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Sustainability indices to evaluate groundwater adaptive management: a case study in California (USA) for the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act

Indices de durabilité en vue d’évaluer une gestion adaptative des eaux souterraines: une étude de cas en Californie (USA) au titre de la Loi de Gestion Durable des Eaux Souterraines

Índices de sostenibilidad para evaluar la gestión adaptativa del agua subterránea: un estudio de caso en California (EEUU) para la Ley de Gestión Sostenible del Agua Subterránea

评估地下水合适管理的可持续性指数:为地下水可持续管理行动而在(美国)加利福尼亚州进行的一个实例研究

Índices de sustentabilidade para avaliar o manejo adaptativo das águas subterrâneas: um estudo de caso na Califórnia (EUA) para a Lei de Gestão Sustentável das Águas Subterrâneas

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Abstract

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) enacted in California (USA) outlines legal standards to regulate groundwater management. A key requirement of SGMA is local-scale adaptive management, which requires evaluation of measurable objectives defined by local water users. The objective of this study is to illustrate a groundwater sustainability framework using performance indicators and groundwater-level elevation records that may be used to quantify objective management strategy outcomes. Application of the framework to groundwater basins in the Central Valley identified spatial variability in groundwater-basin sustainability indices, attributed to complex interactions between climate and groundwater use. Further, a temporal assessment of performance indicators documented the utility of the framework to evaluate the performance of adaptive management implementations. The proposed framework can be used to inform management decisions and identify future intervention management strategies.

Résumé

La Loi de Gestion Durable des Eaux Souterraines (LGDES) promulguée en Californie (USA) dresse le tableau des normes législatives visant à réglementer la gestion des eaux souterraines. Une exigence clé de la LGDES est. la gestion adaptée à l’échelle locale, qui nécessite l’évaluation d’objectifs mesurables définis par les usagers de l’eau. L’objectif de la présente étude est. de donner un exemple de cadre de durabilité pour les eaux souterraines recourant à des indicateurs de performance et à des enregistrements du niveau des eaux souterraines pouvant être utilisés pour quantifier les effets objectifs d’une stratégie de gestion. L’application de ce cadre aux bassins hydrogéologiques de Central Valley a mis en évidence une variabilité spatiale des indices de durabilité de ces bassins, attribuée à des interactions complexes entre le climat et l’utilisation de l’eau souterraine. De plus, une évaluation temporelle des indicateurs de performance a documenté l’utilité du cadre pour évaluer l’efficacité des réalisations de la gestion adaptative. Le cadre proposé peut être utilisé pour renseigner les décisions de gestion et identifier des stratégies futures de gestion des interventions.

Resumen

La Ley de Gestión Sostenible de Aguas Subterráneas (SGMA) promulgada en California (EEUU) describe las normas legales para regular la gestión del agua subterránea. Un requisito clave de SGMA es la gestión adaptativa a escala local, que requiere la evaluación de los objetivos medibles definidos por los usuarios locales de agua. El objetivo de este estudio es ilustrar un marco de sostenibilidad del agua subterránea que utiliza indicadores de rendimiento y registros de elevación del nivel del agua subterránea que pueden utilizarse para cuantificar los resultados objetivos de la estrategia de gestión. La aplicación del marco a las cuencas de aguas subterráneas en el Valle Central identificó la variabilidad espacial en los índices de sostenibilidad de las cuencas de agua subterránea, atribuidos a interacciones complejas entre el clima y el uso del agua subterránea. Además, una evaluación temporal de los indicadores de rendimiento documentó la utilidad del marco para evaluar el rendimiento de las implementaciones de gestión adaptativa. El marco propuesto se puede utilizar para informar las decisiones de gestión e identificar futuras estrategias de gestión de intervención.

摘要

(美国)加利福尼亚州颁布的地下水可持续管理行动概括了进行地下水管理的法律标准。地下水可持续管理行动一个关键要求就是局部尺度的适应管理,需要评估由当地水使用者界定的可测量目标。本研究的目的就是利用可用来量化目标管理策略成果的性能指标及地下水位高程记录描述地下水可持续性框架。框架在中央河谷的地下水盆地的应用确定了地下水盆地可持续性指数的空间变化,这些空间变化是由气候和地下水利用之间的复杂相互作用造成的。此外,性能指标时间上的评价记载了框架的效用,以评估适应管理实施的性能。所提出的框架可用来通报管理决策,确定未来介入管理策略。

Resumo

A Lei de Gestão Sustentável das Águas Subterrâneas (Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, SGMA), promulgada na Califórnia (EUA), delineia os padrões legais para regular o gerenciamento das águas subterrâneas. Um requisito fundamental da SGMA é o gerenciamento adaptativo em escala local, que requer avaliação de objetivos mensuráveis definidos pelos usuários de água locais. O objetivo deste estudo é ilustrar uma estrutura de sustentabilidade das águas subterrâneas usando indicadores de desempenho e registros de elevação do nível das águas subterrâneas que podem ser utilizados para quantificar os resultados da estratégia de gerenciamento objetivos. A aplicação da estrutura às bacias de águas subterrâneas no Vale Central identificou a variabilidade espacial nos índices de sustentabilidade da bacia, atribuída a interações complexas entre o clima e o uso da água subterrânea. Além disso, uma avaliação temporal de indicadores de desempenho documentou a utilidade da estrutura para avaliar o desempenho de implementações de gerenciamento adaptativo. A estrutura proposta pode ser utilizada para informar as decisões de gestão e identificar futuras estratégias de gestão interventiva.

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Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank the associate editor and three reviewers whose comments contributed to substantial improvements to the original manuscript. This study was made possible using freely available data from the National Land Data Assimilation System (https://ldas.gsfc.nasa.gov/nldas/), National Snow and Ice Data Center (https://nsidc.org/data/g02158) and California Data Exchange Center (http://cdec.water.ca.gov/reservoir.html). In-situ groundwater observations were collected from the CASGEM system (https://www.casgem.water.ca.gov/).

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  1. Department of Geology and Environmental Science, University of Pittsburgh, 4107 O’Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA

    Brian F. Thomas

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Thomas, B.F. Sustainability indices to evaluate groundwater adaptive management: a case study in California (USA) for the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Hydrogeol J 27, 239–248 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-018-1863-6

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