Central Coast

A multi-isotope (B, Sr, O, H, and C) and age dating (3H–3He and14C) study of groundwater from Salinas Valley, California: Hydrochemistry, dynamics, and contamination processes

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | January 31st, 2002

The chemical and isotope (11B/10B, 87Sr/86Sr, 18O/16O, 2H/H, 13C/12C, 14C, and 3He/3H) compositions of groundwater from the upper aquifer system of the Salinas Valley in

The chemical and isotope (11B/10B, 87Sr/86Sr, 18O/16O, 2H/H, 13C/12C, 14C, and 3He/3H) compositions of groundwater from the upper aquifer system of the Salinas Valley in coastal central California were investigated in order to delineate the origin and processes of groundwater contamination in this complex system. The Salinas Valley has a relatively deep, confined ‘‘400- foot’’ aquifer, overlain by a ‘‘180-foot’’ aquifer and a shallower perched aquifer, all made up of alluvial sand, gravel and clay deposits. Groundwater from the aquifers have different 14C ages: fossil (14C = 21.3 percent modern carbon (pmc) for the 400-foot aquifer and modern (14C = 72.2–98.2 pmc) for the 180-foot aquifer. Fresh groundwater in all aquifers is recharged naturally and artificially through the Salinas River. The two modes of recharge can be distinguished chemically.We identified several different saline components with distinguishable chemical and isotopic fingerprints. Saltwater intrusion in the northern basin has C1 concentrations up to 1700 mg/L, a Na/Cl ratio less than seawater, a marine Br/Cl ratio, a Ca/Cl ratio greater than seawater, d11B between +17 and +38% and 87Sr/86Sr between 0.7088 and 0.7096. Excess dissolved Ca, relative to the expected concentration for simple dilution of seawater, correlates with 87Sr/86Sr ratios, suggesting base exchange reaction with clay materials. (2) Agriculture return flow is high inNO3 and SO4, with a 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7082,d11B = 19% and d13C between 23 and 17%. The 3H–3He ages (5–17 years) and 14C data suggest vertical infiltration rates of irrigation water of 3–10 m/yr. (3) Nonmarine saline water in the southern part of the valley has high total dissolved solids up to 3800 mg/L, high SO4, Na/Cl ratio >1, d11B between +24 and +30%, and 87Sr/86Sr = 0.70852. This groundwater may have acquired its geochemical signature from leaching of sedimentary rocks associated with the Coast Range marine deposits of Mesozoic to early Cenozoic age. The combination of different geochemical and isotopic fingerprints enables us to delineate the impact of salt sources in different areas of the valley and to reconstruct the origin of the SO4-enriched NO3-depleted saline plume that is located west of the city of Salinas. We suggest that the latter is derived from a mixture of different natural saline waters rather than from anthropogenic contamination.

A multi-predator trophic database for the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | July 27th, 2023

A New Technique for Modeling Land Subsidence Facilitates Better Groundwater Management

Stanford University | December 1st, 2019

Land subsidence – the sudden sinking or gradual settling of Earth’s surface – can occur naturally or be triggered by human activity. One of the most comm

Land subsidence – the sudden sinking or gradual settling of Earth’s surface – can occur naturally or be triggered by human activity. One of the most common human-affected factors is groundwater pumping, a practice that has been steadily increasing due to prolonged periods of drought. Groundwater pumping is so prevalent in some areas that it is severely compromising the quantity and quality of the groundwater as well as the physical structure of the land and aquifer capacity beneath it. Large-scale initiatives for putting water back into the ground, or groundwater recharge, are being implemented in some regions. However, groundwater resource managers still need better information to determine where the land is at greatest risk of subsidence as well as where recharge efforts would be the most effective. Integrating two reliable data gathering sources – helicopter-deployed systems (airborne electromagnetic or AEM technology) that measure electromagnetic fields and satellite-deployed systems (interferometric synthetic aperture radar or InSAR) to measure deformations – offers groundwater managers an improved method for more accurately modeling changes in the land surface related to the pumping and recharge of groundwater. Additionally, the ability to more precisely detect subsidence may offer an early warning system for declining groundwater levels.

