News

Applications for the Water Leadership Institute are due Thursday, Jan. 15. The 2026 Water Leadership Institute (WLI) in the Salinas Valley was recently highlighted in the County of Monterey’s news briefing, where organizers discussed the program’s goal to build leadership skills and knowledge about local groundwater decision-making in underrepresented communities. The Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater [...]

The Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency has created an online information library to share the agency’s resources and documents. The library brings reference materials together in a single location, including: Organization Structure Charts Agency Policies Audited Financials Groundwater Sustainability Plans Click here to access the library and read about other updates in the full [...]

The Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency, the Environmental Defense Fund and the Rural Community Assistance Corporation will co-host the 2026 Water Leadership Institute in the Salinas Valley. The Water Leadership Institute builds leadership skills and knowledge so people from underserved and underrepresented communities can take an active role in local water and groundwater decision-making. Through a [...]

When you schedule a free Water Efficiency Home Assessment, complimentary devices could be installed right in your home — all designed to help you save water, energy and money every day! The Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency is offering free water efficiency home assessments for eligible rural properties in northern Monterey County as part [...]

All well owners are asked to register by Jan. 31, 2026 SALINAS, Calif. — The Monterey County Water Resources Agency (MCWRA) and the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) launched a new well registration program to better understand and protect groundwater resources in the Salinas Valley. All well owners are asked to register [...]

The Home Assessment offers no-cost indoor and outdoor water use evaluations for residential properties in select areas. The program identifies opportunities for residents to improve their water use efficiency. Homeowners can then choose to have select supplies purchased and installed, free of cost! As part of the Water Efficiency Pilot Program for Rural Residents (WEPP), [...]

Attention well owners — register your well now before fees apply California now requires groundwater management across the state. The Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) was formed to meet this mandate through local control. Reliable data about wells and water conditions is the foundation of a strong groundwater management plan. To utilize existing [...]

The Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) on Thursday outlined a multi-hundred-million-dollar plan to halt worsening seawater intrusion by treating and pumping water back into the basin to create a protective barrier.

Groundwater provides 95% of the water used in the Salinas Valley, supporting families, communities and a world-class agricultural economy. But decades of heavy pumping have lowered groundwater levels and allowed seawater from Monterey Bay to move inland, threatening wells, crops and drinking water. A “no project” scenario shows conditions worsening by 2040. Read more about [...]

A program helping rural homes save water and money is expanding in the Salinas Valley. Listen to the news report online at KAZU.org (coverage begins at 0:58).