Tag Archive for: Groundwater

Calif. Releases Updated Groundwater Report

/in , , /by /WaterWorld

With a severe drought and an increased reliance on groundwater basins, Calif.’s Department of Water Resources released the final version of its California’s Groundwater – Update 2020 report. The report, also known as Bulletin 118, contains critical information about the condition and use of the state’s groundwater, which is especially important as California faces the real-time impacts of climate change and drought.

“Groundwater plays a central role in sustaining our state’s ecosystems, businesses, agriculture and people, with some Californians relying solely on groundwater for drinking water,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “The updated California’s Groundwater provides key information for the state and locals to better understand and manage groundwater as we adapt to variations in climate and navigate a historic drought.”

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Sonoma County Backs Well Water Regulations, Favoring New Era of Groundwater Oversight

/in , /by /The Press Democratby Guy Kovner

Hailed as a complex and historic step, Sonoma County supervisors on Tuesday unanimously endorsed plans to guide use and governance of groundwater relied on by rural residents, farmers and cities.

The plans, required by a 2014 state law crafted amid California’s past drought, will eventually include well water use fees in three basins underlying the Santa Rosa Plain and Sonoma and Petaluma valleys.

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Study: Droughts May Affect Groundwater More Than Expected

/in , , /by /American Society of Civil Engineersby Jay Landers

On the Earth’s surface, the end of a drought is usually obvious. Rainfall arrives, streams and rivers increase in volume or begin to flow again, vegetation perks up, and parched soils regain their moisture. But what about below the earth’s surface? In particular, how does groundwater respond to the end of drought? Given the critical role that groundwater plays in many regions as a source of water for drinking and irrigation, understanding the effects of droughts on aquifers could help shape management decisions regarding these key resources.

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Unchecked Oil and Gas Wastewater Threatens California Groundwater

/in , , /by /Inside Climate Newsby Liza Gross

California has a reputation as a leader on climate and environmental policy. So it doesn’t advertise the fact that it allows the oil and gas industry to store wastewater produced during drilling and extraction in unlined pits in the ground, a practice that began in the early 1900s.

Now, though, researchers have revealed the environmental costs of California’s failure to regulate how its $111 billion oil and gas industry manages the wastewater, known as produced water.

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Opinion: Clean Water in California is Overdue

/in , /by /CalMattersby Sean Bothwell

Forty-nine years ago this week, Congress passed the federal Clean Water Act, with the goal of restoring America’s waters. Yet today, 95% of California’s rivers, lakes, bays and wetlands are plagued by pesticides, metals, pathogens, trash and sediment, making it unsafe to swim, fish or drink. As we approach the 50th anniversary of this landmark environmental legislation, it is time for the state to get on track toward ensuring swimmable, fishable and drinkable waters for all Californians.

Underserved communities of color shoulder far too much of the cost of unsafe water. But the state has increasingly treated these communities as water quality “sacrifice zones.”

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Opinion: Madera County’s Groundwater Situation Is Dire. New Efforts Are Underway to Address It

/in , /by /The Fresno Beeby Rob Poythress

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) made the County of Madera responsible for groundwater management for the more than 200,000 acres that are not part of an irrigation or water district (the “white areas”) in Madera County. Like many regions in the Central Valley, Madera County is heavily groundwater dependent. The average annual shortage in the Madera subbasin alone is approximately 165,000 acre-feet per year, a number calculated over a 50-year period to account for both wet and dry periods.

 

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Research Seeks Resilience for Aquifers

/in , , /by /AgAlertby Bob Johnson

One day in early October, a group of University of California, Merced, students went to the campus Smart Farm, augurs in hand, to explore the soil for the best spots to locate moisture sensors. They were not looking in the root zone to monitor how much water is available but instead for areas lower in the soil to study how irrigation and stormwater can travel far enough beneath the plants to recharge the groundwater below.

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Why Southern California is Generally Better Prepared for Drought Than Northern California

/in , , /by /SF Gateby Amy Graff

Northern California receives more annual rain and snow than Southern California, with 75% of the state’s precipitation falling in the watersheds north of Sacramento. Yet amid a drought, it seems people in the north are conserving water by letting their lawns turn brown and taking shorter showers as districts and municipalities impose mandatory water-use restrictions, while urban areas of the arid south are lush and green with well-watered gardens and lawns.

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PFAS Water Regulations in California Closer to Becoming Reality

/in , , /by /The National Law Reviewby John Gardella

On September 28, 2021, the state of California (through the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment) held a virtual workshop for proposed Public Health Goals (PHGs) for two types of PFAS – PFOA and PFOS. The release of proposed PHGs is extremely significant for any company situated in California, as PHGs are used to create enforceable drinking water standards and limits for groundwater contamination.

Ever Wonder Where Your Drinking Water Comes From? A Reader Asked and We Answer

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Rachel Schnalzer

Until the first half of the 20th century, some areas in Los Angeles County had very high groundwater and springs that residents could use as a water source, said Madelyn Glickfeld, co-director of the UCLA Water Resources Group.

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