FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2021
Contact:
Donna Meyers, General Manager
Phone: (831) 471-7512 x203
Email: meyersd@svbgsa.org
Public Invited to Provide Input on Monterey Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan
Public comment to be open through Nov. 1, 2021
SALINAS, Calif. — The Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) Board of Directors approved the Monterey Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) draft to be released for public comment on Sept. 9, 2021.
A key function of the SVBGSA is to develop, adopt and submit GSPs for the six unique subbasins the agency oversees. With the 180/400-Foot Aquifer Subbasin GSP approved by DWR, the SVBGSA is welcoming public input on five GSP drafts approved for public comment: Eastside, Forebay, Langley, Upper Valley and, now, Monterey.
The Monterey Subbasin is co-managed by the SVBGSA and Marina Coast Water District Groundwater Sustainability Agency (MCWD). MCWD manages the Marina/Ord Management Area and SVBGSA manages the Corral de Tierra Management Area. The Corral de Tierra Area has experienced chronic declines in groundwater levels.
Communities and individuals who rely on the groundwater supply from the Monterey Subbasin are encouraged to learn more about the GSP and provide input on the plan for groundwater sustainability. The draft GSP is located on the SVBGSA website. Plan development is a transparent process and community feedback is critical. The public is invited to provide comments online now through Nov. 1, 2021.
“Groundwater is essential in the Salinas Valley, including the various subbasins that serve residents, businesses, farms, industries and the environment,” said Donna Meyers, general manager for the SVBGSA. “Public input from the community is a very important part of the process that will help protect our subbasins and ensure sustainability over the next 20 years.”
The final GSPs will guide long-term management of the groundwater basins to provide a reliable water supply for the community. The Monterey Basin GSP, as well as those for the Eastside, Forebay, Langley and Upper Valley subbasins, must be submitted to the California Department of Water Resources in January 2022. There will also be an additional public comment period hosted by DWR once the GSPs are submitted.
The California State Legislature passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014 in response to a scientific understanding that groundwater in California is being used faster than it’s being replenished. The act requires designated groundwater basins to form a public agency to develop a groundwater management plan and implement actions that will help local subbasins reach or maintain groundwater sustainability. The Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency was created in 2017.
About the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency
The SVBGSA was formed to develop and implement comprehensive groundwater sustainability plans to achieve groundwater sustainability by 2040. The Agency’s 11-member board is comprised of stakeholders who represent diverse interests from across the Salinas Valley. Learn more and provide input at www.svbgsa.org and on Facebook.
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