The Consequence of a Diminishing Water Supply and Drought

Natural and governmental limits on extracting water from current sources suggest that a regional water supply program is needed that meets state requirements; protects the environment and watersheds from degradation; and ensures that there is enough water for urban economies and agricultural productivity. The program should be sustainable, environmentally sound, reasonable to implement, economically feasible and acceptable to the public.

Any solution must meet the regulatory reduction in fresh water supplies drawn from the Carmel River. Likewise, it must draw only the allotted amount of groundwater from the Seaside Groundwater Basin. Further north in the Salinas Valley, the groundwater supply must be protected from seawater that has intruded into the Salinas groundwater aquifer to within a few miles of the city limit of Salinas.

California State Water Resources Control Board Order 95-10

• A 1995 Order from the California State Water Resources Control Board mandates a replacement source for most of the water supply in the Carmel River watershed.
• Compliance with the state order has not yet been achieved. Recently, the State Water Resources Control Board has initiated a process to assure compliance to the order within a defined time period (http://www.waterrights.ca.gov/Hearings/caw.html).
• California American Water may need to cut back its water withdrawals from 11,285 acre feet per year by 15 percent from 2008 to 2010, by 20 percent from 2010 to 2012, by 35 percent from 2012 to 2015, and by 40 percent by 2015 to reach the goal of 5,642 acre feet per year, if the order is enforced.

Seaside Groundwater Basin Provides a Natural, Safe  Water Supply

• The Seaside Groundwater Basin can provide 3,000 acre-feet per year of water, which is its natural safe yield without being degraded. 
• Between 1995 and 2006 California American Water pumped on average 4,000 acre-feet per year from the coastal area of the Seaside Basin, and 700 acre-feet per year from the Laguna Seca area. A legal decision issued March 2006 reduced the amount of water California American Water can obtain from the Seaside Groundwater Basin. There will need to be a 15 to 20 percent reduction in overall customer demand or an increase in supply to meet the order by 2021.

Seawater Intrusion in the Salinas Groundwater Aquifer

• Groundwater extraction has historically exceeded groundwater recharge in the Salinas River Basin. 
• This overdraft has resulted in declining groundwater levels and seawater intrusion into the Salinas Valley groundwater aquifer. 
• The Castroville Seawater Intrusion Project (CSIP) and the Salinas Valley Water Project were both designed to remediate the intrusion problem.

“My opinion about the regional plan is that it is as close as humanly possible to an elegant, comprehensive, cost-effective solution to all the water supply problems facing the coastal areas of Monterey County; I hope it is implemented soon.”

— Bob McKenzie, Monterey County Hospitality Association