California reports first increase in groundwater supply in 4 years

SACRAMENTO, California – After heavy rains flooded California’s rivers and filled mountains with snow, the state on Monday reported the first increase in groundwater supplies in four years.

The state recorded 4.1 million acres of managed groundwater recharge in the water year that ended in September, and an 8.7 million acre increase in groundwater storage, the California Department of Water Resources said. Groundwater supply is essential for growing much of the country’s fresh produce.

The biannual report was released after water authorities stepped up efforts during last year’s rains to capture water flows from melting mountain snow and encouraged farmers to flood fields to replenish water basins. subterranean water.

“The impressive recharge numbers in 2023 are the result of hard work by local agencies combined with dedicated efforts by the state, but we must do more to be prepared to capture and store water when rainy years arrive,” Paul Gosselin, deputy director of sustainable water management for the agency, said in a statement.

California has sought to intensify groundwater recharge with increasingly dry years expected due to climate change. Much of the state’s population relies on groundwater for drinking in their homes, and the farmers who grow much of the country’s food depend on this precious resource for crops ranging from carrots and almonds to berries and leafy greens.

For many years, Californians pumped groundwater from wells without measuring how much they were removing. But when some wells ran dry and the land began to sink, the state enacted a law requiring local communities to begin measuring and regulating groundwater pumping to ensure the basins would be sustainable for years to come.

In Monday’s report, California water officials noted that some areas where land was sinking saw a rebound as users pumped less groundwater since there was more surface water available after rains. Overall, the state extracted 9.5 million acre-feet of groundwater during the last water year, down from 17 million the previous year, the report said.

Some California farmers have reported seeing a rebound in their wells this year, leading them to question how much the state needs to reduce groundwater pumping. Joaquin Contente, a dairy farmer in the crop-rich San Joaquin Valley, said he has seen recovery in his wells, with one returning to 19 feet (5.8 meters) deep from more than 30 feet (9.1 meters) deep two years ago.

“They are now back to an almost normal level,” he said.

California water officials welcomed the recharge but said it would take five rainy years, like last year, to increase groundwater storage to the levels needed after so many years of excessive pumping.