SMC technical advisory committee outlines short- and long-term "action levels" for groundwater declines

The Salinas Valley Sustainable Management Criteria Technical Advisory Committee (SMC TAC) on Thursday presented a recommended procedure for turning groundwater sustainable management criteria into operational "action levels" that would prompt further technical analysis and, if warranted, management actions. The committee framed separate pathways for short-term declines tied to reservoir operations and for longer-term, multi-year declines.

Gus Yates, chair of the SMC TAC, said the group will review annual groundwater data each April using the water‑year annual report and move to a deeper analysis if certain signs appear. "We developed procedures and criteria for each of those," Yates said, describing two distinct issue types: short-term low water levels related to lower-than-average reservoir releases and long-term declines due to broader groundwater‑budget imbalances.

The nut graf: the committee’s approach is intended to give subbasin committees a predictable, data‑driven signal for when to consider demand management or project alternatives. That is intended to help local managers plan rather than wait for state intervention or emergency orders.

Under the SMC TAC…