Monterey County Agricultural Groundwater Sustainability: Local Issues Solved Locally Robert Johnson Monterey County Water Resources Agency Sustainable Agriculture Exposition November 14, 2011 TodayToday’’ss PresentationPresentation IntroductionIntroduction DefineDefine SustainabilitySustainability BackgroundBackground InformationInformation LocalLocal IssuesIssues // LocalLocal SolutionsSolutions LessonsLessons LearnedLearned FutureFuture SummarySummary SustainabilitySustainability sus·tain·a·bil·i·ty –noun The ability to be sustained, supported, upheld, or confirmed… The quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance. Environmental Science mindset AgriculturalAgricultural SustainabilitySustainability QuestionQuestion forfor todaytoday’’ss presentation:presentation: –– HowHow hashas thethe MontereyMonterey CountyCounty WaterWater ResourcesResources AgencyAgency participatedparticipated inin thethe AgriculturalAgricultural SustainabilitySustainability ofof MontereyMonterey County?County? Answer:Answer: –– SolvingSolving locallocal issuesissues locallylocally MontereyMonterey CountyCounty WaterWater ResourcesResources AgencyAgency CreatedCreated 19471947 – Previously MCFC&WCD – Special Legislation – Special District – not a County Department – Shares County BOS ChangedChanged toto AgencyAgency inin 19911991 – Inserted BOD – Dual Governance – can be challenging AuthorityAuthority overover CountyCounty waterwater ResponsibilityResponsibility wherewhere fundedfunded MCWRAMCWRA MissionMission StatementStatement ProvidesProvides floodflood controlcontrol servicesservices andand manages,manages, protects,protects, andand enhancesenhances thethe quantityquantity andand qualityquality ofof waterwater forfor presentpresent andand futurefuture generationsgenerations ofof MontereyMonterey CountyCounty SalinasSalinas ValleyValley Four major hydrologic subareas – Pressure - Brown – East Side - Gray – Forebay - Bluish – Upper Valley – Lt Green Hydrologically connected GroundwaterGroundwater isis thethe PrimaryPrimary SourceSource ofof SupplySupply andand StorageStorage SurfaceSurface WaterWater SuppliesSupplies ofof MontereyMonterey CountyCounty Average Annual Outflow: 118,000 AF Average Annual Outflow: 360,000 AF Average Annual Outflow: 76,000 AF MontereyMonterey CountyCounty WaterWater UseUse Agriculture 510,000 acre-ft Urban 90,000 acre-ft Total Estimate 600,000 acre-ft MontereyMonterey CountyCounty WaterWater UseUse Salinas Valley 550,000 acre-ft North County 31,000 acre-ft Peninsula 15,000 acre-ft AgriculturalAgricultural andand UrbanUrban WellsWells SalinasSalinas Valley,Valley, CACA Source: MCWRA LocalLocal IssuesIssues IssuesIssues –– SeawaterSeawater IntrusionIntrusion –– NitrateNitrate SolutionsSolutions • Projects • Funding • Interaction Population 426,000 Largest city: Salinas - 149,000 Industry Agriculture $4 billion Tourism $2 billion LocalLocal IssueIssue –– SeaSea WaterWater IntrusionIntrusion BackgroundBackground SeawaterSeawater intrusionintrusion –– DefinitionDefinition • Seawater intrusion is the migration of seawater into freshwater aquifers under the influence of groundwater development. –– PicturePicture isis worthworth aa thousandthousand wordswords…… CrossCross--SectionSection nearnear thethe CoastCoast 180 Ft. Aquifer 400 Ft. Aquifer Deep Aquifer Source: MCWRA Castroville Area 3D Analysis Source: MCWRA LocalLocal IssueIssue –– SeaSea WaterWater IntrusionIntrusion BackgroundBackground (cont.) SeawaterSeawater intrusionintrusion inin thethe SalinasSalinas ValleyValley –– firstfirst documenteddocumented –– midmid 1930s1930s –– neededneeded toto findfind aa solutionsolution –– StateState studystudy completedcompleted inin 19461946 • Solution still being worked towards today –– StrategyStrategy developeddeveloped byby MCFC&WCDMCFC&WCD // SVWACSVWAC • Monterey County Flood Control & Water Conservation District (pre-cursor to Agency) • Salinas Valley Water Advisory Committee Historic Progression of Seawater Intrusion 2009 Pressure 180-Ft. Aquifer Approximate 2007-2009 Advancement 191 acres Source: MCWRA Date: December 2010 Note: The scale and configuration of all information shown hereon are approximate and are not intended as a guide for design or survey work. Historic Progression of Seawater Intrusion 2009 Pressure 400-Ft. Aquifer Approximate 2007-2009 Advancement 93 acres Source: MCWRA Date: December 2010 Note: The scale and configuration of all information shown hereon are approximate and are not intended as a guide for design or survey work. LocalLocal SolutionSolution –– SeaSea WaterWater IntrusionIntrusion StrategyStrategy SolutionSolution Strategy:Strategy: –– DevelopDevelop aa newnew waterwater sourcesource –– MoveMove waterwater northnorth toto