A monitoring well will be installed West of Stratford along Laurel Avenue using a sonic drilling method. The well will be 350 feet deep and 4 inches in diameter. This well will allow for water monitoring and sampling, providing missing data about water levels and quality that are necessary for effective implementation of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan.
South Fork Kings GSA is carrying out an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) pilot test, an innovative groundwater management method that involves injecting water for underground storage to be withdrawn later. Click here to learn more about the background behind the South Fork Kings GSA ASR Pilot Test.
The test began Monday, June 21st. South Fork Kings GSA is not using Lemoore Canal water, but the GSA is using their canals to carry out the test. The water for the test was purchased from a landowner. However, because the water will be returned, South Fork Kings GSA will only be paying for any water that is lost during the test.
The water will be injected for 30 days at approximately 800 gallons per minute and stored for 60 days. During this time, water levels in surrounding wells and the quality of the water injected will be monitored.
The water will then be extracted around September and returned to the landowner. The amount of surface water that is extracted and returned will be tracked. This will help the GSA to determine the efficiency of the test and how much water (if any) was not recovered.
In the future, this process could allow excess surface water to be stored in aquifers for future use in dry periods. Storing surface water and extracting it at the best time could play an important role in maximizing surface water supply in the region.
Sign up for our Interested Persons list to receive regular updates on this ASR Test and other activities going on in the GSA!
South Fork Kings GSA is conducting a series of surveys with landowners to better understand groundwater and land use in their area. The first survey in this survey is designed to help the GSA better understand landowners’ perspectives on how climate and drought impacts their groundwater supply.
The survey was in homes the second week of June. Landowners who submit their survey by June 30, 2021 will be entered to win one of fifteen $50 Amazon gift cards. The survey can also be taken online here.
Our goal as the South Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) is to achieve a sustainable groundwater supply that is strong through cycles of drought. This survey series will help the South Fork Kings GSA better serve its landowners and stakeholders by helping us better understand their needs and the groundwater supply they rely on.
The Department of Water Resources has received funding from a Proposition 68 grant to conduct Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Surveys throughout the state.
During an AEM survey, a helicopter tows electronic equipment that sends signals into the ground which bounce back. The process has been compared to taking an MRI of the ground’s subsurface. The data collected is used to create continuous images that are interpreted for underground geology. The resulting information will provide a standardized, statewide dataset that improves the understanding of aquifer structures. It can also help with the development or refinement of hydrogeologic conceptual models and can help identify areas for recharging groundwater. (DWR)
These AEM Surveys will begin in Salinas valley, then move toward the southern Central Valley and work their way north. The data collected by the AEM survey will allow South Fork GSA to make informed groundwater management decisions, like what areas of the agency are ideal for recharging groundwater during wet years. After the flight has taken place, it will take about 6 months to get the AEM results from DWR.
The success of this survey is dependent on driller logs and the collection of other pieces of data. Stanford University and Dr. Rosemary Knight, are conducting additional subsidence modeling, digitizing well driller logs and well completion reports, and are looking to utilize NASA funds for this work. SFKGSA will write a letter of support for Dr. Rosemary Knight to show NASA that there is a need and interest in the collection of this data.
The South Fork Kings GSA (SFKGSA), together with the four other GSAs in the Tulare Lake Subbasin, submitted the second Annual Report to the CA Department of Water Resources (DWR) by the April 1, 2021 deadline. Dryer conditions in water year 2020 (Sept 2019 – Oct 2020) strained groundwater supplies across the Tulare Lake Subbasin, evidence that cooperation among groundwater users and strategic surface supply management will be critical to achieving sustainability by 2040.
The Annual Report includes an overview of groundwater conditions in the region including groundwater extraction, surface water supply available for groundwater recharge, total water use, change in groundwater storage, and a description of progress made toward implementing the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) since the last Annual Report.
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to submit annual reports to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) on April 1 of every year.
The Tulare Lake Subbasin extracted 100,000 acre-feet (AF) less than the prior water year, but due to dryer conditions during Water Year 2020, the Subbasin also saw an overall decrease of 25,706 AF in groundwater storage as observed in this year’s Annual Report. As we review the Annual Report and consider its implications as we enter another dry water year, SFKGSA will continue to implement innovative projects that will lead to a sustainable, resilient, and steadfast supply of groundwater for the region.
Here are a few SFKGSA highlights from the Tulare Lake Subbasin’s 2020 Annual Report:
SFKGSA participated in discussions with the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint to increase water supplies to the area.
Based on several wells being destroyed or inaccessible, SFKGSA worked with local landowners to modify the groundwater monitoring network. Access agreements were obtained for the modified network to ensure its long-term availability.
SFKGSA applied for and was awarded a grant from the California Resilience Challenge to implement an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Pilot Test. Click HERE to learn more about this supply enhancement program and the progress made thus far.
