FINALFINAL AB3030 Groundwater Management Plan Prepared for Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District November 2007 Todd Engineers with Kennedy/Jenks Consultants FINAL AB3030 Groundwater Management Plan Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District Kern County, California Prepared for: Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District 12109 Highway 166 Bakersfield, CA 93313 Prepared by: Todd Engineers 2200 Powell Street, Suite 225 Emeryville, CA 94608 with Kennedy/Jenks Consultants 1000 Hill Road, Suite 200 Ventura, CA 93003-4455 November 2007 Table of Contents List of Tables....................................................................................................................... v List of Figures..................................................................................................................... v List of Appendices............................................................................................................... v Executive Summary...................................................................................................... ES-1 1. Introduction.................................................................................................................1 1.1. Background......................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Goals and Objectives of the Plan........................................................................ 2 1.3. Public Participation............................................................................................. 2 1.4. Accuracy of Values in Plan................................................................................. 2 2. Management Area....................................................................................................... 4 2.1. District Boundaries............................................................................................. 4 2.2. DWR Groundwater Basin................................................................................... 4 2.3. Physical Setting................................................................................................... 5 2.3.1. Topography................................................................................................. 5 2.3.2. Geology....................................................................................................... 5 2.3.3. Land Use..................................................................................................... 6 2.4. Hydrologic Setting.............................................................................................. 8 2.4.1. Precipitation ................................................................................................ 8 2.4.2. Evapotranspiration ...................................................................................... 9 2.4.3. Surface Water.............................................................................................. 9 2.4.4. Imported Water......................................................................................... 10 2.4.5. Groundwater ............................................................................................. 10 2.4.5.1. Aquifers and Hydrostratigraphy ....................................................... 10 2.4.5.2. Subareas ............................................................................................ 11 2.4.5.3. Groundwater Recharge and Discharge ............................................. 12 2.4.5.4. Regional Groundwater Flow............................................................. 13 3. Assessment of the Groundwater Basin ..................................................................... 14 3.1. Water Levels and Groundwater Flow............................................................... 14 3.1.1. Water Level Data ...................................................................................... 14 3.1.2. Water Level Trends and Fluctuations....................................................... 14 3.1.2.1. Maricopa Subarea............................................................................. 15 3.1.2.2. Wheeler West Subarea...................................................................... 16 3.1.2.3. Wheeler East Subarea ....................................................................... 17 3.1.2.4. White Wolf Subarea.......................................................................... 17 3.1.3. Groundwater Flow.................................................................................... 18 3.2. Groundwater Quality........................................................................................ 19 3.2.1. Water Quality Data ................................................................................... 19 3.2.2. Inorganic Water Quality ........................................................................... 19 3.2.3. Organic Constituent Testing ..................................................................... 20 3.3. Groundwater Use.............................................................................................. 21 3.3.1. Estimates of Historical Crop Demand ...................................................... 21 3.3.2. Estimates of Groundwater Extraction....................................................... 23 Final GWMP ii Todd Engineers 11-08-07 Kennedy/Jenks Consultants 3.3.3. Estimated Locations of Groundwater Extraction...................................... 24 3.3.4. Water Sources and Future Demand .......................................................... 25 3.3.4.1. State Water Project Water (SWP)..................................................... 26 3.3.4.2. Water Banking Programs and the District ........................................ 28 3.3.4.3. Kern Water Bank.............................................................................. 28 3.3.4.4. Pioneer Project.................................................................................. 28 3.3.4.5. Berrenda Mesa.................................................................................. 29 3.3.5. Assessment of Future Groundwater Use in SWSA .................................. 29 3.4. Land Subsidence............................................................................................... 31 4. Monitoring Program and Protocols........................................................................... 33 4.1. Water Level Monitoring ................................................................................... 33 4.1.1. District Water Level Monitoring Program................................................ 33 4.1.2. DWR Water Level Monitoring ................................................................. 34 4.1.3. Additional Water Level Monitoring ......................................................... 34 4.2. Water Quality Monitoring................................................................................. 34 4.2.1. District Water Quality Monitoring Program............................................. 34 4.2.2. Water Quality Standards for User Input Program..................................... 35 4.2.3. Water Quality Monitoring by Other Agencies.......................................... 35 4.2.4. GAMA Monitoring near Bakersfield........................................................ 35 4.3. Surface Water Monitoring ................................................................................ 36 4.4. Imported Water Monitoring.............................................................................. 36 4.5. Land Subsidence Monitoring............................................................................ 36 4.6. Climatic Monitoring..........................................................................................37 4.7. Coordination with Other Programs................................................................... 37 5. Basin Management Objectives ................................................................................. 38 5.1. Prevent a Return to Historical Overdraft .......................................................... 38 5.2. Maintain Groundwater Quality......................................................................... 38 5.3. Monitor Water Levels, Water Quality, and Groundwater Storage ................... 39 5.4. Estimate Groundwater Use and Future Groundwater Demands....................... 39 5.5. Update the Progress on Achieving BMOs........................................................ 39 6. Management Actions................................................................................................ 40 6.1. AB3030 Checklist............................................................................................. 40 6.1.1. Overdraft, Replenishment, and Conjunctive Use ..................................... 40 6.1.2. Well Construction and Relationship with Other Agencies....................... 42 6.1.3. Groundwater Quality and Wellhead/Recharge Zone Protection .............. 42 6.1.4. Monitoring Groundwater Levels and Storage........................................... 43 6.2. Recommended Management Actions ............................................................... 43 6.2.1. Optimize the Integration of the District’s Water Sources......................... 43 6.2.2. Secure Additional Water Sources as Needed............................................ 44 6.2.3. Prepare a Groundwater Development Program ........................................ 44 6.2.3.1. Evaluate Range of Operating Water Levels.....................................