The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) recently reviewed a new groundwater monitoring well network in the San Joaquin Valley, developed with input from multiple departments and based on the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) project infrastructure. According to Emily Haugen, the project manager, the network aims to identify "a recharge signature" along its path, which roughly follows the center of the Valley.
SWRCB’s Division of Water Quality is collaborating with the Department of Water Resources (DWR) on this effort. Steven Springhorn, a groundwater executive at DWR, helped present the plan. The main goal of the pilot project is to assess how increased recharge efforts are affecting water quality and supply, as well as to study the impacts of floodwater inundation and drought. Federal agencies, including the US Geological Survey, are also involved in the project.
The network will initially consist of 50 wells across the San Joaquin Valley, funded for five years to focus on sample collection and data gathering. Local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies will also participate.
Staff noted that the next steps include developing a sampling plan and conducting sampling before, during, and after the upcoming rainy season. The long-term goal is to monitor recharge and stormwater effects throughout the Central Valley.
See this link for additional material: SWRCB Agenda Item. CIPA staff will continue to follow developments related to this pilot program.