grant Application!!!
– Grant applications due on November 13th
• Then…. GSA
– Hydrologic conceptual model
– Water balance(s)
– Groundwater model
– Status of Undesirable Results
– Management Actions
– and more…..
Your Input:Engaging Water Users + the Public
How do we ensure interested water users are well informed and their perspectives are meaningfully informing plan development?
• What frequency of involvement?
• Where and when?
• What topics are of greatest interest to you?
• How to get the word out?