GCID drills for data

The Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District is about to start drilling deep wells in an aquifer testing plan that will help determine where the county’s groundwater comes from and where it goes.

With California is in its third year of drought, the Stony Creek Fan Aquifer Performance Test has particular significance.

One goal of the test is to help “make better management and long-term sustainability decisions in the valley,” according to GCID General Manager Thad Bettner.

“We want to protect and keep the water resources here in the valley for our own uses, first and foremost,” he added.

The Aquifer Testing Plan will provide a significant benefit to the environment, according to a GCID statement.

After an attempt by the Butte Environmental Council failed to stop the project, GCID – in cooperation with the Orland-Artois Water District and Orland Unit Water Users’ Association – will dig four deep wells, Bettner said.

BEC wanted a full environmental impact report under the California Environmental Quality Act, saying GCID failed to comply with CEQA mandates.

An August press release from GCID reported that Judge Donald Byrd rejected BEC’s claim and confirmed evidence that “the Aquifer Testing Plan will not result in significant environmental impact.”

Because of funding issues, the number of wells was reduced from the seven originally proposed, he said.

Federal, state and local funds will cover the more than $3 million project. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation grant is for $1.2 million; a California Department of Water Resources is for $1.4 million; and GCID reserves, $500,000. About $100,000 for operations, maintenance, electricity and other costs to run the wells will come from Orland Water Users and Orland-Artois Water District, Bettner said.

He said the two-year Stony Creek Fan Aquifer Performance Test will be performed in 2010 and 2011.

Where’s the water?

The project will help determine how much groundwater is in the area, Bettner said. 

To find that out, hydrogeologists will study “where the water comes from when it is pumped,” he said, by looking at how it moves vertically and horizontally through the multilayered natural underground system.

Bettner said, “Little is known about how water moves.”

In a written statement, Sue King, general manager of the Orland-Artois Water District, said, “This information is particularly critical in drought periods, such as this year, when groundwater resources need to be both enhanced and strategically managed to provide improved water services to the county.”

Rick Massa, Orland Water Users general manager, pointed out at a July hearing that the 100-year-old water distribution system can only accommodate rotational irrigation deliveries that do not provide the necessary flexibility for most perennial crops, such as orchards.

With more orchards using drip and sprinkler systems, “more farmers are opting to drill groundwater wells rather than use surface water,” Massa stated.

Though his organization “is not part of the problem, it wishes to contribute to the solution to avoid having surface water taken from our region.

 The project first was proposed in 2003, but got delayed because the grant money to fund it was not available until 2006. Then came the Butte Environmental Council lawsuit, Bettner said.

He expects drilling on the first well to begin in about two months.

Developing each well takes several weeks, so Bettner said they likely will not be operational until sometime this fall.

“We are not anticipating doing any pumping this year,” he noted, “especially since this is a dry year.”

The local water districts are working with the Department of Water Resources and researchers at some University of California campuses, Bettner said.

“We are trying to make it a collaborative process so we can get input,” he said.

The drive for local studies comes in part because, as Bettner noted, “legislators may be looking for the water without a good understanding of how our groundwater works. We want to drive the science locally and drive our water resources locally.”

For more information, visit www.gcid.net.

Contact Lydia Harris at 934-6800 or lharris@tcnpress.com.