Hydrogeological Conceptual Model and Water Budget of the Tule Subbasin Volume 1 August 1, 2017 Tule Subbasin Lower Tule River ID GSA Pixley ID GSA Eastern Tule GSA Alpaugh GSA Delano- Earlimart Tri-County Water ID GSA Authority GSA Prepared for The Tule Subbasin MOU Group Tule Subbasin MOU Group Hydrogeological Conceptual Model and Water Budget of the Tule Subbasin 1-Aug-17 Table of Contents Volume 1 Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Tule Subbasin Area .......................................................................................................... 6 1.2 Types and Sources of Data ............................................................................................... 7 2.0 Hydrological Setting of the Tule Subbasin .......................................................................... 9 2.1 Location ............................................................................................................................ 9 2.2 Historical Precipitation Trends......................................................................................... 9 2.3 Historical Land Use .......................................................................................................... 9 2.4 Surface Water Features .................................................................................................. 10 2.4.1 Tulare Lake ............................................................................................................. 10 2.4.2 Lake Success ........................................................................................................... 10 2.4.3 Tule River ............................................................................................................... 10 2.4.4 Deer Creek .............................................................................................................. 11 2.4.5 White River ............................................................................................................. 11 2.4.6 Conveyance Facilities (Canals and Pipelines) ........................................................ 11 2.5 Groundwater Wells ........................................................................................................ 12 3.0 Geology ................................................................................................................................. 13 4.0 Hydrogeology ....................................................................................................................... 14 4.1 Tule Groundwater Subbasin ........................................................................................... 14 4.2 Aquifer Conceptualization ............................................................................................. 14 4.3 Aquifer Characteristics ................................................................................................... 15 4.4 Groundwater Movement ................................................................................................ 16 4.4.1 Groundwater Flow Direction .................................................................................. 16 4.4.2 Historical Changes in Groundwater Elevation ....................................................... 17 4.4.3 Historical Changes in Groundwater Storage from Groundwater Level Changes ... 18 5.0 Estimates of Tule Subbasin Subsurface Inflow and Outflow .......................................... 20 6.0 Surface Water Budget ......................................................................................................... 23 ii Tule Subbasin MOU Group Hydrogeological Conceptual Model and Water Budget of the Tule Subbasin 1-Aug-17 6.1 Surface Water Inflow ..................................................................................................... 24 6.1.1 Precipitation ............................................................................................................ 24 6.1.2 Stream Inflow.......................................................................................................... 24 6.1.3 Imported Water ....................................................................................................... 25 6.1.4 Discharge to Crops from Wells............................................................................... 25 6.1.5 Municipal Deliveries from Wells............................................................................ 25 6.2 Surface Water Outflow................................................................................................... 26 6.2.1 Areal Recharge from Precipitation ......................................................................... 26 6.2.2 Evapotranspiration of Precipitation from Crops and Native Vegetation ................ 26 6.2.3 Tule River ............................................................................................................... 27 6.2.4 Deer Creek .............................................................................................................. 29 6.2.5 White River ............................................................................................................. 32 6.2.6 Imported Water ....................................................................................................... 32 6.2.7 Recycled Water ....................................................................................................... 33 6.2.8 Return Flow from Groundwater Pumping .............................................................. 34 6.2.9 Agricultural Consumptive Use ............................................................................... 35 6.2.10 Municipal Consumptive Use................................................................................... 36 7.0 Groundwater Budget ........................................................................................................... 37 7.1 Sources of Groundwater Recharge ................................................................................. 37 7.1.1 Areal Recharge........................................................................................................ 37 7.1.2 Tule River ............................................................................................................... 38 7.1.3 Deer Creek .............................................................................................................. 38 7.1.4 White River ............................................................................................................. 38 7.1.5 Imported Water Deliveries ...................................................................................... 38 7.1.6 Recycled Water ....................................................................................................... 38 7.1.7 Return Flow from Groundwater Pumping .............................................................. 38 7.1.8 Release of Water from Compression of Aquitards ................................................. 39 7.1.9 Subsurface Inflow ................................................................................................... 39 7.1.10 Mountain-Block Recharge ...................................................................................... 39 7.2 Sources of Groundwater Discharge................................................................................ 40 iii Tule Subbasin MOU Group Hydrogeological Conceptual Model and Water Budget of the Tule Subbasin 1-Aug-17 7.2.1 Municipal Groundwater Pumping........................................................................... 40 7.2.2 Agricultural Groundwater Pumping ....................................................................... 40 7.2.3 Groundwater Pumping for Export Out of the Tule Subbasin ................................. 40 7.2.4 Subsurface Outflow ................................................................................................ 40 7.3 Historical Changes in Groundwater Storage .................................................................. 41 8.0 Preliminary Estimate of Sustainable Yield ....................................................................... 42 8.1 Sustainable Yield Evaluation Approach ........................................................................ 42 8.2 Sustainable Yield Estimate............................................................................................. 44 9.0 Summary of Findings .......................................................................................................... 46 10.0 References ............................................................................................................................. 48 Tables 1 Summary of the Underflow Analysis Into and Out of the Tule Subbasin……….…..50 2a Tule Subbasin Surface Water Inflow Budget…………………………………….….51 2b Tule Subbasin Surface Water Outflow Budget………………………..........…….….52 3 Tule Subbasin Groundwater Budget………………………………………………....54 4 Tule Subbasin Sustainable Yield Analysis…………………………………………..56 Figures 1 Regional Map….............………………………..……………………………………57 2 Study Area……………………………...…………………………………….….......58 3 Jurisdictional Areas…………………………………………………………….….....59 4 Isohyetal Map………………………………………………………………….……..60 5 Annual Precipitation – Porterville Station…………………………………….......…61