The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) awarded two Watermaster projects with $2,738,590 in Sustainable Groundwater Management (SGM) grant funding to support planning and implementation of projects that will help achieve groundwater sustainability in the Borrego Springs Subbasin pursuant to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The DWR SGM grant award for the Watermaster projects covers eligible work performed for the following projects from February 2023 through March 2025:
- Component No. 6 Project – Biological Restoration of Fallowed Lands: Awarded $790,340 (as amended)
- Component No. 7 Project – Monitoring, Reporting, and Groundwater Management Plan Update: Awarded $1,948,250 (as amended)
On this page you can find information on each of the Watermaster’s SGM grant funded projects.
Component No. 6 Project: Biological Restoration of Fallowed Lands
Using SGM Grant Funding, the EWG developed a scope of work to develop data, information, and criteria to guide the use of biological restoration as a technique to mitigate the potential adverse impacts associated with the fallowing of lands that is expected to occur within the Basin in order to meet the sustainability goal of reducing groundwater pumping (e.g., airborne dust emissions, introduction of invasive species, etc.). The anticipated benefits of restoring fallowed land include reduced water consumption, management of airborne dust emissions, increased natural biodiversity and habitat value, and maintenance/enhancement of values pertinent to the Anza Borrego Desert State Park and the residents of Borrego Springs.
The project was administered by the EWG and performed by Land IQ. The Final Project Report summarizes all the efforts undertaken to complete this project. Additionally, a summary of the work completed using SGM grant funding was presented during the March 19, 2025 Open House, which can be viewed here, and is documented in Grant Completion Report. Check out the EWG’s webpage for more information on each project task, which are summarized below:
- Task 1 ‑ Review and Analysis of Existing Data. The objective of this task is to conduct a review of reports, maps, data, and conduct interviews with key stakeholders and local experts in the Basin to characterize the historic and current conditions of agricultural crops, practices, and natural habitat in the Basin.
- Task 2 ‑ Existing Abandoned Farmland and Reference Natural Habitat Study. The objective of this task is to survey a range of fallowed and natural reference sites and identify drivers of biologically complex conditions.
- Task 3 ‑ Brush Pile Wildlife Sand Fence Case Study. The objective of this task is to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of various fallowing techniques on dust mitigation and habitat recovery.
- Task 4 ‑ Farmland Fallowing Rehabilitation Strategies. The objective of this task is to utilize the literature review and data collected in Tasks 1‑3 to develop, design, and recommend best practices for fallowing farmland.
- Task 5 ‑ Farmland Fallowing Prioritization. The objective of this task is to utilize the literature review and data collected in Task 1-3 to prepare a Fallowing Prioritization Map based on the likelihood of the success of the rehabilitation strategies.
- Task 6 – Environmental Working Group Meetings. The objective of this task is to conduct working meetings of the EWG to provide them with updates on the project progress, receive input and guidance, and review the draft and final deliverables.
Component No. 7 Project: Monitoring, Reporting, and Groundwater Management Plan Update
This project was a multi-year monitoring and reporting effort to advance groundwater management in the Borrego Springs Subbasin. This project included a comprehensive monitoring, analysis, data management and reporting program to ensure the effective implementation of the pumping rampdown, including filling data gaps identified in the Judgment and GMP, and performing the required redetermination of the Sustainable Yield and GMP. The grant covered costs of the routine monitoring, assessment, and reporting activities the occurred during the grant period—such as collection and maintenance of monthly meter read data, database management, assessment of groundwater conditions, and preparation of Annual Reports—and allowed for the performance of work that would not have been possible absent the grant funding—such as improving the monitoring network through well maintenance and rehabilitation activities, improving available modeling tools, and expanding outreach efforts.
