1 Groundwater Management in the Kings River Service Area David Orth Kings River Conservation District

WaterPower Environmental Stewardship Overview Formed in 1951 by special act A leading resource management agency for the Kings River region

3 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

4 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?

Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region: 10.9 million acres, 12 distinct Basins/7 sub- basins

6 San Joaquin River Kings River FRESNO CO MADERA CO KINGS CO Pine Flat Reservoir Fresno TULARE CO Hanford Corcoran

7 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)

8 Critical Condition Overdraft –Increasing demand –Reduced Surface Supply reliability Water Quality –Nitrates

9 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. Groundwater Conditions

10 Kings Basin Groundwater Flow Patterns

11 Groundwater Policy Recommendations Association of CA Water Agencies California Water Foundation Natural Heritage Institute Others

12 ACWA Groundwater Task Force Policy Objectives

13 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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15 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

16 Drinking Stakeholder Group Accomplishments

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

18 Kings Basin Water Authority Participation 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 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 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

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 Kings Basin IRWM DAC Project

Pilot Projects Economy of Scale Analysis Community Survey Wastewater Improvements Water Supply Deficit Water Treatment Improvements

21 Kings Basin Water Authority IRWM Report Card 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 Over 100 planned projects with more than 100,000 AF of recharge and conservation benefits

22 Questions?