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Innovations in Sustainable Groundwater and Salinity Management in California’s San Joaquin Valley

Author

Listed:
  • Nigel W. T. Quinn

    (HEADS, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
    School of Engineering, University of California, Merced, CA 95353, USA)

  • James D. Oster

    (Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside (Emeritus), CA 92521, USA)

Abstract

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) of 2014 and the Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CVSALTS) initiative were conceived to reverse years of inaction on the over-pumping of groundwater and salination of rivers that both threaten agricultural sustainability in the State of California. These largely stakeholder-led, innovative policy actions were supported by modern tools of remote sensing and Geographic Information System technology that allowed stakeholders to make adjustments to existing resource management and jurisdictional boundaries to form policy-mandated Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) and Salinity Management Areas (SMAs) to address future management responsibilities. Additional resources mobilized by the California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) and other water resource and water quality management agencies have been effective in encouraging the use of spreadsheet accounting and numerical simulation models to develop robust and coherent quantitative understanding of the current state and likely problems that will be encountered to achieve resource sustainability. This activity has revealed flaws and inconsistencies in the conceptual models underpinning this activity. Two case studies are described that illustrate the disparity in the challenges faced by GSAs in subregions charged with developing consensus-based Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs). These case studies also illustrate the unique aspect of SGMA: that alongside mandates and guidelines being imposed statewide, local leadership and advocacy can play an important role in achieving long-term SGMA and CVSALTS goals.

Suggested Citation

  • Nigel W. T. Quinn & James D. Oster, 2021. "Innovations in Sustainable Groundwater and Salinity Management in California’s San Joaquin Valley," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-21, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:12:p:6658-:d:573152
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nigel W. T. Quinn, 2020. "Policy Innovation and Governance for Irrigation Sustainability in the Arid, Saline San Joaquin River Basin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-38, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yujuan Su & Fengtian Yang & Yaoxuan Chen & Pan Zhang & Xue Zhang, 2021. "Optimization of Groundwater Exploitation in an Irrigation Area in the Arid Upper Peacock River, NW China: Implications for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-20, August.

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    1. Amninder Singh & Nigel W. T. Quinn & Sharon E. Benes & Florence Cassel, 2020. "Policy-Driven Sustainable Saline Drainage Disposal and Forage Production in the Western San Joaquin Valley of California," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-27, August.

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