Forum on Groundwater Overdraft Management, Education

A regional forum Nov. 18 in Tulare will examine challenges and concerns associated with groundwater overdraft in the San Joaquin Valley and the American West.

Organized by the nonprofit American Ground Water Trust (AGWT), the forum will explore how different communities throughout the West have dealt with groundwater overdraft and will consider if local control is a feasible water management solution for San Joaquin Valley water users.

Hosted by Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District and Tulare Irrigation District with support from ACWA and other organizations, the forum will bring together irrigation interests, engineers and hydrologists, water resource managers, agency professionals and attorneys to share current information about groundwater management activities at the local, regional and state levels.

Four panel discussions will cover past and present groundwater conditions, overdraft and subsidence, case studies in several western states, groundwater law overview, and possible future actions, among other topics. ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn and ACWA Groundwater Committee Chair Greg Zlotnick are among the many panelists scheduled to participate.

There is a strong ongoing need to educate the public, and capture the imagination of decision-makers about the economic and environmental benefits of creative use of sub-surface water resources. Ongoing drought conditions, predictions of the hydrologic implications of changing weather patterns, ineffective and unsustainable water management, emerging aquifer storage technologies and political uncertainty regarding regional water transfers demand increased attention to the benefits of using groundwater resources as an essential component for optimizing water resources.

To register, go to the American Ground Water Trust.