Title
Consider receiving an update on the Agency's Groundwater Extraction Management System and discuss options on how to expand that system consistent with the Sustainable Groundwater Sustainability Act requirements related to collecting and monitoring groundwater data; and provide direction to staff.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive an update on the Agency's Groundwater Extraction Management System and discuss options on how to expand that system consistent with the Sustainable Groundwater Sustainability Act requirements related to collecting and monitoring groundwater data; and provide direction to staff.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
BACKGROUND:
The Monterey County Water Resources Agency (Agency) began collecting groundwater extraction data through the Groundwater Extraction Management System (GEMS) program in 1993. All well owners, agricultural and urban, with wells having a discharge pipe diameter of at least 3 inches, in an Agency defined area ("Zones 2, 2A, & 2B"1), are required to register and annually self-report extraction data and water conservation information to the Agency through a dedicated web portal. The GEMS program was established by 3 ordinances2, 3660, 3717, and 3718, adopted by the Agency. The GEMS program supports two other ordinances, 3851 and 3886, that implement Agricultural and Urban Water Conservation Plans, respectively. The Agency estimates annual self-reporting compliance in the mid-ninety percent range. The Agency aggregates data to monitor changes in regional groundwater usage and track implementation of Best Management Practices and publishes its findings in an annual report3.
In 2014, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) became law. The aim of SGMA is to establish a statewide framework to manage groundwater sustainably over the long-term. SGMA directed the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to identify and prioritize groundwater basins throughout the state. High and medium priority (Priorit...
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