LWVMC Lunch & Learn: “Can Seawater Intrusion Be Reversed in the Salinas Valley?”

Background: In 2014 California passed the most sweeping legislation governing groundwater in the State’s history. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) requires plans to bring critically overdrafted groundwater basins such as the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin into sustainability.  Under the act, the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) was formed.  It is governed by an 11 member Board of Directors with one agricultural representative from each of the four Valley sub-basins, City of Salinas, one other Salinas Valley city, the County, CPUC public regulated water utility, disadvantage communities, environmental community and public at large. Janet Brennan represents the environmental community. Members are generally recommended by their respective groups and in most cases appointed by the Board of Supervisors.

Speaker: Gary Petersen, General Manager of the SVGB Agency will be the main speaker on this critical issue, with comments by Janet Brennan, Member of the Board of Directorsof the Agency (and LWVMC Member). He will address basic requirements of SGM Act, complexities of the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin, and progress to-date to meet the Act’s requirements.

Gary works with a variety of groundwater users throughout the 106-mile long basin to implement SGMA. He believes that achieving groundwater sustainability is possible and that success is dependent upon building trust and transparency through the use of legitimate, fair and inclusive processes. He also believes that adopting many changes, including new technology and new thinking, will be required.

Lunch at 12:00 pm

The 19 dollar lunch is at 12 p.m. and requires a reservation.
Contact elkor [at] redshift.com (Beverly Krebs ) by Saturday, 2/9/19: phone 625-2084

Program at 12:30-1:30
The program is free and does not require a reservation.