______________________________________________________________________ Date: November 20, 2025 To: Board of Directors
From: Michael Cruikshank, PG, CHG, GSP Administrator ______________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATION:
1. Receive a presentation from the BCGSA Administrator
BACKGROUND:
The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), effective January 1, 2015, was enacted in California to regulate and sustainably manage groundwater basins throughout the state. SGMA provides a framework to guide local public agencies and newly created Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) in the management of their underlying groundwater basins, especially those considered critically affected as defined by the Department of Water Resources (DWR). The Bedford-Coldwater Groundwater Sustainability Authority (BCGSA) prepared a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) to maintain long-term groundwater sustainability in the Bedford-Coldwater Groundwater Subbasin.
The Bedford-Coldwater GSP was prepared from June 2018 through December 2021 with active outreach and public participation throughout the process. The GSP was adopted by BCGSA on December 18, 2021 and was submitted to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) in January 2022. The 2022 GSP provides the basic information, analytical tools, and projects and management actions for continued groundwater management, guided by SGMA and by locally defined sustainability goals, objectives, and metrics.
DISCUSSION:
The Administrator’s Update presentation provides an overview of the implementation activities of the Bedford Coldwater GSP with an emphasis on the ongoing projects and management actions.
SUBJECT: BCGSA ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT
130 Administrator's Update #A.
GSP Determination
On April 7, 2025, the BCGSA received a letter from DWR approving the submitted GSP.
Along with its approval, DWR issued a GSP Assessment Staff Report that included comments and recommended corrective actions related to the Subbasin’s 2022 GSP. The initial GSP was developed during the early stages of SGMA implementation, when GSAs across California were interpreting SGMA requirements and striving to develop plans that complied with the law, met DWR’s expectations, and aligned with local sustainability goals.
This was a challenging period, as many agencies newly formed under SGMA had limited experience managing complex groundwater issues such as water quality, land subsidence, and interconnected surface water.
DWR’s recommended corrective actions are intended to enhance the GSP and support future DWR evaluations. The actions include: (1) providing additional rationale and clarifying language in the sustainable management criteria (SMC) for chronic lowering of groundwater levels, (2) adding clarifying language to the water quality degradation SMC, and (3) incorporating forthcoming DWR guidance related to the depletion of interconnected surface water SMC. Additional details from DWR’s review and recommendations are provided in the GSP Assessment Staff Report. The corrective actions will be addressed as part of the Periodic Update due to DWR in January 2027.
The BCGSA made significant progress in two of the three projects described in the GSP with the Groundwater Surface Water Interactions at Temescal Wash Workplan and the Private Well Survey in FY 2023/2024. In FY 2025/2026 the BCGSA is prioritizing the Evaluation and Effects of the Aggregate Pits on Groundwater Flow and Quality project.
Updates on the following key projects are provided below: (1) Evaluation of Aggregate Pits' Effects on Groundwater Flow and Quality (2) Groundwater/Surface Water Interaction at Temescal Wash, (3) Private Well Survey. Additionally, BCGSA agencies have been actively collecting data related to the GSP’s management actions and are in the process of preparing the Bedford-Coldwater Water Year 2025 Annual Report.
Projects
Evaluation of the Effects of Aggregate Pits on Groundwater Flow and Quality During the development of the GSP the BCGSA identified the need to better understand the relationship between the aggregate pit mining operations and groundwater. Significant aggregate (sand and gravel) resources mining occurs south of Corona within and along Temescal Wash and north of Lake Elsinore which has been active since the late 1940s.
Gaining this understanding will enable the BCGSA to refine the basin’s conceptual and 131 Administrator's Update #A.
numerical models, supporting more effective and sustainable management of the Subbasin. The BCGSA has met with aggregate pit owners and operators and has scheduled field visits to learn more about ongoing mining activities and long-term plans.
The parties have also agreed to share data to improve understanding of the effects of aggregate pit operations on both groundwater quality and quantity.
Groundwater Surface Water Interactions at Temescal Wash The purpose of this study is to reduce uncertainty regarding the riparian habitat and ultimately to improve the GSP’s management threshold and protect groundwaterdependent ecosystems. This project will be initiated in two phases: an initial feasibility study and permitting review and a second phase of installation of monitoring facilities and on-going vegetation and shallow groundwater monitoring. DWR has released three of four guidance documents to support compliance with GSP regulations, with the final document expected in the fourth quarter of 2025. The implementation of Phase 2 will be guided by the forthcoming DWR guidance.
Private Well Survey
The purpose of the private well survey was to reduce the uncertainty regarding the existence of active private domestic wells in the Basin. Specific areas, namely Weirick Road and Leroy Road, have been identified for further investigation in relation to the effectiveness of the sustainable management criteria outlined in the GSP. BCGSA Staff is currently strategizing the next steps for engaging the property owners to gauge their interest in participating in a groundwater data collection effort.
Management Actions
Management actions defined in the GSP are focused on data collection, storage, and reporting necessary to monitor sustainability and assess when additional tasks may be required (e.g., when minimum thresholds are approached or exceeded). The five Management Actions identified in the GSP were:
Provide for Collection, Compilation, and Storage of Information Required for Annual Reports and Submit Annual Reports
Routinely Record Groundwater Levels and Take Action if Necessary Monitor Selected Groundwater Quality Constituents and Coordinate with the Regional Water Quality Control Board as Appropriate
Track Trends in Groundwater Levels near Temescal Wash and Take Action Review Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) Data on the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Data Viewer During 5-Year Updates 132 Administrator's Update #A.
The BCGSA has initiated the data collection effort identified in the management actions and will be used in the development of Bedford Coldwater Water Year 2025 Annual Report.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Not applicable.
ENVIRONMENTAL WORK STATUS:
Not applicable.
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS:
Administrator's Update Presentation
133 Administrator's Update #A.