Stockton East Water District & SGMA
Where do we stand as a District and a GSA?
According to the initial GSP data and modeling, SEWD operates at an annual deficit between 11,000 to 32,000 AFY. The effects of this annual deficit are seen through lowering groundwater levels, poor groundwater quality, land subsidence, and potential saltwater intrusion.
The map below shows the groundwater levels within the District. The District is committed to supplying Urban and Agriculture water. We currently treat and supply over 30,000 AFY of treated water for municipal uses.
The District consists of 57,000 acres of farmland. The total agricultural water demand is 170,000 AF/YR. We currently deliver 25,600 AFY of surface water. We have 148 active SW turnouts. On this map the blue parcels are farmers that take surface water. The green parcels are the parcels that could take surface water that do not currently. The light green parcels are the parcels that only use groundwater because that is all they have available to them.
Links
What can be done to recharge the Subbasin and reduce the deficit?
Direct Recharge – recharge surface water through dry wells, recharge basins, ASR wells, Flood-MAR, or other direct recharge methods.
Flood-MAR stands for flood managed aquifer recharge. It is a voluntary strategy that uses excess flood water for managed aquifer recharge. This can be done by an individual or group on agricultural lands or flood plains. Individual landowners can divert the flood waters through their existing surface water diversion and apply that water to their fields to recharge the groundwater.
Detailed information on flooding various types of crops is available in the On-Farm Recharge Methods Manual, developed by Sustainable Conservation and DWR.
In March 2024, the District adopted Rule 177, a comprehensive policy developed to facilitate the on-farm recharge of surface water. After reviewing Rule 177, please contact Gianna O'Day (goday@sewd.net) for more information.
For more in-depth direct recharge guidance, please see the Direct Recharge Guidance document developed by Sustainable Conservation and DWR.
In-Lieu Recharge – Utilizing surface water instead of groundwater. This can be done by installing surface water distributions to parcels that currently only have access to groundwater. This reduces groundwater pumping by utilizing surface water when available.
What are SEWD’s efforts to reduce the groundwater deficit?
- Surface Water Implementation and Expansion – provide access to surface water to farmland that currently doesn’t have access to it through new distribution pipelines or canals.
- Farmington Dam - conserve precipitation so it can be recharged to the aquifer.
- Direct Recharge Projects – New recharge basins, dry wells, ASR wells.
SEWD’s Projects as Part of SGMA:
Actively Implementing:
- Surface Water Implementation and Expansion – The District has been actively implementing programs and grant opportunities to help fund infrastructure for farmers to implement surface water diversions. As part of the GSP, the goal for this project is to convert 20,000 AF/YR of groundwater use to surface water use. To date since 2020, the District with the help of the farmers have successfully converted 12,320 AF/YR of groundwater use to surface water use through implemented surface water diversions. Through the CDFA SWEEP Block Grant Opportunity, SEWD and CDFA will help individual farmers install the infrastructure needed to access surface water. This program will convert an additional 4,500 AF/YR from groundwater use to surface water.
- SEWD is in the process of installing an Aquifer Storage and Recovery Well which will be able to recharge water at a rate of 350 GPM. The well will only be used to extract water during times of drought.
- SEWD continually recharges through their 4 existing recharge basins.
Proposed Projects for Improved Groundwater Sustainability
- West Groundwater Recharge Basin
- West Linden Project (Direct and In-Lieu)
- Clements Pipeline
- Houston Pipeline
- Mosher Pipeline