Where We Are Now
Suddenly it appears that water is the topic of study by numerous governmental bodies here in Napa. That would seem to imply that people want water security. We certainly agree with that premise. When you look at it, no other factor will have such a profound influence on what our lives look like in the coming years. Yes, climate change is important, and it is especially so on how it will influence our water supplies.
Let’s Take a Look at the Studies Underway
In 2014 the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act became law. The legislative intent is to provide for sustainable management of groundwater basins, enhance local management of groundwater, and establish minimum standards for sustainable groundwater management.
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has asked Napa County to come up with a plan for water sustainability in the Napa subbasin, which has the highest priority.
In late December 2019, the Board of Supervisors declared themselves the Napa County Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GWSA) and just this past week selected 25 members of the community to sit on a groundwater advisory committee. This committee has two years to develop a plan to ensure the sustainability of our groundwater supplies.
In Addition, A Task Force Formed
In September 2019 a group of water managers from the county and the municipalities also formed a task force to prepare for and respond to drought. This collaborative planning group will develop the following:
Drought Contingency Plans: How will we recognize the next drought in the early stages? How will drought affect us? How can we protect ourselves from the next drought?
Drought Resiliency Projects: Drought Resiliency is defined as the capacity of a region to cope with and respond to drought. The US Bureau of Reclamation provides grant assistance for drought resiliency projects identified in a DCP.
The area that they will study is larger than the study area of the GWSA as it will encompass the following critical sources and users:
• The Napa River watershed whic