Groundwater Management
in the Kings River Service Area
David Orth
Kings River Conservation District
1
Overview
• Formed in 1951 by special act
• A leading resource management agency for the
Kings River region
Water
Power
Environmental
Stewardship
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 subbasins
MADERA CO
Pine Flat Reservoir
Fresno
FRESNO CO
Hanford
Corcoran
TULARE CO
KINGS CO
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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.
change in groundwater storage
Cumulative change
Change in Storage in Kings Basin
1964 to 2011
2000
0
Insufficie
-4000
2010-2011
2003-2004
1993-1994
-3000
1983-1984
-2000
1973-1974
-1000
1963-1964
Change in Storage (1,000 AF)
1000
-5000
-6000
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-7000
20% below normal=dry
Water Year
20% above normal = wet
Kings Basin
Groundwater Flow
Patterns
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Groundwater Policy
Recommendations
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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
Kings Basin Water Authority
Participation
MEMBERS (16)
Alta Irrigation District
City of Clovis
City of Dinuba
City of Fresno
City of Kerman
City of Parlier
City of Reedley
City of Sanger
City of Selma
County of Fresno
County of Tulare
Consolidated Irrigation District
Fresno Metro. Flood Control Dist.
Fresno Irrigation District
Kings County Water District
Kings River Conservation District
INTERESTED PARTIES (40)
Bakman Water Company
Biola Community Services District
California Native Plant Society, Sequoia
Chapter
California State University, Fresno
City of Kingsburg
City of Orange Cove
City of San Joaquin
Community Water Center
County of Kings
Crescent Canal Company
Cutler Public Utilities District
East Orosi Community Services District
Easton Community Services District
El Rio Reyes Conservation Trust
Fresno County Farm Bureau
Hardwick Water Company
James Irrigation District
Kings River Conservancy
Kings River Water Association
Laguna Irrigation District
Laton Community Service District
Liberty Canal Company
Liberty Water District
London Community Services District
Malaga County Water District
Mid-Valley Water District
Orange Cove Irrigation District
Orosi Public Utilities District
Raisin City Water District
Reed Ditch Company
Riverdale Irrigation District
Riverdale Public Utility District
Sanger Environmental Fund
Self-Help Enterprises
Sierra Club, Tehipite Chapter
Sierra Resource Conservation District
Sultana Community Services District
Terranova Ranch, Inc.
Tulare Basin Wildlife Partners
UC Cooperative Extension - Fresno
OTHER PARTICIPATION
CA Department of Fish & Game
CA Department of Water Resources
Center for Collaborative Policy
Fresno Audubon Society
Kings River Fisheries Program
Regional Water Quality Control Board
Sierra 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
Pilot Projects
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Economy of Scale Analysis
Community Survey
Wastewater Improvements
Water Supply Deficit
Water Treatment Improvements
Kings Basin Water Authority
IRWM Report Card
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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
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• Over 100 planned projects with more than 100,000 AF of
recharge and conservation benefits
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Questions?
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