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Eel River Valley Groundwater Basin Resources
Eel River Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan
Eel River Valley GSP Executive Summary (PDF 407 KB)
Eel River Valley GSP (January 29, 2022) (PDF 6.59 MB)
Figures (PDF 47.7 MB)
Elements Guide (excel workbook download)
Appendices
- TM-1 Agricultural Groundwater Use Technical Memorandum (HCDPW, HCRCD, WRS, October 2021) (PDF 1.9 MB)
- TM-2 Aquifer Parameters Technical Memorandum (GHD, December 2021) (PDF 4.6 MB)
- TM-3 Assessment of Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem for the Eel River Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan, Revised January 2022 (Stillwater Sciences, Revised January 2022) (PDF 6.2 MB)
- TM-4 Hydrogeologic Conceptual Model Technical Memorandum (GHD, August 2021) (PDF 6 MB)
- TM-5 Hydrologic Model Technical Memorandum, Revised January 2022 (GHD, Revised January 2022) (PDF 254.8 MB)
- TM-6 Land Use Inventory Technical Memorandum (GHD, 2022) (PDF 6.4 MB)
- TM-7 Preliminary Analysis of 2020/2021 Surface Water and Groundwater Interaction Studies (SHN, January 2022) (PDF 9.6 MB)
- TM-8 Saltwater Intrusion Technical Memorandum (SHN, September 2021) (PDF 17.5 MB)
- TM-9 Surface Water Beneficial Use Assessment (Stillwater Sciences, September 2021) (PDF 2 MB)
- TM-10 Surface Water Discharge Measurements Technical Memorandum 09-23-2020 to 12-21-2020 (Thomas Gast and Associates, January 24, 2022) (PDF 1.9 MB)
- TM-11 Surface Water Monitoring in the Eel River Valley Basin (Thomas Gast and Associates, January 26, 2022) (PDF 6.5 MB)
- TM-12 Terrain Data and Imagery Technical Memorandum (GHD, July 2021) (PDF 1.9 MB)
- TM-13 Water Levels Technical Memorandum (SHN, September 2021) (PDF 16 MB)
- TM-14 Water Quality Technical Memorandum (SHN, September 2021) (PDF 6.8 MB)
- TM-15 Water Use Technical Memorandum (GHD, 2022) (PDF 731 KB)
- Appendix A - Humboldt County Board of Supervisors Resolution 20-39 (PDF 309 KB)
- Appendix B - Eel River Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan Elements Guide (PDF 257 KB)
- Appendix C - Stakeholder Communications and Engagement Plan (December 2020) (PDF 2.0 MB), Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach Summary (2015-2021) (PDF 235.6 KB)
- Appendix D - Summary of NRCS Irrigation Enhancement Projects (June 17, 2021) (PDF 259.1 KB)
- Appendix E - Historical Maps and Aerial Photographs (1854-2020) (PDF 11 MB)
- Appendix F - Ferndale Monthly Rainfall Totals (October 1963 – September 2021) (PDF 77.5 KB)
- Appendix G - Comment Letters on Draft Sustainability Plan and Response to Comments (PDF 11.3 MB)
Other Documents
- Humboldt County GSA Resolution 22-10 Adopting the Eel River Groundwater Sustainability Plan
- Data Collection and Analysis Work Plan (County, 2022) (PDF 249 KB)
- Water Quality Sampling and Analysis Plan (SHN, June 2021) (PDF 3.0 MB)
- Notice of Intent to Adopt a GSP for the Eel River Valley Groundwater Basin, October 15, 2021 (PDF 1.2 MB)
- Initial Notice of GSP Preparation (PDF 439 KB)
- Stakeholder Communications and Engagement Plan (English) (PDF 2 MB)
- Stakeholder Communications and Engagement Plan (Spanish) (PDF 2 MB)
Meetings
- January 25, 2022: Humboldt County GSA meeting- adoption of the Eel River Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan (meeting video) Meeting Item I-2 begins at 11:30 am
- January 4, 2022: Humboldt County GSA meeting-Informational Update on Eel River Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan (meeting video) Meeting Item L-1 begins at 9:30 am
- July 20, 2021: Humboldt County Board of Supervisors meeting - report of Drought Task Force (meeting video) Meeting item runs from time stamp 10:47 am to 1:30 pm
- May 25, 2021: Humboldt County Board of Supervisors meeting - report of Drought Task Force (meeting video)
- November 30, 2020: Working Group Meeting Slides
- March 5, 2020: Working Group Meeting Meeting Materials
- September 30, 2019: Working Group Meeting Materials
- June 21, 2018: Working Group Meeting Materials
- May 3, 2018: Presentation to the Humboldt County Farm Bureau
- March 22, 2017: Presentation to the Eel River Forum
- December 20, 2016: Working Group meeting Agenda and Meeting Materials,
- December 13, 2016: Humboldt County Board of Supervisors Agenda Item to adopt a resolution authorizing Public Works to submit a Groundwater Sustainability Plan Alternative
- December 2, 2016: Working Group meeting Agenda and Meeting Materials
- November 7, 2016: Working Group meeting Agenda and Meeting Materials
- September 12, 2016: Working Group meeting Agenda and Meeting Materials
- April 25, 2016: Working Group meeting Agenda and Meeting Materials
- February 22, 2016: Working Group meeting Agenda and Meeting Materials
- December 14, 2015: Working Group meeting Agenda and Meeting Materials
- October 21, 2015: Working Group meeting Agenda and Meeting Materials
- October 6, 2015: Staff Report to the Board of Supervisors
- May 20, 2015: Presentation to the Eel River Forum
- April 27, 2015: Workshop on groundwater in the Eel River Valley Workshop Announcement,
- February 24, 2015 Staff Report to the Board of Supervisors
To put your name on the contact list, e-mail Hank Seemann.