SFKGSA participated in coordination meetings between the Kaweah and Tulare Lake Subbasins. The purpose of the meetings was to identify issues, discuss boundary conditions, and share data across the region. These meetings are expected to continue to help provide common solutions to regional issues. SFKGSA will continue to engage with neighboring subbasins and GSAs to promote inter-basin coordination.
Click HERE to read full Annual Report.
To receive updates on these projects and more, groundwater conditions, and other ways to get involved with the work SFKGSA is doing, sign up for our E-Updates and visit our website at southforkkings.org.
The South Fork Kings GSA Board approved the motion to pay the $1,209 cost of using Land IQ’s data on crop mapping in the GSA for water years 2019 and 2020. This data will be used in the Tulare Lake Subbasin’s Annual Report. The Annual Report will be submitted to the Department of Water Resources by April 1st.
Fiscal Year 2022 Budget will be presented at April board meeting
A meeting of the Finance Committee will take place before South Fork Kings GSA’s next Board meeting to review the GSA’s 2022 budget. A draft budget will be discussed at the April 15th board meeting and should be finalized and considered for approval at the June 17th board meeting.
Items to consider in preparation of the 2022 budget include costs associated with responding to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) comments on the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) and a potential Prop 218 election.
In 2020, South Fork Kings GSA adopted the Tulare Lake Subbasin GSP and submitted it to DWR. DWR is now in the process of commenting on GSPs across the state and will complete their reviews by January 2022. South Fork Kings will need to set aside funding dedicated to responding to DWR when the comments are received.
Proposition 218 is a Constitutional Initiative approved by the voters of California in November 1996. It requires new or increased fees and assessments be approved by affected landowners. In 2018, South Fork Kings GSA landowners voted in favor of a $9.80 per acre assessment to cover the costs associated with implementing the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The assessment was favored by 74% of received votes. Each year, the South Fork Kings GSA Board was to set a rate not to exceed the $9.80/acre maximum for the five-year lifespan of the assessment. All landowners within the boundaries of the South Fork Kings GSA, excluding those residing in the City of Lemoore, have been assessed the rate via Kings County tax rolls since fiscal year 2018-19.
The Prop 218 assessment that is in place for SFKGSA is set to lapse in 2023. If the Board decides that another Prop 218 election is necessary, holding an election will need to be accounted for in the 2022 SFKGSA budget.
Discussion ensued at South Fork Kings GSA’s March Board meeting around the best groundwater monitoring program to carry out in the agency. Most GSAs in the Tulare Lake Subbasin are partnering with Land IQ to collect data on cropping patterns and evapotranspiration (ET) measurements. El Rico is focusing on using data collected through well metering.
The South Fork Kings GSA’s technical consultant, Amer Hussain, Geosyntec, encouraged the Board to move forward on a plan for collecting groundwater data in the GSA. Hussain shared that Geosyntec will provide details about the success of approaches other GSAs have used to help the agency determine their next steps.
South Fork Kings GSA is utilizing California Resiliency Grant funding to carry out an Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) pilot test.
ASR is an innovative groundwater management method used to inject water for underground storage to be withdrawn later when surface water is limited, especially during periods of drought.
A contractor has conducted necessary improvements on well heads for the project to move forward. On Wednesday, March 31st, an aquifer pump test will be carried out. This test will last about a day and involves running a pump at different speeds and determining the sustainable rate of extraction that can be maintained. A limited constant flow test will also be performed to evaluate water levels. Any water that is extracted over the course of this test will be sent to the Lemoore Canal system.
This pump test will help determine what aquifer parameters are necessary to finalize the ASR pilot test. After these steps are completed, the ASR Pilot Test is projected to be carried out in early April.
SFKGSA is in the process of drafting a report update on the ASR Pilot Test and grant funding, and once the report is submitted, the GSA will be able to receive the second half of the California Resiliency Grant. The second half of the grant totals $100,000 and will provide necessary funding to complete the ASR Pilot Test. Grants such as this one allow SFKGSA to take important steps toward achieving sustainability goals in the region and securing groundwater for generations to come.
Following the adoption of a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP), the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to submit annual reports to the California Department of Water Resources on April 1st of every year.
The Annual Report serves to inform and update both the State and stakeholders on groundwater conditions and sustainability progress in the entire Tulare Lake Subbasin. GSA managers in the Tulare Lake Subbasin are coordinating to ensure important data is included in this year’s Annual Report. The Report will include information from the Tulare Lake Subbasin’s five GSA’s monitoring networks, data on groundwater extraction, surface water supply, total water use, water quality, and changes in groundwater storage. View last year’s report here.
You can also explore the Department of Water Resource’s SGMA portal here. This portal allows local agencies and GSAs to submit, modify, and view the information required by SGMA, and allows the public to view submitted information and provide comments when applicable.
