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Eastern San Joaquin Groundwater Basin Groundwater Management Plan Northeastern San Joaquin County Section 4 Groundwater Banking Authority 84 Groundwater Management Options 4.1.3 Regional Groundwater Banking Groundwater overdraft and the resulting decline of groundwater levels in Eastern San Joaquin County have created an estimated at 1 to 2 million af of operable groundwater basin storage. In addition, Eastern San Joaquin County’s proximity to major waterways and reservoirs, existing and proposed regional conveyance facilities, and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has the potential to become a major groundwater bank for regional and statewide interests. Groundwater banking partnerships are recognized as key water management options for water agencies throughout the State to balance water needs. Currently, the DWR Conjunctive Water Management Branch supports the activities of San Joaquin County and the Authority through in- kind services and direct financial assistance to encourage the full utilization of the underlying basin. The benefits of a fully operable groundwater bank in Eastern San Joaquin County to the State and other regional interests are appreciable and have prompted interests for further information. Interested agencies include the DWR, Bureau of Reclamation, CALFED Environmental Water Account, CALFED Storage, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, State Water Contractors, EBMUD, Amador County Water Agency, and Calaveras County Water Agency. Groundwater banking partnerships involving the exportation of groundwater in unincorporated San Joaquin County is governed by the San Joaquin County Groundwater Export Ordinance. County ordinance authority does not extend into the incorporated city limits of the municipalities. The Ordinance requires stringent monitoring and extraction protocols deemed necessary to protect adjacent landowners and underlying basin from the potential adverse impacts of groundwater export. The Board of Supervisors has indicated that a more workable form of the Groundwater Export Ordinance is possible should stakeholders propose positive changes that would facilitate banking partnerships while maintaining principle protections for groundwater users. Other factors deemed important to local stakeholders include the establishment of Basin Operations Criteria. Originally tied to the development of Basin Management Objectives, Basin Operations Criteria would set quantitative target groundwater levels and descriptive basin condition levels. Basin Operations Criteria could potentially consist of a series of groundwater levels that would correspond to basin condition levels (similar to the US EPA Air Quality Index and the US Department of Homeland Security Advisory System) to indicate the effectiveness of groundwater recharge programs and also potentially when and how much groundwater could be exported. The development of Basin Operations Criteria is a collaborative process that will be undertaken by the Authority immediately following the adoption of the Plan and is expected to be completed by summer 2005. The Authority will also explore potential governance structures that would facilitate the implementation and enforcement of Basin Operations Criteria within the principals and intentions of the Export Ordinance and with adequate local control and oversight. Basin Operations Criteria developed with the framework of the Authority could ultimately provide the basis for a revised Export Ordinance and a new Groundwater Management Ordinance. Potential groundwater management governance structures are further explored in Section 7 of the Plan.