Groundwater Sustainability Agency Administration
- Navigate to the Humboldt County GSA Home page for information and documents related to the GSA administration.
Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Application (November 2019)
On November 14, 2019 Humboldt County submitted a grant application to DWR as a proxy for the future Eel River Valley GSA to obtain a planning grant for the Eel River Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan and Monitoring Well Installation Project. Formation of a GSA and development of a GSP is required because DWR disapproved the submitted Groundwater Sustainability Plan Alternative (see below). The proposed project includes stakeholder outreach and engagement, data collection and analysis, enhancement of the hydrogeological conceptual model and water budget, numerical modeling of the groundwater-surface water system, and document preparation. In January 2020, the project was included on DWR’s draft list of proposed funding awards. The grant agreement was executed in May 2020. The project will be completed by January 2022.
- Humboldt County/DWR Executed Grant Agreement, May 2020 (pdf 1.4MB)
- Eligibility Documentation (pdf)
- Work Plan (pdf)
- Basin Map (pdf)
- Budget (pdf)
- Schedule (pdf)
- Disadvantaged communities map (pdf)
- Support Letters (pdf)
- Board of Supervisors Resolution (pdf)
Groundwater Sustainability Plan Alternative Submittal (December 2016 - November 2019)
SGMA contained provisions for local agencies to submit Groundwater Sustainability Plan Alternatives (GSP Alternatives) by January 1, 2017, if there was evidence demonstrating that the basin had been managed sustainably for at least 10 years prior to the adoption of SGMA. GSP Alternatives are more streamlined plans and do not require the formation of a Groundwater Sustainability Agency.
In 2016, Humboldt County was awarded a Prop. 1 planning grant to perform an initial assessment of the Eel River Valley groundwater basin. Based on the data and information gathered in this assessment, Humboldt County concluded that there was sufficient evidence demonstrating that the basin had been managed sustainably for at least 10 years. On December 30, 2016, Humboldt County submitted a GSP Alternative to DWR for review.
On July 17, 2019, DWR provided a letter and staff report stating that DWR intended to disapprove the submitted GSP Alternative for the Eel River Valley groundwater basin, for the following reasons:
- The GSP Alternative did not demonstrate that objective management criteria had been in place for 10 years;
- The GSP Alternative did not sufficiently demonstrate the absence of undesirable results;
- A quantitative estimate of sustainable yield had not been provided; and
- The GSP Alternative did not quantify the impacts of groundwater use on surface water systems and determine at what point they are significant and unreasonable.
Humboldt County submitted a comment letter on September 30, 2019, and DWR issued their final determination and statement of findings disapproving the GSP Alternative on November 13, 2019.
- DWR final determination (PDF, November 13, 2019)
- DWR statement of findings (PDF, November 13, 2019)
- Humboldt County comment letter (PDF, September 30, 2019)
- DWR notification letter (PDF, July 17, 2019)
- DWR staff report (PDF, July 17, 2019)
- Groundwater Sustainability Plan Alternative December 2016 (PDF 442 KB)
- Groundwater Sustainability Plan Alternative Appendices (PDF 80.5 MB)
- Groundwater Sustainability Plan Alternative Figures (PDF 52.3 MB)
- Groundwater Sustainability Plan Alternative Figures reduced file size (PDF 17.1 MB)
The submittal packet can also be found on the Department of Water Resources Alternative Reporting System website.
Reports
- Technical Memorandum – Preliminary Analysis of Surface Water/Groundwater Interaction Monitoring; Eel River Valley Groundwater Basin (SHN, October 2019) (PDF 7.5 MB)
- Annual Report – Water Year 2017 (October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017) (PDF 33.3 MB)
- Annual Report – Water Year 2018 (October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018) (PDF 7.3 MB)
- Annual Report – Water Year 2019 (October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2019) (PDF 30.6 MB)
Basin Prioritization
- DWR Basin Prioritization Webpage
- Humboldt County Comment Letter (August 20, 2018) for Eel River Valley (PDF)
Data Viewers and Tools
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Hank Seemann
Deputy Director