M&A supports submittal of three Groundwater Sustainability Plans

In 2020, Montgomery & Associates (M&A) submitted to the California Department of Water Resources two Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs). One GSP was submitted for the Paso Robles Subbasin Cooperative Committee, which consists of the County of San Luis Obispo, Shandon-San Juan Water District, San Miguel Community Services District, and the City of Paso Robles. The other GSP was submitted for the 180/400-Foot Aquifer Subbasin on behalf of the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency. Including the GSP submitted by the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Sustainability Agency, M&A helped prepare and submit three GSPs of critically overdrafted basins.

M&A served as the technical consultant and worked closely with the Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to develop the GSPs. M&A’s role included assessing geology and hydrogeology; developing hydrogeologic conceptual models; understanding surface water/groundwater interactions; assessing groundwater quality; developing and using groundwater models to simulate potential future conditions; developing data management systems; and writing the GSP in accordance with all requirements of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).

“Assisting with development of three Groundwater Sustainability Plans has been a long, involved, and rewarding process,” said Cameron Tana, P.E., principal hydrologist and California operations manager at M&A. “Congratulations to the teams for Paso Robles, Salinas Valley, and Santa Cruz Mid-County for a job well done.”

M&A is currently assisting with the development of GSPs in 13 other subbasins including two subbasins within the Redding Basin, the Corning Subbasin, Santa Margarita Basin, Petaluma Valley Subbasin, Sonoma Valley Subbasin, Santa Rosa Plain Subbasin, five additional subbasins in the Salinas Valley, and the Yolo Subbasin.

For more information about M&A’s groundwater management services in California, visit our website or contact Derrik Williams, P.G., C.Hg., California business development manager.