Groundwater management, or water conservation, across the United States is a contentious issue. Many people and industries think that groundwater is sacrosanct and that any attempts to control its use are unnecessary and unhelpful. On the other hand, other people believe that groundwater is something that should be protected, for the long term health of society as a whole, for drinking and agricultural purposes. When you choose to take on Groundwater management issues you are choosing what side of the fence you want to be on.
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which was enacted by the California State Legislature in September 2021 is a comprehensive three-bill package that effectively banned any new applications of groundwater management technology or practices that deplete the sustainable level of the resource. It also requires that the existing use of the resource to be reviewed to determine if the use is affecting the sustainable quality of the resource. For example, to increase agricultural productivity a farmer must first analyze the types of pesticides used, the volume of irrigation used per field, the fuel used for generators and the overall yield. Each of these methods has an impact on the sustainable water supply; hence, the review process is necessary for each application.
In order for farmers to make informed decisions on their groundwater use they must understand the relationship between water availability, soil conditions, plant growth and the sustainable use of groundwater. There is a delicate balance in the environment that must be maintained in order to sustain life. If any one of the three elements is out of balance than it will have a detrimental affect on the environment and the sustainability of the environment. For example, increasing surface water use will impact fish populations and the amount of vegetation along stream and rivers will decrease causing dead plants and tree roots to clog and interfere with water transportation.
Farmers must manage their groundwater systems in a manner that conserves and enhances the sustainable groundwater use. One method of improving groundwater quality is to plant vegetation along rivers and streams. Another way of increasing the sustainable groundwater use is by decreasing the volume of flood water used. Reducing the volume of agricultural water used by farmers also has the effect of decreasing the volume of ground water that is used. All of these methods are beneficial to farmers and consumers alike as they both help to conserve and enhance the sustainable groundwater use.
Groundwater management professionals are also concerned about overdraft. Overdraft is the problem of groundwater that is overdrafted from the groundwater basins. An overdraft occurs when groundwater supplies are used more than the amount of groundwater stored in the storage basins. An example of overdraft is the diversion of farm water from wells to residential gardens.
Groundwater management professionals often rely on the use of quantitative metrics in order to determine the status of the environment. The use of quantitative metrics allows them to determine how well a system of water management works. When quantitative metrics are combined with information on water quality and with the knowledge of the state of the groundwater basins, managers can make better decisions for improving the environment and for meeting the needs of their customer base. Management professionals can learn how to make changes in the way that they manage groundwater basins and can learn how to better manage the quantity of water used in the system.
