Title
Receive an update on staff’s participation in the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency’s Advisory Committee. (Staff: Shaunna Murray)
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive an update on staff’s participation in the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency’s Advisory Committee.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Background
The Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) has an Advisory Committee which plays a key role in shaping groundwater management in the Salinas Valley by providing input and consensus-based recommendations to the SVBGSA Board of Directors. The Advisory Committee reflects a broad range of perspectives, representing agencies and groundwater users across the region. Members collaborate to support the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act through the integrated execution of six Groundwater Sustainability Plans. The Monterey County Water Resources Agency (Agency) has a seat on the Advisory Committee and will provide periodic updates to the Agency BOD as it affects or is of interest to the Agency.
Summary
Staff participated in the Advisory Committee held on February 19, 2026. The significant topics were the Salinas Valley Integrated Hydrologic Model (SVIHM) and Seawater Intrusion Model (SWIM) 2025 Update, the Integrated Implementation Strategy (IIS) draft Chapters 1-2, and Understanding Seawater Intrusion: Management Options and Challenges.
The SVIHM and SWIM update provided an overview of these models including the purpose of each. The SVIHM is a regional scale model developed by the USGS for the Agency and SVBGSA that integrates the surface and groundwater components appropriate at that larger scale. The version of the SVIHM, that the SVBGSA is using, was updated on November 13, 2025, and the model files are publicly available. The SWIM was developed by Montgomery & Associates for the SVBGSA and is a more focused model at the northern end of the Salinas Valley. It was first publis...
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