REGIONAL MONITORING AND DATA MANAGEMENT: AN ESSENTIAL FOUNDATION FOR INTEGRATED REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT

Long-term, systematic monitoring programs provide essential data that allow improved evaluation of water resources conditions and availability and facilitate effective water resources management. Established groundwater and surface water monitoring networks result in the data necessary to distinguish trends from short-term fluctuations, anticipate unintended consequences due to historical land uses, identify emerging issues, and design water resources management strategies. A California grant program enabled implementation of a countywide project to develop and implement an ongoing groundwater monitoring and data management program as a framework for coordinated, integrated water resources management and dissemination of water resources information. The lead project agency (Yolo County Flood Control & Water Conservation District) and numerous other public and private entities are active stewards of Yolo County’s water resources. Groundwater is one of the county’s most important natural resources. Groundwater supplies all municipal and domestic uses with the exception of one city that receives surface water.

Broad project goals included gathering available water-related data (especially groundwater data) from collaborating entities, cross-correlating ancillary data, evaluating historical groundwater level and quality data, and developing a centralized data management system that provides the data necessary to manage regional water resources and enable long-term protection of the basin. This project led to a broader awareness of available water resources data and how those data can be better used to assess current groundwater conditions and trends and also identify factors related to future groundwater development. The project also led to an awareness of data security issues, data gaps, and actions needed to continue efforts to “qualify,” organize, store, and disseminate water-related data to enhance the long-term value of the data. Spatial data coverage was good for some subbasins in some zones; however, for other subbasins, monitoring network enhancements are needed. The project resulted in recommendations to continue the programs implemented through this project to facilitate public outreach and integrated regional water management and planning.