reducereduce needneed forfor coastalcoastal pumpingpumping –– StopStop pumpingpumping alongalong thethe coastcoast AgencyAgency hashas implementedimplemented thethe following:following: –– NacimientoNacimiento andand SanSan AntonioAntonio ReservoirsReservoirs –– MontereyMonterey CountyCounty WaterWater RecyclingRecycling ProjectsProjects –– SalinasSalinas ValleyValley WaterWater ProjectProject LocalLocal SolutionSolution –– SeaSea WaterWater IntrusionIntrusion ProjectsProjects San Antonio Reservoir Completed in 1967 Lake Capacity 335,000 AF Nacimiento Reservoir Completed in 1957 Lake Capacity 377,900 AF Nacimiento Dam San Antonio Dam MontereyMonterey CountyCounty WaterWater RecyclingRecycling ProjectsProjects TwoTwo ComponentsComponents Salinas Castroville MontereyMonterey CountyCounty WaterWater RecyclingRecycling ProjectsProjects TwoTwo ComponentsComponents (cont.) Castroville Seawater Intrusion Project MontereyMonterey CountyCounty WaterWater RecyclingRecycling ProjectsProjects TwoTwo ComponentsComponents (cont.) Salinas Valley Reclamation Project SalinasSalinas ValleyValley WaterWater ProjectProject TwoTwo ComponentsComponents NacimientoNacimiento SalinasSalinas RiverRiver SpillwaySpillway DiversionDiversion FacilityFacility ModificationModification – Divert water to – Accommodate the MCWRP PMF – Allow for fish – Capture and store passage water during the – Inflatable dam winter – Inflatable dam SalinasSalinas ValleyValley WaterWater ProjectProject TwoTwo ComponentsComponents (cont.) SpillwaySpillway ModificationModification – Cut spillway crest 12’’ – Installed rubber dam IncreasedIncreased StorageStorage FLEXABILITY,FLEXABILITY, samesame StorageStorage CAPACITYCAPACITY SalinasSalinas WaterWater ProjectProject NacimientoNacimiento SpillwaySpillway ModificationModification SalinasSalinas ValleyValley WaterWater ProjectProject SalinasSalinas RiverRiver SurfaceSurface DiversionDiversion FacilityFacility SalinasSalinas RiverRiver SurfaceSurface DiversionDiversion FacilityFacility Water DeliveriesWATER – MontereyDELIVERIES County Water RecyclingCastroville Projects Seawater Intrusion & Project-Salinas Diversion Valley Recycling Facility Project to 2010 25,000 20,000 eet 15,000 -F e r c 10,000 A 5,000 0 FY 98- FY 99- FY 00- FY 01- FY 02- FY 03- FY 04- FY 05- FY 06- FY 07- FY 08- FY 09- 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 YTD Recycled Well SRDF FundingFunding andand InteractionInteraction FundingFunding projectsprojects changedchanged inin latelate 19901990’’ss PropositionProposition 218218 – Let voters ‘‘choose’’ to assess themselves – Those who benefit from project pay… – More benefit = pay more – Had to develop costs before outreach CalledCalled forfor InteractionInteraction withwith publicpublic FundingFunding andand InteractionInteraction (cont.) AgencyAgency carriedcarried outout informationalinformational ‘‘roadroad showsshows’’ aboutabout SVWPSVWP OtherOther groupsgroups inin publicpublic settingssettings StaffStaff wentwent toto localslocals –– RotaryRotary Clubs,Clubs, etcetc…… Challenge:Challenge: bebe ableable toto telltell specificspecific propertyproperty ownersowners howhow muchmuch theythey would:would: – Pay for SVWP – Benefit from SVWP FundingFunding andand InteractionInteraction (cont.) CostCost BreakdownBreakdown LocalLocal IssueIssue –– NitrateNitrate inin GroundwaterGroundwater BackgroundBackground AgriculturalAgricultural HistoryHistory andand ProductivityProductivity – 1700s/1800s California Missions & Spanish Land Grants – 1900s Immigrants • Dry farming • Dairies • Sugar beets MultipleMultiple cropcrop typestypes generatinggenerating $4$4 BillionBillion – Growers – multiple generations (third and fourth) – Up to 3 cropping units – Top five crops: Leaf Lettuce, Head Lettuce, Strawberries, Broccoli, Grapes LocalLocal IssueIssue –– NitrateNitrate inin GroundwaterGroundwater BackgroundBackground (cont.) DairiesDairies inin SVSV –– earlyearly 1900s1900s CentrifugalCentrifugal pumppump inventedinvented –– waterwater isis moremore attainableattainable BetterBetter drillingdrilling methodsmethods toto drilldrill deeperdeeper MoreMore effectiveeffective pumpingpumping == moremore waterwater usedused 1940s1940s commercialcommercial fertilizerfertilizer introducedintroduced LocalLocal IssueIssue –– NitrateNitrate inin GroundwaterGroundwater BackgroundBackground (cont.) ConcernsConcerns BeganBegan LateLate 1980s1980s toto PresentPresent –– CACA NonpointNonpoint SourceSource ProgramProgram –– CACA 19881988 NitrateNitrate inin GroundGround WaterWater ReportReport –– 1990s:1990s: • Monterey County Ad Hoc Nitrate Advisory Committee • Threat of Nitrate Adjudication Salinas Valley LocalLocal SolutionSolution –– NitrateNitrate inin GroundwaterGroundwater