Presentation by Roy Herndon of Orange County Water District (OCWD) at the ASCE Orange County Branch Joint Sustainability + EWRI Orange County Luncheon on 4/7/2016 in Irvine, CA. This presentation covered the following topics: -OC Basin and OCWD background -Alternative Plan for SGMA compliance -OCWD's sustainability track record

1. How OCWD Plans to Comply with SGMA
Or Are We Already There?
Roy Herndon
Orange County Water District
ASCE OC Branch and Environment & Water Resources Institute OC Chapter, 4-7-16

2. Coastal Plain of
Orange County
Groundwater Basin
SGMA requires all 127 high and medium priority basins
to be managed – the OC Basin is medium priority.

3. Formed in 1933 by
legislative act
Manage the
groundwater basin
under North OC
Replenish aquifers
Control seawater
intrusion
Protect & improve
groundwater
quality
Orange County
Water District
19 Major Retail
Water Agencies

4. ~70% of northern
OC’s water supply
2.4 million people
200 large-capacity
wells
300,000 af/yr
production
Unadjudicated
Orange County
Groundwater Basin
(within OCWD)

5. 1,000sofAcre-FeetThe OC Basin has been sustainably managed
with an established storage operating range.
Available
Storage
1969 1974 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014
0
100
200
400
300
500
Operating Range

6. OCWD is one of 15 special act districts listed in SGMA as
“exclusive local agencies” within their statutory boundaries.
Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Zone 7
Alameda County Water District
Desert Water Agency
Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency
Honey Lake Valley Groundwater Management District
Long Valley Groundwater Management District
Mendocino City Community Services District
Mono County Tri-Valley Groundwater Management District
Monterey Peninsula Water Management District
Ojai Groundwater Management Agency
Orange County Water District
Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Sierra Valley Groundwater Management District
Willow Creek Groundwater Management Agency

7. This affords OCWD the option to submit an
Alternative Plan which is our preference.
• Avoids OCWD having to become a GSA and develop a GSP
• OCWD already has an effective groundwater management
plan and system through the OCWD Act
• Avoids interference with La Habra/Brea, Corona or others
planning to form a GSA now or in the future.
• Avoids need to create GSAs in areas with minimal
groundwater resources or activities, e.g., fringe areas.
• Updated Alternative Plans are required every 5 years.

8. Expected components of an OCWD Alternative Plan:
• OCWD 2015 Groundwater Mgmt. Plan
• Cover document explaining functional
equivalence with substantive req’ts of SGMA
• Tech memos and agreements with agencies
covering areas outside OCWD
• Due Jan. 1, 2017

9. SGMA requires
a plan or plans
that cover the
entire basin.
Several areas
fall outside
OCWD’s
boundary.

10. OCWD must
develop
Agreements
with 12
agencies
covering
management
of these areas.
OCWD Area
89%
(light blue)

11. Suggested Alternative Plan Approach
• Goal: One integrated plan for entire basin (per SGMA)
• OCWD jurisdiction stays within its boundaries
• For areas outside OCWD:
– La Habra and Corona have proposed to become GSAs
– Develop interagency agreements
– Define agency responsibilities, e.g., monitoring/reporting
– Define management objectives
– Prepare tech memos describing management programs
and how integrated into a single basin plan

12. OCWD’s sustainability track record and existing authority
should avoid the need for a costly and time-consuming GSP.
 Managed pumping and recharge (no chronic storage depletion)
 Managed groundwater levels
 Seawater intrusion is controlled and monitored
 No long-term land subsidence
 Water quality threats are localized and monitored
 No surface water depletion impacts to beneficial uses

13. Thank You

14. OCWD has a range of options to manage basin storage
within the established operating range:
Short Term
• Last year expanded GWRS to produce add’l 30,000 AFY
(10% of total demand)
• Purchase add’l imported replenishment water while
maintaining pumping
Long Term
• Final GWRS Expansion
• HB Desalination
• MWD Recycled Water