Forum on Groundwater Overdraft Management,
Education
A regional forum Nov. 18 in Tulare will examine challenges
and concerns associated with groundwater overdraft in the San Joaquin Valley
and the American West.
Organized by the nonprofit American Ground Water Trust (AGWT),
the forum will explore how different communities throughout the West have dealt
with groundwater overdraft and will consider if local control is a feasible
water management solution for San Joaquin Valley water users.
Hosted by Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District and
Tulare Irrigation District with support from ACWA and other organizations, the
forum will bring together irrigation interests, engineers and hydrologists,
water resource managers, agency professionals and attorneys to share current
information about groundwater management activities at the local, regional and
state levels.
Four panel discussions will cover past and present
groundwater conditions, overdraft and subsidence, case studies in several western
states, groundwater law overview, and possible future
actions, among other topics. ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn and ACWA Groundwater Committee Chair Greg Zlotnick are among the many
panelists scheduled to participate.
There is a strong ongoing need to educate the public, and
capture the imagination of decision-makers about the economic and
environmental benefits of creative use of sub-surface water resources. Ongoing
drought conditions, predictions of the hydrologic implications of changing weather
patterns, ineffective and unsustainable water management, emerging aquifer
storage technologies and political uncertainty regarding regional water
transfers demand increased attention to the benefits of using groundwater
resources as an essential component for optimizing water resources.
Labels: CA groundwater overdraft, Education, Forum on Ground Water Overdraft Management, San Joaquin Valley groundwater, San Joaquin Valley groundwater overdraft forum