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Orientation to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and Petaluma Valley Water Resources

Marcus Trotta, PG, CHg Principal Hydrogeologist Sonoma County Water Agency Petaluma Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency Advisory Committee Meeting October 24, 2017

Sustainable Groundwater Management Act

Became law on January 1, 2015 Applies statewide to medium and high priority basins In Sonoma County, affects Santa Rosa Plain, Sonoma Valley, Petaluma Valley

Step three Achieve Sustainability 20 years after adoption of plan*

Required Steps to Groundwater Sustainability

Step one Form Groundwater Sustainability Agency June 30, 2017

• Complete

Step two Develop Groundwater Sustainability Plan January 31, 2022

* DWR may grant up to two, five- year extensions on implementation upon showing of good cause and progress

Failure to meet any of these deadlines triggers intervention by the State Water Resources Control Board

Management Authorities under SGMA

Groundwater Sustainability Agencies have discretionary authority to:

• Conduct studies
• Register & monitor wells
• Set well spacing requirements
• Require extraction reporting*
• Regulate extractions
• Implement capital projects
• Assess fees to cover costs

*GSAs can’t require metering of domestic groundwater users, considered “de mininimis” users under SGMA (Use 2 acre-feet per year or

less for domestic purposes)

Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) Framework Structure

Petaluma Valley GSA & GSP Santa Rosa Plain GSA & GSP Sonoma Valley GSA & GSP

1 GSA & 1 GSP per basin with formal coordination between basins

Basic Petaluma Valley GSA Governance Structure

Advisory Committee: 10 members GSA Board: Five members

GSA staff

Consideration of Interested Parties

GSAs must consider “all interests

• f all beneficial uses and users of

groundwater” including: ▪ Agriculture ▪ Domestic users ▪ Public & private water systems ▪ Tribes ▪ Environmental users ▪ Disadvantaged communities ▪ Others

Advise GSA Board on:

• Development and implementation of Groundwater

Sustainability plan

• Sustainability goals, measurable thresholds and objectives
• Technical and reporting standards
• Monitoring programs
• Modeling activities
• Project and management actions
• Annual work plans and reports
• Community Outreach
• Fee proposals
• Local Regulations to implement SGMA
• Inter-basin coordination
• General advisory

Advisory Committees

GSA Primary Future Activities (through June 2018)

• Prepare and adopt Bylaws
• Prepare and submit application for Proposition 1 Grant

Funding

• Develop Community Outreach Plan
• Obtain consultant to initiate long-term funding options

study

• Initiate development of Groundwater Sustainability Plan

Groundwater Recycled Water Conservation Surface Water

Integrated Water Resource Management Strategies

Maximize Balance

Russian River Watershed

Lake Sonoma Lake Mendocino

Recycled Water

• Petaluma Recycled Water System

– Provides recycled water to agricultural customers, golf courses, urban landscaping, and Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility – In 2016, ECWRF delivered 38 MG of tertiary recycled water to parks and schools, offsetting the need for potable water – In addition, 389 MG went to agricultural customers and golf courses that were previously using pumped groundwater or captured runoff as a water source – City is working on project to expand RW delivery to additional schools, parks, and the SRJC on the east side of town

Example Regional Water Conservation Efforts

• Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership

– City of Petaluma Programs

• LandSmart Plans
• Sustainable Winegrowing Practices
• SlowIt! SpreadIt! SinkIt! StoreIt!

Petaluma Valley Water Supplies and Primary Uses

Imported Russian River Water

• City of Petaluma (Primary

Supply)

Groundwater

• Agriculture
• Rural Residents
• City of Petaluma (Back-up

Supply)

Local Surface Water

• Agriculture

Recycled Water

• Agriculture
• Golf Courses
• Landscaping

(Offsets potable and groundwater supplies)

Historical Petaluma Valley Groundwater Studies

USGS, 1958 DWR, 1982

Sonoma County Water Agency Transmission System – Connecting Surface & Groundwater Alexander Valley Study completed 2006 Santa Rosa Plain Study completed

• 2014. Groundwater management

plan since 2014 Sonoma Valley Study completed 2006. Groundwater management plan since 2007 Petaluma Valley Study initiated Sept 2014

Groundwater Plays Important Role in Building Resiliency

Overarching Goal: Proactive Management of Surface Water & Groundwater Resources to Promote Reliability for All Users

U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater Study

• 3-Year Study scheduled for completion

late 2017, report publication 2018

– Compiling & evaluating existing data – Collecting new data (geologic data, groundwater levels, groundwater quality and streamflows) – Developing groundwater flow model

• Will form technical foundation for

developing Groundwater Sustainability Plan (required by SGMA)

Petaluma V alley Groundwater Basin

• Petaluma V

alley Basin – 46,000 acres

• Geology – complex and faulted
• Many aquifers with high clay

content –relatively low well capacities

• Variable trends in

groundwater levels

• Water Quality issues in some

areas - nitrates, salinity, iron/manganese, arsenic

Digital geologic map from California Geological Survey

GSP Requirements

Groundwater Sustainability Plans must:

• Describe the basin conditions, using a hydrologic

conceptual model

• Describe the basin-specific monitoring network
• Establish minimum thresholds and measurable
• bjectives to avoid undesirable results:

Groundwater-level Declines Reduction in Groundwater Storage Seawater Intrusion Water Quality Degradation Land Subsidence Surface Water Depletion

• Identify projects and actions needed to achieve
• r maintain sustainable conditions within 20

years Must be completed by January 31, 2022

Maximize Outside Funding through Grant Opportunities

• DWR has allocated ~$86 million statewide and released a Draft

Grant Solicitation through Proposition 1.

• Based on Draft Grant Solicitation, Petaluma Valley subbasin could

be eligible for up to $1 Million in grant funding with a 50% local cost share requirement.

• Grant applications due on December 1, 2017.
• Other outside funding opportunities available through DWR

– Facilitation services – Technical assistance, including funding for monitoring networks

• Continue to explore other outside funding opportunities

Draft GSP Scope Objectives for Grant Application

• Meet SGMA requirements - establish criteria and management

actions to achieve and maintain sustainable groundwater.

• Build on strong technical foundation established through previous

technical studies and voluntary groundwater management activities.

• Provide opportunity for significant public and community

engagement and integrate the perspectives and address the needs

• f the many diverse users and uses of groundwater resources

within the basin.

• Leverage local resources through continued regional coordination

and information sharing.

Questions and Discussion

http://www.sonomacountygroundwater.org