From the Department of Water Resources Sustainable Groundwater Management Program:
California Water Plan Plenary – Session on “Enhancing the Connection between IRWM and SGMA”
There is still time to RSVP for California Water Plan Update 2018’s second plenary meeting . It will be held Wednesday, Sept. 27, at the Wildland Fire Training and Conference Center at McClellan. The agenda will cover planning recommendations, regional issues, funding, and there will be a session in the regional issues track on “Enhancing the Connection between IRWM and SGMA”.
Sustainable Groundwater Planning Grant Funding Available
Filing Period Closes November 13, 2017
DWR has released the final version of 2017 Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP) and Projects Proposal Solicitation Package (PSP) for the Sustainable Groundwater Planning (SGWP) Grant Program , funded by the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 (Proposition 1).
The SGWP Grant Program provides funds for projects that develop and implement sustainable groundwater planning and projects consistent with groundwater planning requirements outlined in Division 6 of the California Water Code, commencing at §10000 .
This PSP makes available a total of $86.3 million, with at least $10 million made available to projects that serve Severely Disadvantaged Communities and the remaining amount for planning, development, or preparation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans . Eligible projects must address high and medium priority basins as identified in DWR Bulletin 118 or a non-adjudicated portion of one of these basins. Please note that Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) are required to notify DWR and the public prior to initiating development of a GSP (in compliance with California Code of Regulations, Title 23, Section 350 et seq. and Water Code section 10727.8).
The newly released PSP, public comments received on the draft document, as well as other information about the SGWP Grant Program, is available at: http://www.water.ca.gov/irwm/grants/sgwp/
The release of the final PSP initiates the open filing period for Phase 1 of this solicitation. The application is available online through the Grants Review and Tracking System (GRanTS) . The deadline to file for grant funding is November 13, 2017.
A list of Frequently Asked Questions is on the DWR website.
Contact:
Sustainable Groundwater Planning Grant Program
901 P Street
P.O. Box 942836
Sacramento, CA 94236-0001
SGWP@water.ca.gov
916.651.9613 (office)
Draft Guidance Documents for Engagement and Communication
Public comments received on DWR’s draft guidance documents – Guidance Document for Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) Stakeholder Communication and Engagement (C&E) and Engagement with Tribal Governments are now posted on the DWR website . The public comment period for these documents closed August 28th, 2017.
The C&E document offers guidance on communication with stakeholders for GSP development through a transparent and inclusive process. The Engagement with Tribal Governments document is intended to help local agencies engage with Tribal Governments in the planning, financing and management of a GSA, or with the development and implementation of a GSP. DWR is reviewing the submissions and will consider the input as the drafts are finalized, expected in late September or early October.
Contact: Hong Lin| Hong.Lin@water.ca.gov | (916) 651-9273
Technical Assistance
Providing technical assistance to water managers and GSAs is crucial in enabling successful management of groundwater basins. DWR is providing local agencies and GSAs with technical assistance which includes data and tools at both the regional and statewide level to support Groundwater Sustainability Plan development and implementation. Visit DWR’s SGM Program – Data, Tools, and Reports webpage for more access to:
- Statewide Data Platforms
- Best Management Practices and Guidance Documents
- Interactive Maps – Groundwater Information Center Interactive Map & Water Management Planning Tool
- Modeling – Code and Applications
- Reports – Bulletin 118 and Bulletin 160
- Water Data Library and more
Contact: Steven Springhorn | Steven.Springhorn@water.ca.gov | (916) 651-9273
Upcoming Events
Groundwater Resources Association 2017 Conference and 26th Annual Meeting ~
Tuesday, October 3- Wednesday, October 4, 2017
8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.
Hilton Arden West
2220 Harvard Street
Sacramento, CA 95815
GRA’s 2017 Conference and 26th Annual Meeting will provide policy makers, practitioners, researchers, and educators the opportunity to learn about current policies, regulations and technical challenges affecting the protection, use and management of groundwater in California. DWR’s Trevor Joseph, Steven Springhorn, and Tyler Hatch will all be presenting at this conference. Attendees will learn from real world successful case studies on groundwater management, replenishment and recharge, groundwater protection, remediation, and will walk away with concepts and solutions that can be applied to their local projects and groundwater management issues. More information and Registration
This year there will also be an optional Groundwater Law pre-conference on October 2nd which will feature the 2017 Groundwater Law Workshop: “Hot Topics and Current Issues Affecting Groundwater Basins Across California”.
SGMA Definitions and Groundwater Glossary
SGMA provided California with a roadmap for sustainably managing our groundwater, and it also came with its own lexicon. Looking for the definition of “Undesirable result” or “De minimis extractor”? It’s right here. Additional important groundwater terms and definitions are included in the Groundwater Information Center’s Groundwater Glossary .
DID YOU KNOW?
DWR’s Water Data Library (WDL) contains hydrologic data (groundwater level data and some groundwater quality data) for over 35,000 wells California. The data is collected by DWR Region Offices and dozens of local and federal cooperators. WDL’s easy on-line data retrieval provides information quickly!
