Page 194 - Yucaipa Sustainable Groundwater Management Agency - Yucaipa SGMA

Iris Priestaf, PhD

with SGMA, including preparation of a successful application to modify local groundwater
basin boundaries. This application involved documentation of the local hydrogeology,
groundwater agencies, management activities, and explanation of how the basin boundary
changes would enhance management. Todd Groundwater also assisted the City with a
successful funding application for GSP preparation. Dr. Priestaf has provided SGMA advice
and internal review.
SGMA Alternative Plan, Zone 7 Water Agency
SGMA designated Zone 7 as an exclusive GSA within its statutory boundaries. SGMA requires
GSAs to prepare a GSP; alternatively, SGMA allows a functionally equivalent Alternative Plan
if such a Plan can demonstrate sustainable management. Given its long history of sustainable
management, Zone 7 elected to prepare an Alternative Plan, which included all elements of a
GSP. Undesirable results, minimum thresholds, and measurable objectives were defined for
multiple, distinct management areas. Dr. Priestaf assisted Zone 7 staff, providing research
into a wetland issue involving connected groundwater and surface water, writing several
sections of the Plan, and serving as peer reviewer and editor. The Alternative Plan was
submitted in December 2016, successfully meeting the challenging SGMA deadline.

Sustainable Groundwater Management, San Benito County Water District (SBCWD)
Dr. Priestaf has worked closely with SBCWD in its active management of groundwater in the
San Juan, Bolsa, and Hollister basins, including preparation of an updated groundwater
management plan in 2003 and provision of Annual Groundwater Reports. With passage of
SGMA in 2014, the District initiated SGMA planning. Dr. Priestaf has led a Todd Groundwater
team which has evaluated groundwater basin boundaries and planned for complete GSA
coverage of three groundwater basins (which extend into Santa Clara County). In 2017, Todd
assisted the District in becoming a GSA, developing an agreement with Santa Clara Valley
Water District for GSP development, and preparing a successful application for funding
through the Sustainable Groundwater Planning Grant Program. Todd Groundwater is
providing ongoing technical and public outreach support toward preparation of a GSP.

Technical Support for Sustainable Groundwater Management, City of Paso Robles
Dr. Priestaf has provided groundwater management support to the City of Paso Robles since
1999. This support has included service as an expert witness and peer review of studies.
Subsequently, she worked with representatives of the County of San Luis Obispo, City, and
landowners to support groundwater basin management planning. Most recently she has
provided planning support to the City for SGMA compliance, including guidance through the
detailed and comprehensive GSP Requirements, linking previous work and existing
documents/data sets to specific GSP code sections and assessing respective level of effort.
She also prepared a timeline and task‐by‐task guidance for GSP preparation.

SGMA Alternative Plan Assistance, Alameda County Water District (ACWD)
Since 1914 ACWD has successfully managed the Niles Cone Groundwater Basin, including
active recharge above the Hayward Fault area, recovery from historical overdraft, and
repulsion of brackish water in the Below Hayward Fault area. With such a history, ACWD
prepared an Alternative Plan for compliance with SGMA. In response to public comments on
this Alternative Plan, ACWD took a fresh look at several issues including the characteristics of
its northern boundary and its management regarding Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems.

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