Sacramento's Regional Water Authority wants to make groundwater storage more flexible. Here's how you can provide input

The Sacramento Regional Groundwater Bank is large enough to hold twice as much water as Folsom Lake. Water managers are hoping to maximize that storage to provide long term stability for the region's water supply.

The Sacramento Regional Groundwater Bank is large enough to hold twice as much water as Folsom Lake. Water managers are hoping to maximize that storage to provide long term stability for the region's water supply.

MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THEIR WEBSITE. LEADERS WITH THE SACRAMENTO REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY ARE READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN DEVELOPING ITS GROUNDWATER BANK, BUT THEY WANT YOUR INPUT FIRST. METEOROLOGIST HEATHER WALDMAN JOINS US NOW TO EXPLAIN HOW THE BANK WORKS. SO HEATHER, HOW CAN IT BENEFIT THE AREA DURING OUR NEXT DROUGHT? YEAH. WELL, THE SACRAMENTO REGIONAL GROUNDWATER BANK IS A NATURAL UNDERGROUND AQUIFER AND IT HAS ENOUGH SPACE TO HOLD TWICE AS MUCH WATER AS FOLSOM LAKE USING A SERIES OF PUMPS, WATER MANAGERS CAN TAKE EXCESS SURFACE WATER AND SEND IT BELOW GROUND LIKE YOU SEE HERE TO SAVE FOR DRY YEARS WITH THIS YEAR’S WET WINTER, WATER MANAGERS WERE ABLE TO BANK ENOUGH SURFACE WATER TO SERVE 60,000 HOMES FOR A YEAR. AND THEY WANT TO KEEP BUILDING THAT STORAGE TO DO THAT, THE REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY NEEDS FEDERAL RECOGNITION. THIS WOULD RELAX SOME OF THE CURRENT CONSTRAINTS THAT CAN SLOW DOWN THE PROCESS OF STORING WATER OR SENDING IT TO WHERE IT’S NEEDED MOST. IT ALLOWS FOR FLEXIBILITY IN HOW WATER IS MOVED RIGHT NOW, THE WAY WATER IS MANAGED IS IS VERY REGIMENTED. WITH FEDERAL RECOGNITION, THERE WILL BE GREATER ABILITY TO STORE WATER WHEN IT’S AVAILABLE IN OUR GROUNDWATER BASIN IN BOTH HERE FOR AGENCIES LOCALLY, BUT ALSO POTENTIALLY FOR WATER INTERESTS FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE AND THE NEXT STEP TOWARDS THAT FEDERAL RECOGNITION IS SUBMITTING WHAT’S CALLED AN ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT. THIS WILL DETAIL HOW WATER MANAGERS INTEND TO BALANCE SURFACE AND GROUNDWATER WHILE STILL STILL MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE REGION’S ECOSYSTEM. THE REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY WANTS TO HEAR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS FROM THE PUBLIC BEFORE THAT DOCUMENT IS SUBMITTED. SO THERE’S A NEW WEBSITE, SAC WATER BANK DOT COM, WHICH HAS INFORMATION ON HOW THE GROUNDWATER BANK SYSTEM WORKS. PLUS A LINK TO SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS PLANS FOR FUTURE PUBLIC STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS WILL ALSO BE POSTED AT SAC. WATERCOURSE COMM. THE GROUNDWATER BANK IS ON TRACK TO RECEIVE THAT FEDERAL RECOGNITION BY T

Sacramento's Regional Water Authority wants to make groundwater storage more flexible. Here's how you can provide input

The Sacramento Regional Water Authority is preparing to take the next step in maximizing the storage and flexibility of the metro area's groundwater. Before that happens, water managers want input from the community.For the past two decades, water agencies have been working together to build up the Sacramento Regional Groundwater Bank. The "bank" is a natural underground aquifer that spreads out below the Valley and Foothills around Sacramento. That space has the capacity to hold twice the amount of water of Folsom Lake. During wet years, a series of pumps takes excess surface water and stores it in the groundwater bank. Those same pumps can draw groundwater back up for treatment and use during dry years.The infrastructure is in place, but now water managers need to formalize plans for a more cooperative water use strategy by gaining federal recognition. Over the next year, the Regional Water Authority will be preparing and submitting an environmental document as part of that process."We’re going to kick that process off in 2024," RWA Executive Director James Peifer said. "Before we do that, we want to make sure we are scoping out the project correctly."Peifer and his team will assess that scope based on community feedback. A new website focused on the groundwater bank allows water users to learn more about how the system works and to submit questions or concerns directly to the RWA.“We’ve heard some of the public's concerns in prior stakeholder meetings," Peifer said. "One thing that they are interested in making sure is that they have a reliable water supply in the future.”Peifer added that some are concerned about potential environmental impacts as water has to be drawn from Folsom Lake and the American River to be added to the groundwater bank.Despite these concerns, the Regional Water Authority believes that investing in the groundwater bank is the best way to stabilize the region's long-term water supply, as climate change and increased water demands make surface water supply less predictable. “The way to manage that volatility is with flexibility,” said Ryan Ojakian, the RWA's government affairs manager. "With federal recognition, there will be greater ability to store water when it’s available in our groundwater basin both here for agencies locally but also potentially for water interests from other parts of the state.”The Sacramento Regional Groundwater Bank is on track to be federally recognized in 2025.

The Sacramento Regional Water Authority is preparing to take the next step in maximizing the storage and flexibility of the metro area's groundwater.

Before that happens, water managers want input from the community.

For the past two decades, water agencies have been working together to build up the Sacramento Regional Groundwater Bank.

The "bank" is a natural underground aquifer that spreads out below the Valley and Foothills around Sacramento. That space has the capacity to hold twice the amount of water of Folsom Lake.

During wet years, a series of pumps takes excess surface water and stores it in the groundwater bank. Those same pumps can draw groundwater back up for treatment and use during dry years.

The infrastructure is in place, but now water managers need to formalize plans for a more cooperative water use strategy by gaining federal recognition. Over the next year, the Regional Water Authority will be preparing and submitting an environmental document as part of that process.

"We’re going to kick that process off in 2024," RWA Executive Director James Peifer said. "Before we do that, we want to make sure we are scoping out the project correctly."

Peifer and his team will assess that scope based on community feedback. A new website focused on the groundwater bank allows water users to learn more about how the system works and to submit questions or concerns directly to the RWA.

“We’ve heard some of the public's concerns in prior stakeholder meetings," Peifer said. "One thing that they are interested in making sure is that they have a reliable water supply in the future.”

Peifer added that some are concerned about potential environmental impacts as water has to be drawn from Folsom Lake and the American River to be added to the groundwater bank.

Despite these concerns, the Regional Water Authority believes that investing in the groundwater bank is the best way to stabilize the region's long-term water supply, as climate change and increased water demands make surface water supply less predictable.

“The way to manage that volatility is with flexibility,” said Ryan Ojakian, the RWA's government affairs manager. "With federal recognition, there will be greater ability to store water when it’s available in our groundwater basin both here for agencies locally but also potentially for water interests from other parts of the state.”

The Sacramento Regional Groundwater Bank is on track to be federally recognized in 2025.

Sacramento's Regional Water Authority wants to make groundwater storage more flexible. Here's how you can provide input

The Sacramento Regional Groundwater Bank is large enough to hold twice as much water as Folsom Lake. Water managers are hoping to maximize that storage to provide long term stability for the region's water supply.

Share

Share

Share

Top Picks