A group hopes to slow seawater’s intrusion by identifying flood-prone land—and the public is invited to help out.

David Schmalz here, with an interesting update on how the Salinas Valley can stabilize its groundwater levels, a critical problem to solve in order to halt the inland march of seawater intrusion into aquifers, which fouls wells and makes water unsuitable for drinking and irrigation. 

Areas around the coast by the Salinas River, from Marina to Elkhorn Slough, have seen seawater intrusion as early as 1944, as growers have pumped more water out of the aquifers than their rate of recharge, which creates a pressure differential that causes seawater to get pulled into aquifers to fill the vacuum. 

Efforts to halt that intrusion, like the rubber dam in the Salinas River northeast of the landfill in Marina, have so far failed. 

Enter a new acronym to put in the soup—the Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP), a state-funded initiative to reduce reliance on overdrafted groundwater basins. Through a $10 million state grant awarded to the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, a consortium of partners, including the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency, have launched the Recharge Work Group, which had its first meeting Oct. 23.

The idea behind the program is to take the least productive, most flood-prone land out of production with the hope it can help stabilize groundwater levels, and the bulk of the $10 million is earmarked for land acquisition.

To that end, the group has launched an online survey where respondents can identify land they believe is prone to flooding, and also land where they believe water sinks into the earth quickly. The focus of the acquisitions is within three Salinas Valley subbasins that stretch from the coast to Gonzales. Respondents can also add their email addresses to be notified about the Recharge Work Group’s monthly meetings. 

Any landowner, of course, would have to be willing to sell, and there will have to be a willing buyer for it—an entity willing to put the land to beneficial use for a minimum of 10 years.

I spoke yesterday with Emily Gardner, SVBGSA’s deputy general manager, who told me, “I think it’s an idea that landowners and farmers have been receptive to. Hopefully it’s the beginning of a longer effort.”

I mentioned that it seemed like Carr Lake in Salinas—a flood-prone area where the Big Sur Land Trust already has an active project—would be a prime location, and Gardner agreed.

“It seems like a very intuitive fit for something like that,” she says, but adds, “It’s tricky to find a willing owner—it’s a long-term commitment.” 

The survey is open through the end of the year, so if you’re knowledgeable about the lands that flood, or might be suitable spots for groundwater recharge, I encourage you to check it out. 

Solving the seawater intrusion problem is vital to the region's economy and residents, and every effort can count.

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Searching for solutions to the seawater intrusion problem. Hiring freeze. Spend an evening with Poe.