Groundwater Management

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Groundwater Management in the Kings River
Service Area David Orth Kings River
Conservation District
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Overview

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

Environmental Stewardship
Water
Power
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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?

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

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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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Groundwater Conditions

• 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.

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Kings Basin Groundwater Flow Patterns
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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 Force Policy 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
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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
Chapter California State University, Fresno City
of Kingsburg City of Orange CoveCity of San
JoaquinCommunity Water CenterCounty of
KingsCrescent Canal CompanyCutler Public
Utilities DistrictEast Orosi Community Services
District Easton Community Services DistrictEl
Rio Reyes Conservation Trust Fresno County Farm
BureauHardwick Water CompanyJames Irrigation
DistrictKings River ConservancyKings River
Water AssociationLaguna Irrigation
DistrictLaton Community Service DistrictLiberty
Canal CompanyLiberty Water DistrictLondon
Community Services District Malaga 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 District Fresno
Metro. Flood Control Dist.Fresno Irrigation
DistrictKings County Water DistrictKings River
Conservation District
Orange Cove Irrigation District Orosi Public
Utilities District Raisin City Water
District Reed Ditch CompanyRiverdale Irrigation
DistrictRiverdale Public Utility District Sanger
Environmental FundSelf-Help EnterprisesSierra
Club, Tehipite ChapterSierra Resource
Conservation DistrictSultana Community Services
DistrictTerranova Ranch, Inc.Tulare Basin
Wildlife Partners UC Cooperative Extension -
Fresno OTHER PARTICIPATION CA 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
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Kings Basin IRWM DAC Project

• 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

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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?