On February 23, 2024, as part of the IWV Water District’s Basin Adjudication, the water district released to the public a White Paper on Groundwater in Storage in the Indian Wells Valley. This release details the science used by the water district and other key stakeholders, “Technical Working Group” consultants, to estimate the amount of total groundwater and potable groundwater in storage in the IWV. Storage represents a critical component of sustainability for the IWV Basin aquifer. Another critical component is basin recharge, which will also be released once fully vetted and finalized by the Technical Working Group.
Many are asking what the Storage Paper means for the IWV. Groundwater in storage represents how much total water is in the basin underground. It does not necessarily mean that all the groundwater in storage is available for use. Still, it is critical to determine how soon important aspects of Basin water management need to occur. This data, once fully integrated with recharge to the Basin, will allow the very best solutions for Basin sustainability to be realized.
All parties need to come together to determine the best solutions for Basin sustainability. Before the best solutions can be found, the best available science needs to be applied. The recently released science supporting the Storage Paper and the work of the Technical Working Group is sound, and it should be considered to achieve the best solutions for the IWV. The Technical Working Group’s Storage Paper, and the science supporting it, is available for inclusion—and we hope is included—in the upcoming Groundwater Sustainability Review.
George Croll is the General Manager of the Indian Wells Valley Water District.