The Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CVSALTS) Executive Committee has taken a significant step by unanimously approving a final concept study to establish Salt Management Areas (SMAs). This is a key milestone for CIPA members, as it provides the framework for joining coalition-led SMAs to manage salt discharges and ultimately restore groundwater quality.
The document, which is concise at 8 pages, highlights the next steps and key research questions, showcasing a focused and cost-efficient approach. The full document will be available for distribution once properly formatted.
Notably, at the June CVSALTS annual update meeting, State Water Resources Control Board Chair Joaquin Esquivel emphasized that California is ahead of other states by a decade in salt management efforts.
Next Steps:
Finalize groundwater models.
Designate the last two of three SMA pilot areas.
Form local coalitions, similar to the successful nitrate management process. Kern County is a priority for SMA designation.
Key Excerpts from Final Concept Study:
Salt management strategies will vary by location based on site-specific conditions and available sequestration or export mechanisms.
Major challenges include locating and regulating enough “In-Valley” areas for salt management, which are generally located in poorly drained areas where salts may be contained and concentrated, and addressing the impact of selenium and protecting habitats.
Basin Planning projects will be necessary to designate areas for salt management and isolate them from water sources. It will be challenging to identify a large enough number of these areas and implement regulatory designation processes that would facilitate the placement of salt management areas on a large scale.
Infrastructure will need to be developed to protect water quality in areas like the San Joaquin River.
Research Opportunities to Benefit Development and Implementation of The P&O Study:
Develop economic salt concentration methods that reduce wildlife impacts.
Explore re-use opportunities for sulfates found in salt management areas, such as creating gypsum or sulfuric acid, and consider whether this would be cost-effective.
Investigate deep well injection for salt and potential co-located carbon sequestration projects.
Study the feasibility of brine stream discharges to coastal facilities, including permitting options; i.e., could a facility in the Bay or ocean accept a small brine stream? What would it look like in the context of the existing discharge(s)?
Future Considerations:
Basin Plan Amendments could help regulate salt management areas and address requirements for re-designation.
Estimating the number, size, and locations of salt management areas is crucial to determining how much salt must be managed long-term. How many places would be needed and where? How much salt must be sequestered?
What is the long-term feasibility of a salt management area without export?
This study represents progress in addressing Central Valley’s salt challenges and opens opportunities for further research and action in managing salt sustainably within the region.