Making “Conservation A Way of Life” Despite Improved Drought Conditions in Carpinteria – CVN Article April 13, 2023
We have received many comments from our customers who are quick to celebrate the “drought being over”. We do not want to rain on your parade, but California is in a perpetual drought cycle, and we are all having to shift to making “conservation a way of life”. Using water wisely is no longer a temporary shift in our habits that we make in response to drought, but rather an everyday necessity for ensuring we have adequate water supplies when faced with consecutive dry years. We are grateful that our surface water supplies are currently nearly full and that the short-term water supply outlook is very positive. In February, the State Water Project (SWP) stated agencies would be receiving 35% of their allocations; however, by the end of March they increased water deliveries to 75%. This portion of our SWP allocation of 2,200 acre-feet amounts to 1,650 acre-feet that we will receive from this water source. Although this is a great sign of improved drought conditions across the state, it is important to reflect upon how unreliable and variable this water supply has been over the past 10 years (Figure 1). Yes, we are receiving 75% of our SWP allocation this year, but for the last five years we have not received more than 45%, and in water years 2021 and 2022 we received a mere 5% (110 acre-feet) from the SWP. For some perspective, an average California household uses between one-half and one acre-foot of water per year for indoor and outdoor use. In 2021 and 2022 the water we received from the state could only supply 100-200 single family homes in Carpinteria, which is not even enough to serve the entirety of the Concha Loma Subdivision for one year. Five percent from the state is a drop in the bucket, and it is not unexpected when looking at our historical deliveries. It is critical that we make our 75% SWP allocation last as long as possible and make every drop count.
In addition to the State Water Project, we will receive 100% of our 2,813 acre-feet allocation from Lake Cachuma, which is currently spilling at the time of this writing. With this year’s rain and replenished local and state reservoirs, we will be holding a Public Hearing regarding moving from a Stage III Drought to a Stage I Drought on April 26th, 2023 at 5:30 p.m.
We are hopeful that the Carpinteria Groundwater Basin (CGB) will begin to recover from the past 10 years of drought. If we can reduce strain on the Groundwater basin and receive several consecutive wet winters there is a good chance of this source fully recovering. However, future weather patterns are unpredictable and highly inconsistent and so it may take longer than several years to fully recover. Recent water accounting analyses have shown a decline in the CGB’s groundwater storage over the past ten years of approximately 30,000 acre-feet, and staff estimates that it would take four to five wet years to refill the CGB completely. To help the Groundwater basin recovery, the District is reducing its pumping while surface water supplies are plentiful. Groundwater is a valuable resource that our region is dependent upon in times of drought when we are faced with low surface water supplies. It will be necessary for both the Water District and private well pumpers to work together to preserve this shared water resource effectively to ensure the basin can continue to provide high-quality water and avoid potential negative impacts seen by other coastal groundwater basins, such as seawater intrusion. The Carpinteria Groundwater Sustainability Agency’s (CGSA) Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) is currently being developed and public meetings are happening monthly. Join us at the next community meeting on April 19th at the Carpinteria Lions Club at 6:00 p.m. Visit carpgsa.org for more information and share your input on future groundwater management in the Carpinteria Valley.
The past few months have demonstrated how erratic our climate can be. Carpinteria Valley Water District is working on developing a more diverse water supply portfolio that is drought-resistant and locally managed due to increased volatility in surface water allocations over the last decade. The Carpinteria Advanced Purification Project (CAPP) will provide us with the facilities required to capture and purify water that would otherwise be discharged into the ocean. This purified water will then be injected into the CGB and stored for later use by CVWD. In addition to developing new sources of supply, we are also focused on increasing water supply resiliency. Carpinteria Valley Water District and Casitas Municipal Water District are working on the “Casitas Intertie Project”, which will allow the adjacent water agencies to exchange water in times of drought or in the event of an emergency.
We urge our customers to keep a water-conscious mindset and encourage you to take advantage of some of our water-saving tools and resources. 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 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. You can also monitor your water use by signing up for a FREE EyeOnWater account at eyeonwater.com/signup and set text and e-mail leak alerts to prevent water waste. For District updates, please visit our website cvwd.net, follow us on twitter @CarpWater, or Carpinteria Valley Water District on Facebook and Nextdoor.