A Path Forward for California’s Freshwater Ecosystems

Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) | December 2nd, 2019

Californians rely on freshwater ecosystems for many things: water supply, hydropower, recreation, fisheries, flood risk reduction, biodiversity, and more. These ecosystem

Californians rely on freshwater ecosystems for many things: water supply, hydropower, recreation, fisheries, flood risk reduction, biodiversity, and more. These ecosystems—and the social, economic and environmental benefits they provide—are part of the state’s natural infrastructure. But they are changing in undesirable ways in response to water and land use, pollution, introduction of non-native species, and a changing climate. Declines in native biodiversity are the most direct measure of these changes, with numerous species now protected by state and federal endangered species acts (ESAs) and many times more likely to need protection in future.  For the past 40 years, the ESAs have played a prominent role in managing the state’s freshwater ecosystems. While this approach has prevented extinctions, it also places an emphasis on reducing harm to listed species, rather than improving overall ecosystem condition necessary to recover their populations. And these laws are not forward-looking enough to help species adapt to changing climate and reduce future species listings. This approach also fuels controversy and litigation due to perceptions about trade-offs between species protection and economic uses of land and water.  To maintain the benefits that Californians derive from their freshwater ecosystems—and arrest the decline of native biodiversity—a new approach is needed. We recommend that the state adopt the principles and practices of ecosystem-based management. This involves the simultaneous management of water, land, and organisms to achieve a desired ecosystem condition that benefits both native biodiversity and human well-being. The goal of ecosystem-based planning is to develop a shared vision for the ecosystem, agreement upon a common set of facts, and a unified plan to achieve it. We are not proposing major reforms to state or federal endangered species acts. Rather, we recommend a shift in the way these acts are implemented.  Ecosystem-based management relies on robust governance frameworks that are transparent, collaborative, and supported by science and secure funding. Many programs are starting to adopt its principles and practices, but much more needs to be done. Actions needed to achieve ecosystem-based objectives include setting aside water budgets for the environment and using this water to improve ecosystem condition and create multiple benefits. Binding comprehensive agreements between regulatory agencies, stakeholders, and water users—developed as part of sustainable watershed management plans—should guide implementation. These plans can be used to align agency actions and permitting and can be adopted by the State Water Board as water quality control plans.  California needs to change course in how it manages freshwater ecosystems to protect the many beneficial uses they provide. Ecosystem-based management offers a more comprehensive, flexible, and adaptive approach, and one that is compatible with existing laws. We believe this approach is better able to improve ecosystem outcomes that benefit both people and nature and respond to today’s challenges while preparing for an uncertain future. 

A shift from drought to extreme rainfall drives a stable landslide to catastrophic failure

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | February 7th, 2019

The addition of water on or below the earth’s surface generates changes in stress that can trigger both stable and unstable sliding of landslides and faults.

The addition of water on or below the earth’s surface generates changes in stress that can trigger both stable and unstable sliding of landslides and faults. While these sliding behaviours are well-described by commonly used mechanical models developed from laboratory testing (e.g., critical-state soilmechanics and rate-and-state friction), less is known about the field-scale environmental conditions orkinematic behaviours that occur during the transition from stable to unstable sliding. Here we use radarinterferometry (InSAR) and a simple 1D hydrological model to characterize 8 years of stable sliding of the Mud Creek landslide, California, UsA, prior to its rapid acceleration and catastrophic failure on May 20, 2017. Our results suggest a large increase in pore-fluid pressure occurred during a shift from historic drought to record rainfall that triggered a large increase in velocity and drove slip localization, overcoming the stabilizing mechanisms that had previously inhibited landslide acceleration. Given thepredicted increase in precipitation extremes with a warming climate, we expect it to become more common for landslides to transition from stable to unstable motion, and therefore a better assessmentof this destabilization process is required to prevent loss of life and infrastructure.