This project included a total of 13 tasks, a few of which are highlighted below, and was implemented by the Watermaster’s Technical Staff, West Yost Associates. A summary of the work completed using SGM grant funding was presented during the March 19, 2025 Open House, which can be viewed here, and is documented in Grant Completion Report. Some of the Component No. 7 project tasks and their highlights include:
- Groundwater Pumping Monitoring Program. The objective of this task is to collect, compile, and manage all Basin pumping data to ensure successful compliance with the pumping Rampdown. SGM grant funding was used to cover costs for annual meter accuracy testing and analyzing and maintaining a groundwater pumping database, which is used for performing annual water rights accounting (documented in each Annual Report).
- Groundwater Level and Quality Monitoring Program. The objective of this task is to implement a comprehensive groundwater-level and groundwater-quality monitoring program to track changes in Basin conditions (e.g., groundwater levels, storage, flow directions, groundwater quality) and evaluate the need for water quality optimization programs to achieve sustainability. SGM grant funding was used to:
- Develop a Groundwater Monitoring Plan, which describes the monitoring objectives, the current monitoring network, frequency of monitoring, constituents monitored, and recommendations for expanding/improving the monitoring programs for both the groundwater-level and groundwater-quality monitoring.
- Perform semi-annual monitoring events to measure groundwater levels and collect groundwater quality samples. The Groundwater Monitoring Program webpage contains links to all semi-annual monitoring event reports.
- Purchase and install transducers to measure groundwater levels at 15 to 1-hour intervals
- Expand the existing monitoring network of wells by converting inactive/abandoned wells in the Basin into monitoring wells. With help from the public, existing wells in the Basin were identified, converted into monitoring wells, and added to the monitoring program. A total of 21 new wells were added to the monitoring network.
- Extend the lifespan of 10 existing monitoring wells in the monitoring network by performing well rehabilitation and/or securing the well to make it safer to the public and the groundwater system.
- Prepare Annual Reports. The objective of this task is to prepare the combined annual report of Basin conditions and the Physical Solution implementation progress, which are due to the DWR and the Court by April 1st each year. SGM grant funding was used to prepare the Annual Reports for WY 2021 through 2024. All Annual Reports are available on the Documents and Reports webpage.
- Redetermine the 2025 Sustainable Yield. The objective of this task is to support the Watermaster Board’s redetermination of the Sustainable Yield by January 1, 2025. SGM grant funding was used to develop and implement a scope of work to improve the Borrego Valley Hydrologic Model (BVHM) and use the BVHM to support the redetermination of the 2025 Sustainable Yield through a collaborative effort between the Watermaster’s Technical Consultant and the TAC. Each task of the scope of work and the technical work is documented on the TAC’s webpage. At their December 5, 2024 Board meeting, the Board redetermined the 2025 Sustainable Yield as 7,952 acre-feet per year.
- Prepare the Framework document for the 5-Year GMP Assessment Report. The objective of this task is to prepare a framework document and content for the 5-Year GMP Assessment, which is due to the DWR by June 25, 2026. The objective of the 5-Year GMP Assessment report is to describe how the implementation of the GMP is working toward meeting the sustainability goal(s) for the Basin and address DWR comments on the Basin’s Alternative Plan. SGM grant funding was used to:
- Develop a draft annotated outline of the 5-Year GMP Assessment Report, inclusive of a high‑level summary of the DWR requirements and a description of information to be included for each section.
- Identify and summarize new information that has been acquired since the GMP was published in 2020 and assess if any of the new information warrants changes to any aspects of the GMP.
- Develop future pumping plans of the major pumpers in the Basin for use in running BVHM projections of the pumping Rampdown to predict future expected changes in groundwater levels and storage.
- Began developing methodologies for updating Sustainable Management Criteria.
- Perform Stakeholder Outreach. The objectives of this task are to facilitate public outreach and communications of Watermaster planned actions and provide a venue to receive public input prior to making Watermaster decisions beyond the monthly opportunities to engage with the Board at their monthly Board meetings. SGM grant funding was used to institute semi-annual Open Houses dedicated to stakeholder outreach and education, and participation in Borrego Days. Improved stakeholder outreach also helped the Watermaster enhance their groundwater monitoring program with the help of the public to identify private well owners willing to have Watermaster monitor their wells.