California Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring (CASGEM)

California Department of Water Resources2011 Geology Meeting

April 13, 2011

Mary ScruggsCalifornia Department of Water Resources

Division of Integrated Regional Water Management

CASGEM Outline

CASGEM Overview CASGEM Implementation Questions

CASGEM OverviewCalifornia Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring

Program Rationale: Groundwater elevation trends are fundamental to manage and sustain California’s limited groundwater resources

California Water Code: Groundwater Monitoring

WC Sections 10920-10936 + Section 12924

November 2009 Senate Bill x7 6 amended the Water Code to establish a voluntary Statewide groundwater monitoring programLocal “Monitoring Entities” will

regularly and systematically monitor and report groundwater elevations

DWR will make the program’s groundwater data readily and widely available to the public

What is CASGEM?California Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring

Voluntary, long-term program to collect groundwater elevations statewideBuilds on established local groundwater monitoring programs Establishes an online system for data submittal Makes groundwater data readily and widely available to

public onlinePrioritizes groundwater basinsInvestigates groundwater basins Provides status reports to Governor and Legislature

CASGEM Goals

Encourage local participation throughout the stateDetermine the extent of groundwater elevation

monitoring in California’s groundwater basinsEstablish a statewide groundwater monitoring

network that shows seasonal and long-term trendsWork collaboratively with local agencies to improve

monitoring throughout California’s groundwater basins

Why is groundwater elevation data important?

Evaluate changes in groundwater supply

Identify potential problems such as groundwater overdraft and land subsidence

Successfully manage and sustain California’s limited groundwater resources

Understanding seasonal and long-term groundwater trends are fundamental to:

Who can be a Monitoring Entity?

Per Water Code Section 10927Watermaster Groundwater management agency Water replenishment districtLocal agency or County with an established Groundwater

Management PlanLocal agency that is part of an established Integrated

Regional Water Management ProgramCounty Voluntary cooperative groundwater monitoring association

What does a Monitoring Entity do?

The Monitoring Entity(s) in a basin work with DWR to establish an effective monitoring plan

Measure and collect groundwater level measurements from cooperating agencies

Submit the collected data to DWR

CASGEM ChallengesTight deadlinesVoluntary programStatewide programLimited resources, no funding with SBx7 6Diversity throughout the state

515 basins with varied hydrogeology Many agencies and diverse local interests Wide range of resource uses, needs, and constraints

TimelineEnacted November 2009Local agencies notify DWR of intent to be Monitoring Entity

DWR by January 1, 2011Monitoring Entities submit monitoring plans by Summer 2011DWR reviews plans and designates Monitoring Entities Spring

and Summer 2011Monitoring Entities begin groundwater elevation measuring

by Fall 2011Monitoring Entities submit first round of groundwater

elevation data to DWR by January 1, 2012DWR submits report to Governor and Legislature by January 1,

2012

Program Implementation

Conducted CASGEM workshops - Summer 2010 Developed outreach materials – CASGEM website, FAQs,

reporting requirements and procedures manual for Monitoring Entities – Fall 2010

Released first phase of CASGEM online submittal system – December 2010

Began receiving notifications to become Monitoring Entity – December 16, 2010

Began reviewing Monitoring Entities notifications – January 2011

Began designating Monitoring Entities – March 2011

Monitoring Entity Notification Status

As of March 2011:Over 367 notifications opened356 notifications completed111 agencies submitted

notifications271 Basins and Subbasins

represented56 out of 58 counties have at least

some basin area represented

Next StepsRegion Office support to local Monitoring

Entities and Cooperating Agencies – OngoingDWR will release Phase 2 of CASGEM online

system for submittal of monitoring plans and well information – May 18, 2011

DWR will release Phase 3 of CASGEM online system for submittal of groundwater elevation data and to provide public access to data – Late September 2011

Timeline for Planning, Monitoring and Reporting

Monitoring network plans should be completed and submitted to DWR’s online system by Summer 2011

Measurements should begin no later than Fall 2011

Reporting of groundwater elevation data to DWR is required to begin on or before January 1, 2012

CASGEM DatabaseUser Goals

Statewide data will be made readily and widely available to the public

Local and state entities can use data to evaluate and monitor regional groundwater conditions

DWR will evaluate extent of statewide groundwater monitoring (pending funding)

DWR will prioritize groundwater basins (pending funding)

DWR will submit first program status report to Governor and Legislature by January 1, 2012

http://www.water.ca.gov/groundwater/casgem

Questions?http://www.water.ca.gov/groundwater/casgem