Stakeholders Can Participate at April 8 Workshop
ABOUT THE PROJECT: Two water sources—surface water and groundwater—serve all of the needs within the San Luis Obispo Valley Basin (SLO Basin). SGMA, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, signals the first time in California’s history that groundwater will be formally managed. As required by SGMA, the SLO Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) are developing a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) now through January 2022. The GSP will guide groundwater users on how to reach sustainable groundwater levels in the future.
PROGRESS TO DATE: The first two steps in the GSP development process are nearing completion, as illustrated below. Within these two steps no groundwater management decisions have been made. Step 1 documents the basic administrative information and background of the GSP. Step 2, now underway, is to build a thorough picture of the Basin (what we call Basin Setting), including documenting the Basin’s geology, groundwater levels and quality, water accounting, and future land use plans, among other data. This data helps predict future groundwater demand and it informs how sustainable levels can be achieved in the future.
WHAT’S NEXT: At the April 8th workshop, stakeholders can participate in Step 3 in the GSP development process—setting sustainability goals for the Basin. Participants will first be given an overview of the Basin Setting. The team will then introduce what goes into creating groundwater sustainability goals, per SGMA requirements, such as maintaining groundwater levels at a specific depth. Participants will then work in small groups with groundwater experts to help land the preliminary sustainability goals for the Basin.
Comments