Coachella Valley’s groundwater management plans meet the requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) for the Indio and Mission Creek subbasins.
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) on Wednesday (July 17) informed Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) that the agency’s two groundwater management plans submitted to the state meet the requirements of SGMA. Adopted by the state in 2014, SGMA requires governments and water agencies of high- and medium-priority basins to halt overdraft and bring groundwater basins into balanced levels of pumping and recharge.
“This approval signals that CVWD’s previous and ongoing water management strategies of the groundwater basins are effective and consistent with the sustainability objectives,” said Jim Barrett, CVWD general manager.
The Coachella Valley Water Management Plan was submitted collaboratively by CVWD, Coachella Water Authority, Desert Water Agency (DWA), and Indio Water Authority for the Indio Subbasin. The Mission Creek/Garnet Hill Water Management Plan was submitted collaboratively by CVWD, DWA, and Mission Springs Water District for the Mission Creek Subbasin. The state approved these existing plans as an alternative to preparing new plans outlined in SGMA.
“We are pleased that DWR recognizes that decades of local water resources planning meets SGMA requirements,” said Steve Bigley, CVWD’s director of environmental services.
“It is clear that a number of local agencies have been addressing groundwater issues in their basins for many years,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth in a statement. “Their continued commitment to sustainably manage their basins will help protect California’s groundwater reserves as the state confronts critical water challenges.”
A total of 109 high- and medium-priority basins are required to submit groundwater sustainability plans. Out of 15 existing plans submitted to the state for approval to meet SGMA requirements, DWR announced approval of nine alternatives to groundwater sustainability plans submitted by water agencies to meet requirements of SGMA.
Coachella Valley groundwater management plans can be viewed at Coachella Valley Water Management Plan and Mission Creek/Garnet Hill Management Plan
Read more about this issue from DWR.
The Coachella Valley Water District is a public agency governed by a five-member board of directors. The district provides domestic and irrigation water, agricultural drainage, wastewater treatment and reclamation services, regional storm water protection, groundwater management and water conservation. It serves approximately 108,000 residential and business customers across 1,000 square miles, located primarily in Riverside County, but also in portions of Imperial and San Diego counties.
