California is beginning to identify places to store storm water after concerns that groundwater supplies are decreasing.
The California Department of Water Resources has recently announced its new groundwater mapping project that will “provide critical information” about the underground water supply, it said in a statement.
The Statewide Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Survey Project mapped 95 groundwater basins of priority in the state by scanning depths of 1,000 feet into the earth, using helicopter-based technology.
The mapping project will allow officials to decide where replenishment is needed.
Groundwater supply is vital to California’s water supply. It provides 30 to 60 percent of all water in the state, depending on how its reservoir water storage is faring. Groundwater is used mainly during dry periods and is an essential buffer against drought. The Western state has only recently emerged from a prolonged drought, meaning officials are looking to see how groundwater supply is holding up.
Mario Tama / Staff / jamesdvdsn
According to the Department of Water Resources, some Californian communities rely entirely on groundwater to drink.
The new initiative to replenish decreasing groundwater supplies is part of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), implemented to help California’s water resilience at a time when climate change is causing more extreme weather patterns.
“AEM data helps GSAs (groundwater sustainability agencies) move more expediently towards development of projects in areas previously deemed as non-suitable for groundwater recharge,” Kassy Chauhan, executive officer, North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency, said in a statement. “AEM has helped to navigate below ground to find the small pockets where the soil conditions are prime for groundwater recharge to occur. The picture of the sub-surface geology helps with project siting and ensures available financial resources are going towards feasible projects which will help get water into the underground, helping the North Kings GSA reach its sustainability goals.”
California saw a lot of winter storms in January 2023, meaning groundwater supply recovered during this time. This period followed three consecutive years of drought, meaning groundwater supplies were in high demand.
“The State continues to make investments in the latest technology, like AEM, to ensure we are prepared for the weather extremes that are playing out in the new climate reality,” Paul Gosselin, deputy director of Sustainable Groundwater Management, said in a statement. “Data from these initial statewide AEM surveys are already being used by local groundwater agencies, and we are excited to move into the next phase, expanding data collection efforts and providing new tools for understanding and managing California’s groundwater on a local, regional, and statewide level.”
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