Monday, March 31, 2008 : 1:00 p.m.

Citizen-Based Ground Water Resources Planning in California

Timothy K. Parker, PG, CEG, CHG1, Michelle Yeh1 and Gina Bartlett2, (1)Schlumberger Water Services, (2)Center for Collaborative Policy

Groundwater is considered a local resource for management purposes in the state of California. Groundwater is not regulated, and if you are a landowner, you have a legal right to install a well and commence pumping. It is only in cases where third party impacts, subsequent litigation and adjudication, have the courts decided the allocation of groundwater for local users. State Assembly Bill 3030 was passed more than a decade ago to provide local water agencies a systematic procedure to develop a groundwater management plan, which includes the ability to acquire the powers of a replenishment district, and to raise revenue to pay for groundwater facilities. More recently, Senate Bill 1938 further provided the requirement for citizen-based involvement in groundwater management planning, development of basin management goals and objectives, and tied state funding to meeting these requirements.

California state programs have successfully provided facilitation to citizen-based, water resources, groundwater resources and conjunctive use planning and program implementation efforts to resolve conflict and negotiate outcomes. The core principle that is applied is interest-based negotiation, and this approach has proved successful in a broad range of groups and circumstances statewide. Coupled with the large amount of state bond funding available over the past few years, and specific groundwater management plan requirements to be eligible for state funds, there has been relatively good progress in groundwater resources planning and program implementation over the past several years, including construction of over $100 million in new facilities. The current California Water Crisis will require much more rigorous water and groundwater resources planning and programming in the next two decades, and citizen-based involvement will no doubt play a key role in developing and implementing successful solutions.

Timothy K. Parker, PG, CEG, CHG, Schlumberger Water Services Mr. Parker is a Principal Hydrogeologist with Schlumberger Water Services in Sacramento where he is working to assist adapting Schlumberger’s advanced oilfield subsurface characterization tools and technologies to the groundwater industry . Mr. Parker is currently a Director, Legislative Committee Chair, and Past President of the Groundwater Resources Association of California (GRA); Director of the American Ground Water Trust; and serves as a Director on the AGWSE Division, NGWA. He is a California Professional Geologist, Certified Engineering Geologist, and Certified Hydrogeologist. Mr. Parker co-authored the book “California Groundwater Management’, second edition published by GRA in 2005.

Michelle Yeh, Schlumberger Water Services Michelle Yeh joined Schlumberger Water Services four years ago and has been working as a hydrogeologist in the characterization and simulation of groundwater aquifers. Ms. Yeh is experienced in the use of traditional groundwater modeling software as well as modeling tools newly adapted from the oilfield industry. Prior to joining Schlumberger Water Services, Ms. Yeh worked with an environmental consulting firm providing environmental and compliance services for industrial facilities. She holds an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering.


2008 Ground Water Summit