California’s Groundwater Update 2013 A Compilation of Enhanced Content for California Water Plan Update 2013 April 2015 State of California Natural Resources Agency Department of Water Resources COLORADO RIVER HYDROLOGIC REGION Table of Contents Contents Chapter 12. Colorado River Hydrologic Region Groundwater Update ................................................. i Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Findings, Data Gaps, and Recommendations ........................................................................................... 3 Findings ................................................................................................................................................ 3 Groundwater Supply and Development ............................................................................................ 3 Groundwater Use and Aquifer Conditions ........................................................................................ 3 Groundwater Monitoring Efforts ...................................................................................................... 4 Groundwater Management and Conjunctive Management ............................................................... 4 Data Gaps .............................................................................................................................................. 5 Data Collection and Analysis ............................................................................................................ 5 Basin Assessments ............................................................................................................................ 5 Sustainable Management .................................................................................................................. 6 Recommendations ................................................................................................................................. 6 Groundwater Supply and Development .................................................................................................... 7 Alluvial Aquifers .................................................................................................................................. 7 Borrego Valley Groundwater Basin ................................................................................................ 10 Warren Valley Groundwater Basin ................................................................................................. 10 Lucerne Valley Groundwater Basin ................................................................................................ 10 Coachella Valley Groundwater Basin ............................................................................................. 11 Fractured-Rock Aquifers .................................................................................................................... 11 Well Infrastructure .............................................................................................................................. 11 CASGEM Basin Prioritization ............................................................................................................ 16 Groundwater Use .................................................................................................................................... 19 2005-2010 Average Annual Groundwater Supply .............................................................................. 19 Groundwater Use by Planning Area Boundaries ............................................................................ 20 Groundwater Use by County Boundaries ....................................................................................... 20 Change in Annual Groundwater Use .............................................................................................. 23 Groundwater Monitoring Efforts ............................................................................................................ 24 Groundwater-Level Monitoring .......................................................................................................... 25 Groundwater-Quality Monitoring ....................................................................................................... 27 Land Subsidence Monitoring .............................................................................................................. 29 Aquifer Conditions.................................................................................................................................. 29 Groundwater Occurrence and Movement ........................................................................................... 32 Depth to Groundwater ..................................................................................................................... 32 Groundwater Elevations .................................................................................................................. 33 Groundwater-Level Trends ............................................................................................................. 33 Hydrograph 02S01E33J004S ...................................................................................................... 36 Hydrograph 07S08E34G001S..................................................................................................... 36 Hydrograph 16S20E27B001S ..................................................................................................... 37 Change in Groundwater in Storage ..................................................................................................... 37 Groundwater Quality .......................................................................................................................... 38 Groundwater Quality at Community Drinking Water Wells .......................................................... 39 Groundwater Quality at Domestic Wells ........................................................................................ 41 Groundwater Quality — GAMA Priority Basin Project ................................................................. 42 Groundwater Quality Protection ..................................................................................................... 43 Land Subsidence ................................................................................................................................. 45 i California’s Groundwater Update 2013: A Compilation of Enhanced Content for California Water Plan Update 2013 Groundwater Management ...................................................................................................................... 46 Groundwater Management Plan Inventory ......................................................................................... 46 Groundwater Management Plan Assessment ...................................................................................... 50 Required GWMP Components ....................................................................................................... 51 Basin Management Objectives .................................................................................................... 52 Mapping ...................................................................................................................................... 53 Monitoring Protocols .................................................................................................................. 53 Voluntary GWMP Components ...................................................................................................... 53 Bulletin 118-2003–Recommended GWMP Components ............................................................... 55 DWR/ACWA Survey — Key Factors for Successful GWMP Implementation ............................. 55 DWR/ACWA Survey — Key Factors Limiting GWMP Success .................................................. 57 DWR/ACWA Survey — Opinions of Groundwater Sustainability ................................................ 57 Groundwater Ordinances .................................................................................................................... 57 Special Act Districts ........................................................................................................................... 58 Court Adjudication of Groundwater Rights ........................................................................................ 59 Other Groundwater Management Planning Efforts ............................................................................ 61 Integrated Regional Water Management Plans ............................................................................... 61 Urban Water Management Plans .................................................................................................... 62 Agricultural Water Management Plans ........................................................................................... 63 Conjunctive Management Inventory ....................................................................................................... 64 Conjunctive Management Inventory Results .................................................................................. 66 References ............................................................................................................................................... 67 Tables Table 12-1 Alluvial Groundwater Basins