In 2016, the County of Monterey and Monterey County Water Resources Agency (MCWRA) contracted the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to develop a coupled surface water and groundwater model of the Salinas Valley within Monterey County.
In April 2025, the USGS publicly released the completed Salinas Valley Integrated Hydrologic Model (SVIHM) and accompanying predictive Salinas Valley Operations Model (SVOM). These models enable the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) and other interested parties to simulate the dynamic interaction between climatic conditions, surface water, groundwater, water demand, and reservoir operations. The models are a critical tool for planning actions to comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act across the Salinas Valley.