Ground-Water Storage for California Water Project

Environmental opposition and escalated construction costs associated with construction of dams and reservoirs in Northern California have caused the California Department of Water Resources to examine the feasibility of using ground water basins in the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California to store State Water Project water during periods of above normal runoff in Southern California for later withdrawal and delivery in subsequent dry years. Conjunctive use of surface and ground water is not a new concept. However, for many years, there has been a reluctance to initiate conjunctive use because of concerns over legal and institutional aspects such as: (1)What are the priorities between overlying users and public agencies to available storage space and what are the priorities between public agencies? (2)who owns the water after it's spread or injected and placed in storage? (3)how should state and regional conjunctive use programs be made compatible with local water management operations? We are obtaining answers to some of these questions. In California, two recent State Supreme Court decisions have provided some guidance.