AB303 GRANT
BACKGROUND
In November 2002, the County was awarded funds (on behalf of the Water Advisory Committee/WAC) from the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to seek the services of a qualified consultant to assist in the facilitation of a planning process to document and preserve the accomplishments of the WAC and to confirm its direction for the future. This process was also intended to define the future of groundwater and coordinated water management in Glenn County and was expected to be the foundation of a planning process that would lead to the preparation of a basin assessment to be used to help achieve the vision of the WAC. Ultimately, the firm of Wood Rodgers, Inc. was selected to perform this service.
In March 2004 WAC members voted to approve and accept the document prepared by Wood Rodgers, Inc. as the “Preliminary Plan for Groundwater and Coordinated Water Management” (Plan) in Glenn County. The Plan highlights Goals for Water Management from a historic perspective, an Organization for Water Management that further defines the role the WAC, and outlines a Program to Facilitate Groundwater and Coordinated Water Management through 10 items, which can lead the WAC in the “next steps” necessary in the future as funding or the need becomes available. From this document, three of the items presented in the Plan were identified as the tasks necessary to be performed first. They were: 1) performing a water needs analysis, 2) developing a more comprehensive monitoring program, and 3) prepare a county-wide GIS distribution and delivery system mapping program.
In October 2004 the WAC was awarded an AB-303 Local Groundwater Assistance Grant to address the identified tasks. Again the firm of Wood Rodgers, Inc. was selected to continue this work.
Over the past few years, Fran Borcalli, Project Manager has provided the WAC with updates and has solicited input from WAC members. Those meetings were March 2005, June 2005, November 2005, and February 2006. In November 2006 Fran Borcalli and his staff presented the WAC with focal points from the draft report. In April 2007, additional findings and recommendations were provided to the WAC for review and comment. In June 2007, an overview of the final report was presented to the WAC. It is anticipated that the report findings and recommendations will be presented to the Board of Supervisors on August 14, 2007 for their acceptance.
2000 AB303 GRANT PROJECT
In May 2001, Glenn County’s applied for funding to the install three dedicated multi-completion monitoring wells; one with an extensometer and one single completion observation well. The wells constructed in this project will be used to establish a dedicated monitoring network as called for in the Glenn County Groundwater Management Plan. These wells, along with other dedicated monitoring wells that have been installed by the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District, the California Department of Water Resources and the Stony Creek Fan Project, will be the foundation for the network.
2001 AB303 GRANT PROJECT
Glenn County's application for the second round of AB303 grants was submitted in October, 2001. The project consists of installation of three dedicated multi-completion monitoring wells, one with an extensometer; conversion of unused ag wells to dedicated monitoring wells; and development of a web site to provide groundwater management information to the community.
2002 AB303 GRANT PROJECT
Glenn County's application for the third round of AB303 grants was submitted in October, 2002. The project consists of installation of two dedicated multi-completion monitoring wells, performing two large scale aquifer performance tests, performing a few small aquifer performance tests, investigation of the feasibility of converting unused ag wells to single- or multiple-completion dedicated monitoring wells, and installation support for a GPS-based system for monitoring subsidence.
2004 AB303 GRANT APPLICATION
The Glenn County Agricultural Department has applied for project funding in the amount of $250,000 in the fourth round of AB303 grants. The proposed project is consistent with and supports the Glenn County Groundwater Management Plan. The components of the project will provide the means to continue implementation of the county's groundwater management program by
• Performing an analysis of water needs and supplies in the county,
• Developing a comprehensive water distribution infrastructure map to assist in identifying local water transfer opportunities in the future; and
• Completing development of the monitoring plan.
Information gained from the project will be the foundation for several of the steps identified in the Preliminary Plan, which would improve groundwater management in the county. The information will help “Determine Groundwater Utilization Opportunities and Constraints”, “Identify and Formulate Potential Projects”, and “Formulate a Drought Preparedness Plan” as identified in the Preliminary Plan. When all of these tasks are completed, enough information and consensus may have been developed to begin formulation of a Groundwater and Coordinated Water Management Plan.
The Local Groundwater Management Assistance Act of 2000 (AB303) was enacted to provide grants to local agencies to conduct groundwater studies or to carry out groundwater monitoring and management activities. Glenn County has successfully applied for three other AB303 grants. The previous grants were mainly used to install dedicated monitoring wells and conduct aquifer performance tests.
CALFED REGIONAL DRINKING WATER STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT
In 2005 Glenn County acted as the lead agency in the development of the Northern Sacramento Valley Regional Drinking Water Quality Strategy project. This stakeholder-driven study has developed the necessary framework and technical information needed for a successful regional drinking water quality planning activities in Butte, Colusa, Glenn, and Tehama Counties.
The program has developed goals and objectives, an organizational structure, and compiled information on current drinking water quality activities and conditions within the study area resulting in regional drinking water strategies. Below is a link to the project report.
NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY DRINKING WATER QUALITY STRATEGY
LAND SUBSIDENCE SURVEYS
Glenn County has been fortunate to establish a Global Positioning System (GPS) Land Subsidence Network throughout the county. GPS is a highly accurate, satellite-based, spatial positioning technology. It is capable of providing sub-centimeter horizontal positions (coordinates) over large distances. The Glenn County Groundwater Management Plan requires that land subsidence be monitored either with extensometers or through the development of a GPS network.
Subsidence cannot be predicted and is a function of many variables on both a short and long-term basis. The county currently has two extensometers in place to measure subsidence on a local level. A GPS monitoring network will address subsidence trends over time, based on the span between measurements.
Below are links to the 2004 Establishment of Baseline Elevations and re-observations during the 2008 Sacramento Valley Subsidence Project.