Difference between revisions of "Salinas Valley Seawater Intrusion"
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| − | .. | + | This problem involves a large group of stakeholders with a divers set of interests. At the southern end of the Salinas Valley aquifer you have the businesses and communities surrounding Lake Nacimiento, which rely on the lakes recreational use economically. All the municipalities that lie within the Salinas Valley watershed, including the unincorporated area residents, rely on the aquifers for their drinking water. The Monterey County Water Resources Agencies, is charged with monitoring and mitigating the saltwater intrusion. Finally, the agricultural community, the largest employer when considering both on and off farm supporting businesses, rely on the groundwater resources for irrigating their crops. |
== Laws, policies, & regulations == | == Laws, policies, & regulations == | ||
Revision as of 11:34, 25 January 2009
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A watershed-related issue examined by the ENVS 560/L Watershed Systems class at CSUMB.
Contents
Summary
Seawater intrusion into the Salinas Valley groundwater aquifers has advanced since it was first measured in 1944 (1). Currently, elevated salinity level have been recorded less than 1/2 miles from the City of Salinas at the 180 ft. aquifer and is beginning to encroach beyond the city limits of Castroville at the 400 ft aquifer (1). The saltwater intrusion has continued to move farther inland because continuing overdraft conditions for municipal and agricultural uses.
Location
The Salinas Valley watershed lies within the boundaries of Monterey County, California. Within the boundaries of the Salinas Valley watershed lies it's groundwater aquifer system which is comprised of four major groundwater aquifers; the Upper Valley, Forebay, East Side, and Pressure 180 (2). These aquifers create an interconnected underground water system that supplies the bulk of the irrigation and municipal water usage in the Salinas Valley.
Resource/s at stake
Groundwater resources for the Northern end of the Salinas Valley are severely impacted. Although all four groundwater aquifers are hydraulically interconnected, the Pressure aquifer at the front of the Northern end of the watershed is most severely impacted.
Stakeholders
This problem involves a large group of stakeholders with a divers set of interests. At the southern end of the Salinas Valley aquifer you have the businesses and communities surrounding Lake Nacimiento, which rely on the lakes recreational use economically. All the municipalities that lie within the Salinas Valley watershed, including the unincorporated area residents, rely on the aquifers for their drinking water. The Monterey County Water Resources Agencies, is charged with monitoring and mitigating the saltwater intrusion. Finally, the agricultural community, the largest employer when considering both on and off farm supporting businesses, rely on the groundwater resources for irrigating their crops.
Laws, policies, & regulations
...What laws, policies, and/or regulations are involved?...
Systems
... What elements of the biophysical system are/were involved?...
Science
...What scientific studies are or would be relevant / already completed?...
Tools
...What analytical (e.g. modeling) tools were or could be used?...
Future research
...What knowledge gaps remain?...
...Suggest a CWSP MS thesis topic that could contribute to the issue...
...Suggest a topic for a hypothetical study that had unlimited resources...
References
...Proust, M. 1901. Poetica nausea. J. Nauseum. pp 1-9999.
Disclaimer
This page may contain student work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessary reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.
