Todd Groundwater: Salt and Nutrient Management Plans

Photo collage of agricultural land use and water supply pipegear

SNMP Projects

Todd Groundwater is working on or has completed several Salt and Nutrient Management Plans in California.

Northern San Benito County — This predominantly agricultural area is challenged with the salt and nutrient loading associated with this form of land use. Read more …
Central Basin and West Coast Basin, Los Angeles County — These densely populated basins have some of the most significant recycled water recharge projects in the country. Read more …
Llagas Basin, Santa Clara County
Sonoma Valley
Mojave River Watershed
Paso Robles Basin
Ramona Municipal Water District
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Upper Los Angeles River Area

Salt and Nutrient Management Plans

The collapse of the Bay-Delta ecosystem, climate change, and continuing population growth have prompted the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to encourage increased reliance on local, sustainable sources of water such as recycled water and stormwater, as well as conservation.

The California State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB’s) Recycled Water Policy has the stated goals of:

Increasing recycled water use by at least one million acre-feet per year (AFY) by 2020 and by at least two million AFY by 2030
Substituting as much recycled water for potable water as possible by 2030.

The SWRCB is encouraging every region in California to develop a Salt and Nutrient Management Plan (SNMP) by 2014. Because each groundwater basin is unique, the plan detail and complexity will depend on the character of local salt and nutrient loading.

Key Plan Components

Stakeholder involvement
Basin hydrogeologic conditions
Water recycling and stormwater use goals and objectives
Salt and nutrient sources, loading, and fate and transport
Existing and future basin groundwater quality
Assimilative capacity estimates
Salt and nutrient management strategies
Anti-degradation analysis
Basin-wide water quality monitoring
Emerging constituents considerations (e.g., PPCPs, EDs)

Todd Groundwater has been conducting salt management studies in groundwater basins for more than 20 years. We are actively involved in ongoing salt and nutrient management planning efforts in several basins across the state and received approval for the northern San Benito County SNMP in April 2014 (link to news). We have developed a successful methodology for conducting SNMPs that is applicable to a wide range of basin settings and has achieved Regional Board approval.

Contact Todd Groundwater

We understand the basin-specific issues related to salt and nutrient loading and management. Let us assist you in developing your developing salt and nutrient management plans. For more information, contact Todd Groundwater

SNMP Guidelines

In addition to the SWRCB’s Policy guidelines, agencies and Regional Boards have developed regional guidelines for SNMPs: