Western Soils and Plants are Parched

June 5, 2021 | NASA

For the second year in a row, drought has parched much of the United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast. Following one of the planet’s warmest years on record, and with precipitation this year well below average in the western U.S., scientists and government agencies are watching for diminished water resources and potentially severe fire seasons.

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/148419/western-soils-and-plants-are-parched

Click here to read the full article.

Sacramento Climate Action Plan: draft ready for public review!

March 12, 2021

Sacramento County’s draft Communitywide Climate Action Plan (CAP), which addresses greenhouse gas reductions and climate change adaptation, is now available for public review.

An online workshop on the draft CAP will take place via Zoom at the Sacramento County Environmental Commission (SEC) meeting on Monday, March 15, at 6 p.m. The workshop will be an opportunity for the public and the SEC to provide feedback on the draft CAP.

Learn more


Photo by Yulia from Pexels

North American Groundwater Subbasin Public Meeting – March 10

Save the Date for a virtual public meeting on March 10 (Zoom).

Please save the date for a public meeting with the Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) responsible for developing a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the North American Groundwater Subbasin (NASb) on Wednesday, March 10 at 6 p.m. Representatives of the Sacramento Groundwater Authority GSA, West Placer GSA, South Sutter GSA, Sutter County GSA, and RD1001 GSA will be available to discuss the latest information about our planning efforts towards development of the NASb GSP, as required by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).

In this meeting, we will discuss the results of the basin wide groundwater model and groundwater budget. The water budget — an accounting of inflows, outflows, and changes in storage — will give us a good understanding of our subbasin, assist in long range planning, and help us know how much water can be safely pumped from the basin while remaining sustainable.

Attend these meetings to learn about these topics as well as:
– The GSP and timeline for completion
– How to engage and provide comments
– Answers to your questions
– Draft GSP sections available

Draft GSP sections 1 through 5 are available for public review at https://nasbgroundwater.org/.

Although public comment is currently closed, another public comment period will be posted later this summer when the full draft GSP is released. The GSP will then be adopted by the GSA member agencies in late 2021 and submitted to the State by the statutory due date of January 31, 2022. We want to ensure the GSP reflects both your input and sound technical studies. We encourage you to participate in this process now, as we shape and implement the plan.

How to attend the meeting

Register in advance for this webinar:
https://placer-ca-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aMKyrqKzSJSwXv9mqM3Y4g
Meeting ID: 929 6174 1711
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

About the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act

Public agencies with water management authority are required by SGMA to form GSAs, manage groundwater in the NASb, and implement activities that preserve and enhance groundwater supplies for our cities, communities, agricultural areas, and the environment. This locally-controlled effort will protect the basin from overdraft, ensure sustainable groundwater supplies, and support a stable and growing economy, including agriculture.

For additional details or more information about the GSAs involved in this effort, visit https://nasbgroundwater.org/.

Groundwater Sustainability Plans – Guiding Principles

On Tuesday, February 16, 2021, the Environmental Council of Sacramento sent to the Groundwater Sustainability Agencies in the American and Cosumnes Groundwater Subbasins our suggestions for guiding principles for our local Groundwater Sustainability Plans.

Our letter presents suggested Principles we believe should be part of each subbasin’s Plan. These Principles draw upon both state guidance for Groundwater Sustainability Plans and the spirit and intent of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

Click here to read the letter.  

What’s a Groundwater Sustainability Plan?

August 2020

The Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) is pleased to announce a new page on our website that is all about Groundwater Sustainability Plans! Look forward to more information to be posted from the water subcommittee of ECOS’s Habitat Committee.

Click here to view our new page and learn all about groundwater sustainability in the Sacramento region!


Photo by Steve Johnson from Pexels

Private Wells and Groundwater Sustainability

April 10, 2020

The Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) and Habitat 2020 have submitted a comment letter regarding the subject of significant and unreasonable domestic, shallow agricultural and small system well impact evaluation as part of Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) preparation.

Click here to view the comment letter.

Attachment: NGO letter to California Natural Resource Agency, Department of Water Resources, Cal EPA Special Counsel for Water Policy, and State Water Resources Control Board titled “Reviewing Groundwater Sustainability Plans In Accordance With State Agency Obligations to Consider the Human Right to Drinking Water”, February 10, 2020