Calaveras County Environmental Management Agency Environmental Health Department Report to the Board of Supervisors November 25, 2014 Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program

The Board of Supervisors (Board) has historically been aware of the need to protect the quality and quantity of the County’s groundwater resources. This is reflected in the Board having taken several actions beginning in 1998 to help assure that these resources will continue to be available to the citizenry of the county.

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program June 1998 – The Board adopts Well Construction and Destruction standards. (Ordinance #2547) August 16, 1999 – The Board adopts Proof of Groundwater Standards pertaining to Land Development. (Ordinance’s #2589 and #2590) October 10, 2000 – The Board establishes the Local Agency Groundwater Protection Program. (Resolution #00-281)

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program January 22, 2002 – The Board adopts standards regulating the extraction and transfer of groundwater. (Groundwater Management Ordinance #2681) March 2005 – The Board adopts revisions to Proof of Groundwater requirements pertaining to Land Development. (Ordinance’s #2833, #2834 and #2835) May 6, 2008 – The Board adopts an updated version of the Well Construction and Destruction standards. (Ordinance #2946) March 12, The Board adopts amendments to the requirements for Accessory Dwellings including Proof of Groundwater Standards

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program Calaveras, not unlike other mountain counties and rural jurisdictions in California secures a significant amount of its potable (drinkable) water from groundwater. Calaveras, also not unlike other mountain Counties, serves as a “source county” for surface water.

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program In Calaveras County, groundwater is geologically dependent and is found in: Hard rock fissures; Tertiary Channel System (buried rivers); East San Joaquin Ground Water Sub-Basin which is in a state of overdraft pursuant to DWR Bulletin 118.

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program

San Joaquin Groundwater Basin Critically over-drafted pursuant to DWR Bulletin 118.

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program Surface waters in the County originate from the Stanislaus, Calaveras and Mokelumne River watersheds.

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program Community Surface Water Supply Firm Yield Ebbetts Pass/ArnoldN.F. Stanislaus 8,000 AF Copper Cove/CopperopolisN.F. Stanislaus 32,000 AF Valley Springs/CamancheNew Hogan 23,800 AF Valley Springs/CamancheMokelumne 20,000 AF West Point/WilseyvilleM.F. Mokelumne/Bear Creek 700 AF Firm yield is defined as the maximum quantity of water that can be guaranteed with some specified degree of confidence during a specific critical period, such as a series of critically dry years. Firm yield can be increased through rationing, recycling, and water conservation.

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program “Local Agency Groundwater Protection Program Synopsis” As previously stated, Calaveras secures a significant amount of its potable (drinkable) water from groundwater. As such, we began to develop a Local Agency Ground Water Protection Program (Program) in 2000 as funded through a Federal EPA (Fed/EPA) Region IX grant. The program report was issued to Fed/EPA in The fundamentals of the program included:

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program Development of a Geographic Information System (GIS) program that allowed the department to:  Track and identify ground water resources throughout the county;  Track and identify possible threats to ground water quality;  Track and identify possible threats to public health and safety and the environment as a result of contaminated ground water

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program Using GIS, we plotted and tabulated data associated with existing programs and wells including: Domestic Wells Mines, Failing OWTS, Small Public Water System Wells, Class V Injection Wells, Underground Storage Tank Sites Solid Waste Sites and Hazardous Waste Sites. We also addressed groundwater impacting surface water from naturally surfacing salt waters to mine water discharge!

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program Domestic Water Wells Nineteen hundred wells were recorded with an accuracy of 3-5 ft Forty five hundred additional records from DWR with various spatial references Attributes:  Total Depth  Depth to Water  Yield (gpm)  Static Water Level  Etc.

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program This res

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program Proof of Ground Water Studies The recorded information on well yield, depth etc. in conjunction with the exact location of each well can be used for a verification and refinement of the Groundwater Potential map which is used for the Proof of Groundwater Ordinance as established by the Board in 1999

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program Detailed studies of groundwater availability can reveal where there might or might not be the need to apply the more stringent provision to satisfy the Proof of Groundwater. Proof of Ground Water Studies Wells within 1 mileMean MinMax Total Depth 297 ’ 150 ’ 440 ’ Gallon per Minute37.9 ’ 8 ’ 150 ’ Depth to Water203 ’ 35 ’ 360 ’ Static Water Level191 ’ 25 ’ 320 ’

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program A 3-dimensional view of the wells in Calaveras County reveals the differences regarding well depth and yield between the hard rock area, where yields and depth may change drastically within few feet, and the more homogenous area where the East San Joaquin Groundwater Basin reaches into the county. East San Joaquin Ground Water Basin Run 3D Animation

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program Small Public Water System Wells

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program Underlying geology directly effects ground water availability. This is further complicated by the presence of fault systems Water quality and quantity is directly effected by underlying geology

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program

Ground water on the phyllie side of the mineralized fault zone (Hodson Fault) is likely dominated by sodium and chloride and on the greenstone side by bicarbonate, magnesium and calcium.

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program Springs bearing salt laden water create areas devoid of vegetation where the concentrations reach levels exceeding native plant tolerance.

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program There are several instances where ground water may impact surface waters. Other mining sites within the County have also had an impact on surface waters.

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program On occasion an adit or mine shaft may fill with groundwater and mix with naturally occurring metals or chemicals. The result can be the leaching of acidic water laden with heavy metals to the surface of the ground.

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act On September 16, 2014, Governor Brown signed a package of three bills, known as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The three bills are SB 1168 (Pavley), SB 1319 (Pavley) and AB 1739 (Dickinson). These bills are designed to provide a framework for improved groundwater management by local agencies.

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program The Governor also signed AB 1471 placing on the California ballot the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of This act is separate from the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act cited above and provides for $7.195 Billion in water improvement and infrastructure expenditures. The Water Bond was passed by the California electorate on November 4, 2014.

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program The three aforementioned bills that make up the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act provide local agencies with the tools to manage groundwater basins in a sustainable manner over the long ‐ term and allows for limited state intervention when necessary to protect groundwater resources. More specifically, this act establishes: 1.a definition of sustainable groundwater management; 2.establishes local agencies to develop plans and implement strategies to sustainably manage groundwater resources; 3.prioritizes basins with the greatest problems (ranked as high and medium priority) and 4.sets a timeline for implementation.

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program January 1, 2015 – Legislation goes into effect. June 30, 2017 – Local groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) must be formed. January 31, 2020 – Groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) must be completed for basins in a critical condition of overdraft. January 31, 2022 – GSPs must be completed in all other high ‐ and medium ‐ priority basins not currently in overdraft. Twenty years after adoption of the GSP (2040 and 2042) – all high ‐ and medium ‐ priority groundwater basins must achieve sustainability.

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program “Sustainable groundwater management” means management and use of groundwater in a manner that can be maintained during the planning and implementation horizon without causing undesirable results. “Undesirable results” means any of the following effects caused by groundwater conditions occurring throughout the basin:

Calaveras County Groundwater Management Program Questions