The League of Women Voters of Monterey County will present a free talk titled: "Progress in Addressing Seawater Intrusion and Managing Overdraft" at an in-person "Lunch and Learn" Meeting on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.

Guest speakers Piret Harmon, General Manager, and Sarah Hardgrave, Deputy General Manager of the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) will address progress made to date in managing the overdraft of the 180/400-foot aquifer of the Salinas Valley Basin.

Under the State mandated Sustainability Groundwater Management Act of 2014, the SVBGSA was formed to adopt groundwater plans and to implement them by 2040.

The groundwater basin is critically overdrafted primarily due to seawater intrusion that has been moving towards the city limits of Salinas for over 45 years. The deep aquifer which underlies the 180/400-foot aquifer consists of “ancient” water and is generally not replenished. While one of the major sources of water for the City of Marina and agriculture, it too is in overdraft conditions.  This will be a compelling update on a precarious situation. 

The meeting will be held over Zoom.

All current LWVMC members will be sent a link to the Zoom meeting on October 10. Non-members can send a message to LWVmryco [at] gmail.com requesting an invitation.

This talk will be recorded and posted on the LWVMC website (under Videos): lwvmryco.org