Salinity in the Central Valley an Overview
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CENTRAL VALLEY REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD Salinity in the Central Valley An Overview May 2006 CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY State of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor California Environmental Protection Agency Dan Skopec, Acting Secretary REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD CENTRAL VALLEY REGION Robert Schneider, Chair Linda Adams, Vice Chair Paul Betancourt, Member Alson Brizard, Member Christopher Cabaldon, Member Kate Hart, Member Karl Longley, Member Sopac Mulholland, Member Dan Odenweller, Member Pamela C. Creedon, Executive Officer 11020 Sun Center Drive #200 Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 Phone: (916) 464-3291 eMail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/ DISCLAIMER This publication is a technical report by staff of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Region. No policy or regulation is either expressed or intended. i Salinity in the Central Valley An Overview May 2006 REPORT PREPARED BY: GAIL CISMOWSKI, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST WAYNE COOLEY, ENGINEERING GEOLOGIST LES GROBER, SR. LAND & WATER USE SCIENTIST JIM MARTIN, ENGINEERING GEOLOGIST MATTHEW MCCARTHY, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST RUDY SCHNAGL, SR. LAND & WATER USE SCIENTIST ANTHONY TOTO, WRC ENGINEER REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD CENTRAL VALLEY REGION CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This report was prepared with guidance and assistance from the Salinity Committee. Committee members are: x Karl Longley, Central Valley Water Board Member & Committee Chair x Michael Boccadoro, Senior Vice President, The Dolphin Group x Celeste Cantu, Executive Director, State Water Board x Pamela Creedon, Executive Officer, Central Valley Water Board x Steve Chedester, Executive Director, San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors x Jerry Johns, Deputy Director, Water Resources Planning & Management, DWR x Steve Macaulay. Executive Director, California Urban Water Agencies x Jerry Meral, Environmental Public Policy Expert x Dan Odenweller, Central Valley Water Board Member SWRCB and RWQCB staff instrumental in the development of this report included: x Les Grober, Environmental Program Manager, State Water Board x Tom Howard, Chief Deputy Director, State Water Board x Gordon Innes, Senior WRC Engineer, State Water Board x Beth Jines, Deputy Director, State Water Board x Ken Landau, Assistant Executive Officer, Central Valley Water Board x Barbara Leidigh, Counsel, State Water Board x William Rukeyser, Director of Public Affairs, State Water Board x Vicky Whitney, Chief, Division of Water Rights, State Water Board Special thanks go to Sharon Norton, Graphic Designer a the SWRCB, and Alexis Morrell, Office Technician at the RWQCB, for their assistance in developing this document. iii Table of Contents 1.Executive Summary ..................................................................................................... 1 2.Introduction ..................................................................................................................5 2.1. Nature of the Problem........................................................................................ 5 2.2. Stakeholders Impacted by Salinity..................................................................... 5 3.Problem Statement ...................................................................................................... 9 3.1. Impacts of Salinity.............................................................................................. 9 3.2. Geographic Setting .......................................................................................... 12 3.3. Salinity Sources ............................................................................................... 15 General Discussion .......................................................................................... 15 Specific Sources............................................................................................... 16 3.4. Technology/Management Practices................................................................. 19 Agriculture ........................................................................................................ 19 Municipal .......................................................................................................... 21 Industrial........................................................................................................... 21 Treatment......................................................................................................... 22 Disposal............................................................................................................ 24 3.5. Salt Budget ...................................................................................................... 26 Salt Budget Elements....................................................................................... 28 Data Sources and Methods.............................................................................. 37 Averaging Periods ............................................................................................ 38 Results and Discussion .................................................................................... 39 Future work ...................................................................................................... 50 3.6. Relevant Factors.............................................................................................. 51 Demographics .................................................................................................. 51 Social, Economic and Environmental Factors .................................................. 52 Environmental Justice ...................................................................................... 52 Public Trust ...................................................................................................... 53 4.Previous and Ongoing Efforts .................................................................................... 54 4.1. Interagency Drainage Program........................................................................ 54 4.2. University of California Salinity/Drainage Program .......................................... 55 4.3. SWRCB Technical Report on Agricultural Drainage to the San Joaquin River 55 4.4. SWRCB Decision 1641: Implementation of Water Quality Objectives in the Bay- Delta 55 4.5. Bay Area Regional Recycling .......................................................................... 56 4.6. USBR Drainage Feature Reevaluation EIS ..................................................... 56 4.7. San Joaquin River Salt TMDL.......................................................................... 56 4.8. CALFED........................................................................................................... 56 4.9. San Joaquin River Water Quality Management Group .................................... 57 5.Basin Planning ........................................................................................................... 57 6.Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 60 7.Appendix 1. ................................................................................................................ 61 8.Appendix 2. ................................................................................................................ 74 9.Appendix 3. ................................................................................................................ 80 10.Appendix 4. .............................................................................................................. 83 iv 11.Appendix 5. .............................................................................................................. 84 12.Appendix 6. ............................................................................................................ 107 13.Appendix 7. ............................................................................................................ 109 14.Appendix 8. ............................................................................................................ 112 15.Appendix 9. ............................................................................................................ 122 16.References............................................................................................................. 128 v List of Figures Figure 1. State of California Water Quality Control Regions and Basins..................... 12 Figure 2. Conceptual Movement of Salt in the Central Valley ..................................... 17 Figure 4. Statewide water project delivery data, discharge and estimated salt loads.... 35 Figure 5. Salinity trends in the San Joaquin River near Vernalis................................... 46 Figure 6. Historical Changes in EC in Fresno South Wells .......................................... 48 Figure 7. Map showing chloride hot spots below dairies and the Visalia water conservation plant - Visalia area (Boyajian & Ross, Inc. 1998. Groundwater Investigation Report, Visalia Water Conservation Plant, City of Visalia, Tulare County) .................................................................................................................. 49 Figure 8. Population projection by Basin ...................................................................... 51 Figure 9. Drainage-impaired lands in the San Joaquin Valley.....................................