Category: Tool and Application Development

Merced River Flood-MAR Reconnaissance Study Technical Memorandum 1 Plan of Study – Draft

February 6, 2023 No Comments

DWR, in partnership with the Merced Irrigation District (MID), is conducting a preliminary study using flood waters for managed aquifer recharge that can reduce flood risk, increase surface and groundwater supply reliability, and enhance ecosystems in the Merced River Basin. This Merced River Reconnaissance Study (study) is exploring the potential, feasibility, and effectiveness of Flood-MAR concepts, testing theories, and assessing strategies in overcoming barriers and challenges to project planning and implementation. The study will assess current conditions of the Merced River watershed and the vulnerability of these watershed management characteristics to a range of potential climate change futures. The study will also describe the public and private benefits that may be achieved through Flood-MAR strategies and quantify a range of benefits that Flood-MAR could provide in or adjacent to the Merced River watershed.

Groundwater Resource Hub

February 2, 2023 No Comments

The purpose of the Groundwater Resource Hub is to help local agencies achieve sustainable groundwater management by providing the science and tools needed to help address nature’s water needs. Over time, the goal is to improve statewide and local understanding of nature’s groundwater needs to reduce uncertainties and therefore enhance sustainable groundwater management.

Groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs) are plant and animal communities that require groundwater to meet some or all of their water needs. California is home to a diverse range of GDEs including palm oases in the Sonoran Desert, hot springs in the Mojave Desert, seasonal wetlands in the Central Valley, perennial riparian forests along the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, and estuaries along the coast and in the Delta. These ecosystems rely on groundwater in California’s semi-arid climate, especially during dry summers and periods of drought. GDEs provide important benefits to California including habitat for animals, water supply, water purification, flood mitigation, erosion control, recreational opportunities and general enjoyment of California’s natural landscape.

DWR’s SGMA Best Management Practices and Guidance Documents

February 2, 2023 No Comments

This link is a one-stop shop for DWR’s SGMA-related Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Guidance Documents to assist Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) with developing Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs).

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), Water Code Section 10729(d), directed DWR to “publish on its internet Web site best management practices for the sustainable management of groundwater,” by January 1, 2017. DWR developed and published 2 categories of information – Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Guidance Documents – to assist Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) with developing Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs).

BMPs and Guidance Documents are not substitutes for GSP Regulations or the statutory provisions of SGMA. With the exception of 2 specific BMPs addressed in the GSP Regulations (Section 352.2, Monitoring Protocols and Section 352.4, Data and Reporting Standards), SGMA and the GSP Regulations provide no direction or limitation with respect to what type of BMPs and Guidance Documents should be developed to assist GSAs with making sustainable groundwater management decisions. DWR may develop additional BMPs and Guidance Documents, or make revisions to the existing publications, as needed.

SGMA Data Viewer

February 2, 2023 No Comments

As part of DWR’s technical assistance to Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs), other water managers, and the public, DWR has developed the SGMA Data Viewer. The SGMA Data Viewer provides access to groundwater-related datasets that are organized by the requirements of SGMA and the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) regulations for the purposes of supporting GSP development and implementation.

Currently, regional and statewide groundwater information is publicly available, however this information is collected and disseminated through a variety of portals and applications. The SGMA Data Viewer provides centralized data access that will improve coordination across the State and help GSAs meet the requirements of SGMA and the GSP regulations.

This site includes historical and current data on:
Groundwater levels
Groundwater storage
Water quality
Land subsidence
Interconnected surface water
Water budgets
Hydrogeological conceptual models
Reference layers

Soil Agricultural Groundwater Banking Index

January 20, 2023 No Comments

The Soil Agricultural Groundwater Banking Index (SAGBI) is a suitability index for groundwater recharge on agricultural land. The SAGBI is based on five major factors that are critical to successful agricultural groundwater banking: deep percolation, root zone residence time, topography, chemical limitations, and soil surface condition.

Flood-MAR Research and Data Development Plan

September 15, 2022 No Comments

This Flood-MAR Research and Data Development Plan (R&DD Plan) presents the work of the Flood-MAR Research Advisory Committee (RAC), a multidisciplinary group of subject matter experts across 13 research themes. The RAC was tasked to identify the research, data, guidance, and tools necessary to support and expand the implementation of Flood-MAR projects. Well-formulated Flood-MAR projects can benefit Californians and the environment through improved water supply reliability, flood-risk reduction, drought preparedness, aquifer replenishment, ecosystem enhancement, subsidence mitigation, water quality improvement, working landscape preservation and stewardship, climate change adaptation, recreation, and aesthetics