San Joaquin County Groundwater: Overdraft, Saline Intrusion, and Recharge Projects by Martin Steinpress, Bill Swanson, Roger

Putty, and Jeff Vining, SAC-1 Municipal Office Beginning in the 1960?s marked changes in groundwater levels and groundwater quality began to appear in the eastern part of San Joaquin County. This prompted a number of investigations and projects over the past four decades that found that groundwater pumping in excess of natural replenishment was resulting in serious groundwater ove rdraft conditions, and causing the intrusion of saline water to occur in portions of the aquifer. With increasing future demands on water supplies in the county, the long-term sustainability of the county?s valuable groundwater resources has grown more im portant. MWH is helping the US Army Corps of Engineers, local water districts, and the county pursue water resource and supply projects. This presentation will give an overview of the groundwater issues and projects in the county, based primarily on two MWH projects: Investigative Study of the Groundwater Monitoring Program for the County, and Farmington Groundwater Recharge/ Wetlands Feasibility Study for the USACE and local co-sponsors The Investigative Study included the development of a county-wide groundwater data management system, an assessment of the saline intrusion problem, and recommendations to improve the county's groundwater monitoring network. The Farmington project included the development of a GIS to aid in the selection of pilot groundwater recharge test sites. The pilot tests are currently in operation and providing preliminary results on recharge rates and optimum techniques.