A Simulation-Optimization Model for Water-Resources Management, Santa Barbara, California

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | September 1st, 1998

A simulation-optimization model has been developed for the optimal management of the city of Santa Barbara's water resources during a drought. The model, which links grou

A simulation-optimization model has been developed for the optimal management of the city of Santa Barbara's water resources during a drought. The model, which links ground-water simulation with linear programming, has a planning horizon of 5 years. The objective is to minimize the cost of water supply subject to: water demand constraints, hydraulic head constraints to control seawater intrusion, and water capacity constraints. The decision variables are monthly water deliveries from surface water and ground water. The state variables are hydraulic heads. The drought of 1947–51 is the city's worst drought on record, and simulated surface-water supplies for this period were used as a basis for testing optimal management of current water resources under drought conditions. The simulation-optimization model was applied using three reservoir operation rules. In addition, the model's sensitivity to demand, carryover [the storage of water in one year for use in a later year(s)], head constraints, and capacity constraints was tested.

A State Role in Supporting Groundwater Trading with Safeguards for Vulnerable Users: Findings and Next Steps

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | May 18th, 2022

In those parts of California where groundwater pumping has long exceeded replenishment, people are striving to bring groundwater basins into sustainable conditions within

In those parts of California where groundwater pumping has long exceeded replenishment, people are striving to bring groundwater basins into sustainable conditions within 20 years, between 2040 and 2042, as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires. In some areas, groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) – the local agencies tasked with sustainable groundwater management – are beginning to work with other entities and stakeholders to discuss and experiment with the idea of giving groundwater pumpers allocations – allowances to remove a certain amount of water from a groundwater basin – and allowing them to either use their allocation individually or trade allocations between specified parties. Ideally, groundwater trading could ease the economic disruption of cutting back the overall amount of water pumped from a groundwater basin; growers who have less need for pumping could sell their allocation to others willing to pay for it, helping buyers keep their operations functional while compensating sellers. But the concept of groundwater trading raises many questions: How would wetlands, streams, and other ecosystems fed by aquifers be treated in a groundwater trading program? Would operators of farms who lack the resources of larger neighbors be able to benefit from trading? How might trading affect people who depend upon a household well or communities that need reliable groundwater supplies for homes and businesses? How can GSAs work with local stakeholders to develop, implement, and oversee trading programs that help with sustainable groundwater management? There is a State interest behind all of these questions – and a clear need for a focused discussion about groundwater trading.

A Water Resources Data Network Evaluation for Monterey County, California; Phase 1; South County

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | July 12th, 1986

An evaluation made of rainfall, surface water, groundwater, and water quality monitoring networks in Salinas River basin in southern Monterey County, California, proposed

An evaluation made of rainfall, surface water, groundwater, and water quality monitoring networks in Salinas River basin in southern Monterey County, California, proposed all long-term rain gages be continued for extending short-term records and suggested the installation of two additional recording gages. Eight new storage rain gages were suggested at midaltitudes of east and west sides of Salinas Valley where few data are available. The evaluation revealed some short-term gaging stations could be discontinued because of good regression relations between them and the long-term stations Arroyo Seco near Soledad. Of 16 stations selected for the proposed network, 4 are new recording stations, 6 are new nonrecording streamflow and water quality sampling sites, 5 are existing stations, and the last is a station operated from 1969 to 1976; also included are water quality sampling stations on Lakes Nacimiento and San Antonio. The proposed groundwater network was developed from information on geology, geohydrology, and groundwater quality, high priority objectives for groundwater network, and consideration for providing good areal coverage of levels and water quality. Of 145 sites selected, 86 are existing monitoring wells.

