Local Drought Relief: January Rainstorms Reduce Stress on Surface Water Resources – CVN Article Feb. 16, 2023

This January, Carpinteria received over 9 inches of rain over the course of several winter storms. On January 10th alone, we received over 3 inches. To put things into perspective: in 2022, over the course of the entire calendar year, the rain gauge at the Carpinteria Fire Station received 6.6 inches of rain in total. In the first month of this year, we received 146% of our entire rainfall for last year. These rain events allowed California’s thirsty landscapes to become saturated and quickly increased water levels at reservoirs throughout the state. January’s rain has helped to recover statewide systems from the previous three years of very dry weather; however, the drought is far from over. Drought recovery will take years of above average rainfall to ensure that groundwater basins and watersheds are fully recharged. From a water supply planning perspective, we must continue to look several years into the future when managing water supplies and be prepared for more periods of prolonged drought based on what we have experienced over the last several decades.

Carpinteria Valley Water District (CVWD) is in a much better position with Lake Cachuma at 99% of its capacity at the time of this writing. In addition, State Water Project (SWP) reservoirs have increased to above average levels. Lake Oroville, one of the SWP’s key reservoirs, is at around 67% of its capacity at the time of this writing, which is 113% of its historical average for this time in the winter season. Although two of the water sources that we depend on, Lake Cachuma and the SWP, have a better outlook after this winter, the Carpinteria Groundwater Basin (CGB) needs several wet winters to recover. One wet month will not do much to increase our aquifer levels. Groundwater replenishment depends on steady rainfall over time.

It is important to recognize that continuing to use water efficiently and saving water wherever possible will help speed up the drought recovery and allow us to be prepared for the future. It is unknown how much precipitation we will receive over the next few winters, and we must make the water that we currently have access to last as long as possible. One great tool that the District provides to help customers monitor their water use is the free EyeOnWater tool available online. Customers can sign up at https://eyeonwater.com/signup, view their daily and hourly water consumption, and set up e-mail or text notifications to let them know if their water meter is unexpectedly running for 24 hours straight with no 15 minute break in water use.

The District is focusing on securing and protecting our water resources for the future through a number of different projects. These include the development of the Carpinteria Advanced Purification Project (CAPP), complying with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and creating a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP), establishing water allocations for each parcel within our jurisdiction, and designing an intertie project to work with other local agencies to find win-win solutions that improve water supply reliability. CAPP will allow for the creation of a locally controlled and drought-proof water supply for the Carpinteria Valley. Through the creation of a GSP we are engaging local stakeholders and discussing ways that we can monitor and manage our shared groundwater resources. Establishing water allocations for each property will help us to meet California’s urban water use efficiency standards, ensure customers are using water efficiently, and limit wasteful water practices. The intertie project will allow for agencies to assist each other in the event of an emergency and allow access to and conveyance from additional water sources.

For more information on SGMA and the creation of Carpinteria Groundwater Basin’s GSP, visit carpgsa.org. We invite you to attend our fifth Community Workshop on March 15th at Carpinteria Lions Club from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. To learn more and stay up to date on CAPP, visit cvwd.net/capp/. Both websites allow for you to sign up for e-mail updates to monitor project progress. We hope that you will continue to use water wisely. The District continues to offer rebates for residential and commercial customers for water conservation fixtures and appliances as well as rebates on WaterWise Landscape upgrades. If you are looking for a winter or spring project, you can get some financial assistance with transforming your lawn and replacing it with native and low water use plants. E-mail conservation@cvwd.net for additional information. For District updates, please visit our website cvwd.net, follow us on twitter @CarpWater, or Carpinteria Valley Water District on Facebook and Nextdoor.