A wet year boosted California’s groundwater, but not enough to address long-term declines
California aquifers boosted by a wet year, recharge efforts Los Angeles Times
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Groundwater Levels in California Rise, but Challenges Remain
After years of pervasive declines, groundwater levels rose significantly in much of California last year, boosted by historic wet weather and the state’s expanding efforts to replenish depleted aquifers.
The state’s aquifers gained an estimated 8.7 million acre-feet of groundwater — nearly double the total storage capacity of Shasta Lake — during the 2023 water year that ended Sept. 30, according to newly compiled data from the California Department of Water Resources.
Managed Groundwater Recharge Efforts
A large portion of the gains, an estimated 4.1 million acre-feet, came through efforts that involved capturing water from rivers swollen by rains and snowmelt, and sending it to areas where the water percolated into the ground to recharge aquifers. The state said the amount of managed groundwater recharge that occurred was unprecedented, and nearly double the amount of water replenished during 2019, the prior wet year.
Still, the increase in underground supplies follows much larger long-term declines, driven largely by chronic overpumping in agricultural areas. The gains only partially recouped the estimated losses of 14.3 million acre-feet of groundwater during the previous two years of severe drought, when farms relied heavily on wells and aquifer levels plummeted.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The increase in groundwater levels in California aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. These goals include:
- Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
- Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Goal 13: Climate Action
- Goal 15: Life on Land
Efforts to Reach Sustainability
The Department of Water Resources released the information in its semiannual report on groundwater conditions. The report did not include data for late 2023 and early 2024, which will be assessed in the next update later this year.
In early 2023, a series of powerful storms ended three years of extreme drought, triggering flooding and leaving one of the largest accumulations of snow on record. The year ranked as the eighth wettest statewide in the last half a century.
The wet weather and the availability of water delivered in canals led agricultural well owners to pump less groundwater. The floodwaters spread out and naturally replenished the groundwater along rivers and wetlands. In some areas, local water agencies directed floodwaters to dedicated recharge basins or farm fields, where water percolated into the ground.
Most of the managed recharge efforts to date have occurred in farming areas of the San Joaquin Valley, where local agencies have been working on plans to combat overdraft and have made investments in infrastructure to transport water to recharge facilities.
Water Level Changes
According to the report, water levels rose by more than 5 feet in 52% of wells with available data, while there was little change in 44% of wells, and only 4% of wells declined by more than 5 feet.
Over the last five years, however, most areas have seen declining trends in water levels. The report’s authors said this “underscores the fact that a single year, or even a few years, of heavy precipitation is not enough to refill the state’s depleted groundwater basins,” or make up for a series of critically dry years.
Springhorn pointed out that researchers have estimated the losses of groundwater in the Central Valley at roughly 40 million acre-feet over the last two decades.
Since 2000, California has also received much less precipitation than the 20th century average. State water officials call this the “accumulated precipitation deficit,” reflecting repeated droughts and the worsening effects of climate change.
Challenges and Future Plans
Farms in the Central Valley have long depended on a mix of river water and groundwater to produce crops such as almonds, pistachios, grapes, and hay to feed dairy cows.
Declining groundwater levels have left thousands of families with dry wells over the last decade. But after 1,494 dry wells were reported in the 2022 water year, the total fell to 669 dry wells the following year, and has continued declining.
The problem of sinking ground, which is linked to declining groundwater, also eased substantially. Land subsidence affected smaller areas. Between October 2022 and October 2023, areas totaling about 800 square miles — largely on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley — saw a measurable “uplift” of the ground surface of more than 1.2 inches.
Springhorn said local agencies’ efforts to boost groundwater had a positive effect.
“These numbers are great. And they really are reflective of a tremendous amount of work at the local level,” he said. “But there is still a lot more work to be done to reach sustainability in our groundwater basins.”
He noted that California will mark the 10th anniversary of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act this year. The landmark law requires local agencies in many areas to develop groundwater plans and curb overpumping by 2040.
In January, the Department of Water Resources finished reviewing local agencies’ groundwater plans.
State officials have declared those plans inadequate in six areas of the San Joaquin Valley, and last month regulators voted to place one of those regions — the Tulare Lake subbasin — on “probationary” status for failing to adopt sufficient measures to address chronic overpumping.
Some of the areas where the state has declared serious problems of overdraft, such as the Tule and Kaweah subbasins, are also among the regions that did the most aquifer recharge during the last year.
“The impressive recharge numbers in 2023 are the result of hard work by the local agencies combined with dedicated efforts from the state, but we must do more to be prepared to capture and store water when the wet years come,” said Paul Gosselin, the Department of Water Resources’ deputy director of sustainable water management.
He said that in light of the continuing groundwater deficit, “we need to continue streamlining processes and investing in water management strategies and infrastructure, like stormwater capture and groundwater recharge.”
The state
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 15: Life on Land
The article discusses the issue of groundwater depletion and the efforts to replenish aquifers in California. This is directly related to SDG 6, which focuses on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. It is also connected to SDG 13, as the depletion of groundwater and the need for replenishment are influenced by climate change and extreme weather events. Additionally, SDG 15, which aims to protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, is relevant as groundwater is an important component of land ecosystems.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity.
- SDG 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
- SDG 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services.
The article highlights the need for sustainable management of groundwater resources to address water scarcity (SDG 6.4). It also emphasizes the importance of building resilience to climate-related hazards and natural disasters, such as droughts and floods (SDG 13.1). Additionally, the efforts to replenish aquifers contribute to the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems (SDG 15.1).
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Water levels in wells: The article mentions that water levels rose by more than 5 feet in 52% of wells, while there was little change in 44% of wells, and only 4% of wells declined by more than 5 feet. This indicator can be used to measure progress towards sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater (SDG 6.4).
- Groundwater recharge efforts: The article discusses the significant increase in managed groundwater recharge, with an estimated 4.1 million acre-feet of water replenished during the wet year. This indicator can be used to assess progress towards sustainable water management and conservation (SDG 6.4).
- Groundwater losses: The article mentions that researchers have estimated the losses of groundwater in the Central Valley at roughly 40 million acre-feet over the last two decades. This indicator can be used to measure the need for sustainable groundwater management and conservation (SDG 6.4).
These indicators provide insights into the progress made in terms of water availability, groundwater replenishment, and the need for sustainable management of groundwater resources.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation | 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity. | – Water levels in wells – Groundwater recharge efforts – Groundwater losses |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. | – Groundwater recharge efforts |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services. | – Groundwater recharge efforts |
Copyright: Dive into this article, curated with care by SDG Investors Inc. Our advanced AI technology searches through vast amounts of data to spotlight how we are all moving forward with the Sustainable Development Goals. While we own the rights to this content, we invite you to share it to help spread knowledge and spark action on the SDGs.
Fuente: latimes.com
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