A Water Resources Data Network Evaluation for Monterey County, California; Phase 3, Northern Salinas River Drainage Basin

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | December 13th, 1990

Continuing data collection and analysis are vital to efficient development and management of water resources. To insure that water managers have adequate information on c

Continuing data collection and analysis are vital to efficient development and management of water resources. To insure that water managers have adequate information on conditions and trends, data-collection programs must be evaluated and updated periodically. Changes in population, land use, and agricultural practices may increase the demand for water, so that effective water management and supporting data collection become even more critical. Consideration of cost effectiveness, however, means that every site must count, and redundancy must be minimized. Water resources management and monitoring are ever-changing, and periodic reevaluation is a necessary part of this process. This report presents an evaluation of precipitation, surface-water, and ground-water monitoring networks in the northern Salinas River drainage basin of Monterey County, California. This report is third in a series of reports prepared in cooperation with the Monterey County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (MCFCWCD). The phase 1 report (Showalter and Hoffard, 1986) covers the southern Salinas River drainage basin, the phase 2 report covers the north county and coastal areas of Monterey County (W.E. Templin, P.E. Smith, and R.C. Schluter, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 1989), and this report (phase 3) covers the northern Salinas River drainage basin.

A Water Resources Data-Network Evaluation for Monterey County, California, Phase 3: Northern Salinas River Drainage Basin

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | December 15th, 1990

This report presents an evaluation of water resources data collection networks in the northern Salinas River drainage basin, Monterey County, California. The eval

This report presents an evaluation of water resources data collection networks in the northern Salinas River drainage basin, Monterey County, California. The evaluation, done in cooperation with the Monterey County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, covers both quantity and quality monitoring by precipitation, surface-water, and ground-water networks. The report describes existing networks in the study area and possible additional data collection. The study identified 34 precipitation gages in the study area, of which 20 are active. The stations are concentrated in the northwestern part of the study area. Data are lacking for the eastern and southern parts of the study area, as well as the southwestern slopes of the Gabilan Range. No precipitation-quality networks were identified. Possible data-collection efforts for precipitation quality include monitoring for acid rain and for pesticides in precipitation. The study identified 10 streamflow-gaging stations, of which 6 are active. To meet the objectives for streamflow networks that are outlined in the report, all sites could be reactivated, and two of the inactive sites could be relocated to improve the reliability of the data. Besides these stations, nine possible additional streamflow-gaging sites were identified. The Monterey County Flood Control and Water Conservation District samples one surface-water site for suspended sediment, specific conductance, and chlorides. Several agencies have done water-quality sampling in the past, but only five sites are active. Reactivation of the 45 inactive sites might help to meet the various surface-water-quality objectives described in the report. Development of a stream-reach rating system also could help to identify parts of the study area most in need of sampling. The Monterey County Flood Control and Water Conservation District maintains three networks to measure ground-water levels on a monthly basis, during peak irrigation, and at the end of the irrigation season. The District measures water levels in 318 wells. The only other network identified for this report was operated by the U.S. Geological Survey, and none of its five wells are active. The study identified 128 sections in which no ground-water-level monitoring is presently done. Well coverage is densest in the saltwater-intrusion areas near Castroville, California. Wells in the rest of the study area are more sparsely distributed and are concentrated down the center of the drainage basin in the alluvial ground-water basin. The ideal initial baseline network of ground-water-quality wells would be an evenly spaced grid of index wells within each aquifer, with a density of one per section. Once baseline conditions were established, representative wells could be selected and monitored annually. As of 1985, the Monterey County Flood Control and Water Conservation District monitored 379 study wells in the area for various water-quality conditions. Other networks monitor (or propose the monitoring of) 135 wells. The District collects samples in summer months to monitor saltwater intrusion near Castroville. Annual samples also are analyzed for chloride, specific conductance, and nitrate. Every 5 years, the District does a complete mineral analysis on each study well. Improvements in network coverage are suggested to better approximate ideal network coverage. The adequacy of wells in existing monitoring networks for representing actual conditions in the ground-water basins was not established conclusively. Possible redundancy of information from existing networks was not evaluated statistically. Despite these limitations, this report does provide a basis for assessing the adequacy of ground-water-level networks in the study area. The computerized Geographic Information System (GIS) that is planned for Monterey County could easily use the information in this report for the needed initial analysis of network adequacy. The feasibility of management and analysis of large complicated data bases (such as the ground water networks identified in this report) is substantially improved through the use of state-of-the-art GIS tools now available.